Working up a logo and sign

I enjoy doing up logos and signs for new businesses. The key is to first listen to the client, find out what they want - what the goals are for the business. Then it is a simple matter of telling that story. With a logo it has to be done concisely and in an instant.

The fellows who are spraying the foam insulation in our house are just forming their new company. I've known them for quite some time and know they have done their homework, researching every aspect of their business. They wanted to do foam insultation because it saved energy. Houses account for 30% of the energy we use on a daily basis. Better insulation would help out a bunch. The name of their company is ELEMENT Spray Foam.

The logo needed to express that this was a green company. The symbol I chose could be interpreted as a leaf, tree or drop of water, elements of the environment. It could also be interpreted as a flame, to represent the heat or energy sprayed insulation would conserve.

I had thought about the logo for well over a week before I got the chance to sit down at my desk. It came quickly as I began to draw.

My friends loved the logo when I presented it. We made a small tweak, deepeing the contrast of the fade just a little. But this was the flat version. We could and would take it up a notch before we were done. This logo begged to be dimensional. I worked up the file and put it on the MultiCam CNC router for production. 

I'm sure it will look even beter painted up. Stay tuned...

-grampa dan

A house built with love

This weekend we've been talking about and working on the details for the trim on the outside of the house. The discussion has actually been going on for months without final resolution. We tried butterflies, leaves and other motifs but one or both of us was not in agreement. It was time for a new idea. We asked Peter to come up with something.

Peter took inspriation from the electrical tower shutters we had build almost nine years ago.

Peter came up with two quick drawings, one of the trim and one of the knees that would go under the soffits.

Once we had an idea we liked we went out to the house and began the planning by drawing things full size on the foam forms with a felt pen.

I fired up the CNC router to create some samples.

One more piece of the puzzle is complete. This is a house built with love.

-grampa dan

Moose makes trek home.

This morning I was tired and tempted to sleep in but I knew my clients would be anxiously waiting for the delivery of their moose. My alarm rang at 6:30 and I was out at the shop before my customer arrived. I fetched the forklift and we pulled the moose out from under the cover of the porch, then hooked up the chain to lift him on the trailer. Slow and easy was the order of the day.

We decided not to use the fork extensions and so loaded the moose on the back of the trailer making the load rather unbalanced. Since we were only moving the moose about 400 feet up the road (800 feet in total) it was no big deal. We decided to put the forks on the bobcat and use it to keep the back end of the trailer a little more level. The Yarrow Days parade would start a few hours early this year. :) Len was waiting with his huge excavator onsite to unload the precious cargo.

It was huge smiles all around as we pulled up with the ungainly load.

We hooked the chain to the bucket and in a few moments the moose was airborn one last time. Our moose was almost home.

I then unhooked the chain, turned out the eyebolt and twisted in the topper cherry. 

It had taken well under an hour to load, transport, unload and install the moose sign. My clients quickly raked out the gravel and tidied up the yard. The parade (and crowds) would arrive very soon. We had made another tight deadline with just the right amount of time to spare.

The newest landmark in Yarrow is now in place. Ice cream anyone?

-grampa dan