Stag & Hounds, Old Market, Bristol

Did this sign for The Stag & Hounds in Old Market, Brizzle.  'Ere's a bit of extra historical info regarding the site: Pie Poudre is from the French, pied poudres, or dusty feet. A vagabond is called in French pied poudreux. The Pie Poudre courts were an offshoot of the Tolzey or Sheriff's Court and the one at the Stag and Hounds is associated with the September fair in Old Market. It was originally presided over by the Steward of the Tolzey Court until 1835 when the Recorder of Bristol took over. The opening of the court gradually became a cause for drunken festivities and it was suppressed in 1870. The annual proclamation was still read outside the Stag and Hounds until 1973.

Reverse gilding

Did this bit of 23 carat bling for my friend Mary's new gaff in Montpelier, Bristol.  Just need to paint that nasty pink window frame and get a new door blah blah details details etc

More macaroons....

The last one got half inched outside of Patisserie Leila, Stokes Croft.  Now, I'm not one to judge, buuuut, 

 I'm fairly sure it was definitely students, oh yes. Well, at least they know good art when they see it...

Open dusk til dawn...

So I just finished these two tasteful birdboxes for Chris Packham ('im off the telly) - The Nelson's a christmas present for his pops - all boxed and ready which he picked up today.  That's 23 carat gold on the Nelson - any custom flourishes are possible - just ask!

Table top sign I took for my stall at Rollerburn last Saturday

Pavement sign for Pepenero's...

Picture taken on my crappy phone camera, sowwy

Pepenero's, Bristol

So the other week when they were doing this place up before it opened last Saturday - I was sat on my arse by myself, painting all these Italian words on the counter, listening to Hank Williams and getting high on One Shot paint fumes. At about midday, I needed to stretch my limbs (and inhale some oxygen) so got up and all I could see from the counter through the window on to the street was police crime scene tape surrounding the building, where a man had apparently had his throat slashed only twenty minutes earlier, which was nice.  I'd be a shit witness.
This place does great calzones, though.

On a wing and a prayer

 I am currently taking orders for birdhouses - as well as these tasteful beauties that you see on your screen, I can custom make them to your (or actually, your birds') requirements - any colour, design, words etc.  AND for a limited time only, each birdbox ordered before the 20th December comes with a free jacuzzi.

Rich in shits and giggles

I will be holding a stall doing lettering and pinstriping on whatever items that folks want to bring me this saturday. Expect lots of tough girls in rollerskates and loads of bikes. Erm, can you say Wank Fantasy?

23 carat gold leaf

Did this last week for a mate's girlfriend Naomi's birthday - she goes by the DJ handle Niami Nice - seemed only right to lay a bit of the nice and shiny stuff over it.  I finished it in the studio on Saturday evening (I can often be found rock and rolling it getting high on paint fumes by myself of a weekend evening) under the strip lights there. But when I came back in the next morning to give it a lick of varnish, the sunlight was sneaking in through the window and the gold leaf was twinkling a treat - something that you'll never be able to get with paint or vinyl.

Pre-vinylite brotherhood

Talented Sign Painter Josh Luke of Best Dressed Signs, Boston is putting together a show which promises to be a stormer - the names on the list read like a who's who of first class paint slingers from over the pond - if you're in the area - GO THERE!!!

Cyril's....

Did a bunch of signs for this sitcom thingy that has just started on Sky 1 a while back in the early summer - if you keep 'em peeled, you can spot the Cyril's signs above The Cafe that were amongst the load that I did.  They were loads of fun, as the main of the brief was 'seaside tacky', which, is pretty much me down to a tee.

Zazu's Kitchen...

Zazu's kitchen, of Stokes Croft is re-locating up to The Mall in Clifton - I asked Toby the manager why they're leaving, to which he replied, "I'm sick of blood and broken windows." Faiiirrrr enough.

My Beautiful Laundrette opening...

My friend Amber took over the laundrette (or launderette if you're a picky shit) on Mina rd, in St Werburghs, Bristol to hold an exhibition of some of her screenprints and illustrations. Last Friday was the launch night and a good time was had by all. Unless you were the large front window, in which case you had a shit time, cos you DIED. My mate Bacon and his heavily refreshed arse are believed to be linked to the crime.

The PVS in the corner stands for the Pre-Vinylite Society - a group of Signwriters - or Sign Painters if you're American (of which most of the group are) - and just letter junkies, all loosely affiliated but brought together by a common, non-vinyl based love of hand made signs. They're having a show in Boston next month, and I wish this job would pay me more so I can go out to see it. 

Please ignore all the penis graffitti on my drawing board. Ta.

Original Rough sketch

Pounce pattern - the design is drawn at full size on pattern paper, and then the outlines are perforated. The drawing is then placed upon the signboards and pounce powder (chalk powder) is dusted over it, leaving an outline to guide your paintbrush.

Boards with pounce pattern dusted on.

Sometimes you got to sketch straight on too.

Wilma, satisfied that the offensive graffitti has finally been painted over and ready to install the sign.

Menu board for Biblos, Stokes Croft

Of course, they wait until the job's done to make price amendments with some good ol' sticky labels (see bottom left.

Le Monde...FIN!

Le Monde, Cardiff

Royal treat...

Did this pen and ink royal wank fantasy a few years ago, but Bristol label Drawn Recordings do a zine and they've put it in as an upmarket centre-fold.

Three of these big ol' bastards to do

Macaroons at Patisserie Leila, Stokes Croft...

So I stole a typeface from Mike Giant for the use of advertising a local patisserie's Macaroon deal. Deal with it.

SHIT-KICKING HAT

So I ordered this to go with my wedding suit, back in June, but I missed the delivery on account of my then being balls deep in a world of work, so it remained at the depot for a couple moments too long before being sent back to Alabama.  *Sigh* so I paid another thirty sobs to have it re-delivered and then when it does arrive this time, I've got a customs bill of twenty nine quid on top.  Turned out to be quite a pricey hat after all, but it sure as Hell looks good (check out the tag next to it as well!).

If you just half close your eyes...

Maitreya swing sign - installed

Maitreya Social

                                  

Swanky veggie restaurant Maitreya Social opening this wednesday on St Marks road, Easton - where swanky veggie restaurant Cafe Maitreya was until last week.  I discovered on Saturday, that being catastrophically hungover and climbing ladders to paint letters is not the mostest mega-est ace idea.  Luckily, it turned out okay...

The Canteen

                                           

 Here's September's copy of the programme for The Canteen down at Stokes Croft...as you can see, I thought I'd go for a slightly low-key, quiet number.