It will go down as a time to remember; orginally started by "Geet" Faulkner, who moved from area shortly before planned gig, the plan was to visit Boone on way to Geet's to go to Maritime, that was the plan, until Geet moved to sunny Ariz. Not one to let such things go untreated, Micheal Boone made plans to host an event in my honor and invited some of the northeast's best to meet up and sling some paint, which we did, and quite well, I might add. With this honor and the fact it's bluegrass season back east, I agreed to come to Sodus, NY to attend Mike's party, after all, it's not everyday you're a guest of honor, and playing bluegrass everyday is a dream come true. So I started east. It seemed that everytime I left somewhere, it started to rain, true of entire trip, with one exception, which continued and messed up a bluegrass festival and eventually sent me packing homeward bound. As I traveled, I stopped and visited ppl. I know from all walks of life and even got time to go to Mich. and see Mike Fast and his son at Mack Brushes, neat day, got some prototype quills to try out and boy are they nice, hopefully Mike will produce them. Then, with the rain following, did I mention on a weather map, it was the red zone I was traveling in? YUP, lots of rain and it followed me to Mike Boone's, then quit. Cool...for the next five days, it was BEAUTIFUL.....of course on sixth day as I was leaving, it started to rain again. Meeting Mike and Shirley Boone was indeed a pleasure, very nice couple, though my dog scotty and Mike's Marvin didn't get along at all, Marvin only seen Scotty as a snack, so we kept them apart the entire time, that was fun. Marvin probably smelled up his area for three days after we left, hahahhha. The first to arrive was Rapid Ray and his son who goes by "Gump", of course, I called him Forest the entire time there. Next in line to arrive were the Timmerman's, Bob and Ann, my favorite purple toed nurse, I'll explain later. They also had Steve Huey in tow, good striper. Bob Peach and his lovely wife, who's name escapes me at moment, sorry,came in later than expected w/cool ass motorhome/shop. In flames no less....they were followed by Kissy and Jillbeans who were headed to a bed/breakfast I had stayed at nite before, wouldn't you know, Jill got same room and bed I had. heh-heh, find everything I left? The next day saw the rest of the crew show up, Brian Briskie and wife, Mark Matyjakowski and his two kids(most behaved children I've seen in ages, kudo's Mark), Bruce and Dana Bowers, really impressed with these two, quite the team, lots of room left to expand, watch for these two in future; Whitey's favorite person, Harris Kohen, pinstriper/fireman, what a guy!!!; Terry Baird and son Josh also were there and we were glad for it, as Terry brought his famous pork butts, hmmmmm very good; then the incomparable Bill Preston, what can I say? If the good Lord will let me stripe as good as Bill at his age, I'm truly blessed, and on top of it, he's a killer sign-guy, his alphabets were to die for, he and I and Steve Huey striped out flames on local painter's S-10 p/u, of course it looked good. And then there was Allison, who didn't escape notice herself, huh Josh? heh-heh..... The meet went along like most meets, Jill has to be the most productive panelist out there, everyone got one of her panels, she's like a panel factory. Sure enjoy mine girl and great to have met you. Brian made me and Mike gifts of some very cool panels, thanks guy. Love your "tude", don't change for anything. Very talented young man, I wish him a prosperous future. We worked on all sorts of projects, knowing full well the best part was still to come, Terry's pork butt was beckoning and Mike had scored a ton of clams and was busy steaming em(only 2-3 had taste for raw), Mike's friend Cindy(Allison's Mom) had with Shirley made up a killer potato salad which was as billed, to die for. Little did I know what was in store for me later on. After feasting like vikings(Joey Madden's favorite saying), we went back to panel paintn' and I took up position of teacher and was in middle of showing someone something when I told Mike I did'nt feel all that good and could I sit down. Sit down I did, indeed, collapse would better describe it, thinkn' I was having a high blood pressure attack, I devoured an aspirin and a banana(to bring pressure down),somewhere in the mist, I saw some purple toesnails and a voice telling me it's ok, I'm a nurse. Short version was they(my supposed friends) shipped me off to hospital in an fugly ambulance, their terms, I didn't really notice. I didn't want to go, but calmer minds won out and off we went. That's how I met Mike's good friend Joe, the head paramedic, he took good care of me, even noticed red p/u following us closely, which it turns out was Chris Weller. Kissy spent the entire time at hospital w/me, most of time, including the purgeing session, holding my hand and ensuring me that eveything is going to be alright, she was right. It seems that I had a severe reaction to clams, which sparked a panel fest at shop to beat the band. After session at hospital, Kissy took me to Mike's and she returned to the Point(10 miles away) to get what sleep she could and return the next morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to go. My hero, seriously girl. The Peach's and Mike took real good care of Scotty for me, thank you all for that. And Marvin didn't get to bite him either, hahhha I wish to state at this time that I've met some really nice ppl in my travels, but this group is going to remain special and I can't really put a finger on why, they just are. I enjoyed my stay immensely and the Boone's did everything to make us comfortable, including staying in their home. Shirley, I apologize for leaving my room a mess, I know better, you didn't need the extra work and I am truly embarresed for it, you were an excellent hostess. Hope I'm still welcome, bad manners have no room here, again, I do apologize. Leaving there was very hard, didn't want to, but I think Mike had had enough and I said farewell and headed out. Did I mention it started to rain again? All the way to and during the festival I went to, after three days of dealing with not being prepared for such conditions(no tent, no camping tools or anything),I packed up, said goodbye to my trailer-trash neighbors and headed home to deal with a larger problem, that's where I'm at now and problem is being dealt with. End of excellent adventure............wishing it hadn't ended, but happy to be home in my own bed(doesn't anyone own a large bed?), thinkn' of how and when to repeat trip and maybe even stay somewhere. This is my story and I'm sticking to it, it's a great story, and I'm proud to have met such a wonderful batch of talented ppl., hopefully will get chance to complete trip next time and visit those I wanted to and didn't, to those, I apologize. Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
You're a gentleman and a scholar, Magoo. Glad you survived the attack of the Killer Clams. Love...Jill Posted by Bob Peach (Member # 2620) on :
Glad to hear you and Scottie made it back home safely. Has it rained since you got home?? If you ever get out this way again, the "clam chowdah" is on us.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Just say "NO!" to clams.
I had a ball and am thrilled I got to spend time with you. Especially the times you weren't horizontal.
The Timmerman's have been 2 of my favorite people since I first met them, but it wasn't til Boone's that I learned Ann has cute toes.
Jill's a real trooper too. Did I ever tell you when I'm really tired, I babble? The whole way home she never once told me to shut up.
I love these small meets, they seem so much more relaxed and friendlier. Glad I got to meet a few new faces and spend time with old friends.
Huge THANK YOU to Mike & Shirley. Great people, even if Mike did try to kill ya. Posted by Terry Baird (Member # 3495) on :
Pleased to see you got home alright Frank. It was great meeting you and yer pup. I've been to two of Mike's get togethers and they were both exceptional. I've met more great sign people this year (Jan. at Mike's was first ever meet) than I've met in 23 years of painting.
P.S...Josh and Allison have been calling each other, 1-2 times a day since the meet. Don't worry Cindy, Josh is a well-behaved, respectful 17 year old (or else!).
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Glad to see you made it home safe and sound, Frank. Las Vegas is safe...no clams for hundreds of miles.
Once again, I can't say enough about Mike and Shirley's hospitality...the best doesn't sum it up. Just opened a package from Mike with brushes I'd forgotten when Gump and I left...thanks Mike!
This meet, for many reasons, will always have a special place in my heart...good painting, great food, great friends new and old.
Rapid
PS: Scotty the Wonder Dog's panel is under way! I'll let you know when it's ready to send. Sunglasses included.... Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Hey, Magoo!
Thanks for the laughs and the kind words.
We are pleased to see you back home again.
Have a great one!
Posted by Stephen Faulkner (Member # 2511) on :
Aww hell Magoo! didn't ya know the best cure for bad clams is Boone's Blueberries from HELL!
We're glad you made the trip and hooked up with the East Coast contingency... great folks and the Boone's gotta be at the top of that list. Posted by Michael Boone (Member # 308) on :
The meet is over.... Im workin on getting back to normal....but this time I dont think its gonna happen. I could not have wished for more. Thank you..one and all who helped make Frank's visit a perfect success.I met a new brother for sure..... Thank you Shirley for puttin up with an entire room fulla people just like me...God knows thats no easy task for a normal person!
In the words of Brian Briskie.." A meet is made up of...and is only as good as those who attend"Thank you Brian and Paulette for your help and support.Words well spoken
Thanks to Bob and Anne Timmerman...THE couple in the sign biz in the Northeast.Here's a quickie to tell ya how sincere the Timmermans are...Bob and Anne worked all weekend to help us...Anne pitched in with her culinary skills...she broke a a spatula that was prolly 30 years old...Sure enuff a week later I had some new ones in the mail...Whuda thunk it..nice folks All the attendees pitched in when ever I asked...a tribute to the character of those that make up what I consider to be the finest trade alive today..truly brothers and sister of the brush....
And thanks to all fer just havin fun...that makes me real happy..because that what it was all about
A special note...thanks kids.....for your energy and input...future keepers.....in the makin.. one of the treats of the weekend
I invited the local paper folks...Shh..dont tell Alice..I was just after her for her camera!~She took some dynamite pix!!! She wrote this for us.......to top off a weekend we all will remember... LETTERHEADS CONVERGE ON BOONE’S FARM by Alice Irwin
Art assumes countless forms - paintings or drawings, spun wool, pressed flowers, ice sculpture, origami, welded steel, photographs, tile mosaics, intarsia, glass etching - to try to list them all would be virtually impossible. Each one requires a special imagination and a special talent to bring it to life. There’s one form of art, though, that is typically overlooked by the general public’s eye; it’s taken for granted because it’s literally everywhere, in front of us all the time. For thousands of years people have been instructed and informed, urged to purchase products or invited into an establishment through the creative craftsmanship of a sign. The concept seems so simple: paint a sign and hang it up. But to watch a sign painter or a pin striping specialist at work is nothing short of pure magic. After considering the overall concept of what their work should accomplish, a special process clicks on somewhere deep in the imagination and the art begins to take shape. They develop a mental picture of what will be appealing, what will draw in the viewer’s eye, what will make the sign work and then get down to the business, or rather the pleasure, of diving into a sea of enamel, vinyl, airbrushes, computer software, sponges, brushes... Artists love nothing more than sharing their passion with creatively-minded comrades, and a group of “letterheads” as sign painting artists affectionately refer to themselves, convened over the weekend of August 7 for three days of idea swapping, technique sharing, just for fun painting, and basically enjoying the company of those who share the love of sign painting art. The site was Michael Boone’s farm and sign shop on Buerman Road in Sodus and the story behind the gathering of nearly two dozen extraordinarily talented people is truly a “sign of the times.” Michel and his fellow letterhead artists from all over the world communicate regularly via a Bulletin Board at letterheads.com,owned and operated exclusively by Barb and Steve Shortreed of Furgus Ontario ,Canada, a web site that’s THE on-line resource for the best in the business. The web site connections eventually led him to Las Vegas-based artist Frank Magoo, whose skills have been the envy of both painting professionals and the general public for five decades. Magoo’s passion is focused around “hot rods” and his skills and imagination are devoted to building them, fabricating custom parts, and especially creating those incredible custom paint jobs that millions of people have seen in Hot Rod magazine and countless others. His professional affiliations include the cream of the crop in the business, including Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, who set the standard for hot rod art in the 1960’s. Michael discovered that Magoo was planning a road trip to Maine and invited him to make a stop in Sodus. The ball started rolling. In a flash, letterheads from New England to Niagara Falls to New Jersey joined in the chat on the web and responded to Michael’s invitation for a weekend get-together; the gathering was a go. The letterheads were in full swing on Saturday afternoon; Boone’s shop was filled with artists busily creating dozens of works of sign art on beautifully airbrushed backgrounds, ornate lettering examples, paintings and caricatures of people and animals, and all the while chatting animatedly about their experiences in the business and what techniques work most successfully. Mike’s computer was a popular gathering place with lots of lively discussion on the pros and cons of software that has become an integral part of the business. There was lots of joking and good natured ribbing between the “sign guys” and the “stripe guys,” and everyone had a story to share about people and situations they had encountered over the years; this was a collection of some very experienced and incredibly talented veterans in the business. One of the highlights of the weekend gathering was a demonstration of automobile pin striping done by Frank Magoo and Bill Preston of Fly Creek, New York. Ed Hawkins of Marion heard about the gathering of artists and volunteered his highly customized GMC Sonoma pickup for a pin striping job. Hawkins, also a skilled auto painter, had previously painted yellow and white flames on his striking orange truck, and the thin blue pin stripes that were being created around them were the perfect finishing touch. With an unbelievably smooth, even hand, Magoo worked his way across the hood and down the side using a specialized brush called a “sword striper.” “The best brushes are made from Kazan,” Magoo explained, and continued, “it comes from a Russian black squirrel’s tail and it’s really starting to become hard to find. It’s the world’s best bristle. Brushmakers are all going to synthetics, but they’re really lousy compared to these.” Hawkins grinned from ear to ear as he watched Magoo and Preston complete the work on his truck, saying “These guys are awesome; I can’t believe it!” Perhaps the most truly awesome part of the artwork is the fact that Magoo has only been painting with his left hand for three years and his art looks like he’s been using it for a lifetime. He explained - “I have a degenerative disorder in my right arm. The nerves are shot, the muscles are degrading, and my shoulder can slip right out of the socket. They’ve tried chemo but my arm’s pretty much no good anymore. I started painting with my left hand and it works great!” So great, in fact, that he’s spending the next few weeks traveling from the Adirondacks to Nashville to join up with Bluegrass bands to play his banjo! Saturday night was capped off with a clambake and smoked pork roast prepared by local sign painter and chef Terry Baird, owner of “Bubba Que” - a BBQ catering business that’s becoming legendary in the area. Sunday morning the group was back at work, enjoying the perfect sunny, cool day. “It’s been really great,” Michael said with a smile. In his typical understated way, he continued, “This is a really special group of people. Everyone has something unique that they do and to get a group like this together has been amazing. These people are some of the best.” Next time you see a sign, chances are you’ll look at it with a different eye...
[ August 20, 2004, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: Michael Boone ]
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
Great job relating these events y'all!! I really enjoyed readin' that! Ya made me feel as if I were there!! Someday, I will be!!!
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