When Steampunk meets Polynesian

The past few months I have been learning new things pretty much daily and the past few weeks I have been tasked on learning the machines on the vinyl side of the business.

As the illustrator/designer at the shop I am often given challenges or tasked to come up with ideas frequently. Jim loves to give me the most curve ball concepts to work with. From camel camp signs to robot repair men, so when Jim came up with this newest challenge I wasn’t shocked it be somewhere from left field.

Jim sit across from me a the shop, makes to easy to collaborate and bounce ideas off one another. One morning Jim calls over to me “Hey, Aubrey when you find yourself with a minute try drawing up some steampunk tikis.” I looked at him and tilted my head thinking to myself “What in the world?” Naturally, I did what I always do when Jim wants me to draw up something. I nodded and replied “yeah sure.”

Meanwhile, I secretly Googled and typed in steampunk tikis and nothing came up… rats!

I started looking at traditional tikis and thought of things that are common in steampunk designs, the ideas started to swirl and well Ta Dah I passed Jim’s challenge.

-Aubrey

Published with permission from Synergy Sign & Graphics. Source.

A Room fit for a Princess Pt.2

Today, we finished up the application on the plaque for my daughters room. Variegated copper and silver were the choices.

After looking at the finished product, there is no doubt that it’s the little things that make something special.

Check it out!

The little added touch of metal really brought the plaque alive. I hope she likes it!

-Jim

Published with permission from Synergy Sign & Graphics. Source.

A room fit for a Princess.

Today we continued work on a one of a kind carved sign for my daughter. Today we sculpted the vines and a flower. Tomorrow we’ll add some paint and some cool enchanted bug elements.

The sign was carved on our Multicam Cnc router using 30lb Precision Board from Coastal Enterprises.

Also pictured is her tray ceiling that we installed 2 weeks after she was born….. She arrived a little early…

More updates to follow.

-Jim

Published with permission from Synergy Sign & Graphics. Source.

Let the Wiener jokes commence…

Today, we installed the first of what looks to be many sculpted hot dogs to the luggage racks on the Smart Wiener cars. Everything about this project was fun.

Thanks to Chad Scott for trusting us with this awesome project.

-Jim

Published with permission from Synergy Sign & Graphics. Source.

The Assignment

Since returning home from The Sign Invitational I have been eager to learn. I find myself hovering a bit over everyone’s shoulder at the shop and asking question after question.One day Jim asked if I would like a name plaque, like everyone else. I replied “Yes” very quickly. Being a person with a uncommon name and not getting all those personalized items as a kid (rulers, pencils, keychains, etc.), so you get excited when your name is on things. It is a tradition at the shop for each employee to make and paint their own name plate, this made me official here at the shop. Jim and I sat down and designed the plaque, once it was carved on our CNC router from Multicam I learned the catch. I had to paint it all by myself. It was cool in a way yet I was nervous. I had watched Jim many times and helped him paint along side him on serval jobs now.This was the first I actually got to choose the colors, glazes, guilding and didn’t have Jim at my side the whole time. Well I guess you gotta be cut loose sometime, Here are some progress pics of my plaque and descriptions. It turned out really well I think and showed me “yeah I got this.”