In contrast to the story I told about the realtor, is my experience with another lady who called within an hour of the distraught woman.
It seems as if a local Abstract and Title Company is moving into an existing building about 60 miles from here and that company had a gold leaf sign on their window - just what the new tenant wanted. (I'm not sure, but I think I did the window about 35 years ago)
Unfortunately, the old tenant said that gold leaf is a lost art and no one does it anymore - they just stick on vinyl these days.
The new tenant really wanted real gold leaf and Googled "gold leaf lettering" hoping to find someone in the big city of Dallas or Houston that still did this ancient art and would be willing to travel half way across the state to do her job.
Lo and behold...up pops Chapman Design Studio, and they are right here in the same little hick town of Temple, Texas. She is amazed that someone in such an out-of-the-way place would actually have the ability to do something like the "big-boys".
The jury is still out because Monday she is bringing in a photo of the old window and what she wants the new one to say. Price was briefly alluded to, but I avoided any commitment.
So, if I can stand upright for a few minutes, get my reading glass adjusted, and have a few shots of Jack Daniels to keep my hand from shaking...I may actually have a chance to do a job like those old guys.
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
Don't forget the Geritol Ray, it could also help you old folks get enough energy to do this Prehistoric task... Good Luck!
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Good idea, Neil.
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Ray, since no one does that kind of work, you realize you're required to charge double your normal rate.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
I'll keep that in mind, Glenn.
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Can't sell that kind of work here. But I'm glad you can Raymond. Your new dimensional sign out front must be coming along nicely and with gold leaf too no doubt.
-grampa dan
[ January 28, 2012, 04:24 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
Posted by Frank Smith (Member # 146) on :
I just Googled "gold leaf lettering tx" and you came up second. Looks like Mr Antonelli did his job!
[ January 28, 2012, 06:09 PM: Message edited by: Frank Smith ]
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
JACK DANIELS ????? you a rich shakey jake.
Posted by Brad Ferguson (Member # 33) on :
quote:not sure, but I think I did the window about 35 years ago
This was probably about the time I first saw a picture of your work in a Signs of the Times, Ray. I think it was a van. I was still in an apprenticeship and just barely married. Time flies.
So...you think you still have the pounce pattern for the window?
Posted by Michael Boone (Member # 308) on :
murphys law....as soon as you toss the pattern... you will need it...of course he doesnt have it
Posted by Joy Kjer (Member # 3026) on :
Ray - would you like us all to write this lady a note telling her that you ARE one of the "big boys"? Maybe that would straighten up her sorry *ss.
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
I worked as a sign apprentice with a second generation sign guy- he taught me how to hand letter, etc.- I left to go back to college and he told me to make sure and come back the next summer and all we would work on is learning how to gold leaf (a dying art form even 25 years ago) he even gave me a book to study. Over Christmas, he passed away and I regret not having him around to teach me...
Posted by Brad Ferguson (Member # 33) on :
Michael in Arkansas, Whom did you apprentice with? I lived in Arkansas for a number of years. Is Chris Beam still around?
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Ray, have you found anything that will hold up as a back up varnish anymore? As I started finding my blacks fading into charcoal greys and the varnishes flaking after a couple years, it became hard to sell gold work. Acknowledging greater durability of sticky back stuff has been emotionally difficult for me. I hope you find success and share it with me.
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
Glad to see that you've become firmly entrenched in the big-time, Ray.
And gold leaf really is becoming a lost art, like a lot of the "hand" done aspects of the business.
How far you've come...Just yesterday, I was going thru some old Signcrafts, and came across a front cover, that I had saved, from Fall of 1981. A couple of my heroes, the Raiford Brothers (from Houston), were featured in that issue, but also listed was "The Showcard: Raymond Chapman."
Can I have your autograph? Oh yeah, how much?
[ January 29, 2012, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: Dale Feicke ]
Posted by Kelsey Dum (Member # 6101) on :
Don't feel bad. I've been told I'm too young to be a pinstriper before... Until they see my work. Before we know it books and handwriting will be a lost art.
[ January 29, 2012, 11:32 AM: Message edited by: Kelsey Dum ]
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
We will try to keep the dying art alive Ray, just this past week end Phil Ghi and I taught a few brave men how to do gold leaf on glass. Bill
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
Brad- I worked for a old cajun named Paul Henley, his dad was a signpainter in the 30's and 40's, so Paul grew up in the trade and did a lot of goldleaf in the 50's and even 60's. I worked with him in the late 80's.
When I switched colleges in '89, I went to work at Chris Beam's shop here in Conway- I took care of the shop, made patterns, painted billboard murals, etc.- I was working my way up in his shop, but eventually had to quit because of classes- He ran a great sign shop and was really good at the business side- a very professional shop.. A few years ago, I went back to work at his shop, just as he was quitting the sign business and turned it over to Larry- Chris moved to another town and got into the "office supply business" I have seen him a few times when he has been back in town visiting.
[ January 30, 2012, 10:47 AM: Message edited by: Michael Clanton ]
Posted by Bill Diaz (Member # 2549) on :
I'm planning on another glass piece for the office as soon as the price of gold drops a bit as I am out of glass gold. If nobody else wants it ... I still do. Let's all just keep it alive even if for ourselves.
An interesting thing has developed in this small town we live in. We got a call from our city officials that the International Society of Gilders wanted to stop by and meet us. We said that was cool and what day would they be here, and they said they would be at our shop in about 5 minutes.
What a surprise, in 5 minutes the office had about 10 gilders stopping in to say hello. They were mostly retired folk who did a variety of gilding, but they were all pros. One of the guys was a grandson of Wehrung of Wehrung & Billmeier.
Seems they were interested in finding a place to display some of the gold leaf making equipment. They contacted the Smithsonian, but those people told them they would have their display on a rotating exhibit and the society wanted a permanent home for the exhibit which is why they contacted the International Walldog, Mural and Sign Art Museum in little 'ole Pontiac, IL.
So the city said let's see if we can make it happen and I'm not sure what has become of it. But there was talk of having seminars and gold leafing the windows of the old court house and such.
But to make a long story short. The Wehrung grandson had some of the leaf making equipment around for us to look at. The most amazing thing I saw was a 1" square of 24K gold that was only 1/16th of an inch thick which he explained would get pounded out into a sheet apx. 16" square and from that the 3" sheets would be cut.
So it has been discussed before amongst us who gild if you can take skewings and have them melted down into new sheets. He said there are folks who can do that. I have 2 drawers packed solid with skewings mostly left over from gilding fire trucks in the 80's and early nineties. And of course we had to discuss those who drink flakes of gold leaf in there liquor... hahahaha. Designed to get rid of the shakes no doubt.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
In response to OP's statement - since I don't drink, the only liquor I could think of was Jack Daniels (I guess I like their label) and had no idea that it was more expensive than any others. I guess I have good taste, even if I don't drink the stuff.
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
When my daughter was in junior high, she was writing a poem and asked, "What rhymes with Jack Daniels?" My shop foreman replied, "If you drink enough of it, everything does!" I still haven't figured out why a junior high student was composing verse about whiskey. Maybe I just didn't want to know.
Posted by Dan Antonelli (Member # 86) on :
Your SEO guy is a genius.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
I'm not sure what a "SEO guy" is, but I would suppose mine is Dan Antonelli.
Posted by Joe Cieslowski (Member # 2429) on :
I can't speak for the rest of the country buy in the North East, any shop that sells carved signs does gold leaf.......gilded signs have been around here for hundreds of years with no real break in the action. I guess there is something to be said for "tradition".
Close to 90% of my signs are gilded.
Joe,
Makin Chip$ and Havin Fun!
Posted by Dennis Kiernan (Member # 12202) on :
Black Spaniels. Maybe she was writing a poem about it because she thought a slug of it was a good way to get going in the morning.
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Boy, talk about coincidence, I got an e-mail this evening wanting a quote on glass gold at a restaurant.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Maybe it's coming back, George.
Posted by Mike Faig (Member # 6104) on :
Mr Chapman, don't forget to schedule a little time for a power nap.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Mike...I haven't forgot the priorities. I actually don't know the difference between a regular nap and a power nap, but I'm sure the results are the same.
Posted by Rodger MacMunn (Member # 4316) on :
For Bill Diaz ........ I ran into this seemingly well-spoken & intelligent fellow a couple of months back & the conversation turned to our occupations. Turns out he is a trader on the futures market at the Toronto Stock Exchange. "So", I asked, "when is gold coming back down?" His answer was that it had hit its peak ( about $2K), had made its correction ( about $1.5K as I recall) & had settled into the $1.6K to $1.7K where it'll likely stay for some time. Until the world's major economies get back on track, commodities will remain high . Apparently there are patterns . I'm out of my league on this stuff but it makes sense that when economies are anemic or faltering, investors will stash their cash in gold.
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Why does this remind me of Yogi Berra's comment about a certain restaurant?
![[I Don t Know]](graemlins/dunno.gif)