Large-Scale Projects Part 2

Big Design – Part 2

Recently, I had the privilege of creating two large-scale design projects (at the same time): one for Rose Care Group and the other for personal pleasure. This is part 2 of Large-Scale Projects. Part 1 can be found here.

Designing and Painting a 26′ High Catamaran Sail

The next fun, large-scale project I worked on took three months! Between paying work, I set out to create a bold graphic design for the white sails of my catamaran. The sail cloth was a giant blank canvas (26 feet long), just waiting to receive color! I couldn’t stand another year of an all-white boat, so I went to work. First, I sketched the sail design on paper, then took my rough design to the computer and refined it. I didn’t keep track of my design time, but it was around 8-10 hours.

Then, I had to figure out how to transfer my design from the computer to the sails so that I could start painting them. Thankfully, my husband, Dennis, is brilliant at solving these types of dilemmas. He rigged his studio projector to shoot straight down from our home’s second-story balcony onto the driveway. This process could only be done at night, so I spent three nights tracing the projection, section by section.

After all the tracing was complete, the main and jib sails came into the house for painting. This occupied my whole kitchen and took FORTY hours for EACH SIDE. After people comment on how they love the sails, everyone wants to know how I did it and what kind of paint I used.

Surprisingly enough, after scouring the internet and doing some tests on old sails, I painted the sails with Latex, semi-gloss, interior/exterior house paint. This gave me formula-mixed colors with perfect consistency. I figured I would need to order more of some colors – and I did. It was also essential to me to be able to order paint that matched the colors of my design, and Home Depot was the answer! I used their small sample jars. About half of the colors required a second jar for the other side of the sails. In addition, I could make some colors by combining what I bought or from what I had in my art studio.

Wallah! I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. I can no longer sail in anonymity, and the response from other sailors and spectators made it all worthwhile. To say the least, it made a big splash at the annual regatta at Huntington Lake.

Both large-scale projects were challenging but fun. Painting the sails was a bit like therapy—just as a giant paint-by-numbers might be. Once the design was established, the rest was a bit mindless, and my brain could wander to great depths—80 hours worth. Everyone needs that once in a while.

It is good to be done now and working on other normal-sized projects that call for focus, which clients are willing to pay me for!