COOL PAINT JOB, finally done!

A friend of mine, Mike Theeke, has a buissness building ultralights and teaching people how to fly them. Sky Cycle Trikes is what they are called, and last year at the largest ultralight festival in the world (i think), Sun & Fun, Mike took the Grand Champion prize! He has won awards the last few years and has a reputation to keep up, so along with his hard work he has started adding art work to them. His father in-law is a painter and has done some beautiful flip-flop paint jobs (paint changes color with light) and some flame jobs that really grab the eye. But Mike wanted something else, something different than anything he has done or seen on a trike. So he brought me a couple pieces of fiberglass that were just made. A front fender and a nose cone. Raw fiberglass, Hmmm... I don't paint on raw stuff. I don't have a paint booth, or a large paint gun, or hundreds of dollors of auto paint, or quality clear coat to protect my artwork when I'm done. Plus it was a really cold and wet winter. So after much thought and some research I decided I didn't want to take on the prep or finish work so I took the pieces to a paint and body shop and paid to have the work done right. $350.00 later I had a nice smooth primed, painted and cleared canvas to start working on. I had the guy clear the paint so I could sand it down some to give the surface some "tooth" so my paint could have a good area to stick to. It was a pain in my butt. Trying to take a rounded shape and try and turn it into an Eagle head. A bunch of thought, tape, more thought and paint. Sandpaper and more thinking. Some more paint, then paint thinner on a rag to take it all off. Disrupted sleep, aggitated wife because of my mood swings, more taping and painting. Then it started to happen, an image that I might be able to work with. The paint I use is an old time sign painters paint and a favorite for pinstripers of the "oldschool" days. It is great paint but takes hours to dry. The work was long and painful to my simple little brain (I would venture to guess no less than 5000 strokes with the airbrush in the "texture" areas) overlays, repairs, analness) but after 30 or so hours my work was done and all I had to do was have the paint guy add a few more coats of clear. We decided to throw a bit of pearl finish in the clear to give it a shimmer in the sun that really looks great! Mike came by to pick it up, he loved the work but was caught off guard with the invoice. I HATE the buissness part of working, so after a bit of discussion and some thought on future work all was good. He will just have to get the next buyer to pay for an all original, one of a kind trike. Here are some pictures before the pieces get installed on the trike. Hope to get some after it is all put together. This first pic. is looking straight at it from the front. This is a pic. of the pieces after I paid to have them primed, painted, and cleared. Ready to start!

This is them after my paint and final clearcoats were done.

Right side, I had a small accident with my airhose and some wet paint on the bottom bit of the mouth/beak, perfect place for me to sign and date it. Like I said, it was tricky to try and make a rounded object try to take on a Eagle head shape. Think it turned out OK.?

Left side. You can see a little of the pearl effect in this pic. but it really POPPED when seen in person. Mike is going to add a little windshield, and whatever else he can and have it on display at the Sun & Fun next week. I'm not sure he will be able to put it all together as a whole trike by then, but I'm guessing it will still get alot of attention. Will have some more pictures later. This is why my lil' sight here is called Paint2fly. I can go flying now, and buy some beers after!!!

If you see this and think you want me to paint something for you, I ain't cheap! and me Wife does not enjoy my creative moods, so she may add a "put up with me fee". Or you can get it done at the flea market. Won't hurt my feelings and it will probley be cheaper, both ways, in price and quality.
(or maybe not)