One wall of my workshop is covered in signatures. These messages, drawings and notes mean so much to me. In the seven years since we built our shop hundreds of artists and sign folks have visited from near and far. Each is encouraged to sign in on our wall of fame. Some leave humorous messages, words of encouragement or words of what their visit has meant to them. Many have been attendees of our Sign Magic Workshops. After three (plus) long days my talks and hands-on practice they often experience a burst of new energy and see a whole new way of doing things. Each time I go through the door I read some of the messages and remember fondly the good times we shared.
This last workshop was no different. Each of the eighteen guests left their mark on us, gave us inspiration and left happy memories. Before they left each signed the wall and left some thoughts of their own. In the quiet after the workshop I took the time to read the comments on the wall of fame. One entry made me smile. Roger Cox, a talented and respected sign artist from Colorado who is well known for incredibly detailed and crisp work, left the following message...
Roger, for the first time had tried sculpting rather than carving. Instead of sanding things smooth endlessly as per his normal, during this workshop we had encouraged him to use texture to create his art. His samples were fun and imaginative and he discovered a whole new way of doing things. His experience was not unique.
It will be interesting to see just how each attendee applies what we taught into their own creations in the next months and years. Our goal was not to simply teach some new methods, but also to encourage them to never stop learning or exploring.
The tenth Sign Magic workshop was a wonderful event, enjoyed by all - especially by our crew, who had the honor of hosting it.
-grampa dan
