Back to work!

This afternoon I arrived back from Florida. I stopped in at the Fox & Hounds Pub to take a look at the progress on the way home. The ladies made great progress in my absence and it felt like we were in the home stretch at last! The carpet goes in starting tomorrow morning, meaning we'll be painting on tarps from here on in. Not my favorite but necessary to keep the business going at the pub.

When I got home I took the time to read the mail and catch up on the email. I also spent a little time with Phoebe before she headed home to bed. Then it was out to the shop to put in a little time on the signs in progress. There is plenty to do there!

The main building sign for the pub is now carved and ready for final sculpting and paint.  We'll start in on the epoxy sculpting starting tomorrow night.

I spent a couple of hours finishing up the base coats on Big Ben, making it ready for a couple of layers of glazes and final highlights tomorrow. He's looking pretty cool.

Now I'm pretty much jet lagged and done - even though it is still relatively early. Tomorrow is another day...

-grampa dan

Adventures galore!

Today we visited Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. The signs and environments there are great, second only to the ones at Disney Parks. We did a few rides and took a lot of pictures. The main objective was to take in the new Harry Potter's Land. It was quite an experience to see it for real instead of just in the movies.

But while the whole Harry Potter's land was amazing my favorite signs and part of the adventure was the entry portal or street. I filled my own memory and that of my camera with plenty of pictures to inspire future projects.

It was good to spend some great times with our southern relatives in the area too! Now it's time for a good night's sleep before heading home. After two weeks on the road I'm anxious to get home and eager to get back to work once more! My suitcase is packed with treasures for Phoebe of course.

-grampa dan

Telling a BIG story

I'm well known in our family for telling big stories. I have earned the name 'Shmyer' which is a combination of the words story and lie. I'm actually just short of a liar because all my stories are based on real events. As a grandfther it is part of my job. I also use this skill in my other job which is to create signs and features that tell a story, either real or otherwise.

The Disney folks are masterful story tellers in their own right. The safari ride at Disney's Amimal Kingdom is a wonderful example. They have created the illusion of the African plains where animals supposedly roam on thousands of acres without a fence ever in sight. It is all done cleverly too. The animals appear to be in their natural habitat. The roads the large safari vehicles travel on look like dirt, complete with tire tracks and potholes. The reality is that they are carefully sculpted and formed concrete designed to keep the drainage away from the animal habitat and water sources.

The passengers of the safari get bounced and jostled as the vehicles search for the wild animals. But no detail is too small or taken for granted. Fake mud is splattered on the sides of the trucks and faux dust is caked on the hood and fenders. Above the driver on the overhead console there is even a bumper sticker that reads 'I LOVE POTHOLES'. It all adds up to be story telling in it's grandest form. And you can bet I was sitting in the front row taking lessons in how to do it right!

-grampa dan