More signs with a purpose

Between supervising my crew, and making sure the fill and grading of our old house site went smoothly, running for much needed parts from town and a bunch of other chores I spent a bunch of time at my drawing board today. I was on a roll it seems and got four signs designed. The signs will undoubtably be revised some but they capture the spirit of the attractions and the park itself.

The first is for the Trading Post which is situated at the highest point in the walkway through the park. I called it Summit Trading post. It makes use of my favorite kind of negative space - a hole cut in the middle to show some sky through - perfect for a mountain top.

Years ago when we renovated Galaxyland at West Edmonton Mall we salvaged a beautiful half carrousel horse. It's been hanging on the wall of my shop ever since - waiting for the perfect project to put it back into service. Chris, the owner of the park was in my studio yesterday and the horse caught his eye. That put the bug in my head to use it here.

The Balloon Adventure sign simply had to have a balloon in it. I modelled it after the ones on the ride, but increased the balloon size substantially. It also begged a passenger and I thought a friendly owl would be appreciated by the kids.

The last sign design I did today was the sign for the BUCKIN' BRONCO ride. Again the theme was obvious but instead of a rodeo horse I chose an unsaddled horse out having a little fun while kicking up a storm. He sports the same grin as the horse on the HAPPY HORSE SALOON, tying that end of the park togeher theme wise.

It is going to be great fun bringing these signs to life, starting in a few short weeks.

-grampa dan

Signs that do more than merely inform

The theme park we are currently designing will be a place to have fun. Colors are bright, flowers will be a plenty, and many of the features will be slightly off kilter in a playful, cartoon style. We are designing a place to take people out of the real world for a time of fun. We are designing a place to host wonderful family experiences and create lifelong memories.The signs are a critical component of the mix. These signs are asked to do much more than 'typical' sign in the real world. They do much more than merely inform. They also tell a story, entertain and set the mood for each attraction. 

The sign for the bumper boats tell the story of the pond - Bucky's pond. The pond was created by a beaver.The sign carries his image on each side. But to effectively and truly tell the story and add a touch of humor for those who take the time to look, we need to give the sign one more twist. The post of the sign (as well as a few fence posts in the vacinity) will be chewed and leaning, ready to 'fall' at any moment.

The tall tower ride will feature a windmill at the top. Riders will go to the very top and then DROP sixty-five feet in an instant. The ride is called the Windmill Drop. While I could have done a sign with a windmill the situation called for much more. We are setting the stage as a western/desert look so I instead went with that theme. A tall cactus will act as the post with an old board being the sign. On top a vulture waits patiently, setting the mood for a scary ride. Underneath an old cow skull, bleached in the hot sun, fuels the feeling of peril just a tad more. The sign not so subtley questions the passersby's courage and perhaps the outcome of the thrilling ride.

Nearby is the large ferris wheel, which has covered wagons for gondolas. The ride is in the western part of the park and is called the wagon wheel. This too is a very large ride which towers over the park. The icons for the sign for this ride were easy. A wagon wheel was an obvious one, graphically stating the obvious. A prairie dog perched on top with eyes very wide, amazed at the SIZE of the massive wheel above, instantly set the mood I was looking for. AWE.

These signs are fun to design and even more fun to make. I'll bet they have no trouble passing the test we put to all of our projects. Within minutes of their being seen guests will pose in front of them with cameras flashing. These pictures will be posted to Facebook and elsewhere instantly spreading word of the fun to be had at this place. These signs will work hard for their owners doing many tasks.

And of course I am still hard at work designing much, much more. Stay tuned...

-grampa dan

The view from my window - part two

Today was a busy one at our house. No one wanted to start work until they saw the giant machine take the first swipes at the old house. In less than an hour it was nothing but a pile of rubble. It came down at the skillful hands of our operator and the new house didn't even suffer a scratch.

Phoebe even got a chance to take a turn at the controls. Check out her concentration as she worked.

By the end of the day all of the debris was gone leaving a giant hole where the house was. Tomorrow we begin hauling fill back in and shaping the final contours of the yard. The views from and towards the house had improved remarkably. My view at suppertime looked like this...

As I sat at my desk in my studio this evening I could at last see Janis through the kitchen window. I also could see the rear of the house for the first time since we began this project over a year ago. It was cool!

I love the view from my window!

-grampa dan