What seems to have been a summer packed full of heat, hustle and plenty of opportunities to experience all the things that make up this season of the year - sadly it appears as though it is coming to an end. Well, not an end, per se, but a transition. Not being someone who embraces closure or anything involving the term “end” (except for weekends - haha), I tend to view everything as a transition. By and large, the slow fade from one season to another is something that most of us merely sense now and then - the warm sun rays hitting our foreheads during an April day, the cruel bite of a late autumn wind blowing against our cheeks; the observation of slow-but-steady growth of the corn in the fields that accompany our daily commute or lace the corridors of our favorite walking path. Such subtle hints of a disturbance in a given season. Well, for me there are no seasonal transitions so obvious (and poignant) as the one which stands before us - the one that ushers us into the land of “fall”.
A week from now, my day will be filled with the duties and responsibilities of teaching. Nothing new; This is (I believe) my 23rd year. Boy, does that number look very strange to me! It really hasn’t been that long, has it?! Well, regardless of any degree of tenure in this profession, the upcoming year is sure to offer its share of challenges and opportunities. Given the situation facing public education this fall, it seems as though each district is handling things a bit differently. My own district has elected to offer two high school modalities for students. There is a choice for families - those being a full “brick and mortar” option or a full “remote learning” option. Students may move (fluidly) between these two modalities, which will most certainly make things interesting for the teachers. Regardless, all teachers are aiming to adjust their approaches to meet the unique demands that accompany both modes of teaching / learning.
To this end, I plan on teaching as I have normally done. But, this year will see the addition of a camera aimed at me while I explain the lessons, demonstrate the techniques and offer suggestions and questions that challenge my eager crowd. Furthermore, there will be the additional component requiring me to dialogue with my “remote” kids via my computer / camera (and not in a face-to-face format).
All of this educational dialogue will [most likely] seem quite boring to you - I know :) I totally get it. However, many of my customers have asked questions here and there about what my school is going to be like. Suffice it to say that - as with every Fall season - my “sign work” will be relegated to the evenings.
Trust me - I will look forward to making and painting signs, especially after a full day of talking through a mask / shield to students both in my classroom and through my computer / camera! This is a special time and - like all things - it too will come to an end… err, should I say transition. Hang in there everybody. Cooler heads prevail in frustrating times and things do have a tendency of working themselves out, albeit some require much more time than others.
So, here is my final blog post for this Summer. I am posting a mild assortment of signs, most of which are recent commissions. The reproduction game board is a commission that took place much earlier, in the Spring of 2020, but the others are fresh off the easel. Enjoy!
An Early Game Board Featuring a Horse Weathervane
This commission involved a faithful reproduction of an original game board that was up for auction. The substrate was created from old wood and bread-boarded to reflect the structure of the original piece. The painting was geared to reflect the weathered look present in the 19th Century specimen and I even scribed mild lines here and there into the wood. One of the techniques employed by artisan painters of furniture, game boards and signs involved scoring the surface they intended to paint. Such lines would not only delineate where things were on a given piece (think lightly drawn lines in a sketch), but they served as an inherent barrier between color. So, in the case of a game board - an object whose designs naturally consist of many hard edges - scribed lines would have facilitated the painting process greatly.
The original sign (LEFT) was used to create the reproduction (RIGHT).
This is a screenshot of the auction listing (Cowan’s Auction).
Here is an early pic of the texture / color patina I was aiming to create.
Enjoy some of the detailed views (below).
This is a customer-provided image, reflecting the finished piece hanging on their wall. Note that the other items were not made by me (property of the customer).
A Custom Modification of a Crowd-Favorite
The Joshua Alden Inn Tavern sign has been a popular request for me. This sign is referenced and available on my Reproduction collection. Here, this sign has been modified a bit, in effort to personalize it for the customer. Both the name and date have changed. In addition, the house featured is none other than that of the customer who commissioned this piece. Even the 2 spruce trees to the right reflect the property.
This is the finished piece, which features the client’s house (in lieu of the red house in the original Joshua Alden Inn Tavern sign).
Oh, the Crackle-la-ture!
Customer-provided image of the sign on mantle. The clock to the left is an exquisite piece that was the handiwork of the customer. Quite impressive!
A Reproduction of a Very Unique Sign
This sign represents what is termed a “rebus”. The juxtaposition of the images of both a crow and a foot translates to “Crofut”, the name of a tavern keeper who lived a long time ago.
A Whale of a Sign
Not the largest tavern sign, this sign still asserts a mighty presence. The whale swims confidently through the rugged waves of the ocean.
A Majestic Bird with Many Eyes
This is a rather interesting commission, which I will briefly touch on here. The client is a sutler who will, in the near future, be participating in public events featuring vendors who share a similar passion for our American history. She requested that I design and paint a sign that not only represents her personal affinity towards her work but reflects something similar to what would have truly existed in the possession of an 18th Century sutler. I will most likely circle back on this commission in a later blog, because there are many cool details and notations that relate to it; But, for now, here are a few images of the finished piece.
A Quartet of Signs
And finally, this blog post ends with a casual picture of the four most recent signs that I sent off to the wall-space of four amazing customers! Best wishes for a healthy and fruitful autumn season ahead of us. May you and your family find much hope in those around you!
