Research Process for Imake Project

For my Imake project, I am going to be making a canvas with a quote on it, and I plan on decorating it in some artistic way with paint.  For the past few days, I have been researching different forms of interior design, the history of canvases, and techniques with paint.  So far, I have found that my research for the canvas has not been easy or simple.  Because this research is very open, and since it is optional as to what can be researched, I feel that I am having a slightly difficult time finding the useful sources.  In my research experience in the past, I have been directed more specifically of what to search for, so I think my research then was a little bit easier to find.  One difficult thing about my current research, is that it is so hard to even find useful articles about canvases.  I think I am going to take a more artistic approach to this research and possibly try to focus more on different ways they were used, rather than the direct history of them.  In comparison to other research I have completed before, this research is similar due to the variety and the amount of research that comes up.  I have found that often, so many different topics and sources are available, that it makes it harder to find the one source I am looking for.  I am really excited to make my actual prototype of my project, so I think it will be great once I find more sources that relate to what I am doing with the canvas.  I also just visited with a librarian on campus, so if I cant find enough on the internet, I know that I can go to her to get some useful research assistance.  The next topic I plan on trying to research for this project is quotes, and their origin.  I think that would be very interesting and meaningful towards my Imake project.