Sign Story - Page 2 of Signstory

In a nutshell . .

Left Grammar School with 7 (useless) O-Levelswith not the faintest idea what to do.
So I kicked the "work" can down the road& opted for "Further Education"
Trained as a Commercial Artist College of Art & Design. Coventry.1958 - 62
Wandering about 7 years
Painting Heraldic Shields for 10 yrs,thinking I had achieved Financial Independance
BUT - Office politics
Lucky break
Crash course in SignwritingFinancial Independence at last !
10 yrs London
To Spain.
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Art College
I wanted to be a "Technical Illustrator"Cutaway illustrations & using an airbrushe.g. For Instruction booklets.
Very impressed with the cutaway illustrations of Ashwell Woodin my weekly comic "the Eagle"
But because they were short of pupils(I suppose) - in some classes -I was channelled into2 years General art-related subjects, Then you could choose, for the next 2 yrs, between Fine art or Advertising.
Could not see Fine art as a way of earning money,except teaching it -OR being very lucky ! Ha Ha!
So I chose Advertising.So, at the end of the course - you create a portfolio of all your best work -and get a job in an Advertising agency.
or, either way,IF you DID pass the final NDD exam "National Diploma of Design" you could choose a teaching career.
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I failed the final exam ~ Soppy over a dream girl, at the wrong time, who ran off with another guy,because I did not send her a postcard whilst on holiday.Also because I pinched HIS girl sometime before!
You've heard it all before.Lost my concentration.
But my heart was not in it anyway.I was not interested in teaching.And that was all it was useful for.

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My only claim to famewas a lino-cut,for the 'Intermediate' exam.which was the best in Britainfor that particular category
( At the bottom of the page )
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Anyway -
No way did I want to be a teacher - especially in a Govt. institution - so that did not matter.

- Or work in an Advertising Agency!
(Not REALLY!)

Hassle, rush, deadlines.Someone on your back. Stress.

I REALLY wanted to work soloFinancial Freedom & IndependenceA bit like the artist Abram GamesKnown for his WW2 posters,and re-designing "Radio Times."An all rounder.
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A short time in a small one room advertising studio in Letchworth ~but I soon got bored (!)
Had "itchy feet" problem!So lots of travelling & odd jobs, for the next 7 yrs.& regarded as a complete failure by Mother."Wasting my education"Father? - "Do what you like son!As long as you're happy!".........................................
Then ~ Out of the blue,Painting Heraldic shields, So could work from home.10 yrs. (On & off)Perfect job. Call in once a week.& could live anywhere within an hour or two's train journey to Croydon (UK)
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But meantime working on being independent by painting Heraldry for MY customersThe book with all the names, was in the library.
.........................

Then "office politics"at the Heraldry Company.Dithering. Stay or go (?) - but never went back.
Good job I didn't!
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So ~ I was 40 yrs old. Unemployed. And Heraldic painting my only skill.With VERY limited opportunities"Over-specialized"!
Ho Hum . . .- Back to unskilled jobs again VERY depressing
..................................................

Part time evening job, handing out cards for a night club.
One night I offered ( for a free beer !) to replace the tatty bar-prices menu:
So used a felt tip pen. Neat & tidy + cartoonThen was asked to do 'Emergency Exit', a small mural on the wall ~ tart up the DJ's desk ~ etc.
They thought I was a sign painter.

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Sign painting was VERY good money in 1980  ~ ANY time before the computer arrived in 1990but I did not realize it.
Strange how something can stare you in the face every day - in this case -  Shop fascias, lettering on trucks & windows -and you do not 'connect' to it -
It was a leftover mindset from Art School - where lettering was "boring"We all wanted to do jazzy record sleeves!
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The $$ problems it could have solved!!Never mind the BORING jobs meanwhile!I HAD tried painting lettering, once or twice, only about 2 yrs previously, but not seriously.Then given up!
There was no incentive, until now!because painting Heraldry was so ideal.

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The Boss of the nightclub had a share in 'Topo Gigio' restaurant, (The Italian "Mickey Mouse")Rimini, Italy.They wanted signs done. "Stay 2 weeks". He'd pay the air fare, and my rent back here.
................

I was very sceptical.People out there doing thatItaly - the "Land of artists" !!
....................................
Finally, I went. More for a holiday from this freezing February drizzleNothing to lose. Could not speak Italian, except 'Grazia'
.................
Could not paint lettering, either!
In the nightclub I used cut-out masking tape, for a stenciland filled in the paint.Very crude.
I had Jumped in the deep end, and I could only dog-paddle.
....................
Yet there was one job after another!
High demand for publicity - from the Bars / restaurants
Low supply - Only 1 Italian signwriter in Town!
......

VERY STRANGE ! ! !
......

Lot's of independent workthen regular 9 - 1 work with 'Neon Rimini'
And taught myself signwriting -PDQ !!Pretty Damn Quick !!
Now or never !!
Stayed all summer > then London for the winter > then to Rimini again
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Back in London, briefly worked for a sign company.Only to catch up on what I might not know.
Then financially independent in London for 10 years.
The COMPLETE 'Freedom & Independence' bit.
Out of the 9 - 5 No bosses& plenty of work!& always cash in pocket.
Why?High demand for publicityLettering on vehicles e.g.Low supply - Shortage of Signwriters.
Why a shortage of Signwriters ?You tell me !!
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But now, 1990 London.After 10 years -'Plastic' Computer-cut adhesive lettering - was catching up FASTon Trucks, Windows, and Fascias- my 3 main money earners.

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The "Traditional English"who resist anything American and newchange their minds if it's cheaper And quicker!

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Adhesive vinyl was now an alternative to the signwriter -who had had the monopoly of signwork, since the year Dot.BC.,
Because there was, until now, no other way to do letteringexcept to paint it.(or carve it into wood or stone)
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Came to Spain in 1993Maybe no plastic lettering on the Costa del Sol?I did not know for sureuntil I got here!
There wasn´t.
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But also
Needed a break from theUK RAIN DRIZZLE RAIN & freezing fingertips  Serious problem! -
Difficult to paint small lettering with gloves on!And then there is paint on the gloves.Then smudges everywhere . . .
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Spain Ok
I had 29 jobs in the pipeline, around 1996.Yes. 29 Large & silly small.Because I was the only English Signwriter.
And, see later, because of 250 English & Irish Bars,All in competition with each other -Quite apart from the Spanish & Italian bars.
AND being replaced regularly,because the previous owner had gone out of business.Another "Dream in the sun" evaporated.
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Ah! - There WAS another signwriter. Been here for years,but now he was too "laid back"."I would not even pick up my brush for less than 100 euros!"
So I got all the work.

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AND
No Spanish signwriters at all - anywhere !!
Why not? -Again - You tell me !
Everything was stencilled lettering. Square.
Artists of course - Music, singers, painting, pottery, whatever.But no signwriters !!
No problem for me- No competition!
........................

So, I had the town to myself.
NO KIDDIN'
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Lot's of "Artists"

and good ones,But do the cafes & bars NEED them?Does a picture on the wall bring in customers?"Bums on seats"
A big smart menu board does, outside.If the chef has got his choices right! (Of course.)
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Anyway -

As you can imagine, Organizing all the incoming jobsDoing them as quick as you can,Shopping for materials
Not speaking Spanish

AND chasing them up for money !!The English mainly !!
Enough to drive you LOCO!
RIOJA!!Say no more!!

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I had 22 good years in Spain before plastic lettering finally took over around 2012 - 15So I was VERY lucky!22 years it took !!It could have come MUCH sooner.
So painted signsgradually went downhill.
Plastic signs were cheaper and faster.Then digital printing took over.Photos etc etc.

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BUT NOW . . for survival . . .
No good getting sentimental about sign painting being the 'dying art'
You may as well complain about the car replacing the horse!or the typewriter replacing the pen-pushers.It's called "Progress"
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So it is necessary to adapt Learn a new skill.Same race - use a different horse.
Get a laptop, and a free graphics program like "Inkscape" ~ find your way around it.
So now I design Table Menus.USB > Copy Shop - Prints & laminates them.
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Large menu boards?
Take the design, on a USB, to a different printerand he prints it on 3 or 5 or 10 mm PVC, any size.
Fascias the same.Sometimes I fix it up, sometimes him.

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So that's my basic story. The more detailed one starts on Page 3.

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Here is a little publicity for my services ~

Menus for the table
Menus for outside.
Large display boards.
Fascias
Vehicles
Leaflets, Business cards, Stickers,
T Shirts
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I am as good as the Copyshop guys.Perhaps better. I can design withNo pressures or distractions.and I am cheaper!
Why?No workplace rent No staffNo vehicle No printing machines on the "never-never" or taxbecause I am below the thresh-hold limit(20.000 eur. I THINK.)
ANDA trade discountbecause I am a regular at the printers.& bring in HIM money.
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And YOU get Personal service.
No queuing & hanging about at the Copy shop
I can even do them in your premises, sometimes,with you looking over my shoulder!
To design the menu, the way you want it!

Home Page 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

"The Pilgrimage"

"Linocut section"

Simplified - (No textures, leaves etc)

You choose from a list of exam questions -
like "The market",
or the "The bus queue."
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Their choice for this one, I learnt later,
was that it did NOT have a religious theme,
which is the first thing you think of, from the title.
(Break from a conventional assumption)

And also I TORE the lino.
So there was ragged edges.
(Unconventional)

Also
The ¨Composition¨ was tightly circular

Start, say, with the (woman?) (Mystery!)
sitting on the donkey looking forward
to the donkeys ear sticking out,
which points to the guy.
Where´s he going?

Up the line of the hill to the tree.

To the Gravestone.

On top of the hill.
The aim of the pilgrimage.

End of story.
Nowhere else to go save down
Your eyes drop To the figure on the donkey
Notice the cooking gear. Long journey. Pilgrimage.

and round we go again.

Your eye does not stray OUT of the picture.

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