My most recent project was a three-tiered sign for the Cumberland & Falmouth Farmer's Market. Before I could start anything, I needed to meet with my contact at the farmer's market and decide on everything from materials to size, color, shape and what we would need to do to make it structurally sound and safe. I created a detailed plan so I would know that my client and I were on the same page. This plan was also used when the permit for the sign was approved by Cumberland. After meeting with my client, agreeing on the design, colors, materials and all, I was ready to get to work. The first thing I needed to do was to cut and paint all the 3/4" marine grade plywood I was going to use. We chose this lovely green by Benjamin Moore for the background of the signs. Originally I was going to hand paint all the lettering onto the signs, like I have done in the past, but I was offered an incredible opportunity to use a cnc router to create the letters. All I had to do was design it all in Illustrator, convert the type to outlines and hand over to my friend, Otis in the form of a pdf. It was far easier than hand painting everything! After the wood was painted, I put on a masking material called Oramask. The idea was that Otis would cut the letters into the wood and the masking material would stay, keeping the green background clean while I flooded the letters with white paint. This didn't exactly work because the masking material did not stick to the wood. We scraped the Oramask and I painted the letters with out it. The cnc router cut the letters out perfectly! Now I have to paint the insides of the letters white, transfer and paint the logo and then seal the wood to protect it from the weather. Painting the letters took a long time. Each of the three signs is double sided and I would estimate I spent an average of 4 hours per side, painting the white and fixing the green, and finally putting 3 coats of an outdoor acrylic weather sealer on each. I also made numbers for the beginning of the market and the end. The start dates and end dates change, so I created them on blocks so they could be removed and changed each year. I did not use the router on these numbers, instead I created them in the same font, transferred them to the blocks using carbon transfer paper and painted them white. They will be attached to the signs at the end. With all the letters painted and 3 costs of sealer, the signs are ready to be installed. My friend, Justin helped me with the posts and the install. He created a channel in the posts for the signs to slide into. We slid the signs in and secured them with screws. We dug holes that were 3 feet deep and then stood the sign up, level it and filled the holes with stones, dirt and cement. The completed double sided sign stands 7 feet high and 4 feet wide. It is located on at the Cumberland Center Town Hall at 290 Tuttle Road in Cumberland.
I completed this project on May 14, 2020.
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AuthorNew Jersey girl loving Maine. Currently residing in Portland and raising an energetic and creative little boy. Artist and teacher by day. Unlimited creativity. Always in search of the next great project. Reflective, innovative and constantly evolving. Archives
May 2020
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