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Monday, September 26, 2005

Jobs on the go . . .

just finished a 4 x 8 v shaped billboard for a car dealership - Boyer Chevrolet.
just finished a bunch of directional and information signage for a small wharehouse.

last week I started a bunch of little signs for a vintage clothing store,
some woodworking for residential,
a Solar lit estate driveway sign,
Wray's Pharmacy storefront restoration
An Awning for Cupid & Pysche Jewellery, an A Board, a post sign
quoting on several retail projects and contractor site boards.
graphics on a carpet for a school
This week and next I will finish some of these projects,
plus start on graphics for a kitchen showroom and vehicle

and some Signs for my trailer to promote my business locally, which I have never done because I was building up word of mouth, but it's a small town and I need more local work to carry me through the winter. Winter and Summer, this business is often slow, Fall is the busiest followed by Spring.

Happy Hundred Days My Darling Bambi !

My Personal Signs I'm following.

In 2005, I have begun more and more to accept Jesus as my personal saviour this year. I needed help in so many little and big ways in improving my life and although there is always someone around to fill a gap in one's happiness, there is only one that is able at filling many and more and more gaps in my life.
The more I ask him to walk with me, the more I feel he does. And Hanging around with this admired buddy for help in every aspect of one's life, having someone there all the time who's always helpful, and selflessly so, is a very good thing ! Takes me back to days of my favourite scoutmaster, a few old mentors I've had, and an imaginary childhood buddy named Scott who knew how to do everything right. I'm starting my first official school year as a youth group leader, after being asked to fill in in march which ended up continuing till June. I shake my head in wonder, when I think that 30 years ago, I was originally brought to Christ through my then youth group leaders.

Many, many signs in my life have pointed me in this direction, I too often have seemed to stray when following signs that I try to make for myself.
I've spent a good deal of my life making signs to order for other people's needs. I need my own sign and now I feel I have accepted it's presence. I find by just out-loud asking him for what-to-do, I get an answer every time I listen for his reply.
The Sign of the Cross !

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Blowin off steam ! - not like you might think !

The Letterheads, for anyone outside of the signbiz, seems to be an informally organised coalition of old fashioned Sign Artists from around the world who's mandate is to get together with many other sign artists for a weekend, in various locations to exchange ideas, techniques and comraderie with fellow sign people and of course, Paint Signs. They have been organising these events for 30 years or more and have featured the results of these Letterheads Meets in several of the various Sign Trade Magazines. This is how I've admired from afar these fellow's works for all these years. I have never made an effort to participate usually because they are mostly in the States, or I've just been unavailable.

Well, with my one - off 13 minute CBC radio Documentary that has now aired three times, some people in the sign biz actually heard this and contacted me, and I have now been invited to participate in a Letterheads - type of meet which also happens to be just down the road from me. At the end of this month somewhere between 12 and 20 sign artists will meet at the Tottenham South Simcoe Railway which is a heritage operating steam train, to reproduce the old graphics on all the signs on and around the train. I can't believe this opportunity for me to participate !! Wow - I can't wait. When I first got the phone call, I started getting all nervous thinking I'd never meet the standards of these amazing Sign Masters, but then after a few days and looking over my own portfolio, my confidence has agreed that I am qualified. I've often thought I was better than your average sign writer, certainly imagination-with-design-wise, but these letterhead type of guys do super amazing stuff. Well, I have to now admit I've done my own amazing stuff too, although since I've rarely actually talked with others in my trade, I can't say I've had much feedback from my peers. So this chance I will take to work along side of others in a fellowship, volunteer way with the goal of producing an outstanding bunch of reproduction signwork. Doing old style has always been my favourite, especially with my 10 years of European and British Pub signage experience.

And in a very bizarre coincidence, just a few days before I received this phone call, I had Just installed a reproduction sign for the former Alliston Station of the train line which no longer runs through Alliston, but there is a little parkette beside the Zehrs store dedicated to that train station. very weird !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So If you get a chance to ever go to Tottenham to check out the steam train and indeed ride on it, maybe you'll appreciate signs in a new way that you may not have looked at them before.

If you are new to my blog - My most interesting stories are generally back in November and December of 04 Archives - click on them down the right side of this page. ( that was when I started this blog and was writing daily. )

Friday, September 02, 2005

Amazing !

The summer is truly over ! The phone is ringing off the hook. Everyone suddenly wants signs. September in this country / culture ( not sure where the division is ) signifies starting anew even more I think than January first. Two weeks ago, I wasn't sure what I was doing, as of yesterday I have the next two 1/2 months booked. I actually will have to turn work away if the phone continues to ring, although it's not likely to too much because I have never advertised so it's mostly word of mouth, referals and previous clients. Which is great ! And with all of this, I seem to want to make a new posting here ! Can't guarantee this will be daily, we'll see.

So here's my schedule for me, and any of my clients who might want to keep tabs on their jobs.

Alliston Historical Society - I've had this job for a while and it just doesn't seem to get to the top of the pile. When someone tells me no hurry, I seem to take it seriously and it gets put off. I expect to finish it today. A 16" x 10' plywood sign, white, for the parkette where the ancient train station was. Done in the lettering style of 1880's denoting Alliston and the distance to the two next stops.

Fraser Avenue Studios - got the materials in this week, ready to cut a half dozen small hallway and laneway signs out of Alumicor - a durable sheet material that has a plastic core with thin aluminum laminated to either side. Lightweight, cheep, can take a bit of abuse and is precoated with white on one side, black on the other. Vinyl lettering for information going on these for this Toronto art studio building.

Cupid And Psyche - Aurora store. replace awning , a steel post sign by the sidewalk with a ironwork hanging bracket and the store logo on a d/s wood blank. will start at the end of today.
Design work finalised in May - go ahead now .

Boyer Chevrolet Dealership. Moving to new site needs two billboards on posts. finalising details over the next few days. First talked about in December.

Stock Exchange - clothing store, Newmarket. more signs, this time for a new archway for the parking lot. more 'Words of the week'.

And somewhere in the next couple of weeks I should be starting the framing on a new house, and right after, the trimwork and hardwood flooring on another new house.

Canine Lover's Lane - an end of driveway sign for a rural residence which is to be illuminated by solar lights. I am exploring the most efficient way of doing this.

Better get cracking so I'll Sign Off !