We're back in the office after 1 week in Minnesota learning the art of hand lettering from one of the greats, Mike Meyer. Learned a lot, laughed a lot and made some great new friends. Thanks for inviting us into your world Mike. I need a bit of practice but we will definately be adding hand painting to the growing list of services we can offer our customers. Hand painted letters has a long and proud tradition that had been in the background with the introduction of computers, but it is making a comeback. Computers as great as they may be can not replicate the beauty of a hand painted brushstroke and a freely drawn design. Attached is our first effort and glimse of betters things to come.
Hey Look, we're on TV!
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Today Heide Wigdahl, a local news reporter for KARE 11 News, an NBC affiliate out of Minneapolis stopped by our workshop to capture the event and interview Mike and a few of the attendees including yours truelly. Heide did an amazing job of mixing sound, editing and interviewing. Take a look and see the Master, Mike Meyers at work painting a shop window!Click on the following link and see for yourself! kare11.com: http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/minnesota/2015/05/08/southeastern-minn-sign-painter-keeps-craft-alive/27008027/
Back to School
If you were knocking on my door this week it wasn't because were hiding from you, it's because we were way out of town, in beautiful rural Mezeppa, Minnesota, home of the famous sign painter Mike Meyers. I am participating in an intensive 4 day instruction in the art of hand lettering. Almost a dying art, Mike is bringing it back by teaching the new generation of sign makers how to create without a computer and produce beautiful hand made signs that are a work of art with a soul that a computer generated facsimile will never have. The golden age of the hand painted sign may be in the rear view, but I hope to bring a more of this hand crafted art into all of our future signs.
Our First Sign to Emerge from the New Shop!
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Now that we are emerging from the fog of constructions on the new shop we can get back to the business of making great handcrafted signs. I can not think of a better recipient for our 1st sign to come out of the new shop than the local life savers at the Peapack Gladsone First Aid and Rescue Squad. This was the 1st job to come off the new router and were mighty proud of the result. It features raised prismatic gold leaf lettering on a hand carved faux woodgrained background, crushed glass smaltz details and a custom cedar enclosed post stained to match the building exterior. The Fist Aid and Rescue Squad is all volunteer and is supported entirely by private and public donations, so help them out with a donation or be a volunteer, believe me, they're a great bunch!
Now We're in Business
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This week we received our Certificate of Occupancy making it legal to open the doors and begin production. There is still pictures to hang, paint to touch up, signs to hang and equipment to move in, but little by little, we're getting there...