New Years Eve dinner...

The last job of the decade...

The Shovelhead tins that I just finished up for Mr. Burbon. Copper leaf and paint. As usual, the camera does not pick up the colors accurately, but I can assure you it is bright. I can't wait to see these cleared. The last job of 2010...

Today's T & A's

Bonneville Speed Week 2010 - Milestone Hot Rods

Cool to see the car that I lettered for Logan on the salt...

Zoot Posters...

Zoot Posters. As a youngster, I remember looking through the dirt bike magazines, and seeing the Zoot Posters add. I wanted them all, but the only one that I ended up getting, was the Danny "Magoo" Chandler "Visible Maico". Sure brings back the memories...

Hall of Famer Shrimp Burns Goes All Out at 1921 Beverly Hills, Calif., B...

Hero's...

Older lettering job re-visited...

Yesterday I went out to the Dusi Vineyard, to deliver the show card sign that I had painted below. In front of the office, sits a 36' International truck that I had lettered some years back. This truck had been painted several times over the years, with brush, and later spray paint from a can. They winery wanted the Dusi name lettered on the doors, and aged, to look as if it had been there for years. The truck is very cool but rough, and the owners use it as "yard art" for the winery. As it sits, with the weather beating on it, it looks more and more like the lettering has always been there. This is a bitchin' pick-up, and it deserves to be preserved, but for now it serves it's purpose, and I am very pleased that nobody would think that I lettered it recently...

One more for the holliday...

Merry Christmas....

From the vaults...

Christmas Eve...

Back to the roots...

Hand lettered show card signs. Up until the mid eighty's, when vinyl plotters over took the sign industry, hand lettered show cards were the main cheap form of signage. I can remember as a kid being in the grocery store, and everything from the meat prices, to the sale items were listed on signs like these. This last week, I was asked to do an old time show card sign for a local band. I had forgotten how quick and easy these were to blow out. Single stroke letters with a quick drop shadow. Quite effective, I think I'll do these more often...

I'm sure someone needs these lights... Going CHEAP on eBay... Click Here

Alibi / Elkhorn

Some pictures from last night. Everyone looks possessed, I'm not quite sure how that happened? We started out at the shop, with some BBQ & beverages. At some point we ended up at the Elkhorn bar. One great thing about where our shop is located, is that just across a vacant lot, is one great dive bar with $1.50 PBR's on tap (quite convenient). Overall it was one great night...

***********Party Tonight @ The Alibi***********

American Vanstand...

Todays Tailgate...

You can't grow, if you rip your root's out of the ground...

The Farmers Alliance building on the freeway (101) side of downtown. Built in 1922 by the Paso Robles Almond Growers Association (PRAGA) as a crop storage and staging area. Paso Robles at that time promoted itself as "the almond capital of the world". But by 1936 the almonds had mostly moved to the Central Valley, and after 36' the building was used to store harvested wheat. As a forth generation Paso resident, I am only the second generation that does not make a living farming. My Grandfather farmed west of Paso, and worked quite a bit in this building, up until it closed for good in 1976. Until recently this building had been for sale, but two weeks ago, I noticed that the for sale sign was down, and a new banner had been put up advertising some sort of a wine tasting room. I became concerned immediately for the historic building. My hope is that it's protected, or at least the new owners are looking at preserving it, and not thinking of tearing it down. Today as I drove by, there were workers taking down the tin building on the north side. Time will tell, I hope the city won't allow it to be torn down and re-developed. But then again the city officials are blinded, by the pursuit to overcome the Napa Valley wine region. This building is a huge part of the history of farming in the area, and farming built Paso Robles. Wine production is farming, but only a select few in the wine buisness will admit to being farmers. Most look at that label as an insult. Hopefully this building is "campy" enough to be saved.