final stages

Here it is!  After many hours of prepping for the final finishing coat of black paint, I am excited to post these pictures.

My original plan was to remove the white vinyl stickers after painting it black, to revel the white painted plywood underneath, however after I painted it my plan changed.  I put on a thin first coat which included covering the letters, not intentionally, but just to ensure I covered every spot. As I continued to paint and cover over the letters I began really liking the look of the letters covered in black.  After putting on a second coat, the paint that was on the letters was beginning to dry, so I used a fairly dry brush to remove the excess paint.  It took a little muscle to remove most of the remaining dry paint, but after a while of doing that, I ended up with a grungy, weathered look that I was really pleased with.

I am and (probably always will be) curious to know how it would have looked if I peeled away the stickers and had the crisp white paint show through.  However, I did a quick test on the back before I started painting the top coat, and when I removed the letter there was a little bleeding under the lines, so I didn't want to risk the chance of not having crisp, clean letters.

I also had plans to add a few streaks of color, some dark blue and green, but I am afraid to add anything to it now, for fear of doing something I don't like, that's irreversible.  I am still considering adding black oil-based paint to give it a little more depth and texture, but I will probably do that some time this weekend.

 Check out the photos below for some close-ups as well as early stages of the painting process.

First coat, wet, letters covered

First coat, dry, letters lightly cleaned

First coat, dry, letters lightly cleaned, close-up

Second coat, dry, letters cleaned

Second coat, dry, letters cleaned, close-up

Final (unless I add black oil paint for texture), shown in room for perspective.  I plan on hanging it on this wall in between two windows, but until then it looks good resting on the floor too.

Now that this project is complete, it's time to work on something new.  I  just completed a fresh water pearl necklace that I want to post about, so stay tuned for pictures.

getting there

I put all of the stickers on the board tonight and I cannot wait to paint it black and pull off the stickers to see the final result!  It's almost done!

I would love to put the paint on tonight, but I'm getting tired and don't want to rush though and potentially screw it up (especially after all the prep work).  I'm planning on using a light and very dry covering of black acrylic paint and then incorporating a few subtle streaks of navy blue and forest green to add a little color.  I also want to add a little black oil-based paint to add extra contrast and texture.  My hope is to create a finished product that looks naturally aged and doesn't have that freshly painted look.

This pictures just shows the pile of leftover sticker backing that was peeled away after the tedious task of putting them all on the board. Hopefully all this work pays off...we'll see!

making progress

After spending a lot of time cutting out various sized vinyl letters, measuring guidelines and laying out and rearranging all the words, I have finished a large step towards completing my poster project.

As you can see, I have finished laying out all of the letters and arranging the words on the poster.  It took quite a while to choose what "T" stations I wanted to have as well as which ones would actually fit.  I had a few stations in mind, mostly the major ones and a few others that I had personal connections to.  I included a few other stations I hadn't planned on, to fill the gaps where words I was expecting to use, didn't fit.  I left a large header and footer and smaller side margins.  I spaced the letters according to the margins and left 1" in between each row. Since I am using pre-cut adhesive letters, I cut them away from their sheets and used tape to put them in the desired locations.  I had to do some switching around to get the layout just so, but I'm very excited to see the final project because I really like the layout.  Before beginning to adhere the letters to the board, I put a very light wash of brown/tan paint and water on some of the letters to give it an aged, weathered appearance.

I started putting some of the letters on and so far have completed three rows.  I feel that the spacing is coming along nicely, and I just hope when I put the final black top coat on, the paint doesn't bleed under the letters.  I'm planning on using a very dry brush coat to avoid any seeping under the stickers.  The image below shows the top three lines with the letters stuck down as well as the "dirty" spots which hopefully appear natural and subtle but add some character.

artistic procrastination

I should be washing the pile of dishes in my sink, left over from this morning's blueberry pancakes and tonight's homemade pizza but instead I'm simultaneously working on an art project, watching re-runs of Sex and the City (while just discovering I was missing the newest episode of The Office) and writing this post.


I have started this wall art/poster project that I am very excited to complete, and while I usually find myself working on projects with relatively instant gratification, this is something that has already taken several days and I see it taking several more to complete.  It's been almost two years that I've lived in my apartment; I've hung plenty of art, but for some reason, I've neglected to hang something on the focal wall in my living room.  I think the wall has remained blank because I have been holding out for the perfect combination of eye-catching, meaningful and artistic work, but have yet to find it.  I was considering compiling a collection of photos I have taken in my travels, but I didn't want it to look too generic.


While pa-rousing Etsy I came across a shop, Going Underground which inspired me to create my own Boston version of the artist's international Bus Roll Posters.  Hers were rather expensive, which is the main reason I decided not to purchase directly, but rather make my own.  Then, as I gathered materials I knew I was taking my creative liberties and truly making it mine.


The plan; Instead of canvas or paper, I used plywood.  24"w x 60"l  plywood with a frame constructed of 1"x 2" boards glued to the back for stability and mounting.

White letters spelling out the stops along several of Boston's subway lines with a black, distressed painted background.  Instead of hand painting the letters or using a stencil, I'm using different sizes of vinyl, adhesive letters used for making signs, that I have meticulously arranged on the plywood.  I roughly base coated the plywood with white acrylic paint, thin enough to allow a little of the grain to show through.  I'm measuring out the spacing of the letters and doing a dry run of all the words, before I peel off the sticker backing and I'm committed to the arrangement.  So far I'm about a third done with arranging the letters and guidelines as it is a slow process.  I hope to put a lot more work into it this weekend and hopefully finish it.  I think these images will best illustrate the beginning stages.

More to follow, stay tuned for more progress photos and hopefully the finished product!

resolution per say

To pull myself out of the winter blues and escape the sub-zero days here in Boston, I've been feeling the urge (and have the time) to get back into crafting. I have always had an interest in arts and crafts (let's call it what it is) and can even remember my friends jokingly calling me "Martha" when I was younger. Most recently I find myself using my artistic talents to create beaded jewelry, that I typically give as gifts or make for my own adornment. I have also had some limited, but concentrated exposure to various types of printmaking, which I fell in love with and am excited to explore further. I've always had a place in my heart for Photography, ever since my Dad handed down his handed-down Pentax K1000. It's a classic that I still have an enjoy not only shooting with, but also developing prints from. Hopefully I can somehow incorporate all of these talents and interests into something that really expresses me as an artist. I have been pa-rousing Etsy lately and feel like I need to open a shop, which is another project to add to the "creative things to do" list.

My portfolio is another project I feel I need to devote some quality time to. After graduating from college almost 2 years ago, I need to put together a portfolio that really reflects my talents and knowledge as a professional Interior Designer. I hope to gather all of my student work and the professional work I have contributed to in the past 2 years, to develop (with much assistance) a website where I can centrally locate all of my projects, hobbies and talents.

For now, I think writing a blog about my creative sparks I have from time to time will help me realize how often I feel inspired and how I really do need to do something about it, which I suppose is a new year's resolution, per say. Until next time, blog ya later.