Way back in 1983 I was invited to Chemainus to paint my first historical mural. It was a life changing event for me and my family. The mural I had no trouble with. In spite of never having done a large historical mural before I knew how to draw and paint. This was just a bigger version of what I had been doing.

We moved to Chemainus six months later, renovated a commercial building and opened an art gallery. I had done signs previous, but it was in Chemainus I did my first sandblasted signs and ventured into dimensional work. It was the start of everything that has followed since.

In the next decade I designed and had a hand in fourteen major projects, (commercial buildings and civic projects) and hundreds of signs. The work that came off my drawing board back then helped shape the town of Chemainus and helped create the visual image of what it is to this day. In the tiny town of less than 4,000 people it made a big difference. It was there in Chemainus I became aware of just how much signs and buildings could effect a community and how much of a draw they could provide.

Today I return to the little town for three days to speak at a tourism conference. I look forward to seeing many folks I know and remembering many happy memories. I also look forward to sharing my excitement about signs and all things visual.

-grampa dan