Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 87
I worked closely with Lynn and
her employees to decide which
creatures to showcase. They fetched
some reptiles from their terrariums
so I could photograph them. I
was never brave enough to hold
the spiders, but I did hold a very
small, baby snake! Many Jurassic
Pets clients are very knowledgeable, so I needed to capture all the
unique characteristics and subtle
differences of the animals, fish,
reptiles and bugs. So, in addition
to the staff's input, I researched
online.
With plenty of photos and different angles, I produced a very
rough and basic pencil sketch for
customer approval. The challenge
was to have the overall mural make
sense - the design flowed with
creatures from land and water.
To begin onsite, I roughed in
basic shapes and elements with a
grease pencil on the outside of the
glass. I used 3-in. Shur-line trim
rollers, and then blocked-in shapes
with a white, latex primer. Both
murals were painted with 1Shot
lettering enamel I purchased from
Midwest Sign & Screen Printing
Supply. The paint is durable and
vibrant, and the colors don't fade
quickly.
Over the years, I've become
very proficient with my Luco
Talaoutkey squirrel-hair quills.
Working quickly, I use them for
details in any weather. But, if I'm
painting in direct sunlight or warmer temperatures, regular sable
brushes ensure less hair breakage
and brush damage to an otherwise
expensive Luco brush.
Working fast helps me to create
"artistically" and not think too
much about exact lines. Everything is freehand. The primary
characters are always strategically
placed according to traffic flow or
any visual obstruction. The background is designed and painted onsite. I believe it was important to
not block out all the light and also
allow visibility from inside the
store. I wanted to show depth and
3-D to give the customer "an experience" when visiting Jurassic Pets.
I worked 4-5 days at each location.
Every day, customers brought
their children to visit and see the
amazing creatures. I then realized
the window mural was more than
advertising; it was a part of the
community.
I've been lucky to have opportunities to paint signs, windows
and murals all over Colorado. Most
Colorado municipalities promote
art. Few require permits for artwork,
but some need approval from a
cultural committee. Some restrictions on window signage limit
the area, but they usually don't
require a permit, only compliance.
Generally, everyone appreciates
exterior art, whether it's on a window or the side of a building. I've
found that handpainted signs or
murals have an appealing "richness"
about them. They don't look like
stickers. In the last few years, I
believe more and more clients have
opted for handpainted signs or
graphics.
Amy Jones operates Art Signs &
Murals in Aurora, CO.
SIGNS OF THE TIMES www.signweb.com 87
http://www.signweb.com
Signs of the Times - June 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - June 2015
Columns & Departments
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Intro
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - CT1
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - CT2
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Cover1
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Cover2
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 1
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Columns & Departments
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 3
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Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI3
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI4
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI5
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI6
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Signs of the Times - June 2015 - 48
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI1
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - BI2
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Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Cover3
Signs of the Times - June 2015 - Cover4
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