Stretching & Framing Canvasses

Stretching your own canvasses VS buying them already made & a word about framing your artwork. 

1. I am in the process of building a body of work and wonder if it is acceptable for professional artists to sell their work on pre-stretched canvases (I currently use The Edge by Creative Mark because I like the neat backing.) 

Yes, this is absolutely acceptable. The alternative would be to stretch your own canvasses which is time consuming and tough on the hands! Although I have stretched my own canvasses in the past, I prefer to stick to pre-stretched canvasses so that I can devote my time and energy to painting instead.

2. Also, since I use standard 18X24" canvas size, is there a pre-made 'floating frame' I can purchase that is of professional quality or do artists all make their own? Do most abstracts sell framed or no? (I purchased a few Illusions Floating frames hoping they would solve my problem but the quality is awful.) 

Unless you are absolutely adamant that you want to sell your work framed, I say skip the frames all together. It is absolutely acceptable to sell your paintings without a frame. If your customer decides that they want the piece framed, you can direct them to a framing gallery at that point. The other option is to buy the frame and canvas at the same time. I have seen them sold together as a shrink-wrapped package from time time. I would abstain from purchasing the canvas separate from the frame if I were you.

3. What are your suggestions for someone like me now that I'm just starting and can easily make changes? 

First and foremost, I encourage you to focus on painting and marketing the work. Canvas making and framing are two aspects of the business that are secondary in importance. 

I hope my insights have proven helpful to you. Good luck!