Creating a large linen canvas tapestry mural.

Unprimed linen canvas makes a great tapestry mural. If you understand the linen itself. Here's how I approach tapestry murals as well as hanging backdrops for stage.

2/20/20253 min read

6-foot by 5-foot linen canvas tapestry mural of a lush jungle tree in greens and blues,, with signs and painted names.
6-foot by 5-foot linen canvas tapestry mural of a lush jungle tree in greens and blues,, with signs and painted names.

The idea of tapestry murals came to my studio via necessity. The 2024 hurricane season here on our coastline revealed the weaknesses of human ideas. A few of my clients lost their art to the storms. Not to mention the entire home.

After emailing invoice copies for insurance purposes (yes, it's art, it can be covered by your homeowner's insurance, if you so choose), I realized I wanted to offer a better way to own my work.

I also receive many inquiries from people across Florida and in other states. Again, there's got to be a way for my to deliver murals without hotels and traveling.

Test driving the idea I offered this solution to a new client on the east coast of Florida, who'd asked for a mural in her home the year before. She is a fearless art lover and we set out to see what we could create. Henry's Tapestry was designed. It will hang in her parrot's bird room as a testament to her African grey parrot, Henry. Sure Luna and Indigo are in there, but it's Henry's Room.

I chose 10oz unprimed linen.

Unprimed linen and unprimed cotton canvas have a very important difference that will affect your painting. The weave. Warp and weft or vertical and horizontal.

  • Linen's warp and weft are structural being the same thread weight. Linen is stable and much longer lived.

  • Cotton's weft gives it that soft feel offering drape and a sheen smooth weave look. Structurally it offers less absolute results with your paint. This is why you'll want primed cotton canvas for paint. The gesso sets the weave structure. Cotton's lifespan is shorter. When vintage shopping you'll find old paintings where the canvas is bubbled, warped, thinning, or torn. That's cotton.

I sewed rod gutters top and bottom, and hung it on a studio wall that has two big bright windows pointing straight at it. I prefer painting in natural light if at all possible. No shadows and the paint pigments are clear and true to the eye.

The following photos step-through the evolution of the art.

10 oz linen folded and laid on a large artist's table for folding and pinning.,
10 oz linen folded and laid on a large artist's table for folding and pinning.,
Only the ares of the art will receive gesso. Both to add teeth (or bite) so the paint can adhere well, embed the charcoal.
Only the ares of the art will receive gesso. Both to add teeth (or bite) so the paint can adhere well, embed the charcoal.
After sewing rod gutters, the linen tapestry is hung to cast the design and draw with soft charcoal pencil.
After sewing rod gutters, the linen tapestry is hung to cast the design and draw with soft charcoal pencil.
Linen tapestry laying on a clean surface on the floor for measuring and stretching.
Linen tapestry laying on a clean surface on the floor for measuring and stretching.
A sized, gessoed, and stretched tapestry ready for paint.
A sized, gessoed, and stretched tapestry ready for paint.
The darkest of the greens are laid in to define depth of the tapestry mural painting.
The darkest of the greens are laid in to define depth of the tapestry mural painting.
The darkest of the greens are laid in to define depth of the tapestry mural painting.
The darkest of the greens are laid in to define depth of the tapestry mural painting.
A linen tapestry mural in progress with building green colors showing depth and detail.
A linen tapestry mural in progress with building green colors showing depth and detail.
Jungle tree linen canvas tapestry mural building in colors of blues, greens, and yellows.
Jungle tree linen canvas tapestry mural building in colors of blues, greens, and yellows.
Large linen canvas tapestry mural of greens, browns, greys, blues and yellows.
Large linen canvas tapestry mural of greens, browns, greys, blues and yellows.
Henry's Room Tapestry Mural with building details and depth.
Henry's Room Tapestry Mural with building details and depth.
6-foot by 5-foot linen canvas tapestry mural of a lush jungle tree in greens and blues,, with signs and painted names.
6-foot by 5-foot linen canvas tapestry mural of a lush jungle tree in greens and blues,, with signs and painted names.

You can find deeper dives and photo walk-throughs on my Substack. kathylafollett.substack.com

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kathy@kathylafollett.com

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