Abstract: An artists' water color paper stretcher and holder receives wet water color painting paper and similar materials to hold the paper and thereby to cause its stretching during drying, and thereafter to continue holding the paper during the artists' water color painting. This stretcher and holder is a flat top surfaced structure having grooves around its perimeter to receive wedges. Water color painting paper, when wet, is placed over the flat top surfaced structure and extended beyond the perimeter grooves. Thereafter the perimeter wedges are pressed into the perimeter grooves carrying the wet water color paper edges into the grooves, thereby snugly fitting the water color paper to the flat surface of the artists' water color paper stretcher and holder.