Signs, Signs Everywhere Signs

"Signs, signs, everywhere signs..."If you’re as old as me, you’ll remember that song…if not, too bad, it was a good song.

Anyway, this really is about signs. I was recently commissioned to create eight signs for a client. She wanted something unique, old world, and personalized for her rental properties. So, I went to work and boy, have I been working…

Not sure if you remember, but in a recent post, I wrote about learning a Venetian plaster technique at my friend’s studio.  That's just what I used on these signs along with a raw umber glaze. Well, I love how the signs turned out, but let me tell you, it was a challenge fitting all the words on them and making them look special…I mean, how “old world” can you make “No Smoking please” and “Please Remove Shoes?” Anyway, the welcome sign was the most fun; I used two rusty skelton keys to create the "W" and then mixed up a batch of rusty colored paint to create the letters. Each letter is distressed with distress ink and then stamped with a musical score sheet stamp. 

The client, an artist herself, also wanted the words "Love and faith found here" so I added the words on a little heart that I created from a cereal box cut out covered with a rust mulberry paper and then distressed again with the inks.