An old client  contacted me to paint this ‘Proudly Made in the USA’ mural in his new factory. After 18+ years, I was surprised to hear from him again, as well as excited for this new challenge.

The Challenge!

The wall is 39 feet long and 15 feet tall. After discussing the project and how to paint the mural, the owner provided me with a forklift to do some of the work on the tallest part of the wall. The forklift was not available the first week, so initially I painted the lower areas  using my favorite ladders.

I loved this challenge!

The entire time I was there working, there was chaos around me. They moved in all of the manufacturing equipment, finished up lighting, wiring and plumbing, and ran pallet lifters and jacks all over. It was noisy, it was chilly at times, and it was wonderfully coordinated. I think the men coming and going enjoyed watching the painting process, they sure liked the finished result! For me, riding in a big basket on top of the forklift to paint the upper part of the wall was actually a lot of fun. Eric was very attentive about moving me up and down and along the wall to work for the final 3 days.

I laid out the ‘Proudly Made in the USA’ lettering, the flag and eagle design using my computer. I provided a few different options for the client via e-mail. We communicated back and forth a few times with changes and adjustments on the design. Finally, we decided on the best overall look for the design and the mural. On the design, I gave the lettering a brushed steel look for this metal working industry and a bit of a 3 dimensional look.

Using a grid system, I drew out the basic outlines for the painting work. I completed everything over an 8 day period.

My favorite part was painting this gigantic bald eagle, and I really enjoyed the entire project a lot. From the waving flag to the brushed steel lettering I am proud of the work I did here. I am as proud as they are that what I do is ‘Proudly Made in the USA’.

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