Well after retiring to a little cabin deep in the woods about year or so ago I got talked into making a couple of apartment signs for an old customer...I set up a little work area out back of the cabin where I could sandblast and paint...it feels good to make something again...tomorrow I will go to town and pick some paint colors...I'm bout 30 minutes from a little town that has a Sherwin Williams...I'll post again the finished sign when completed...I love working outdoors...the summer tanagers are nesting somewhere above...I hear them feeding the little ones...and a pair of eastern phoebes have built a nest of grasses and mosses under the edge of the cabin's roof...4 noisy little guys will be leaving the nest any day now...anyway the wife slipped up behind me and shot this pic today while I was priming...I had previously taken a couple of unprimed pics of the sign...this closeup shows the grain effect I get with my wire frame...as loose as the wires were I was somewhat surprised with the results.
[ May 10, 2016, 10:37 PM: Message edited by: Rusty Bradley ]
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Hey Rusty...If that is a "little" work area outside your "little" cabin....I'd like to see your idea of a "slightly larger" cabin and work area!!!! Posted by Bob Kaschak (Member # 3146) on :
Looks very peaceful.
Phoebes are some of my favorite birds. Usually a couple of broods a season.
Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :
Always the craftsman. The good life.
Posted by Jeff Wisdom (Member # 6193) on :
Very nice Rusty, great location!
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Beautiful work, beautiful scenery. What a great place to work.
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
Rusty - that is a beautiful work space - very spacious!!
I love working outside too.
I have two big 14ft roll-up doors on my shop with a 16x32 porch - if I have to be working in the shop the doors have to be open nearly all the way except in the coldest weather.
I love bringing work outside under the porch or in the driveway.
One great thing about signbiz is there's something different, and somewhere different all the time - usually outdoors.
Speaking of bird's - I just recently recorded about 6 minutes of myself whistling back and forth with a Bobwhite!
Also do this with whiporwills at times too - learning to cup my hands just right and 'trill' by rocking a finger open & closed to create air pockets.
The Bobwhite was a rather rare thing to hear around here - and occured the thursday before Mothers day.
As a young child I learned about Bobwhites from my mother one day hen I heard the distinct whistle pattern and asked her about it. I have never forgotten her telling me the name of the bird, and listening to it with her. She passed away in 2001.
I've probably only heard a Bobwhite 3 or 4 times since that day over 45 years ago, so this recent occurance was really special to me - it always reminds me of her.
Maybe it was my mom saying hello -wishing me a happy Mothers day . . . if you believe in that sort of thing . . .
[ May 11, 2016, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: Sheila Ferrell ]
Posted by Rusty Bradley (Member # 6938) on :
Sheila...if one suspends their logic then it is a nice thought to think that your mom was saying hello...I like you seldom see or hear the Bobwhite anymore...but one afternoon years ago I had a nice experience...I was hiking in some back country...I sat down and leaned back on a young popular tree to rest...as I sat there motionless...just enjoying my surroundings...I heard a rustling in the woodland floor debris from behind...soon a covey of quail moving through the woods on ground passed right through the tree I was leaned on...I remained motionless as they passed through and remained that way until they passed out of sight...some were so close I could have reached out and touched them...I have only seen 1 small covey this year...maybe 6 to 8 birds...and have heard the call maybe twice...I like you have whistled back and forth with Bobwhites through the years...after hearing the male I would always use the female mating call in return...often I could call the male up to within sight...depending on how "horny" he was.
[ May 11, 2016, 05:13 PM: Message edited by: Rusty Bradley ]
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
Beautiful picture, reminded me of the many delightful outdoor jobs that made me feel like a very lucky sign painter that has found his place in life.
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
That looks so nice, I can almost hear the little birds churping.
Posted by Mick Samsel (Member # 311) on :
Thank you for the pic and the stories. Beautiful work as always.
Posted by DianeBalch (Member # 1301) on :
WhAt beautiful work. Thank you for sharing
Diane
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
When you've got Rusty's talent they'll hunt you down. Great job Rusty, thanks for sharing.
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