From the Vancouver Studio: How a Painting Gets Made and Shipped

When a painting sells, most people picture it going straight into a box and out the door. The real answer is slower and a little more careful. A finished canvas has to dry, get signed, earn its paperwork, and then be packed so it survives a truck ride across the country.

Here is the honest walk-through, from the last brushstroke in our Vancouver studio to the moment the painting lands on your wall.

The last stretch in the studio

The painting you see listed is already done. But "done" and "ready to ship" are two different things. Oil paint in particular needs time. The surface can feel dry to the touch in a few days, yet the paint underneath is still curing, and a thick area of impasto can stay soft for weeks. We do not rush this. If a piece needs more time to cure before it can be safely wrapped, it gets that time, and we would rather tell you the truth about a short wait than pack a painting that is not ready.

Acrylic moves faster, so an acrylic piece is usually ready sooner. Either way, the artist gives the surface a last look in real daylight, checks the edges of the canvas, and makes sure nothing needs a small touch before it leaves the studio.

Signed, then documented

Every painting is signed by the artist. Most are signed lower right on the front, and many are also signed and titled on the back of the canvas, with the year. That back-of-canvas signature matters more than people expect, because it stays with the work forever even if the piece is later reframed.

Then comes the paperwork. Each painting ships with a Certificate of Authenticity. It names the artist, the title, the medium, the exact size, and the year, and it confirms the piece is an original, one-of-a-kind painting. No prints, no reproductions, no print-on-demand. If you ever resell the work, or pass it down, that certificate is the document a future buyer will ask for. It is small, but it is the difference between "a nice painting" and "a documented original by a named artist."

How we pack an original painting

This is the part that decides whether a painting arrives perfect or arrives with a dented corner. We pack every piece by hand, and we pack it to travel, not just to look tidy on a shelf.

• The face of the painting is covered with a smooth protective layer so nothing touches the paint surface.
• The whole canvas is wrapped, then the corners get extra reinforcement, since corners take the worst of any bump.
• The wrapped piece sits inside a rigid outer box or crate sized to the work, with cushioning so it cannot shift in transit.
• Larger canvases get sturdier, custom-cut packing, because a big painting has more surface to protect and more leverage to work against a weak box.

We would rather over-pack a small painting than under-pack a large one. A little extra material costs us a few dollars. A damaged original costs a collector something you cannot replace, because there is no second copy of it anywhere.

Free, fully insured shipping

Shipping is free, and every painting is fully insured for its full value while it is in transit. That insurance is on us, not a checkbox you pay extra for. If something goes wrong on the road, which is rare when a piece is packed properly, you are covered.

Here is what to expect on timing once the piece leaves the studio.

Destination	Typical delivery	Cost
Canada	3 to 7 business days	Free, fully insured
United States	5 to 10 business days	Free, fully insured

These are typical windows after the painting is cured, signed, and packed. A newly finished oil that still needs curing time can add a few days before it ships, and we will tell you if that applies to your piece. For the full policy, and how cross-border delivery to the US works, see our guide to shipping original art across Canada and the USA.

After it arrives: the 14-day trial

Buying a painting online means judging it from a photo, and a photo flattens the texture and depth that make an original worth owning. So we give you a real way to check it in person. Live with the painting for 14 days. Hang it, see it in your own light, at different times of day. If it is not right for the room, send it back within 14 days for a full refund, and we pay the return shipping.

There is also a Lifetime Trade-Back. If your taste or your walls change years from now, you can return any painting in good condition, any time, for store credit toward another piece. The point of both policies is simple. At VanArtHub, a real Vancouver artist made a real object with their hands, and we would rather you keep the one that genuinely fits your home than talk you into keeping one that does not.

Key takeaways

• Oil paintings cure before they ship, so a short wait sometimes protects the work.
• Every piece is signed and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity naming the artist, title, medium, and size.
• We hand-pack each painting with a protected face, reinforced corners, and a rigid outer box.
• Shipping is free and fully insured: Canada 3 to 7 business days, USA 5 to 10.
• A 14-day trial with return shipping paid lets you judge the real object, not a photo.

Every piece here is an original that started life in a studio a short drive from the ocean. If you want to see the makers behind the work, meet our Vancouver artists, and to browse the full range of one-of-a-kind pieces ready to ship, start with our collection of original Canadian art. Prices start from about $531, and the packing and insurance are the same care whether a painting is small or fills a wall.