Industrial Art Sign Co

29/05/2026

Well it’s been quite the week!
Last weekend I worked through getting a large project ready to install for Focus Partners. I was due to start installing on Tuesday morning. Monday night around 2.30 am I had a call from another factory owner at the industrial Estate I have my workshop letting me know there had been an arson attack on one of the factories in the complex and I’d better get down here.
I was truly shocked on arrival to see such a huge blaze engulfing the front factories. I was also relieved to see that all of the people that also call this place home had made it out of the inferno.
I must have had the presence of mind to message my client at 4.30am that the sign install due for the morning may be delayed.
The rest of the week has been a bit of a blur with meetings with insurance reps, environmental audits for asbestos swabs amongst the buildings left still standing. My workshop has been luckily left untouched by the fire and between meetings I was able to load up the job I was going to install last Tuesday and make a start on it today.
I have to say I’ve never been prouder of my little Spotswood and wider inner West community than in the last few days after the fire, offers of accommodation, go fund me assistance for people who have lost everything, casseroles (thank you Louise) offers of alternative rooms for health and well being practitioners who lost their rooms in the blaze… amazing support that makes you realise why you love this little place… it’s the community!
So happy to report today I started installing the slightly overdue signs. I’m still not back in the workshop till the asbestos report comes back but once I have the green light I’ll be back to business as not normal but hanging in there

13/05/2026

Some photo opp. thingamajigs for Spotswood traders recent networking event. Did you know Harvie Krumpet was a Spotswood resident?

04/05/2026

Workin on my night moves at Melbourne Museum creating some geometric lineage at the science and life gallery with some boney company.

04/05/2026

23/04/2026

This one was an interesting job last week. It started with a local Newport client enquiring if I could go over an existing ghost sign. My usual thoughts on repainting ghost signs is to let them fade out naturally taking photos and even tracings while they are still visible and when they have nearly vanished paint them again to resemble the faded version rather than a new paint job.
This is pretty much how this one played out, except when I turned up to take some tracings of what was left I found the wall had been repointed with new lime mortar and the existing lettering had been virtually removed leaving only a few traces. The client confirmed that due to structural issues it had to be repointed.
Luckily I had taken some photos of the wall prior to that brick work being done and produced some mock ups showing how various opacities would look, which helps everyone get an understanding of how “ old” the new sign should look. Initially I was concerned that the light mortar lines might make it more challenging to get it looking evenly aged, a lot of the look of an old brick wall is in the mortar lines. I added some “ artistic license” with the script which was a guess based on some research of vintage Olympic tyres adverts and the ampersand to fill a section of the wall that looked like it should have had something there but had been lost in time. I think this version will gradually sit well on the wall once the lime mortar softens and ages. Thanks to Sean for some photos he had taken for a newspaper article he had written https://thewestsider.com.au/viney-bros-cycle-works-bunbury-street-newport/

18/04/2026

Not a huge project in the scheme of things but still really meaningful for me. This stainless steel plaque was looking a bit worse for wear after years of battling the elements (and gravel) it sits at the base of the ” the Spotswood Tree” a sculpture designed by local artist Anne Scambery who died last year. I worked with Anne and her family on several projects over the years here and in St Kilda and she is missed by all who knew her. I hope people stop and reflect on how local artists can contribute to the community they are a part of. Vale Anne X

18/04/2026

Finding new ways to measure up for those hard to reach high spots when things have to fit!

14/04/2026

Today’s adventures in signwriting! Adding some pro Doggies lettering to a wall in Yarraville. Conveniently located under the Jas Stephens sign I painted about 10 years ago. Love a bit of local wall work.

03/04/2026

2017- card #24

03/04/2026

2018 card #25