_Since contributing to his_ Ghostletters Vienna_book and collaborating on_ When Better Letters Met Josef Samuel_, I have never ceased to be impressed by_ Tom Koch_’s dedication to initiatives outside of his paid projects._ _I have been equally impressed by the tenacity and commitment shown to the crafts of sign painting and gilding by_ Sayumi Mizukoshi_in Japan, who I had the pleasure of meeting at_ Tokyo Letterheads_._ _It was therefore a pleasure to learn that the two recently met each other in Tokyo, and that Tom invited Sayumi to talk about her journey to date and the work she is doing to bring the technique of gluechipping back to Japan._ * * * ## Unpredictable Precision: Bringing Gluechipping Back to Japan **By Tom Koch** I met Sayumi Mizukoshi at the Tokyo Sign Painting Festival, organised by Peter Liedberg, aka Letterboy, in Shibuya in April. When she told me her story, I was immediately fascinated, as for me it brings together several of the qualities that make Japanese craftsmanship so distinctive. Sayumi has devoted herself to a technique that came to Japan from Europe in the early 20th century: so-called gluechipping. Here, it was adapted for local applications before gradually falling into obscurity. Around a hundred years later, it was Sayumi who travelled in the opposite direction, heading west to learn the technique and subsequently re-establish it in Japan. The adoption of techniques from abroad and their further development to suit Japanese requirements is one of the principles that has shaped Japanese craftsmanship since at least the Meiji Restoration of 1868. At the same time, Sayumi’s story reflects another central aspect: the principle of lifelong learning and continuous improvement. On my final day in Tokyo, I visited her at her first gluechipping workshop, which she held in Shinagawa for a group of Japanese sign painters. The workshop focused on gluechipping and gilding. Here Sayumi demonstrates gilding a prepared gluechipped letter. ### We met at the first Tokyo Sign Painting Festival this April. What first led you to sign painting? I first came into contact with sign painting through my work at a sign shop in Tokyo, very close to Asakusa. Most of the time, I was installing signs or applying vinyl to windows and walls. But sometimes we also painted signs. At that time, I didn’t really know how to do sign painting properly. I kept wondering how I could work quickly and still make it look beautiful. That was when I started looking things up online and discovered the world of sign painting. I didn’t go to art school or study graphic design. I studied management, so it was not related to art at all. But once I found out that there were people called sign painters in the US and Europe, I immediately felt: this is interesting — maybe this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. After that, I began looking for workshops. In 2018, I took several sign painting workshops in Japan, including Modern Twist Signs, Paint Factory and Letterboy. I followed many sign painters on Instagram, studied their work and tried to understand how they did it. Sayumi began as a sign painter, but soon specialised in gilding techniques and gluechipping. Photos: @sayumihandpaint. ### You work in traditional sign painting and gilding. On social media, however, you mainly show a technique I would associate more with my favourite Victorian pub in London, The Princess Louise, than with Japan: gluechipping. What exactly is it? In Japan, gluechipped glass is known as _kessō garasu_. It is also sometimes called _nikawa garasu_ , because it is made using _nikawa_ , an animal hide glue. It is a decorative glass technique that creates snowflake-like patterns on the surface of the glass. It used to be made by hand in Japan in the early twentieth century, especially around the 1920s and 1930s. At that time, Japanese craftsmen used gluechipping for architectural glass, windows and cabinets. Later, as glass production developed and machine-made patterned glass became available, the handmade technique gradually disappeared. What makes gluechipping so special is that the pattern is created by hand, but also by the natural environment. You apply the glue to the glass, and as it dries, it shrinks and pulls tiny flakes from the surface. That creates the pattern. It is not machine-made, so each piece is different. But it is not easy to control. Temperature, humidity, the thickness of the glue – everything matters. If the glue is too thick, it does not chip properly. If it is too thin, it does not work either. A beautiful pattern can only be made by someone who really understands the process. The Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum includes the former Murakami Seikado cosmetics building, originally built in Taitō Ward in 1928. Its transom windows feature gluechipped glass. The Kyu Asakura House, also known as the Former Asakura Residence, is a historic wooden mansion built in Shibuya in 1919 during the Taishō period. The basement bathroom makes extensive use of __kessō garasu__ , which was considered a luxury at the time. ### This technique had its heyday from the late eighteenth century through to the 1920s. How did you come across it? After the lettering workshops in Japan, I found out that there would be a Letterheads meet in Tokyo only a few months later. That was the first time I saw international sign painters working together in person. Until then, I had mostly known that world from photos and online. Mike Meyer also came to Tokyo for the event, and I watched him very closely — his brushwork, how he moved, how he painted. He later invited me to join his workshop in Mazeppa, Minnesota. A few months later, I went to the US to learn sign painting with him. > “Sayumi came to my workshop smack dab in the middle of the United States and threw herself in the world of sign lettering, absorbing the technical aspect of all things sign related! I always knew she would continue to evolve and she’s gone way above my expectations!” — Mike Meyer At Mike’s place, I saw a large gluechipped and gilded glass sign for the first time. I had never seen anything like it in person. It was so beautiful, and I immediately wanted to know how it was made. When I came back to Japan, I started researching the technique and realised that if I wanted to learn more about glass gilding and gluechipping, I would need to go to David A. Smith’s workshop in the UK. ### How did you go about learning the technique? Basically, I read a lot, experimented a lot by myself, and also took Dave’s online class. But to go back to the very beginning: when I was told that I had to reschedule Dave’s workshop in the UK, I happened to be in Taiwan. I was really shocked and depressed at that moment, but then one sign painter came to mind. I knew him from Instagram. His name is Ron, from Rebirth Signs, and he was doing gilding workshops in Taiwan. He had already taken Dave’s workshop in person, so I contacted him immediately and asked if he could teach me water gilding. My stay in Taiwan was only a week, and I had just a few days left, but Ron and his friend Zeek, from Incross Custom Art, arranged a workshop just for me. Zeek let us use his studio, even though they both had busy schedules. That was my very first time learning water gilding — and really the beginning of learning these techniques. After I got back to Japan, I roughly learned how to do gluechipping and started experimenting and testing by myself. At the beginning, it often didn’t go well. Sometimes the glass didn’t chip at all; sometimes it chipped off in large pieces. I never got beautiful patterns. So I posted photos on Instagram Stories and asked for help. Some American sign painters gave me tips and ideas for getting better results. At the same time, I read any articles I could find online and at the National Diet Library, the biggest library in Japan. By the time I was getting a little better at creating patterns, Dave had made online courses on gilding and gluechipping. I took both of them as soon as they came out, and they helped me a lot to understand everything better. The gluechipping process requires considerable skill and experience. Sayumi continually experiments with different techniques and settings to refine and optimise the process. ### You eventually visited David A. Smith, the renowned sign painter and glass gilder in the UK, much later. How did that come about? I had wanted to go to Dave’s workshop since 2020, but because of COVID it didn’t happen. After that, I went to Kyoto, worked there for a while, and later came back to my parents’ house. I was just about to start my own sign business, focusing on gilded glass signs, when I became very sick and couldn’t work for a long time. I had to pause everything. For a couple of years, I didn’t do much at all. But finally, last summer, my health improved, and I was able to go to the UK. I chose David A. Smith because, for glass gilding and glass signs, he is the best. I had looked at his website many times and was absolutely sure: he is the best in the world, in my opinion. I also met someone who had been to Dave’s workshop four times, and he told me: “If you want to learn gilding, you definitely have to go there.” The first time I booked his workshop, I didn’t really know anything about gilding. I had some sign painting skills, but I wanted to learn glass gilding. In the end, I’m glad it took so long before I could go. Before going to the UK, I took a gluechipping class and an online gilding class, so I already knew the basics. That was very important. If I had gone without that knowledge, I probably wouldn’t have understood what he was doing. The workshop was only four days, and there were so many complicated techniques and processes. Most of the people there were already working as sign painters or knew the basics of gilding. I was really glad I had prepared. > “Sayumi travelled across the world to me to take my in person workshop. Her ability to gild on glass was excellent, her finished pieces really stood out with wonderful colour choices and clean hand painted line work. Since taking my class she has gone on to create stunning works of reverse glass work and everytime she posts her work on social media it really is a joy to see where she has taken this artform. Sayumi has a golden future ahead of her and look forward to watching her journey.” — David A. Smith Reproduction of a sign by Rawson & Evans. Dark brown and red on the reverse, using copper leaf and gold leaf. Photo: @sayumihandpaint. **What makes the process so difficult? Is it mainly the chipping itself, or also the gilding afterwards?** Chipping itself is so difficult. In Japan, I use a traditional Japanese glue called wa-nikawa. It is different from American hide glue, but I use a similar strength. For gluechipping, the strength of the glue is very important. I tried many kinds of glue I could find here, but if it’s too strong, it chips too big. If it’s too weak, it won’t chip at all. And the Japanese glue I use is slightly stronger than the American one, so I need to be more careful about the glue thickness when I apply it. Also, the weather here is different from the US, so it often affects the patterns and can result in an uneven chip. When you do gluechipping, you need to create the best environment for the glue to help it dry properly, which is the hardest part. From left: The letter G as single-process chipped glass; timelapse of the chipping process; and the finished piece. Photos: @sayumihandpaint. ### That brings me straight to my next question. You recommended a temporary exhibition to me about old Japanese shop signs, and Showa Neon Co., Ltd. is presenting the valuable collection of its founder in permanent exhibition rooms. Japanese sign painting seems to be well documented. And yet, contemporary sign painters appear to look mainly to Western references, especially American sign painting. Why do you think that is? I think there is a difference in Japan between sign painters and _kanban shokunin_ — traditional sign craftsmen or sign makers. They are basically doing related things, but for Japanese people they are not seen as exactly the same. Traditional Japanese signs are very beautiful. I love old Japanese signs. The designs are often bold and beautiful at the same time. In the exhibition, there were many old cigarette signs, gilded glass signs and wooden signs with carved letters and gold leaf. They were really amazing. But if someone in Japan wants a traditional Japanese-style sign, they would probably ask a _kanban shokunin_ , not a sign painter. Sign painting, as we use the term today, feels more connected to Western culture here — especially American sign painting, the Letterheads scene, and the kind of work people now see on Instagram. It is not that Japanese sign painters are not interested in traditional Japanese signs. We are interested in all kinds of hand-painted signs and traditional skills, whether they are Japanese, American or from somewhere else. But many clients who come to sign painters today want a Western-looking sign. They like that culture and that atmosphere. For many Japanese people, traditional signs mean something different: wooden signs, carved signs, lantern signs, things like that. Sign painters and _kanban shokunin_ may be working in a similar field, but they belong to different traditions and are perceived differently. ### When reading statements by Japanese artists and craftspeople, regardless of the discipline, I often come across phrases such as “I will keep trying” or “I will continue to work hard to improve”. In Japan, there are concepts such as _ganbaru_ (頑張る) — to do one’s best, work hard and persevere — and _kaizen_ (改善), the idea of continuous improvement. Would you describe these as very Japanese virtues? And do they also shape the way you work? Yes, I think that is very Japanese. It is part of the Japanese spirit, or maybe the craftsperson spirit. You are never completely satisfied with the work you have just done. You always think: I can do better. I can improve this technique, this skill, this process. That is why techniques and skills in Japan have developed so far in many different fields of craft and art. People keep improving. They keep trying. For me, it is the same. I feel that I am still at the beginning. I have to keep researching, keep learning and keep practising. I think that continues for a lifetime. Double chipped glass with 23k gold leaf and silver. Photo: @sayumihandpaint. ### You are now teaching what may be the first gluechipping workshop in Tokyo. What do participants learn in those two days? As far as I know, it is the first time someone has taught gluechipping in Tokyo — perhaps even in Japan. It is not a very common craft here, and most people don’t know much about it. I want to show my work and give people an introduction to the technique. The workshop lasts two days, which is not enough time to go through the whole process on one piece, from sandblasting to gilding. So I teach the gluechipping part and the gilding part separately. I prepare two glass pieces. One is only sandblasted, and the other one is already chipped. On one piece, we apply the glue and watch the drying process. On the other, we work on the gilding. The workshop was announced with the help of Modern Twist Signs, and it was fully booked very quickly. The students had already taken part in sign painting workshops before, and they all had an interest in craft, art, or graphic design. What they can expect is an overview, an introduction to the technique. After that, it is really about trial and error. That is the main thing they have ahead of them. Gluechipping and gilding samples on display for the workshop participants. Impressions from Sayumi’s workshop in September. ### Beyond this workshop, what are your plans for the future? Do you see yourself as preserving a technique that almost disappeared in Japan? That is a tough question. I don’t have a very clear plan yet, but I want to keep the craft alive. Gluechipping disappeared in Japan once because no one taught it to the next generation. I don’t want that to happen again. I want to show the technique and teach it to the next generation, especially to people in Japan. In that sense, yes, I feel I am bringing back a technique that was once adopted by Japanese craftsmen, used for a short period and then almost disappeared. But it doesn’t always have to be a sign. It can change into other things. In the UK, you have pub culture and those big glass signs. In Japan, we don’t have that same pub culture, so it cannot be exactly the same. I think Japanese craftspeople have always been good at adapting techniques and making them more familiar. The old craftsmen did that too. They took Western techniques and changed them into something that fitted Japan. So gluechipping can survive in a different form here — not only as signs, but also as smaller objects or everyday pieces. I know a Japanese woman who makes gluechipped glass cups. They are not signs at all; they are for drinking alcohol. But she is keeping the skill alive. That is the kind of thing I want to do. ### I ask all my interviewees this final question: Can you tell me about a place in Tokyo that is special to you, one that either inspires you or holds particular significance for you? One place that is very special to me is _Shikin Hanten_ , a Chinese restaurant near Harajuku. There is a wall sign there that I painted when I was working at the sign shop in Tokyo. It was the first time I had done sign painting using the actual process: making the pattern, pricking holes in the paper, transferring it to the wall and then painting it. Before that, I didn’t really know how to do it properly, so I researched a lot and tried to understand how to make the work both fast and beautiful. The design itself was not mine — it was a client job for the company — but I painted the main letters. For me, it was my first real sign painting work on a wall. Shops and restaurants in Tokyo change quickly, so signs are often short-lived — but this one has been there for a long time, and that makes it special to me. And the food is good too. Outside Shikin Hanten near Harajuku on a summer evening. The mural sign that Sayumi painted on the corner wall of the restaurant. Tom Koch is a graphic designer from Vienna whose work explores visual culture, urban typography and the transformation of public space. His projects include Ghostletters Vienna, the documentary When Better Letters Met Josef Samuel: Vienna’s Last Signpainter, and the ongoing project TypeTravelDiary.com. Since 2026, he has lived nomadically in Asia, most recently in Tokyo. ### Further Reading 1. Japanese Sign Painters in BLAG Field Notes. 2. Kanban — Shop Signs of Old Japan on the Lost Art Press Blog. 3. The Showa Neon Takamura Sign Museum (in Japanese).

_During last month’s_ Letterheads 2026: Sea Level_, hosted by_ Amsterdam Signpainters_, a woman approached me to say that I was partly responsible for her flying over from New York to attend. Her name is_ Maggie Jaris_and I hope that her story here encourages other ‘newbies’ to sign up for their first Letterheads._ * * * ## My First Letterheads **By Maggie Jaris** I learned about Letterheads right at the start of my sign painting journey. I was taking an online class with Liane Barker and someone asked how we could keep progressing after the course. Liane mentioned that meetups, like Letterheads, were powerful opportunities to learn from other painters, connect with people, and really just see what is possible. That all sounded wonderful, but it was 2022, and much of the world was still in some degree of lockdown. Large, in-person gatherings seemed very far off, and so did the idea that I might ever feel like I belonged at one, considering how much I had left to learn. Over the next two years as I tried to keep going on my own, I wound up learning more about the Letterheads movement, its history, how it’s been carried forward for half a century, which only made attending a meet one day feel even more aspirational. And when I took two more workshops in 2025, I wasn’t exactly surprised when Letterheads came up again at both of them, nor that it came up in the same way — as a great way to fuel our interest and skills as newbie sign painters. All that to say, by the time the 2026 Letterheads meet in Amsterdam was announced, I was daydreaming about going while also telling myself I was way too new and unskilled and would just have to wait until I was a better painter and had earned a place there. The official Letterheads 2026: Sea Level artwork by Dave Correll. And then Sam sent out a BLAG email saying registration was about to open, and gently encouraging beginners to consider attending. > “Also, as a gentle reminder, this event is open to all, regardless of experience level. If you’re just starting out, or still relatively new to sign painting, then these meets are like rocket fuel in terms of what you learn and who you meet.” That note understood what it’s like to be new to something you love — to be committed and passionate, and also still fumbling and tentative — and it met that feeling exactly where it was and said: “go anyway”. It worked on me. I registered. And then I went into a tailspin for four months. I felt like I wasn’t ready and was going to embarrass myself, and also that it was arrogant and presumptuous to think I belonged at this event at all. And I should say that no one, ever, in talking about Letterheads made it seem this way. I was creating this narrative of standards and earning a place because I was scared and embarrassed to still be a beginner. In choosing to go, I was actively fighting back against my usual pattern of “I’ll do it when I’m ready” and “I need to be good enough before I try at all” and all this spiralling was that old pattern trying to reassert itself. I’m so glad it didn’t win. Because as nervous as I was in the lead up to the event, and as sick to my stomach as I felt walking over on that first day, as soon as I started talking to people things got easier. Letterheads queuing for registration at Oedipus Craft Space in Amsterdam. Photo: Boris Suyderhoud. The very first person I spoke to was also attending her first Letterheads and also nervous, and that was all it took for us to form a fast little friendship. That happened twice more in the next ten minutes, and just like that, I had people to find and chat with throughout the weekend. And that was before the workshops! I spent a lot of that first day learning about layout from Jeff Marshall, taking frantic notes and trying my best with thumbnails and sketches. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, but the other students were all kind and open to talking, and very generous with their knowledge and advice. It would have been harder to _not_ make friends. Jeff Marshall teaching his class, as photographed by Boris Suyderhoud, and my photo of one of his demonstration sheets. The workshop went by in a flash, and afterwards we headed back to the main event space. That was the first time I saw the newbie corner with “Dr. Dan” and his big bright posters promising confidentiality and no judgement for any and all sign painting questions and I couldn’t help but smile. Sam had been right: beginners were definitely welcome. Dan Luckin, aka Dr Dan, in the beginner’s area talking with Blake from Superflow Signs. Photo: Boris Suyderhoud. We found a free spot and Jeff gave us a quick demo of his casual and script lettering, and then a small group of us stuck around to paint in what had become a very steady rain. I was overjoyed, even though I quickly wound up standing in a large puddle. I was painting! In front of people! My nightmare of being too shy to take out my brushes had not come true! How could a puddle ruin that?! Just enough shelter from the rain for the beginners — that’s me in the yellow. Photo: Yanto Basuki. That said, when I got an opportunity to paint inside I did take it. I met up with the instructors of one of those 2025 workshops, and Sam (Letterluxe Signs) and Matt (Forino Signs) really took me under their wings. I was able to watch them work, and ask them for advice, not just about brush control and reference books but also about Letterheads and how to make the most of it (which was mostly: talk to people, ask them questions, ask them to show you how they did that cool thing). It was nicer than anything my anxiety had let me imagine might happen. Sam Pitino of Letterluxe Signs in the panel jam room and taking a moment away from the easel to talk with Pierre Tardif. Photos: Sabrina van Duijn. The rest of the weekend was a beautiful blur — more learning and painting and rain, talking to lots of people and asking lots of questions, watching incredible artwork emerge over the course of hours and days. Scenes from Letterheads 2026: Sea Level captured by photographers : Yanto Basuki, Boris Suyderhoud, and Sabrina van Duijn. And then suddenly it was Sunday and things were winding down, and everyone’s gorgeous work was on display, and the next thing I knew I was crying on a plane. Not because I was sad, but because I was so overwhelmed by everything I had seen and learned and all the people I had met. I was overcome with a deep feeling of connection and a longing to get better at this craft, and do more, and make more, and work with cool people. Panels for sale in the silent and hands-up auctions. Photos: Sabrina van Duijn. It’s been two weeks and I’m still full of that feeling. It’s difficult to put into words what it feels like to see first hand what is possible in this craft, but it’s transformative. If you’re reading this and you’re new to the craft or feel under-skilled and overwhelmed and are desperately seeking out information about Letterheads events and whether you should go — **you should go!** Don’t wait for the next one or until you’re ‘ready’ or ‘good enough’. If you’re waiting until you feel ready, the truth is that you’ll never actually feel ready. So go! Go scared! You’ll meet so many people who care about this craft, and are completely open to sharing what they know. You’ll make friends, and ask questions, and leave so inspired and motivated it really will feel like rocket fuel. I mean it! Go. You’ll be so glad you did. **Maggie Jaris** / @maggietries With thanks to our hosts from Amsterdam Signpainters, from left: Alex Klerk, Joroen Koning, Loreen Hospodar, Miranda Ensink, and Jasper Andries. Photo: Sabrina van Duijn. At the time of writing, there are no confirmed plans for international events in 2027, but my periodic ‘Worldwide Events Roundup’ email and the events page at bl.ag online are where I’ll share confirmation of rumours that I’ve heard. Looking further ahead, Ben de Jongh has put his hand up to host an event in Genk, Belgium, in the summer of 2028, so also stay tuned for news of that. Manage Your Email Settings * * * ### More Letterheads Letterheads Meet Reviews on BLAG (Better Letters Magazine)Reviews, photo galleries, and films of Letterheads meets. IOAFS.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign PaintingBetter Letters

Welcome back to Field Notes, my periodic member-only email with things of interest that I come across in my research and meanderings on the worldwide web. You can share your own discoveries for future issues via email to sam@bl.ag. ## Contents In this edition: 1. BLAG on _The Life of Letters_. 2. Ye Olde Sign Shoppe: Seelander & Swanson. 3. Ghost Sign Corner: Carnation Mush. 4. Tony Lewery: Signwriting Folk Art 5. Lettering Location: Warsaw’s Neon Muzeum. 6. Press Gang, featuring Bungo Sign Co., Rich Carter, Jérémy Raucq, and more. 7. Mid-Century Script Lettering. 8. Veteran Painter Donnie Carter. 9. Ohno Type School. 10. Sundries, including lettering on leaves, the stories of colours, and some wise words. * * * ## Field Notes: September 2026 ### BLAG on The Life of Letters I’m on a podcast. Photo: Natalie Grilli. I was delighted to be invited onto The Life of Letters podcast where I talked with Laura Edralin about BLAG, books, and the joy of print. Listen to the episode here, check out all the other bookish contributions from Season 6, and subscribe for future seasons. The segment on designing BLAG in collaboration with UTILE was also picked out for the YouTube video clip. The Magic of Print on YouTube. * * * ### Ye Olde Sign Shoppe: Seelander & Swanson John Marshall Seelander. Photo: John Marshall Seelander III / SignCraft. There are some lovely photos in this SignCraft story about this influential Chicago sign painting firm. For more on the firm’s contemporaries, the Beverly Sign Co., and the Chicago style, check out The Golden Era of Sign Design and the associated article in BLAG 06. * * * ### Ghost Sign Corner: Carnation Mush Eat Carnation Mush at 575-579 Columbus, San Francisco. There was much excitement in San Francisco in June with the reveal of a wonderful Eat Carnation Mush ghost sign. To put this into context, Kasey Smith posted this definitive guide to San Francisco’s Carnation Mush ghost signs. In other ghost signs news: a recent reveal in Bristol, UK — Hewett’s Stores — was swiftly painted over, much to the dismay of locals; retouched ghost signs are the last survivors of the Cunningham piano-making heritage in Philadelphia; and, in Dutch, here’s a tour of six ghost signs in Lieden. * * * ### Tony Lewery: Signwriting Folk Art From __Signwriting Folk Art: As Much Mood as Message__ by Tony Lewery. For the entire month of September 2026, Letter Exchange have made their lecture recordings completely free to access. There are dozen to learn from and enjoy, but I wanted to highlight Tony Lewery’s from 3 October 2021: _Signwriting Folk Art: As Much Mood as Message_. You’ll need to scroll down the recordings page to the required date and then go through a checkout process to watch it, but I highly recommend you do so. 📚 While his brilliant __Flowers Afloat__ is out of print, I do stock two of Tony’s other wonderful publications in the BLAG Shop: Signwritten Art is a detailed historical account of the craft and its practise in the UK, while The Art of the Narrowboat Painters is more tightly focused on that particular tradition. * * * ### Lettering Location: Warsaw’s Neon Muzeum One of the galleries in the new home of the Neon Muzeum in Warsaw. Photo: Neon Muzeum. The ‘Lettering Location’ column in BLAG started life as an online map, which in turn serves as my ‘bucket list’ of places around the world that I’d like to visit. I recently migrated the map from Google to uMap, which you can browse here. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

My family and I moved to Catalonia, Spain, on 22 August 2019 and, after a couple of long-term rentals, we were finally able to buy a place in our adopted home of Sant Pere de Ribes last year. While that was all very exciting (and stressful), I had to adapt to working in a tiny corner of our bedroom, and the loss of my sit-stand desk. The desk is one of the measures I use to mitigate my chronic back pain, which was exacerbated in 2021 by a double hernia. Since the move I’ve had a series of quite bad inflammations, along with the resulting mental health impacts, which brought home just how important that desk is. So, on Friday last week, I took affirmative action and started to investigate whether our garage could work as an office. Well, two days and a lot of drilling later, I present BLAG’s new headquarters. This is the desk in the sitting position, which I do on this exercise/yoga ball to improve my posture. The little grey panel on the left can then be used to move it upwards into the standing position. The space at large really needs renovating, but I got completely absorbed in making this corner of it somewhere that I _want_ to work. A massive part of that was finally hanging a host of panels that I’ve been given over the years. (Some of these were still packaged up from the move in 2019.) It already feels wonderful to be able to look up and see work that inspires me and reminds me of the people that produced it. That the 26 pieces equals the number of letters in the Latin alphabet is just a nice coincidence that I only noticed when annotating this picture for the list below. Now to work towards 36 so that the numerals are accounted for too. 1. After hosting the London screenings of Sign Painters in 2014 (see 17 below), Mike Meyer and I returned to The Roxy (RIP) for the 2015 London Design Festival. We paired the film with Adrian Harrison’s 21st Century Victorian and Mike painted this panel to display at our public workshop in the heart of Borough Market. 2. This is one of five hand-painted signs that I brought back from Cambodia with me. It is the same on the reverse and features in my first ever book, Hand-Painted Signs of Kratie (see 9 below). 3. Not hand-painted, this framed print of Charles Bukowski’s poem, Roll the Dice, is a constant source of courage and inspiration for me. (I’ve never heard Bukowski reading it, but this reading is quite good.) 4. Probably my favourite of the signs I brought back from Cambodia, and notable because the reverse side has a completely different portrait. 5. Faux neon (2022) by Dapper Signs (RIP). 6. BLAG (2024) by Daniel Esteve Carbonell, as featured in BLAG 06. 7. BLAG (2022) by Oscar Nomen, as featured in BLAG 02. 8. Ghana Adventory Store, painted by Leonardo (RIP) for the poster insert in BLAG 04. Leonardo was one of the Deadly Prey artists profiled in one of the main features from that issue. 9. Original cover art for Hand-Painted Signs of Kratie, painted by Sai Sokheang in 2012. 10. Tokyo 2019 by Skiltmaler Gundersen, won in the Tokyo Letterheads auction. 11. Nihil Plus Quam Signum by David Kynaston. (That’s IOAFS in Latin, as featured in BLAG 07.) 12. Mr Ghost Signs (2023) by Francois Tusseki. 13. B (2022) by Sunny Sign Co., as featured in BLAG 02. This early colour scheme for the Issue 01 logotype/masthead was eventually replaced with the green that linked to the final cover photo selection. 14. 福 (2017) by Charmaine Chen for the Tactile show. Charmaine writes: _“Growing up in a Chinese family, Mom would often hang this Mandarin character up on our front door during Chinese New Year: 福 (Fú), meaning fortune or luck. Here it is upside down and the reasoning for this is based on a wordplay: the words for ‘upside-down’ (倒, dào) and ‘to arrive’ (到, dào) are homophonous. Therefore, the phrase an ‘Upside-down Fú’ sounds nearly identical to the phrase ‘Good luck arrives’. Displaying the character upside-down on a door therefore invites prosperity to descend upon a dwelling.”_ 15. Thanks Mate (2017) by Barbara Enright. 16. S by Daniel Esteve Carbonell. 17. Sign Painters (2014) by Mark Josling and Brilliant Signs. This is one of two identical panels that slotted into an A-Board for the screenings. Along with 18 (below) on the reverse, it was also used on a small postcard printed for the events. 18. As above. 19. Lockdown Roberts (2020) by Mark Oatis. 20. BCN Letterheads (2021) by Nico Barrios, painted at the Barcelona Letterheads. 21. Fileteado Porteño panel (2016) by Gustavo Ferrari. 22. Letterheads (2018) by Noel B. Weber from the original artwork by John Frazier. See BLAG 07 for more on this piece and BLAG 03 for more about John Frazier. 23. Mazeppa Mardi Gras (2014) by Mark Josling, won in the auction at my first ever Letterheads meet. 24. Fileteado Porteño panel (2019) by Gustavo Ferrari. 25. BTRLTRS Minnesota licence plate given to me by Mike Meyer. 26. BLAG (2026) by yours truly, painted during the Carga Máxima workshop in Barcelona with Azucena Cabezas. ### PS. You’ve Got Mail As a little house warming present my local sign painter, Daniel Esteve Carbonell, decorated our post (mail) box. Can you guess the inspiration/theme? It’s always nice to get ‘snail’ mail, and this is a great place for it to land. So, there you have BLAG HQ 1.0. It will be fun to compare it to future iterations, but for the time being I’m excited that this is where I’ll be coming ‘back to school’ after Letterheads 2026: Sea Level in Amsterdam.

Back before Covid, Johan Hugo was working on an EP, a collaboration between Mumford & Sons, Baaba Maal, and Maggie Rogers. This took him to Senegal where, alongside David Darg, he wanted to create a unique piece of cover artwork. The resulting side quest gave the pair some special memories, shared here with thanks to Johan. Johan and David are both long-time sign afficionados, each with collections of hand-painted work from their travels across the world. Some of Johan’s sign collection, including numerous West African barber shop signs. (If you can track down a copy, then __Ici Bon Coiffeur__ (1992) by Jean-Marie Leratby is deep dive into these barber shop signs.) Having visited the Senegalese capital Dakar many times before, the pair had developed a fascination with a particular set of barber shop signs they saw there. These were signed with the name ‘JUL’ and their idea for the EP artwork was to commission a piece by this sign painter. But to do that, they’d have to find him. Barber shop signs by JUL in Dakar, Senegal. They searched high and low, asked in barber shops, and sent friends out across the city to try and locate the elusive sign painter. Calls to the phone number that sometimes appeared alongside the signature went unanswered and, after days of searching, they had all but given up: “It was like JUL only appeared when someone needed a barber shop sign”. Then, one evening, while sitting outside their hotel, they were approached by a man who said, “I heard you’ve been looking for me”. It was JUL, and he had come prepared with brushes and paints. A deal was struck for him to paint a building to be photographed the next day in return for a cash payment and a new motorbike. Johan and David were sold and just hoped that he’d actually come back to do the work. Johan with JUL and one of his barber shop signs, and JUL with some more. True to his word, JUL showed up with an assistant and everything he needed to paint the building side for the cover artwork. With help from Johan and David, he worked through the heat of the next few days to get it done in time. Work-in-progress and JUL posing with the finished piece along with a regular barber shop sign board in his signature style. He also managed to squeeze in some regular barber shop sign work on the side. A crowd of admirers gathers to watch JUL work in his street studio. Johan reflected that, after finishing up, “We left feeling like we’d met a childhood idol. This painter we'd both been obsessed with for years. And we’d finally met him and done a project with him.” The _Blaze of Your Love_ EP was to due be released with live shows planned in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Paris when Covid struck. Johan explained that, “This happens all the time in music, something gets shelved for logistical reasons and unfortunately never comes out. I don’t think it will ever be released.” And now the mural is also lost — the last time Johan passed the building, JUL’s artwork had been painted over. However, while the music and the mural haven’t survived, the recording of the EP and this creative side quest to produce its cover artwork will never be forgotten by those involved. Johan, JUL, and David following their collaboration on the never-used artwork for the never-released __Blaze of Your Love__ EP by Mumford & Sons, Baaba Maal, and Maggie Rogers. 📽️ Thank you to Johan Hugo for sharing the photos and information for this post. The story of searching for JUL is also told here in his Instagram reel, alongside footage from recording the EP and the resulting mural collaboration. * * * ### More Projects Sign Painting and Lettering ProjectsSign painting and lettering projects from around the world.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign PaintingBetter Letters

BLAG 09 is now landing with members around the world, so it’s time to take a look inside the latest instalment of our adventures in sign painting. Before we dive in, I want to say thank you to the entire BLAG membership who, via the magazine’s paid plans, make it all possible, and keep it free of advertising. Your continued support of me and my work is much appreciated 😃. ## On the Cover The sparkling chromatic letters on the cover are from the hand of Pieter Snijders. Inside you’ll find his step-by-step guide to creating the lettering effect, which was developed by studying the work of James Cooper, aka Dapper Signs (RIP). It also takes inspiration from the script logotypes of classic cars. The chrome theme is then reflected in this issue’s masthead. ‘Guilty Pleasures and Shady Effects’ is Pieter’s instructional for creating that classic chrome look. ## Contents No advertising means that all 80 internal pages are given over to what we’re all here for: the sign painting. This ranges from the bitesize content in the ‘Sundries’ section to longer in-depth features, and everything in between. 80 pages of sign painting stories and people from around the world. My editor’s letter has a sun/summer theme, which is echoed by the two images on the contents page opposite. These are from this issue’s poster insert, which is a reproduction of Mark Oatis’ ‘Prismatic Letters’ panel from the forthcoming 26th edition of the Speedball Textbook. The video below shows the poster, alongside everything else from inside the issue. ## The Regulars Drawing and painting the Argentinian sun is the focus of Gustavo Ferrari’s latest ‘Secrets of Fileteado Porteño’ column, while ‘Ye Olde Sign Shoppe’ takes us back to Victorian England to meet the legendary Sutherland signwriting dynasty. ‘Ye Olde Sign Shoppe’ and ‘The Secrets of Fileteado Porteño’ Other regular columns feature a taste of Hong Kong’s tobacco ghost signs, a tour of the wild and wacky Secret Caverns bulletins in upstate New York, and reflections from Alice Mazzilli on her recent ‘Jamigraphy’ workshop in Cambridge. There’s also an introduction to the calligraphic hand of Arthur Baker for ‘Inside Letterform Archive’, and Rob Cooper’s latest alphabet is simply called ‘Serif’, with the usual presentation of uppercase, lowercase, numerals, and a selection of special characters. Arthur Baker for ‘Inside Letterform Archive’ and Secret Caverns for ‘Lettering Location’. ## Feature Length In addition to Pieter’s chromatic lettering guide, there’s an extended feature on a remarkable collection of Olympia Beer bulletin artworks created between the 1930s–1950s by a talented cast of West Coast artists and illustrators. Jenna Homen’s ‘Shop Talk’ has then gone feature-length for this issue as we meet half a dozen sign painting couples sharing their lives on, and off, the brush. Sign painting couples and the bulletin boards of the Olympia Brewing Company are two of this issue’s main features. ## Projects & Publications ‘On the Brush’ profiles a series of projects from Australia, France, Italy, Mexico, Thailand, the UK, and the USA. These range from branding a local bakery to creating a series of miniature food carts, plus one from Massachusetts inspired by Veronika Skilte’s ‘Pillow Gild’ from BLAG 06. ‘On the Brush’ project profiles. There’s then the latest 'Exhibitionism’ column with details of recent shows held in Brazil and India. The global reach of the issue also extends to the ‘Book Club’ with featured publications from France, Germany, India, Malta, Turkey, and the USA. India Street Lettering is one of the publications profiled, alongside Lettres Décoratives, Sakarya’nın Harfleri, Tberfil, Sign Dogs, and More Alphabets. ## Wise Words In addition to this issue’s ‘Wise Words’ creation by Erwin Indrawan, there are also lessons in lettering and business from Dan Forster and Darren Di Lieto. Dan tells the story of a formative experience under the guidance of his father, Tony Forster, while Darren sets out the principles of a good client contract. Dan Forster on lettering lessons from his father and Darren Di Lieto on freelance contracts. ## Sundries As always, the magazine’s last few pages are given over to a menagerie of shorter snippets, including duct tape lettering from Japan, walldogging with the Kitbox Krew, signs on stamps, and more. ‘You Spelled It Wrong’ and ‘Wise Words’ among the ‘Sundries’. ## Thanks Well over 50 contributors from around the world made BLAG 09 possible, and I truly value and enjoy the process of collaborating with so many brilliant people. Thank you all. The inside back cover with links to bl.ag online stories and the full list of contributors, sponsors, and patrons. Also on the inside back cover you’ll find the logos and website of our wonderful sponsors, so be sure to visit them all: * A.S. Handover * Mike Meyer Sign Painter * Ronan Paints Thank you also to our patrons: Blackout Signs & Metalworks; Chicago Sign Systems; Colossal Media; Ed “Smitty-didit!” Smith; John Moran; Mandinos; Right Way Signs; Romana Schrift; Sepp Leaf Products; Skiltmaler Gundersen; Studio Sign Co.; Through the Wood Signs; and W&B Gold Leaf. And nothing happens without the paid members around the world that fund all the work that goes into the magazine. Thank you! If you’re not one already, then join today to get the latest issue delivered directly to your mail/post box. And, last but not least, thank you to the wonderful team that brings the final print magazine to fruition: Jenna Homen on sub-editing; UTILE on design; SYL, The Art of Books on print; and Ra & Olly on distribution. Fonts in Use are Aktiv Grotesk by Dalton Maag and Utile by Sibylle Hagmann from Kontour. Photography of the magazine is by Edgar Gonzalez. To see what’s inside previous issues of BLAG, visit the back issues page where you’ll find digital copies to read in full, links to bonus content, and recordings from BLAG Meet events. Some back issues are also available to buy individually from the BLAG Shop. BLAG Back Issues

Sign painting reached a huge new audience recently with a segment about hand-painted Ghanaian film posters on _Last Week Tonight_ with John Oliver. And, just as I did for BLAG 04, the show’s producers commissioned an original piece on canvas from Deadly Prey. C.A. Wisely’s piece for Last Week Tonight, and the poster insert from BLAG 04 by Leonardo (RIP). At the end of this post is more about the story behind the BLAG poster. You can watch the full John Oliver segment below, including his reveal of the original poster. This is then followed by a reproduction of the Deadly Prey feature from BLAG 04, which is sold out in print but available digitally on the back issues page. There’s then even more from that issue, including further reading and downloads, in its digital companion. Heavy J on the cover of BLAG 04 and Leonardo’s Jaws interpretation opening the feature on Ghanaian film posters and Deadly Prey’s work to keep the medium alive. * * * ## ‘Ghanaian Movie Posters’ on Last Week Tonight ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

To celebrate the publication of the revised and updated Shaded Letters book by Pieter Snijders, here is the recording from his 2023 BLAG Demo. In it, he shows how he achieves some of his lettering effects. (Also look out for another tutorial coming from Pieter in BLAG 09, shipping soon.) Shaded Letters & Other Vintage Lettering Effects is an essential guide to over 30 shaded lettering effects. It clarifies the terminology used to describe the effects, shows how they are deployed, and will be a well-used ready reference for anyone interested in adding volume and impact to their lettering. The revised and updated second edition is available now from the BLAG Shop. Buy the Book ## 3D Lettering & Shadows with Bold Statements This BLAG Demo was originally delivered on 8 July 2023. For more recordings from BLAG events and demonstrations, visit this page at bl.ag online, and for more shading knowledge, check out Erwin Indrawan’s guide. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

The first time I saw this weathered ‘Trail’ sign, I was at the relatively early stages of my interest in ghost signs. I remember being impressed by the sheer scale of the letters, the striking blue sky, and the pink on the background being echoed by the kiosk below. At the time, I had no idea what it was advertising, but it must have sat somewhere in my subconscious for well over a decade until another photo of it crossed my path last month. Trail Drive-In, Route 66, Amarillo, Texas, in 1977. Photo: John Margolies / Library of Congress. This second picture was shared by one of my favourite Mastodon accounts, @roadside@tech.intersects.art, an automated feed of images from the incredible John Margolies Roadside America photograph archive at the Library of Congress. I’d become more familiar with Margolies’ work while researching the American Sign Museum book, and so, second time around, I was looking at the sign with some new context. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

Murat Ertürk_has spent the last seven years researching and documenting the sign painters and commercial artists from the Turkish city of Sakarya. Most of this has been focused in the period between the 1940s and 1990s and one of the sign painters, Enver Yücebalkan, was profiled in_ BLAG 03_._ _Murat’s work has recently culminated in a new book,_ Sakarya’nın Harfleri_(The Letters of Sakarya, reviewed in BLAG 09). The publication brings together over 650 photographs and archival documents, and includes detailed biographies of 48 artists whose stories have so far been largely overlooked. One of these is Numan Balıca, and here Murat helps to cement the legacy of this skilled and influential practitioner._ Cover and spreads from Sakarya’nın Harfleri by Murat Ertürk. * * * ## Brushstrokes on Wheels: The Story of Horsecart Painter Numan Balıca **By Murat Ertürk** In the early twentieth century, Anatolia, Turkey, was a place where tradition and modernity intersected in various ways. As the Ottoman Empire collapsed and the Republic of Türkiye emerged, new industries merged with centuries-old crafts. One such intersection of art, industry, and daily life did not emerge in art academies or technically driven factories, but on the humble wooden panels of horse-drawn carts (referred to here as horsecarts). For centuries, in numerous Anatolian towns and villages, horsecarts were not only a means of transport but also an integral part of local culture. Songs were written about them, and authors frequently featured them in their writing. Decorated horsecarts from Akhisar (Manisa, Türkiye). Photos: Salt Research (link goes to more images from this collection). In the nineteenth century, when horsecarts began to be used more widely for commercial purposes, particular care was taken to ensure that the harnesses, equipment, and cart did not hurt or exhaust the horse. The cart’s mechanism had to be adjusted so that the animal would not be distressed, showing that people at the time saw the horse and the cart as a harmonious whole rather than focusing solely on the cart’s appearance or function. The tradition of painting and ornamenting horsecarts was so strong that, in some villages, unpainted and unornamented horsecarts were not welcome, and drivers did not want to use them. It was considered a shortcoming. Imagine dozens of horsecarts, each decorated differently, roaming the streets of villages and cities every day. Like an open-air exhibition of moving artworks... A decorated horsecart in everyday use in Akhisar (Manisa, Türkiye). Photo: Salt Research. ### An Evolving and Enduring Tradition ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

For the last week I’ve been completely absorbed by the process of creating a BLAG channel on the video hosting/sharing service PeerTube. This is part of a wider collection of open and interconnected social media platforms, which means that the BLAG channel can be followed by accounts on other compatible services, eg Mastodon. I am now using the PeerTube channel to embed all BLAG videos at bl.ag online. These include the recordings from previous BLAG Meet events, a number of BLAG Chats and Demos, and the When Better Letters Met series of short biopics. There’s also the feature length Face in the Sky (1933), some recordings from Lockdown Letterheads, and Fernando Mello’s Touriga Casual presentation/demonstration. These are then part of a wider collection of video content at bl.ag online, which includes films produced by others. Over time I will be making more of these videos available directly on the channel, plus adding new content such as the recordings from BLAG Meet: Inside Issue 08. Some videos from the BLAG channel on PeerTube. The channel can be followed by searching for @sam@video.bl.ag on the free Peertube app (Apple, Google/Android, F-Droid) or any compatible ‘Fediverse’ service. I’ll be writing more about the Fediverse in a future post, but if you’re curious then I highly recommend the typo.social community as a good place to start. I’m here at @blag@type.social and happy to answer any questions you have. BLAG on PeerTube I have been delighted with the experience of (re)building the BLAG video library on PeerTube. The user experience is much better than what Vimeo has become and, versus YouTube, all of these videos are served up to viewers (ie you) without any advertising, algorithms, or tracking. I believe that these features are of increasing importance and they have played a big role in my decision to go ‘all in’ on PeerTube and open social media at large. I hope that you’ll also consider joining in. Ask Me Anything * * * ### More Films Film & Video Content on Better Letters MagazineShort and feature length films about sign painting and lettering.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters

Welcome back to Field Notes, my periodic member-only email with things of interest that I come across in my research and meanderings on the worldwide web. You can share your own discoveries for future issues via email to sam@bl.ag. ## Contents In this edition: 1. Stickers reprise. 2. Veteran LA sign painter Eddie Morin. 3. Recognition for Mail Pouch barns. 4. More Mamdani, featuring BLAG. 5. Featured films: New York’s vernacular signage and Beverly Sign Co.’s sketches. 6. Japanese sign painters. 7. Press Gang, featuring Ales Santos, Alina Kiliwa, the craft in Catalonia, and more. 8. The return of Richard Gregory. 9. Brush care and brush making. 10. Sundries. * * * ## Field Notes: May 2026 ### Stickers Reprise Four more pages in the sticker album filled with a selection from Crow Nine Signs and Station Studios Following the recent post about my sticker collection, Bryan at Crow Nine Signs got in touch and sent me a fat pack from him and his ‘Church of Signtology’ partner Dean at Station Studios in Saskatoon, Canada. Thank you Bryan! * * * ### Eddie Morin: Veteran LA Sign Painter Comic book-inspired humour from the hand of Eddie Morin. Agustin McCool’s diary/blog recently featured a wonderful two-part interview with veteran Los Angeles sign painter Eddie Morin. I recommend sitting down with a hot (or cold) drink and enjoying Morin’s stories via Part One and Part Two. > “When he didn’t have a shop truck, he’d have a ladder and he and an assistant would get on a streetcar. He’d hand one end to his assistant and then he’d go inside and would lift up the ladder and they’d go that way to a jobsite on the streetcar with a ladder.” — Morin talking about his father, Raul Morin. > “The most successful sign businesses, they’re run by guys that aren’t that great. The true craftsmen are too busy with their craft to really get involved that much more.” — Morin on the business of signs. * * * ### Ghost Sign Corner: Mail Pouch Barns From left (photographer): barn 48-26-02 (Earl Leatherberry); barn 48-42-04 (unknown); and barn 48-18-03 (Kenneth Cunningham). Good news comes from West Virginia where these three Mail Pouch barns have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. While this doesn’t give them outright protection, it does recognise their historic significance, which can help with fundraising for maintenance costs. For more Mail Pouch, check out the piece about the authentic original at the American Sign Museum in the museum’s book, and also The Barn Painter by Harley E. Warrick, the last painter of Mail Pouch barns. * * * ### More Mamdani, featuring BLAG Aneesh Bhoopathy presenting at the Voices in Type Assembly in Breda, the Netherland, 31 March 2026. In the last ‘Field Notes’ I referenced a couple of articles taking deep dives into the election campaign for New York mayor Zohran Mamdani. So I was bowled over to hear that BLAG gets a shout-out in presentations about the work from graphic designer Aneesh Bhoopathy: > “Our signs were referential to the sign painting tradition and I gained so much respect with regard to that discipline. As we needed more signs as the campaign wore on, I needed to expand my vocabulary and incorporate new styles. I really fell in love with this publication — Better Letters Magazine — which gave me a deep appreciation for how international this discipline is and how varied the styles are.” ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

It’s now 25 years since Mark Oatis designed the original signs and branding for the Green Valley Ranch (GVR) casino in Las Vegas. With an overarching ‘Argentine Ranch’ theme, he recalls that “everything began with hand lettering”. This included the GVR monogram that the owner selected as the property’s logotype after Mark had penned it directly onto the cover page of the art package delivered to the casino. Mark Oatis’ Green Valley Ranch monogram and its manifestation above the entrance to the casino and resort. More from the feast of hand-lettered work that Mark designed and delivered for Green Valley Ranch. “It was great project” says Mark, and, after a move to YESCO and the passing of nearly 20 years, he hadn’t given it much more thought. That was until a YESCO sales rep walked into his office in 2020 to ask if he’d been involved with the original work on GVR’s signs. Which, of course, he had. Part of the project involved casting hundreds of tiles with this acanthus leaf design. Mark sculpted the positive in clay (pictured), which was then used to create the mould for casting. One of the pieces created for the project was a pair of scrolls carved in basswood by Mike McConnell. (“Mike was a great carver who we used on a lot of our projects in Denver.”) Based on Mark’s initial sketch, the finished scrolls framed an illuminated sign above the casino’s reward centre. Mark’s original drawing used by Mike to carve the scrolling ahead of installation at the casino. However, while the ‘ranch’ was closed during the pandemic, the scroll on the right side fell off. It was found by a security guard who unwittingly threw it out. Scroll down! The casino had reached out to YESCO to commission a brand new pair of scrolls — “since they’d have to match” — and Mark accepted the challenge. Rather than working in basswood he opted for precision board, feeling “confident that I could faux finish them to resemble the wood originals”. Carving, priming, and faux finishing the new scrolls. The original carved Mike McConnell piece set in front of Mark’s pair of replacements. With the replacements completed and installed in 2021, the outstanding question was what to do with the original left-hand scroll. For five years, the answer to that was for it to sit in storage at Mark’s house. That was until the last Sunday of January this year when it was dusted off and given a new lease of life by being screwed to the bannisters of his staircase. “It almost looks like it was meant to go there” says Mark of this outrageous piece of interior decoration. A most rewarding retirement for the scroll and its original designer. PS. This is not the only piece salvaged from the casino as it has evolved over the last quarter century: the hanging ‘Feast’ light fitting shown above has since been decommissioned, with two of the stained glass panels by Michael Mattei now installed in Tom Siebert’s studio, while a cast ‘Around the World’ ribbon can now be found in the Oatis’ kitchen! Old signs putting the re-use into ‘reduce, re-use, recycle’. * * * ### More Projects Sign Painting and Lettering ProjectsSign painting and lettering projects from around the world.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters

Sign painters love stickers, and so do I. However, the collector in me always struggled with peeling them off to use on things that are ‘less-than-permanent’ such as laptops. Surprisingly, I’m still getting some limited use from my 2008 laptop (left) as it still has a DVD drive. On the right is the cover of a photo album that’s full of sign and sign painting-themed postcards. The stickers are all from around 2018–19 and those are all I have left from London Calling. This sticker ‘problem’ lurked in my subconscious until we started getting ready for the move to Spain in 2019. In the process, I picked up the beautiful G . F Smith book below that showcases their Colorplan paper range. It was a originally a gift from Paul Antonio and had sat on my shelf for the best part of five years because it was simply too nice to use as a regular notebook. Holding it once again, the stars aligned and my sticker album idea was born. Paul Antonio also wrote my name on the first page. For the last seven years I’ve been filling the pages of the book with what is now a collection of over 400 stickers, mostly for sign painters. (Yes, I’m just a fan boy really!) When I have doubles, the extras go onto my bike, which was another place I used to put stickers before the album. This was originally a bright red 2007 Specialized bike which I ‘roughed up’ to reduce the risk of theft in London. It is now canvas to duplicate stickers. Here’s the current status of the album, from start to finish. I hope you spot a few familiar names along the way... Some vintage Better Letters stickers, including Mike Meyer casting us as famed bagel makers, the Einstein Bros.I must have had some spare stickers from Tokyo Letterheads as these appear on both the photo album above and in the opening pages of my sticker album. There’s then the collection of stickers collected at the 2019 Porto Letterheads. Also on this spread are Letterboy (Tokyo Letterheads host), A.S. Handover, and Xesta Studio.‘Fearless’ by Halfstudio (check out their BLAG Meet talk) and three from Joan Quiros (continued below).More from Joan Quiros and ‘Support Your Local Sign Painter’ from Regarfix.More vintage Better Letters, Mike Meyer pieces for the 2019 New Zealand Letterheads, and the first of a few appearances from Tozer Signs. The address label is one that I made after receiving a beautifully written letter from Alice Mazzilli, but please don’t send any stickers there as I’ve moved twice since! These were sent to me from Switzerland by Metro Gustavo during the heat of first summer of the pandemic in 2020. Another from Metro Gustavo and a set of five from Brush & Leaf.Fem Ribes (we make Ribes) is the local business association in my adopted town of Sant Pere de Ribes. These were part of their ‘shop local’ campaign during the pandemic. Sandwiched between them on the left page are stickers for Red Truck Company and printers Done London. On the right are the first of some from Jaws Graffiti, which continue overleaf.More Jaws Graffiti (left) and then two each from Francois Tusseki and Studio Miras from the 2021 Barcelona Letterheads.Moving into 2022, this sticker pack was received from Likemind Design.The Pink Panther makes a few appearances in the album, including these three from Pink Painter. Below those are one for a music shop in Barcelona and a couple of fruit stickers, but it looks like I decided against continuing to collect those. Then, on the right, are the first of a few entries from Rachel E Millar, including the first Burds of the Brush artwork from the meet in 2022.Two from the George Kirby Jr. Paint Co., Mek Summat featuring Jenna Greenwood, my first ever BLAG sticker experiment, and ‘Chop It’ from Jahpix / Customized Magazine.From Gnarly Magazine. More from Jahpix / Customized Magazine plus one I picked up at a coffee shop in Barcelona. This Pink Panther and Captain Caveman double was an impulse purchase from Welsh Bridge Books & Collectibles in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, while visiting in August 2022. And Tozer’s back! Amsterdam Signpainters (also once known as Sign Painters & Co.) alongside the bullish Manning Signs.I honestly can’t remember how/why I got stickers for basketball magazine BSKT and Weird Sports, but the other pieces on this spread came from David Leutert not long after illustrating the ‘Playful Pangrams for Sign Painters’ article.More Manning Signs (left) and David Leutert. The delivery from David Leutert actually consisted of whole sheets of stickers, many of which had holographic finishes. ‘There is Hope’ by All Things Letters, the singing sign painter by El Deletrista, and two from Smart Alex Signs. Hot Rod Jen (blue pages) and Hurfer Hand Painted. More Hurfer Hand Painted and then a couple that Pascal Arpin gave me when she visited in 2023: hers and one from Letter Queen. These were the stickers that Basti Karbowiak sent out with his custom Pausrädchen (pounce wheel). And, on the right, some more experiments with BLAG stickers.Left: Bruno Durand and Flying Squirrel Brush Co.. Right: Jara Cordero and another from Jaws Graffiti. I can’t recall where I got these, and I can’t identify the artist from the signature, which is dated 2013... Mike Meyer and the move from Mazeppa, Minnesota, to Chester, Iowa, via Red Wing, Minnesota, and some wide-format stickers for Alpha 6 Corp. Signs by Meng (left) and Good Girl Line & Sign Co.Bold Statements on the left, some stickers that came with Uppercase Magazine 58, and a BLAG sticker with the ‘Adventures in Sign Painting’ lettering by Utile. Three more pages from Good Girl Line & Sign Co., two from No Plan, and one from Well Done Signs. Through the Wood Signs (left) and two pieces by Paulo Proserpio for __The Man Who Stole Banksy__ film.I had a good haul at Benelux Letterheads, including these from Pieter Boels (top left) and Painting Bear Sign Co. On the right are ‘ABC’ and ‘Benelux’ from host Francois Tusseki, along with ‘Out’ by Alex Sign Painting and the first of a few by Señor Color. More from the event in Brussels including: Rotterdam and Amsterdam Signpainters; McDermott Design; Alex Sign Painting; Francois Tusseki; Ben’s Lines & Letters; Señor Color; Sam Cornette; and Enseignes Brillo. Paulo Proserpio × Marta Biasi.JahPix / Customized Magazine and more Francois Tusseki (left), alongside three from Mack Yeay’s (top right) and one from Edgar Walthert.These were a bit of a post-script from the Benelux Letterheads meet: original Chrystel Crickx letters from the Crickx Research Group.On the left, Edgar Walthert and the typo.social Mastodon community (go join here!), and then the first three of a batch from Serge Lowrider. (Check out Serge’s ‘Chain Letter’ here.) Serge Lowrider and then three from Much Signs, including a tribute to the late Dapper Signs. Three Dapper Signs originals, kindly sent to me by Nathan Collis following the wake in 2023. One more Dapper Signs original, ‘Sláinte’ (cheers) by Much Signs, and then a series designed by Victor Brangolo for Oedipus Brewery using variable fonts from Edgar Walthert. The last page is a Robo Font sticker and one from High on Type, both sent to me by Edgar with the brewery ones. On the left: Flying Squirrel Brush Co.; Damiano Damianovich; and Well Done Signs. On the right are two BLAG stickers and then the piece by Katy V. Meehan from BLAG 05. (Watch Katy painting it.) Three from Signs and Crimes and all ten of the Dapper Signs tributes from the sticker sheet inside BLAG 05, featuring: Tim Sake; Andy Bourne; Hélène Valverde; Lao Zhao, aka Sinks; Ash Willerton; Kenji Nakayama and Peter Liedberg; John Dozier; Utile; Alex Klerk; Jorge Jacobs. Selection from the Tozer Signs shop. ‘Pura Vida’ from Serge Lowrider’s book/project celebrating Costa Rican signage (see BLAG 06) and an assortment from Rachel E Millar / Bungo Sign Co.Goodies from Heart & Bone Signs sent to Kickstarter backers of The Golden Era of Sign Design (left) and then another from them below one more from Mike Meyer.Two from Culture+Typography (check out Nikki’s book) and a small selection from the American Sign Museum (check out their book) picked up during last year’s Spring visit.My haul from Valencia Letterheads, featuring: Nico Barrios (host); Coleman Sign and Design; Kompagnon Letters; Mike Meyer; and Heart Rock Studio (aka Veronika Skilte and Københavns Skiltefabrik).Much Signs looks like a duplicate, so should be on my bike! The others on the left page are from my visit to San Francisco/Oakland before Letterheads 50, with two from Letterform Archive and one from Memory Sign Co. And, on the right, is the sticker version of the masthead for BLAG 07, the Letterheads special, and two from Letterheads 50 vendors: W&B Gold Leaf and Wensco Sign Supply. Letterheads 50 was big for sticker collectors. Featured here are: Ronan Paints; Modern Twist Signs; the official event artwork by David Butler; Sinks / Huaihai Signs, sent over from Shanghai; Dust Village Design Co.; another Signs and Crimes colour scheme; Great Not Good; Francois Tusseki (again!); Hand Painted by Ray; Stokes Signs; Spectrum Graphics; LetterArt Brushes; and Enseignes Brillo. Final Letterheads 50 stickers from Puget Sound Signs (left), and two from the Power Tools zine (bottom right).One more Power Tools zine sticker and then the full sheet, plus bonus stickers, from Tom Vincentie, received last week.Next up is this spread (and six more after that) which I hope to have filled on my return from Letterheads 2026: Sea Level.... Thank you to everyone that has given and sent me stickers over the years. And to Paul Antonio for providing the missing piece in my puzzle. I’m looking forward to finishing up with this album and moving onto the next one. Fittingly, this has been set aside already after being given to me by sticker star Francois Tusseki, so look out for a future despatch from the pages of that one!

_The following feature was first published ten years ago in_ Forum_, journal of_ Letter Exchange_. The journal comes out twice each year and its mixture of in-depth articles and shorter ‘clippings’ straddles everything from calligraphy and letter carving to graffiti and type design._ Issue 31_(March 2016) had a number of fascinating pieces, including a visit to Berlin’s_ Buchstabenmuseum_and an account of James Mosley’s project to restore the hand-painted lettering on HMS Victory. It also contained Tony Lewery’s profile of William Gilpin, a signwriter and grainer from Ulverston in Cumbria._ ‘William Gilpin: Signwriter of Ulverston’ was first published in Forum 31. _Lewery is the author of many important books about British signwriting, including_ Signwritten Art_and_ The Art of the Narrow Boat Painters_. He first wrote this profile of Gilpin in 1988 but it sat unpublished until he updated it for_ Forum _in 2016. He and_ Forum _editor_ John Neilson_have kindly given permission for its reproduction here, including many examples of Gilpin’s work that Tony photographed in the late 1980s and early 1990s._ To receive future issues of __Forum__ , join Letter Exchange as an Associate Member or take out a standalone subscription. * * * A transom and wall signs at Sandside Gospel Hall. (A detail of the transom appears later in the article.) ## William Gilpin: Signwriter of Ulverston **Text and photography by Tony Lewery** When I first visited Ulverston in Cumbria in 1978, the work of a local signwriter was an obvious part of the visual quality of the town. His odd and clearly recognisable lettering pervaded the business life of Ulverston in the way that a typeface influences the style of a book or a colour can control the atmosphere of a room. It may seem an exaggeration to consider a signwriter’s work an important aesthetic ingredient in the character of a whole geographical area, but in Ulverston the rough stone architecture is so much an extension of the rocky Lakeland landscape that man-made notes of contrast sing out even more clearly than they would in a place where the architecture shouts out against its surroundings. Here apparently was a town concerned only with itself and its own people, not straining to be a part of something bigger or a part of somebody else’s corporate identity. Dress shops and shoe shops were content to present and advertise themselves to the High Street in a gentle local way, without feeling the need to ally themselves with the designer’s image for the superstore or the brashness of the magazine or television commercial. With several generations of existence behind them, they seemed to be resisting the temptations of progress and the fast return which had become the tone and temper of late twentieth century Britain. As a visible expression of that refreshing out-of-date attitude, the local lettering seemed perfect — little affected by modern advertising, a slightly old-fashioned but individual statement about the man behind the brush and his customers. Closer acquaintance modified this rosy romantic view of the town somewhat, for the common pressures of modern life were making their mark, but Ulverston was still a relaxing place to be in, and it was a great pleasure to look up and meet Mr William Gilpin, the local signwriter. Shops in Ulverston, Cumbria, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

Since 2019, Arno Verweij has been documenting Dutch lettering and typography via his daily posts to the Amsterdam Typography and Netherlands Typography websites. His work now constitutes a significant archive, with over 4,000 photographs across the two sites. These are mapped and accompanied by descriptive data that enriches the raw photographic material. Coinciding with city of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary in 2025, Arno used the digital image bank of the Amsterdam City Archives to seek out archival photographs containing signage and other forms of lettering. His selection now constitutes a special section of his Amsterdam site, currently numbering 1,850 images. Spanning a period of around 150 years, the oldest items are a pair of pictures taken by the British photographer Benjamin Brecknell Turner in 1857. The archival photos can be browsed via the accompanying map, or by generating a random selection of 24 images to view. Arno refers to the photos giving “an impression of the city’s rich history through the lens of typography” and there truly is a remarkable diversity of letterforms and media contained within the collection. Here I have selected a mere 1% of the total (presented in chronological order) to whet your appetite. I also encourage you to browse the wider collection and discover your own treasures within it. * * * ### M. Oostmeijer The 1877 destruction of the ‘Oostmeijer wall’ by students was a notable event, with this photo taken shortly afterwards. Amsterdam Typography 68 / City Archives 010094000753. * * * ### J.D. Dieker Workers posing with branded carts loaded with the the products of J.D. Dieker’s mineral water factory in 1891. Amsterdam Typography 1043 and 1044 / City Archives ANWM00177000001. The fascia sign and a closer look at one of the carts. * * * ### Goederson’s Meubelmagazijn In many cases the signs aren’t the subject of the photograph, such as this one of a military exercise in around 1898 that happened to take place in front of a huge mural sign for a furniture shop. A crowd gathers to watch a military exercise and a closer look at the lettered wall in the background. Amsterdam Typography 465 / City Archives OSIM00004004397. * * * ### Signs, Signs, Signs, c.1900 This turn-of-the-century scene shows that overwhelming volumes of advertising are nothing new. The abandoned building on the far left of the image is promoting a variety of bicycle brands. Amsterdam Typography 1413, 1414, and 1415 / City Archives 010094000736. Photographer: Andries Jager. * * * ### Albertus Wilshaus This tea house embraced signs of all kinds to promote the goods available within. The photo is dated 1902 and presumably that’s Albertus himself standing proudly in the doorway underneath his name on the transom. Amsterdam Typography 312, 313, and 314 / City Archives OSIM00003004329. ‘Chop Suey’, Tuscans, and a touch of Art Nouveau among the myriad letterforms on Wilshaus’ shopfront. * * * ### Biscuits Fa. Wed. B. van Doesburg This 1918 photograph captures a wonderful piece of biscuit (cookie) advertising, including a beautiful pictorial portrait in the centre. “Dem-Lune” is from the French _demi-lune_ (half moon) and refers to the semi-circular shape of the biscuits themselves. Amsterdam Typography 218 / City Archives 010118000054. Photographer: Cornelis G. Leenheer. * * * ### Wall of Brands, c.1920 Among the advertisers taking advantage of this prominent wall are the dry cleaners Tilburg and window cleaners W.H. Spiegel. Amsterdam Typography 849 and 850 / City Archives 012000001933. * * * ### Windsor Castle This oversized walking hand from around 1920 was just one of a series of similar sales promotions for the Windsor Castle brand of cigarettes. Amsterdam Typography 404 / City Archives B00000032209. * * * ### Abdulla Cigarettes More tobacco advertising comes in the form of this building wrapped in an advertisement for Abdulla Cigarettes. Below that are signs advertising the Frankfurt Trade Fair of 1925 and a radio appliances shop. Amsterdam Typography 3 / City Archives 5221FO000014. Photograph: Dienst Bouw- en Woningtoezicht, Afdeling Reclametoezicht. * * * ### G. Landman Also from around 1925, Gerrit Landman poses in the doorway with his eldest son, also Gerrit, while the window lettering advertises their Pavonia dairy shop. Amsterdam Typography 406 / City Archives ANWQ00390000001. * * * ### C.L. de Groot Not a car in sight in front of this large advertisement for the C.L. de Groot dealership and the brands available there in 1927 Amsterdam Typography 988 / City Archives 5221F2000837. Photograph: Dienst Bouw- en Woningtoezicht, Afdeling Reclametoezicht. * * * ### De Koestal One of my favourite images in the collection is this one of an off licence (liquor store) photographed in 1943. Most prominent is the sign advertising Bootz Record Jenever, which could be sampled (literally ‘smell the cork with us’) for five cents. Amsterdam Typography 297 / City Archives ANWE00197000004. * * * ### Van Woustraat 243 Also during the Second World War in 1943 is this human-powered moving billboard advertising a jeweller. Amsterdam Typography 562 / City Archives ANWE00194000001. * * * ### Roxy Theatre This novel piece of lettering is set off beautifully by the assembled cars and the grandeur of the building that frames it in 1957. Amsterdam Typography 139 / City Archives 010009002409. * * * ### Habé Pelterijen It wouldn’t be Amsterdam without some krulletters (curly letters), like these advertising the Habé Pelterijen fur factory and wholesaler in 1958. Amsterdam Typography 836 / City Archives 010122022012. Photographer: J. M. Arsath Ro'is. If you’d like to learn more about Amsterdam’s krulletters (curly letters), then Ramiro Espinoza’s book on the style is available from the BLAG shop. Buy the Book * * * ### De Tijdgeest Ghost signs in 1965, with layers in palimpsest. The uppermost portion of the wall advertised a manufacturer and retailer of soft furnishings, including bedding and carpets with the slogan _De Tijdgeest_ (the zeitgeist). Amsterdam Typography 746 / City Archives 010122011079. * * * ### Beeld Stroom Aorta Kunst! These wedge-shaped signs were promoting the _Beeldstroom_ (stream of images) exhibition at the Aorta gallery in 1982. (_Kunst_ translates to art.) Amsterdam Typography 258 / City Archives 010122014577. Photographer: Martin Alberts. * * * ### De Nieuwe Stek And, to finish up, some more curly letters (fascia and window) for this café photographed in 2002. The lettered name translates as ‘The New Place’. Amsterdam Typography 608 / City Archives 010122036016. Photographer: Martin Alberts. * * * Thank you to Arno Verweij for sharing these wonderful archival images. Be sure to browse his sites (Amsterdam and Netherlands), and their accompanying maps, for more Dutch delights. Arno also sends out periodic emails via his mailing list and each site also has an RSS feed (Amsterdam and Netherlands) that you can use to follow updates. (Learn more about RSS feeds.) * * * ### More History Sign & Sign Painting HIstory on Better Letters MagazineThe history of signs, sign painting and sign painters.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters ### More Amsterdam SearchAdventures in sign painting craft, community and culture with BLAG (Better Letters Magazine), the only print and online publication dedicated to the trade.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureSpectral Web Services

Paige Gomez_is a sign painter based out of Sparks, Nevada, and has been slinging paint for four years. Here, she shares a personal piece about her late father Jerry Gomez, his impressive sign painting and pinstriping career, and his profound influence on her own creative journey._ * * * ## Like Father, Like Daughter: Continuing Jerry Gomez’s Legacy **By Paige Gomez** If you know me as a sign painter, you’ve probably heard of my dad. No, he wasn’t world famous, or the “every sign painter’s favourite sign painter” type, but to me, his vision of custom painting and lettering shaped my world. I didn’t discover sign painting from watching reels on Instagram or stumbling across workshops in my area; the magic of living with a brush in hand was shown to me by the best artist I know, my dad. Dad (Jerry Gomez) lettering some vehicles. “Artech Signs, Incorporated. August 1981” is written on the reverse of these photos. ### Jerry (and Dave) Gomez One of six children, Jerry Gomez was born in May 1957 in beautiful Southern California. His upbringing was far from lavish, but my grandma always made sure her kids had what they needed: family. From my dad’s account, he always wanted to be like his older brother Dave. After a stint in the Marines with some of his brothers, my father and Uncle Dave began taking painting together more seriously. The duo were both creative and in love with old cars, hot rods, and the ‘kustom’ world, which led to learning about classic lettering, custom paint, and pinstriping. Soon, they started painting together. Art was in their blood: my grandma Vera was a gifted painter, needleworker, and blanket maker. A polaroid my mom took of my dad (wearing a ‘Jerry’s Signs’ hat) when they moved in together, and a page from his sketchbook. ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

Look out for a special announcement this time tomorrow from the team organising the international Letterheads meet in Amsterdam. It will come via the ‘Worldwide Events News’ list, with details of how to join the dedicated event newsletter. View My Newsletter Settings > “There’s always somebody better than you. And if you think you’re the very best, you’re a fool.” These are just some of the wise words from Brendan Mooney in this charming short film about his work as a signwriter in Birr, Ireland. Produced by his daughter Naomi McArdle, and directed by David Cotter, the film honours Mooney’s decades of service to his local community and is laced with his cheeky sense of humour. __Memories of A Signwriter, Brendan Mooney (Birr), filmed by D Cotter, produced by N McArdle__ on YouTube. I’ve often talked about the paucity of sign painters’ life stories in the historical record, especially compared to other proximal crafts. Films such as this one are important in redressing that imbalance, telling stories that could otherwise be forgotten. This was always the motivation behind the ‘When Better Letters Met’ series, and includes other productions such as the recently profiled Luis Benz short. There are many short sign painter biopics among the film posts at bl.ag online. These include __Behind the Sign__ , starring Earl Phillips (pictured in this photo by John Skrtic). Films at bl.ag online At their core, these films directly connect the viewer to the sign painters themselves, allowing their stories to be told in their own words. The same is true of the limited number of autobiographical works that have been written, eg those of Arthur Gill and Syl Ehr. In addition to conveying what happened and when, these first-hand narratives show us what makes the sign painters tick and, in some cases, what enrages them! Their personalities shine through, which is something that third-party accounts will always struggle to replicate. So thank you to Naomi McArdle and David Cotter for adding Brendan Mooney’s story to this canon. And to Offaly County Council for funding the film’s production. * * * ### More People Sign Painter Profiles on Better Letters MagazineInterviews, films, and profiles of sign painters past and present.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters ### More Films Film & Video Content on Better Letters MagazineShort and feature length films about sign painting and lettering.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters

Lettres Décoratives: A Century of French Sign Painter Alphabets _is the new book from_ _Letterform Archive_ _. Here’s a glimpse inside, plus the recording of last week’s online event where I got to talk with_ _Morgane Côme_ _about her work on the book’s introductory essay._ ## Lettres Décoratives **From Letterform Archive / Morgane Côme** _Lettres Décoratives_ is a monumental publication in every sense of the word. Weighing in at a colossal 1.8 kg (4 lb), it is filled with a stunning collection of plates from French sign painter portfolios printed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These have been painstakingly reproduced, with care taken to faithfully match the brilliant colours on the original chromolithographic prints. Two of the featured plates by Nicolas Glaise from his 1882 publication, __Modèles de Lettres Sur Vingt Tons de Fonds Différents__ (Model Letters on Twenty Different Background Tones). Each of the 12 portfolios, spanning the period 1875–1932, is introduced by a short text discussing stylistic themes and giving notes on their creators and the context in which they were produced. The plates themselves then range from relatively simple presentations of alphabets to virtuoso compositions by master craftspeople of the time. In between, there’s everything from beautiful Art Nouveau sign designs to incredible dimensional effects applied to quintessentially French letterforms. Spreads from __Lettres Décoratives__ , which measures a whopping 25 × 34 mm (9.3 × 13 in). All of this is set up for the reader by an extended, and accessible, essay by French sign painter Morgane Côme. (The essay, and the book, is in English.) This walks through the history of signs and sign painting in France, placing the portfolios in context and examining the role they have to play as the craft finds itself in resurgence in the country. It’s a fascinating read and perhaps the first time that such a detailed account of France’s sign painting story has been made widely available. Work from the portfolios of Paul Fleury and Louis Ramade for the ‘Inside Letterform Archive’ column in BLAG 02. I had been anticipating this book ever since Stephen Coles dropped a hint that it was in progress during one his BLAG Meet sessions. (There was a also a little appetiser in the ‘Inside Letterform Archive’ piece in BLAG 02.) However, I was not prepared for being quite as awestruck as I was when I received my copy a couple of weeks ago. ’ __Lettres Décoratives: A Century of French Sign Painters’ Alphabets__ pagethrough’ on Vimeo. No corners have been cut in producing the book, and the design by Violaine & Jérémy is as masterful as its contents. Their cover is a case in point: it takes inspiration from the letterforms within, with the addition of debossed panels and subtle gold foil accents. There’s then the chef’s kiss of having the text on the spine set on a brush handle and oriented in the French-European direction, versus the archive’s other publications. ### The History and Craft of French Sign Painting To celebrate the book’s launch last month, Letterform Archive hosted one of their regular Salon sessions. I was honoured to join author Morgane Côme in exploring some of the themes from her essay and placing these, and the portfolios, within a wider, international context. The recording from the event is available to watch here. ‘Salon Series 56: The History and Craft of French Sign Painting’ on Vimeo. As I say at the beginning of the session, hats off to everyone involved in the creation of this exceptional publication. I would say it’ll take pride of place on my shelf, but I’d need to get a taller shelf for it to actually fit. I guess that means its rightful place is front and centre on the coffee table! __Lettres Décoratives: A Century of French Sign Painter Alphabets__ is out now and available to purchase from the BLAG shop and directly from Letterform Archive. Buy the Book * * * ### More Books Books & Publications on Better Letters MagazinePublications about sign painting, lettering and typography.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters ### More History Sign & Sign Painting HIstory on Better Letters MagazineThe history of signs, sign painting and sign painters.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters

Sign painters frequently collaborate with graphic designers and branding specialists, many of whom are important allies when it comes to championing the craft. A case in point is the husband and wife partnership of Jesse and Dianne Kirsch, whose work has helped to define the character of the Washington D.C. suburb of Takoma Park. Trading as No Plan, the Kirsches have grown alongside Takoma Park’s thriving community of independent local businesses, giving many of these establishments their visual identity and character. Their work often involves partnering with sign painters, in addition to other specialist craftspeople, and I took the opportunity to ask Jesse about their business, process, and local impact. ### Tell me about No Plan. During the early days of the pandemic, I found myself working remotely from my garage and wanting a way to support the small businesses in town that were closed. I created a letterpress print campaign and sold over 400 prints, raising $10,000 for two city grants. This led to local businesses getting in touch for t-shirts and branding work, and things snowballed from there. No Plan’s own merchandise includes this mustard ‘Flat Bill Hat’. The team is me and my wife, Dianne, and the No Plan name comes from our approach: we embark on each project with a vision, an idea, and a general sense of how to get there, while remaining constantly open to the creative process and the twists and turns that can take us in new directions. Dianne focuses on longform design (reports, booklets, etc), branding, and illustration. My sweet spots are branding, posters, letterpress, murals, and signage. I still work out of our detached garage, which is my design and letterpress studio, while Dianne is based in the home office to give each of us the space we need. No Plan’s Jesse Kirsch in his garage workshop alongside some of his six printing presses, one of which dates from 1890. Photo: Will Allen-DuPraw. ### Tell me about what you describe as the “hyperlocal” nature of your business and work. We live and work here in Takoma Park, which is a small progressive town that supports local community businesses above all. We feel the same, and strive to make a positive impact in our community — many of our clients are friends and neighbours, and we want to be partners in helping to bring their visions to life. Everything we do is to support the people, their businesses, and our town. We literally see our work every day, so it’s important that we are doing our best work and can be proud of what we put out there. The result is that we have really begun to contribute to the town’s aesthetic and vibe, to the extent that we now tell potential clients to walk down Main Street if they want to get a sense of our work. We say the town is our portfolio. On Main Street itself we’ve worked on coffee shops, restaurants, a bookstore, a homeware shop, and a butchers. We’ve also developed Takoma Park shirts and merchandise, and done the branding for the annual street festival and other local events. This has led to us also working with the City of Takoma Park government on their design needs. Work by No Plan for the 2023 Independence Day celebrations, including a photo opportunity with local United States Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin. ### Talk through your typical process and how you collaborate with clients to deliver the full spectrum of work that you do. A lot of it starts out with just getting to know them [the client]. The majority are people we have gotten to know in our community over the years, so they’ve seen our work first-hand and reach out to use when they are ready to either start their own business or to work on a refresh. Once we agree on the scope/budget/timeline, it starts with understanding their business, their goals, values, style, colour preferences, etc. This is done with a detailed questionnaire that we review together in-person to officially kick-off the project. This will also include a list of the different deliverables that they can select from, though sometimes they need to see the potential of certain applications through the actual design process. If they can’t afford to do everything at once we break it up into different phases. Work for Lost Sock Roasters across a variety of applications. We take time to research the business, the industry, the competition, and look for inspiration. The character of the building itself also plays a role to make sure that the design and signage feel right for the space itself. I like to head to our local historical society to seek out information and photos from the location’s past where those are available. Once we have a few directions we are feeling good about we will do an in-person presentation that shows the logo, visual language of the brand (colour, typography, illustration, etc), and how the work will translate to real-world applications such as signage, and print and digital materials. A logo never lives in a vacuum on a white background, so this stage is important for us and our clients to demonstrate how everything comes together, and to give a real sense of how the solution works for the business. Each element — sub-logos, seals, monograms, illustrations, icons, etc — needs to play a role in defining a larger brand identity that feels authentic. After we’ve agreed on a final direction and made refinements and edits we move on to exploring all the different deliverables more thoroughly. This includes reaching out to sign painters and fabricators to get quotes and start the process of bringing everything to life. Neon and graphic work for People’s Book and indigro. ### What are some of the challenges of working with these smaller, local businesses? Budgets can be on the smaller side, so we’re usually working within tighter financial constraints! We typically overdeliver and there is often a need for ‘teaching moments’ with clients who know they need a logo, menu, etc. but don’t realise the amount of work that goes into creating a brand. It has gotten easier over the years as more businesses opening up can see the value in our approach through the work we’ve done for others in the town. Another challenge is that it’s sometimes easier to sell a hand-painted or neon sign vs all the work that goes into the branding side. There is more perceived value in something hand-made that you can actually touch and see vs the digital phase where the time, labour and skill is largely hidden and less quantifiable. ### Talk through how you collaborate with external skills and expertise to deliver your vision for projects. Most of my design work is done digitally using illustrator, but I know that digital design doesn’t always translate well to the real world. There is a colder feeling when a sign is printed or put up in vinyl, where it is almost too perfect, taking the humanity out of the work. Printing used to have texture and imperfections due to the skill of the printer and the limitations of the equipment which now mainly needs to be emulated. Knowing that the final piece will by painted by hand on a wall or window allows me to think about the way the type looks and feels. I ask myself if it looks like something that has been painted or could be painted. I like to push the boundaries and experiment with different type and layouts that aren’t strictly traditional, but that still need to have that quality that lends itself to the brush — I don’t want it to look like someone just painted a digital image. If it doesn’t look like it was done on a computer then I’ve done my job. It’s about imperfections and quirks versus uniformity and perfection. Branding work for Muối Tiêu (salt and pepper), a local Vietnamese restaurant. Signage is the main area that we seek out external expertise for. I will avoid vinyl and LEDs like the plague, as they just don’t have the same warmth as signs crafted by hand. While the majority of people don’t know the difference, it is still felt at a subconscious level, and that reflects on our clients. A good hand-lettered window, blade sign, A-frame, or open/closed sign, is so much more inviting, and the client’s reaction when they see the process of a sign going up, stroke by stroke, is priceless. It gives them a glimpse into the craft and all the skill and heart that goes into it. We work with a few (relatively) local sign painters for this type of work, including Ross Trimmer (Sure Hand Signs), Sean (Danaher Signs), and Rachel Fink. Ross did some beautiful gilded lettering for the SOKO Butcher Shop and we recently worked with Sean on the Laurel Leaf store. This houses three local businesses — a vintage bookstore, a furniture and homeware shop, and another selling houseplants — behind a single shopfront. Sean painted their logo onto the windows, including some real gold leaf for the block shadows. The clients we transfixed watching the process of it being put up and seeing the magic in the making. Ross at Sure Hand Signs finishing up the windows for SOKO Butcher, Rachel Fink at work on Juneberry Garage, and Sean at Danaher Signs painting the three-part Laurel Leaf identity. I also love a good neon sign, as nothing can replicate the glow and the craft of tubes that have been sculpted by hand. I work with Eric Rothwarf (Sky Neon Signs) in Philadelphia for neon and Takoma Park has had four new neon signs over the past two years as a result of this collaboration. These include the 2.5 m (8 ft) blade sign for the Motorkat restaurant, which I helped to name with reference to the local legend, Motor Cat. The windows of the restaurant are all hand-painted, with Ross at Sure Hand Signs brought in to deliver this element of our branding work. Night and day for the Motorcat neon by Eric at Sky Neon Signs. Inside and out for the hand-painted windows by Ross at Sure Hand Signs. Although I’ve tried my hand at sign painting, and would like to give tube-bending a go, I appreciate the skill involved and enjoy these collaborations with the professionals. While we can’t go back to the days when everything on every high street was hand-done, we can bring some of that aesthetic into the present and the future through our work. ### What has been the impact of No Plan’s approach for yourselves and the town? The most rewarding part is seeing the impact it has on the community. It’s amazing to see people walking around with shirts we’ve designed, or dining and shopping in the establishments we’ve worked on. Takoma Park is all about local mom and pop businesses — there are no chains in town — so our work feels like a natural extension of that. We’ve been told multiple times that we are beautifying the town and creating a vibe. People are proud to live here, and I think that we have contributed to that in a small way. I believe we have made more of an impact by being able to work on so many places in such close proximity, versus our output being spread out across a bigger area. Focusing our efforts at this smaller scale has allowed us to cut through the noise and stand out locally. While our work has digital origins, the final applications by hand, whether that’s printing, painting, or bending neon tubes, is what brings it all to life — the perfect imperfections epitomise the character of these small, hyperlocal businesses. * * * ### More People Sign Painter Profiles on Better Letters MagazineInterviews, films, and profiles of sign painters past and present.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters

_While working on_ _BLAG 07, the Letterheads special_ _, I dug out lots of the_ _early press articles_ _about the movement. In the process, I learned that the first ever piece of mainstream coverage came from_Signs of the Times _in February 1981. However, the actual text of the article remained elusive until Tod Swormstedt and Erin Holland at the_ _American Sign Museum_ _tracked down and scanned a copy for me in August last year._ _The following is a reproduction of that original article, written by Gwen Colborne Arthur and introduced by then_ Signs of the Times _editor Tod Swormstedt. I’ve added some additional contemporary links and hope you enjoy this bonus piece of_ _Letterheads_ _history, exactly 45 years after it first introduced the movement to the world. (I’ve left the title as it was first published, but there is a ‘sister of the brush’ included: Cher Flores of Rustic Sign Studio.)_ * * * ## Letterheads: “Brothers of the Brush” _Signs of the Times, February 1981_ Nostalgia’s overrated. Idolising, or at least, idealising the past simply because it came before is pointless. Learning from yesterday, understanding why design took a particular direction, recognising the thought process of the old craftsmen oftentimes limited by a technology less advanced — this is the type of odyssey the Letterheads have been travelling since their formation in 1976 [sic]. It’s a celebration of skill, an appreciation and a revival of almost forgotten lost arts. It’s not an unselective evocation of an entire period of time. The Letterheads are a ‘picky’ lot: they don’t subscribe to a particular point-in-time. They don’t even promote the design of one certain era over the design of another. But a casual sampling of their work shows this. Bob Mitchell and Mike Rielly, in many instances, rely on the use of contemporary graphics; Earl Vehill has adopted the Art Nouveau style of the 1920s; Mark Oatis, Noel Weber and John Frazier luxuriously recapture the earlier Victorian days, and finally, Cher and Rick Flores have the seeming ability to order and assemble time’s perspective into a single body of work. Four of the seven Letterheads, from left: Vehill, Weber, Frazier, Oatis. In this way, the Letterheads sift through and glean design and ideas to their purpose. Again, they can reshape the past to their own functional present. “That's the beauty of being in this period that we’re in”, says Mark Oatis. “You can see the mistakes that everybody else made.” You can also see their talent. _Signs of the Times_ first became acquainted with these ‘Brothers of the Brush’ almost by accident. It was during Commercial Contest III that we noticed a curiosity: many of the entries which came from the Denver/Boise area were captioned: “Member of the Letterheads”. Who were the Letterheads, we mused, and how did this organisation get started? When the contest judging results were tallied and, lo and behold, the Letterheads captured more than a fair share of awards, our curiosity was again aroused — this time to action. We assigned Gwen Colborne Arthur, _Signs of the Times_ ’ book division manager, to find out a little more about this commercial sign organisation. After the contest, Tod Swormstedt sent this note to Noel Weber. It eventually led to this __Signs of the Times__ article. Our selection was not entirely random. Arthur, too, had crossed paths with the association while revising Raymond LeBlanc’s well-known book — _Gold Leaf Techniques_. As it turns out, many of the photos Gwen chose were entries from our commercial contest — some of them the work of various members of the Letterheads. When Arthur contacted the designers for permission to publish their work in a book which some of the Letterheads were literally weaned on, a bond was naturally established. And to capsulise an already too-long introduction, the upshot of this association is both this month’s cover story and what will begin a series of technical articles on gold leaf in the coming issues. The following is the story of the Letterheads. * * * The cover and feature as their first appeared in the February 1981 issue of __Signs of the Times__. ### By Gwen Colborne Arthur Every industry has its organisations, its associations. Some national — some regional. And Denver is no exception — except that Denver has a plus. One that has upgraded the quality of the speciality signs found there. This little bit extra is the Letterheads ‘club’. The Letterheads are a group of sign painters who share a common interest in antique work. They have dedicated themselves to learning the art and designs of the past. They all use modern methods and materials to fabricate their hand-lettered signs, because many of the old supplies are no longer available. Several of the members have learned the older techniques such as the glue-chip process, in-laid mother-of-pearl in gold leaf, and triple-split blended shades, etc. The group slowly began forming in late 1975 with Mark Oatis, Rick Flores, and Earl Vehill. Then came Mike Rielly, Noel Weber, Bob Mitchell, and John Frazier. These seven commercial sign painters comprise the nucleus of the group, although many others from Denver and across the country have come in contact with them since. Strangely enough, each member has a special interest in a different style ranging from Victorian to contemporary. Rick Flores brought the first sandblasted wooden signs to Denver in 1974. He had come from California where he learned the technique from Walter Methner while working for him at Walter’s Sign Studio. Many credit Methner with the technique of sandblasting wooden signs. During the time he was learning sandblasting, Flores had taken over Rowland Signs where he learned the sign trade. Home and shop for Cher and Rick Flores (left) and a headboard design for Odin Oldenberg, Gerald Ford’s former chief. Flores now owns and operates his shop, Rustic Sign Studio, in Denver with his wife Cher, a ‘Tole’ painting expert, says Rick, a branch of Pennsylvania Dutch art. (You may remember Flores from past sign design contests. If not, witness this month’s cover sign, designed by Cher Flores.) The full cover, a collaboration by Cher and Rick Flores. Mark Oatis comments: “Rick handled the lettering and sign construction; Cher painted all the pictorial elements, which she rendered in artists oils. The sketch portion, I believe, was created after the fact by someone at __Signs of the Times__ to flesh out the presentation. A clue to this are the PMS colour callouts; these are printer specifications to describe sign colours, and unlikely to have been used by Rustic Sign Studio.” Much of Flores’ Inspiration came from his father (Paul Flores) and his love of antique work. Rick uses most of the antique work as ornamentation and embellishment on his distinctive signs. Sandblasting signs remains his speciality, though Flores admits he has recently branched into other decor related areas — sandblasted mirrors and bedposts, for instance. The Flores’ ‘professionally rustic’ look. Mike Rielly Is originally from Amarillo, Texas. He attended art school In California and then came to Denver. He took his five-year apprenticeship in Denver through the Sign Painter Local 1045 Joint Apprenticeship Training Program with Mark Oatis. Subsequently, he worked as a journeyman sign painter under Joe Ferry at Brisson Signs in addition to a two-year stint at Eller Outdoor Adv. A sampling of Michael Rielly’s photo realism; the artist himself. Rielly returned to Amarillo in mid 1978. There he runs his own shop, Tanglewood Graphics, and subcontracts to Pro Sign where he also works full-time. Though Rielly credits Charles Strong’s book on the old Detroit School of Lettering as his inspiration, Rielly has perhaps the most contemporary design flair in the group. He is the pictorial man of the Letterheads, and his speciality is photorealism, perhaps a throwback to the days when he studied Process Photography at the Metro in Denver. Mark Oatis, a native of Denver, was formerly self-employed (The Sign Studio) and now works for Cliff Singer at Cliff Singer Signs. Oatis was inspired by the work of Jerry Albright, a local sign painter, “the best all around man in town”, as Oatis puts it. Albright did all the antique-type work in the old part of Denver. There is a profile of Jerry Albright, ‘father of the Letterheads’, in BLAG 07. Inside BLAG 07 Oatis’ interest lies in the Victorian period with a touch of Art Deco showing up now and then. Oatis’ main goal is authenticity. He specialises in lettering effects — mainly shades (which includes a triple-split blended shade). He also does fine gold leaf work. The work of Oatis: a demonstration of the glue-chip process revived (left) and gold leaf in an Art Deco vein. Bob Mitchell came to Denver from Wyoming. He received formal art training in Denver and then went through the sign apprenticeship program there. He worked for several sign companies including American Standard, Colorado Sign, and Cherokee Signs, which is no longer in existence. Working for Sign Associates (an architectural shop) “really influenced me”, because “everything (was) neat and clean”. Mitchell tends more towards the contemporary and is the ace screenprinter of the bunch. To “pay some dues” he credits a whole slew of sign painters — Mark Oatis, Monty Jumper. Gene Wiblo, Tim Eardly, and Richard Anderson — with preparing him for the sign trade. In early 1979, Mitchell went to Aspen, Colorado, to work at Gaard’s Graphics and later took over the business that Mitchell still owns and operates. Gaard has been interested in the group and has helped to find resource material and offers input from time to time. Bob Mitchell, “two years after totally wrecking myself and this bike”. Two samplings of Mitchell’s gold leafed window art: ‘Optique’ (right) uses rolled-on black with burnished/matter gold. Noel Weber left Chicago for Denver in 1972. While in Chicago, he attended the Institute of Lettering and Design and took a course from the well-known Sid Borden. He also attended the union apprenticeship program in Chicago. For a while, Weber co-owned and co-operated the shop Signcraft in Denver with his brothers Nick and Ben. Then he decided to freelance and went to work for Larry Alba at Lakewood Sign Studio. Alba, who has been in the sign business since the age of 15 and learned the art of gold leaf from Raymond LeBlanc while in California, became a sort of mentor to the Letterheads. Detail on Weber’s 1946 Chevrolet panel truck (left) features deep and lemon gold, and a Weber entry in Contest III. (There are some colour before and after photos of the truck in the ‘What a Ride’ photo feature.) Weber’s main interests are the Victorian era and the alphabets of Charles Strong. His best work is on glass, but he also creates excellent flat commercial painted signs. Noel Weber is the subject of Jenna Homen’s ‘Shop Talk’ in BLAG 07 and there’s more of his story in this extract from his book, __A Sign Painter’s Sketchbook__. Also check out the recording from Noel’s session at BLAG Meet: Inside Issue 05. John Frazier’s original Letterheads lettering and crest adapted to commemorate Noel Weber’s move from Denver to Boise. John Frazier, the only member of the group who has no union training, is a natural illustrator turned sign painter who didn’t enter the sign field until 1976. Prior to that, he had spent much time with Earl Vehill and received inspiration from him. Frazier was impressed with the heavy, masculine style of John Ohnimus (mentioned by Atkinson and Matthews). This is quite apparent from the Letterheads’ logo which is his creation. Frazier specialises in pen renderings. For more of John Frazier’s work, and story, see ‘Meet the Letterheads’ in BLAG 03 and ‘That Saturday Afternoon Jaunt with John Frazier, Original Letterhead’ by Mark Oatis. More Frazier Earl Vehill, through his working experiences, touched base with almost all of the group. He worked part-time for Flores (with Oatis) at Rustic, part-time for Alba (with Weber) at Lakewood, and part-time at Associated Grocers with Mike Author, who frequented the meetings. Vehill graduated from the union apprenticeship program in Denver, although he entered the sign field in the San Francisco Bay area. He now operates his own AV Sign Studio in Denver. Vehill studies the Art Nouveau period and, in addition, has resources on old advertising art and design. He does excellent fancy etched glass work and fine showcard work as well. The Vehill look: from airbrush to hand-carved. All seven men were interested in the older styles and techniques but had limited resources consisting only of Oatis’ Atkinson _Sign Painting_ and some photocopies of Charles Strong’s book from the old Detroit School of Lettering that Oatis found in the library. The resources have grown and now include many lettering books, old advertising art and design collections, odd showcard material, books of Matthews, Martin, Ohnimus, Strong, and even Callingham’s _Sign Writer_ (dated 1883). These are all freely exchanged between the men. At its conception, at least half of the group consisted of apprentices or newly turned-out journeymen. And the ‘club’ was really a result of their enthusiasm to learn and to succeed. There was almost a magic to each new discovery of the old material made by each of the members. Oatis tells us, “There was a period of doing ’em for the glory as much as the money we all went through”. In the first half of 1976, the Letterheads were meeting weekly to exchange new ideas, materials. troubles, inspirations, and photos which they continually take as they travel across the country so that they can keep themselves aware of what is going on in other places. Each meeting had a special topic of discussion and study. One of the meetings was for learning the art of the airbrush, one for stippling on glass. Several meetings were devoted to the art of gold leaf. They also undertook several group projects or add-on signs where each one would add one element to the sign and that would be his contribution to the finished product. Many of the meetings were spent comparing resources against each other for similarities and differences in style and technique. As they all began to establish themselves as commercial signmen, the meetings went from weekly to bi-weekly to at least once a month, Not due to lack of enthusiasm, but more that they were becoming comfortable with their levels of achievement. Several of them have since left Denver — Weber and Frazier to Boise, Idaho, to work in a shop owned by Weber; Rielly to Amarillo, Texas; and Mitchell to Aspen, Colorado. Their most recent meeting was this past December. The distance has not kept them apart. They still confer continually over the telephone and are all still in close contact with each other. They are hoping that anyone interested in their work and/or resources who is in the area or passing through will contact any or all of them. They always want to share their knowledge with others and want to learn from them as well. This article was written by Gwen Colborne Arthur and first published in the February 1981 issue of __Signs of the Times__. It has been reproduced here with permission and thanks to Mark Kissling at __Signs of the Times__ and Tod Swormstedt and Erin Holland at the American Sign Museum. Additional thanks to Noel B. Weber, Mark Oatis, Pete McKearnan, and Lee Littlewood for their assistance in sourcing material. * * * For a contemporary take on the movement, get BLAG 07, the Letterheads special, available for individual purchase in the BLAG shop. Buy BLAG 07 * * * ### More Letterheads Letterheads Meet Reviews on BLAG (Better Letters Magazine)Reviews, photo galleries, and films of Letterheads meets. IOAFS.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters

Freeing oneself from the constraints of client work can come in many forms. For Rachel Joy, it has recently involved designing and painting an alphabet laced with personal meaning and, in the process, working on canvas for the first time. She has been sharing the stories behind the letters in her periodic newsletter, and now here for BLAG readers. Introducing the alphabet, Rachel refers to her intention to create “pieces that make you smile, coming from a place of play”. She didn't work in alphabetical order, with the earlier letters in the series inspired by “a trip down memory lane, thinking about times of play through my life”. These memories informed sketches of letters “that might work for that memory” before painting the final executions on 50 × 50 cm (20 × 20 in) pieces of stretched canvas. Work-in-progress on the G, K, and V respectively. While those earlier letters were rooted in specific memories and sources of inspiration, “as I got closer to the end they became more about playing with the shape of the letter”. However, despite their different origin stories, the letters at large are given coherence through Rachel’s use of a consistent palette of blues, pinks, reds, and browns. Here is a small selection of those origin stories and, if you see something you like, some of the original canvases are available in Rachel’s online shop, where you’ll also find her ‘TOGETHER’ mini-series. * * * ## The N The cylindrical city. > “I love London, I grew up in south London and used to get the train into town with my parents at weekends and holidays to visit museums — mainly the Natural History Museum, we used to have membership cards that I was very proud of. I recently moved to Paris and wanted one letter to be rooted back in my hometown. > “I have fond memories of going on the London Eye in my teenage years. I remember the feeling of being high up and seeing the tops of buildings I only knew from the ground. More recently I felt this same feeling again at the top of the Shard. This N started as more square shapes looking more like buildings, but I wanted it to feel softer, so built a little city from cylinders instead.” * * * ## The Y The enduring impact of M.C. Escher’s optical illusions. > “It’s funny the things that stick in your mind. When I was younger I remember staying over many times at a friend’s house who had ‘Waterfall’ by M.C. Escher on the wall in their bathroom. I used to, and still do, find it mesmerising. It was this piece and the general trickery of Escher that inspired my sketches for the Y.” * * * ## The L ‘Check’ out the L and the hand-painted checkers board that inspired it. > “Board games were a big part of my childhood and that’s still the case today. During the Covid lockdowns, my husband and I hand-made a checkers board. I really enjoyed painting the squares; there was something therapeutic about it, so I knew I wanted to do a letter with repetitive squares. This became the three-dimensional checkers-board L.” * * * ## The O Rachel’s O and a detail from ‘The Persistence of Memory’ by Salvador Dalí. > “The O is a bit more obvious! Early in 2024 I got to go to the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. Seeing the wonderful world of Dalí’s mind gave me an opportunity to do something different with the prismatic lettering style I usually work with. Thanks Dalí.” Rachel was one of the artists profiled in the BLAG 03 feature, ‘Tricks of the Eye: Optical Illusions in Murals’. Read it online or get a copy of the magazine itself in the online shop. Inside BLAG 03 * * * ## The Z A folded fortune teller, and the letter Z it inspired. > “As with a lot of this alphabet, I went back to thinking about my childhood and play. We spent a lot of time making things, and I have many fond memories of playing with paper — pop-up books were a big go-to for me, and of course the classic paper fortune tellers. This Z started with me folding paper trying to make a Z shape, adding stripes in afterwards when I was drawing it up.” * * * ## The M Mmmm, a stripy big top? > “I am really pleased with how this M came out and I’m excited to try some other letters in this same style. I can’t quite place how this one came about — it was one of the earlier ones — but let’s say straws, circus tents and a little bit of _Alice in Wonderland_ thrown in for good measure.” * * * ## The T T is for Toppled. > “I am the middle of three kids in my family and spent hours of my childhood playing games with my siblings. (Board games continue to be an essential part of family time, now with my own children.) The T is a bit of an ode to a classic childhood game, and one we spent hours playing.” * * * ## The W The dots on the W are drawn from Roy Lichtenstein’s work, such as this detail of his ‘Sunrise’ which references of the Ben Day printing process. > “The W came a bit later in the series. I had been on a trip to New York and really wanted to do a piece that felt like a piece of Pop Art, the art movement I feel most connected to in my work. So I have Roy Lichtenstein to thank for this one. I have to say I really enjoyed the repetitive process of painting this one; it felt like a meditation to sit and paint each dot individually.” Lichtenstein (and Dalí) were also among the artists and artistic movements explored by Archie Proudfoot in his series for Tate Modern. Read More at bl.ag * * * ## Playing Around In the spirit of the collection, here’s BLAG rendered in Rachel’s alphabet. Although Rachel didn’t work in alphabetical order, the A was the first piece she painted. It was an existing design used as a “warm up” to practise working on canvas. * * * ## And the Rest See if you can figure out the sources of inspiration behind these letters that complete the alphabet... Each piece is 50 × 50 cm (20 × 20 in) painted in enamels on canvas. You can find these letters, prints, and more in Rachel’s online shop, and her mailing list is a great way to keep informed of future projects. Finally, thank you Rachel for sharing these stories and their final manifestations on canvas. * * * ### More Projects Sign Painting and Lettering ProjectsSign painting and lettering projects from around the world.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters ### More People Sign Painter Profiles on Better Letters MagazineInterviews, films, and profiles of sign painters past and present.BLAG Magazine: Adventures in Sign Painting Craft, Community & CultureBetter Letters

<p>As with <a href="https://bl.ag/blag-better-letters-magazine-back-issues/" rel="noreferrer">previous issues</a>, here are scores of photos and links that were left on the cutting room floor during the <a href="https://bl.ag/whats-inside-issue-08-of-blag-better-letters-magazine/" rel="noreferrer">BLAG 08</a> edit. The post follows the page order of the magazine, serving as a digital companion to the print publication.</p><p>Read on for over 100 bonus images, spanning fairground lettering, ghost signs, sketches, work-in-progress shots, and everything in between.</p> <div class="kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-immersive kg-cta-has-img kg-cta-link-accent "> <div class="kg-cta-content"> <div class="kg-cta-image-container"> <a href="https://bl.ag/#/portal/signup"><img src="https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/BLAG08-00-Photo-Cover-Poster-Crop-3.jpg" alt="CTA Image" /></a> </div> <div class="kg-cta-content-inner"> <div class="kg-cta-text"> <p><a href="https://bl.ag/whats-inside-issue-08-of-blag-better-letters-magazine/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">BLAG 08</span></a><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> ships to new members on </span><a href="https://bl.ag/#/portal/signup" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">the Printer and Blagger plans</span></a><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">. Join today to receive this issue wherever you are in the world, and to get a 10% discount on everything in the </span><a href="https://shop.bl.ag" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">BLAG shop</span></a><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">, including </span><a href="https://bl.ag/blag-better-letters-magazine-back-issues/" rel="noreferrer" class="cta-link-color"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">back issues</span></a><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></p> </div> <a href="https://bl.ag/#/portal/signup" class="kg-cta-button kg-style-accent" style="color:#FFFFFF"> Join BLAG Today </a> </div> </div> </div> <hr /><h2 id="cover-poster-insert">Cover / Poster Insert</h2><p>When I got back to the UK for Christmas there was a large package waiting for me at my in-laws. I don’t get many presents these days, so I held back from opening it until the 25th. And it was more than worth the wait because inside was the original skateboard that <a href="https://www.jillstrong.com" rel="noreferrer">Jill Strong</a> lettered for this issue’s special insert and cover.</p><p>This is the real thing before it gets installed in a suitable location at home.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-video-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption"> <div class="kg-video-container"> <video src="https://bl.ag/content/media/2026/01/Flamboyant-BLAG-by-Jill-Strong.mp4" poster="https://img.spacergif.org/v1/1280x720/0a/spacer.png" width="1280" height="720" loop autoplay muted preload="metadata" style="background:transparent url('https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/Flamboyant-BLAG-by-Jill-Strong.jpg') 50% 50% / cover no-repeat"></video> <div class="kg-video-overlay"> <button class="kg-video-large-play-icon"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24"> <path d="M23.14 10.608 2.253.164A1.559 1.559 0 0 0 0 1.557v20.887a1.558 1.558 0 0 0 2.253 1.392L23.14 13.393a1.557 1.557 0 0 0 0-2.785Z"></path> </svg> </button> </div> <div class="kg-video-player-container kg-video-hide"> <div class="kg-video-player"> <button class="kg-video-play-icon"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24"> <path d="M23.14 10.608 2.253.164A1.559 1.559 0 0 0 0 1.557v20.887a1.558 1.558 0 0 0 2.253 1.392L23.14 13.393a1.557 1.557 0 0 0 0-2.785Z"></path> </svg> </button> <button class="kg-video-pause-icon kg-video-hide"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24"> <rect x="3" y="1" width="7" height="22" rx="1.5" ry="1.5"></rect> <rect x="14" y="1" width="7" height="22" rx="1.5" ry="1.5"></rect> </svg> </button> <span class="kg-video-current-time">0:00</span> <div class="kg-video-time"> /<span class="kg-video-duration">0:23</span> </div> <input type="range" class="kg-video-seek-slider" max="100" value="0" /> <button class="kg-video-playback-rate">1×</button> <button class="kg-video-unmute-icon"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24"> <path d="M15.189 2.021a9.728 9.728 0 0 0-7.924 4.85.249.249 0 0 1-.221.133H5.25a3 3 0 0 0-3 3v2a3 3 0 0 0 3 3h1.794a.249.249 0 0 1 .221.133 9.73 9.73 0 0 0 7.924 4.85h.06a1 1 0 0 0 1-1V3.02a1 1 0 0 0-1.06-.998Z"></path> </svg> </button> <button class="kg-video-mute-icon kg-video-hide"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewbox="0 0 24 24"> <path d="M16.177 4.3a.248.248 0 0 0 .073-.176v-1.1a1 1 0 0 0-1.061-1 9.728 9.728 0 0 0-7.924 4.85.249.249 0 0 1-.221.133H5.25a3 3 0 0 0-3 3v2a3 3 0 0 0 3 3h.114a.251.251 0 0 0 .177-.073ZM23.707 1.706A1 1 0 0 0 22.293.292l-22 22a1 1 0 0 0 0 1.414l.009.009a1 1 0 0 0 1.405-.009l6.63-6.631A.251.251 0 0 1 8.515 17a.245.245 0 0 1 .177.075 10.081 10.081 0 0 0 6.5 2.92 1 1 0 0 0 1.061-1V9.266a.247.247 0 0 1 .073-.176Z"></path> </svg> </button> <input type="range" class="kg-video-volume-slider" max="100" value="100" /> </div> </div> </div> <figcaption><p><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Flamboyant BLAG by </span><a href="https://www.jillstrong.com" rel="noreferrer"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Jill Strong</span></a><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></p></figcaption> </figure><h2 id="ye-olde-sign-shoppe">Ye Olde Sign Shoppe</h2><p><a href="https://www.losttitlestudio.com" rel="noreferrer">Alex and Philip Rearick Jr</a> are the custodians of the B.S. Rearick archive which contains sketches and ephemera such as business cards and ledgers. The shop also owned a number of special publications — including <a href="https://bl.ag/bonus-books-and-links-from-blag-07/#strongs-book-of-designs" rel="noreferrer"><em>Strong’s Book of Designs</em></a>, <a href="https://bl.ag/bringing-back-the-the-coast-manual-of-lettering-and-designs/" rel="noreferrer"><em>The Coast Manual</em></a>, and <a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/13005479/" rel="noreferrer"><em>Atkinson’s Shocards</em></a> — which were often embellished with Rearick’s own drawings and notes.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-full kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/11-diploma-comp.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Certificate with ornate penmanship and a golden seal." loading="lazy" width="2000" height="1400" srcset="https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/11-diploma-comp.jpg 600w, https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/11-diploma-comp.jpg 1000w, https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w1600/2026/01/11-diploma-comp.jpg 1600w, https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/11-diploma-comp.jpg 2000w" /><figcaption><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Rearick’s first class qualification from New York Trade Schools, issued in 1891.</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/31-PD-pages-2.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="View of a room with a high ceiling and tall windows lettering in lots of light while well-dressed men, predominantly standing, work on painting and decorating tasks. One, in the foreground, is sat at an easel lettering a panel, while others wander around inspecting the work." loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" srcset="https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/31-PD-pages-2.jpg 600w, https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/31-PD-pages-2.jpg 1000w, https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/31-PD-pages-2.jpg 1500w" /><figcaption><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Detail from an illustration of the painting room at New York Trade Schools.</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="kg-card kg-gallery-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption"><div class="kg-gallery-container"><div class="kg-gallery-row"><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/01-business-card-2.jpg" width="1200" height="735" loading="lazy" alt="" srcset="https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/01-business-card-2.jpg 600w, https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/01-business-card-2.jpg 1000w, https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/01-business-card-2.jpg 1200w" /></div><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/01-business-card-1.jpg" width="1200" height="734" loading="lazy" alt="" srcset="https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/01-business-card-1.jpg 600w, https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/01-business-card-1.jpg 1000w, https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/01-business-card-1.jpg 1200w" /></div></div></div><figcaption><p><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">1930s business cards.</span></p></figcaption></figure><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/18-invoice-sketch-1.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Typeset copy for &quot;Bruce Rearick &amp; Son, Painting and Decorating&quot; sits at the centre of the top of the page with space for the date and client details. This is flanked left and right by small lettering-based motifs for &quot;Paints, Glass&quot; (left) and &quot;Painting, Decorating&quot; (right)." loading="lazy" width="1600" height="800" srcset="https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/18-invoice-sketch-1.jpg 600w, https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/18-invoice-sketch-1.jpg 1000w, https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/18-invoice-sketch-1.jpg 1600w" /><figcaption><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Letterhead from a 1930s invoice pad.</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="kg-card kg-gallery-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption"><div class="kg-gallery-container"><div class="kg-gallery-row"><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/42-shocards-sketch.jpg" width="1600" height="1118" loading="lazy" alt="" srcset="https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/42-shocards-sketch.jpg 600w, https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/42-shocards-sketch.jpg 1000w, https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/42-shocards-sketch.jpg 1600w" /></div><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/06-coast-manual-sketch.jpg" width="1500" height="1524" loading="lazy" alt="" srcset="https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/06-coast-manual-sketch.jpg 600w, https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/06-coast-manual-sketch.jpg 1000w, https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/06-coast-manual-sketch.jpg 1500w" /></div></div><div class="kg-gallery-row"><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/48-strongs-sketch1.jpg" width="1500" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="" srcset="https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/48-strongs-sketch1.jpg 600w, https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/48-strongs-sketch1.jpg 1000w, https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/48-strongs-sketch1.jpg 1500w" /></div><div class="kg-gallery-image"><img src="https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/15-gordons-lettering.jpg" width="1599" height="1162" loading="lazy" alt="" srcset="https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/15-gordons-lettering.jpg 600w, https://bl.ag/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/15-gordons-lettering.jpg 1000w, https://bl.ag/content/images/2026/01/15-gordons-lettering.jpg 1599w" /></div></div></div><figcaption><p><span style="white-space:pre-wrap">Sketches and doodles by B.S. Rearick, including experiments with the ‘Squatty Capitals’ from William Hugh Gordon’s </span><a href="https://archive.org/details/letteringforcomm00gordrich/letteringforcomm00gordrich/page/n5/mode/2up" rel="noreferrer"><i><em class="italic" style="white-space:pre-wrap">Lettering for Commercial Purposes</em></i></a><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> (1918).</span></p></figcaption></figure><div class="gh-paid-content-notice"><h3>This post is for subscribers only</h3><p>Become a member to get access to all content</p><a class="gh-paid-content-cta" href="https://bl.ag/the-blag-08-digital-companion/#/portal/signup">Subscribe now</a></div>

Between the covers of the worldwide adventures in sign painting from Issue 08 of BLAG.

Meet the last Maltese painter applying the Tberfil decorative style to vehicles of all kinds.

Six sign painters share their journeys into the trade and their advice to those just starting out.

Bozo Texino, gilding samples, Intarsia, an Indian ghost sign, and more from the field.

Janine Taylor is the first woman to progress from Apprentice to Expert Painter at Colossal Media.

A show of mastery on reverse glass gilded panels from the American Sign Museum’s collections.

Santiago Carrasquilla and Danaé Gosset share the work painted by Luis Benz while filming his biopic.

Tracey Thorne profiles Bug Art Sav, a Jamaican sign painter keeping the island’s traditions alive.

I’ve got some new titles in the BLAG Shop (see below), including the American Sign Museum book that starts shipping this week. For December deliveries, orders must be placed by 27 November with the exception of the UK which has until 11 December. ## New Books ### Doyle David Butler’s Book Packed with over 250 pages of exquisite design, lettering, and illustration inspiration, this new book is a slice through the prolific output of one of the sign world’s most revered designers. In the words of Mark Oatis: “Doyle David Butler loves what he does. You will too!” Buy the Book There’s more from the book coming in BLAG 08. More from Inside * * * ### The American Sign Museum Book This lavishly illustrated book from The American Sign Museum invites you inside with over 250 photos showcasing its dazzling sign collection. Featuring detailed stories behind dozens of its most important exhibits, you’ll learn about the fascinating history of American signage, discover how this Museum came to be, and how the institution celebrates these signs and the craftspeople who make them. Buy the Book If you’re ordering the book to somewhere in the EU, then let me know if you’d like it signed. More from Inside * * * ### The Beatles in Posters Artist Tony Both worked in Liverpool during the early 1960s, just around the corner from The Cavern Club and close to the Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein's office in Whitechapel. Tony’s work caught Epstein’s eye, and he went on to produce posters, printed leaflets and a wide variety of publicity and display materials for Epstein’s artists, most notably for a young four-piece beat combo called the Beatles. His original posters now fetch a considerable sum of money, and _The Beatles in Posters_ features these as well as exact replicas of those that have been lost to time. Buy the Book* *Please note that I only have a handful of copies of this title as I bought the last remaining stock from the distributor. The book has served as inspiration for an ‘On the Brush’ piece in BLAG 08. More from Inside * * * ## Low Stock The following publications are very low on stock, in some cases with just a single copy remaining. * The Golden Era of Sign Design * Lots of Sign: Jamaican Dancehall Signs * Karbid: Berlin — From Lettering to Type * BLAG 04 . This page of the shop has all available back issues, with BLAG 01 and BLAG 02 only available digitally. The Golden Era of Sign Design | Lots of Sign | Karbid: Berlin | BLAG 04. * * * ## Even More Books To close, here are some of the most popular titles from the last year of sales in the shop. The Origin of the Serif | All the Fonts of the Fair | Sign Painting | Gold Leaf Techniques Browse More Books * * * Thank you for shopping with BLAG. All sales help to keep our adventures in sign painting on the road, and your shelves well stocked with knowledge and inspiration 😊 Sam sam@bl.ag | @blag@typo.social BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) ShopShop from BLAG (Better Letters Magazine) selling sign painting books.BLAG (Better Letters Magazine)

The Dublin mural by Vanessa Power that inspired Meghan McDermott to become a sign painter.

Short film celebrating the late Brian Walker's life and work as a signwriter in Hackney, London.

Fundraising for the Ignite Sign Art Museum in Tucson, Arizona, which has lost hundreds of exhibits.

This Is My Costume speaks to BLAG about its decade-long initiative refashioning abandoned shops.

Celebrating 25 years of the American Sign Museum through the lens of its most important exhibits.

Lettering the weather, Hong Kong ghost signs, the New York Sign Museum, and more from the field.

A new book documents the diverse decorations found on working vehicles from Bangladesh to Sri Lanka.

Mastering Layout's Mike Stevens riffing on brush technique, letter formation, and mahl sticks.