Biggest Project To Date: Free-Hand Block Letter Sign

Over Thanksgiving week, I had the great privilege of completing a project that was months in the making.  

Over the summer, I made a connection, through a friend, with a lovely couple. This couple owns a mortgage company and was in the process of renovating a new (to them) office building in the Old Town area of Grapevine, Texas. I had met this couple previously and had mentioned that I am an artist. 

These business owners contacted me after speaking with my friend and asked if I would like to paint two signs on their new building. We brainstormed, talked some things over, and soon we were on our way to a final design. We also set a date for the sign painting - the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It was cold that day! I, no joke, couldn't feel my hands for the first two hours I was out there...

One of the signs that I painted pays homage to the original building and was placed center above the door. In red paint, I painted block lettering onto the newly redone stucco. This was the first time I had painted on stucco. It was both easier and harder than I expected. It was easier in the sense that making the lines even and level was a breeze; the painter’s tape also stuck better than expected. It was harder in the sense that the rough texture of the wall made it difficult to get an even paint application.  

The second sign I painted was over a window, referencing the owners’ business. It was much smaller and a bit easier to paint because I did not have to move the ladder as frequently. (Though moving the ladder and climbing up and down it a bunch gave me a good workout!)  

One of my takeaways from this project is that budgeting more time than you anticipate needing is a good practice because setbacks can happen. My anticipated two-day project turned into a three-day project. Another takeaway - we can all learn a lot when making mistakes. I sure did! A third takeaway for me is to ask for help, which I don’t often do. On the second day, my sister kindly came to the worksite with me. She was a big help and without her, it would've taken a lot longer to complete the project. 

 So, from now on I’ll remember:  

1) Mistakes and setbacks happen, but I’ll just get back up and try again. 

2) Networking and connections are wonderful business tools. Thanks to a friend, I had the privilege to do an awesome project and learn new things! 

~Piper Louisa