Aubrey Gealsha, our newest team member and Illustrator extraordinaire, took the time yesterday to write about her first ISA visit and getting exposed to the sign industry in such a big way at ISA 2016.
I leave you with the words straight from her mouth. ( She’s pictured on the left… )
The past two months here at Synergy have been a non stop crazy adventure. We have been working long hours not only as contestants but as event organizers as well. Relaying phone calls, emails to finish up our contest piece.
I honestly haven’t mixed that much clay in my life, and painted so much in one day. It was a learning experience and I pretty much had to jump head first into the sign world, having only been recently hired. I had no idea so much went into each piece and how much is fully involved and used to create these fantastic works of art. Not only is the art that is produce fantastic and amazing, but the people behind the art are equally fantastic and amazingly talented artists.
Over the past week, I had the opportunity to meet and talk with and share meals and fun with some of the top sign makers in the industry. It was fun to pick their brains learning how they found sign making. They equally embraced and welcomed me into this world by giving me tips and trick and open invitations to their sign shops any time. I honestly have never been in the same room with so many talented, humble and friendly people in my life and I am truly thankful for a wonderful experience the Sign Invitational was.
After driving 14 hours to Orlando our adrenaline must have been pumping as we unloaded and unpacked the sign sculptures, many of which I had not seen yet. With each crate being open in the chaos of forklifts, drill, hammers and people running around everywhere. Everyone in the Multicam booth took a minute and stood back to see this art emerge from each crate. Each amazing in their own way and reflective of the style of each sign artist.
I had never been to a trade show in my life let alone exhibit in one and I am very thankful Jim took me along. I learned so much, saw so much and met so many amazing people along the way. I was so inspired and so excited I was sketching ideas on the way home. I was also looking up hand carving techniques to practice on samples of HDU that Coastal Enterprises was so generous to give me.
It was a very eye opening experience and shows that sign making is not all just decals, banners, and car wraps but it can also be considered a true art form in the 3d realm as well as engineering marvels.
-Aubrey
