Well they wouldn't let me stay retired for very long...I got a call to repaint this state park sign I made 30 years ago...it was my 5th sign ever and after 30 years it still remains the largest I ever built...it was fun to reminisce back to those early days of sign making ...the figure is 12' tall and the state of Tn. is 23' long...originally the entire sign was constructed of clear heart vertical grain redwood...over the years I remade the David Crockett signature with HDU...later storm damage required that the circle behind the figure be remade...this time construction grade redwood was used as the park would not go for the cost of the original grade of redwood...the rest of the sign still remains clear heart vertical grain redwood...there is no telling what those materials would cost today...it was in remarkable condition other than the expected cracks and splits...but nothing major...the new paint job really made it pop...it actually looks better today than it did 30 years ago...my painting skills and color selections have improved over the years.
Sign trivia...several years back all the state parks in Tennessee replaced their entrance signs with identical 4'x6' generic signs...that is except for one...that one would be David Crockett State Park.
Also the new park superintendent wants me to design a landscape scheme for the sign...I originally designed the sign for a low 2' evergreen planting that would run under the entire length of the sign...that way the base of the figure would rest in the foliage...however the old superintendent never landscaped...for 30 years now the Crockett figure has floated 2' off the ground...finally after all these years with the added landscaping I'll get to see the sign as I originally intended it to look.
Since being retired I've been spending more and more time playing around with landscapes...some times I'll throw one up on the board...here's my latest imaginary scene.
This is a close up of the detail in the figure with an earlier paint scheme from years ago...lots and lots of hand cutting stencil...note the difference between the vertical grain clear heart redwood in the figure and the flat grain redwood in the background circle when sandblasted
[ October 02, 2015, 04:02 PM: Message edited by: Rusty Bradley ]
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
The sign is awesome... That painting blows me away. Outstanding!
Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
When you're good, no one lets you retire
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
Keep at it Rusty. Your work is tops.
Posted by Sal Cabrera (Member # 1236) on :
beautiful sign indeed Rusty! thanks for sharing... enjoy your retirement.
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
I saw that sign many years ago when my parents lived in Tennessee. I thought it was awesome then and still do. Great work Rusty.
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
Exatly what Joey said. When you're good,,,,,,,
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
Beautiful work, Rusty! All of it!
That sign for the park is awesome. I realize that the signature is, or probably is, how Crockett signed his name. Seems so formal, for him.
All through the years, from the movies, to the TV show, to all the memorabilia that was sold for years....he was always "Davy".
Not too long ago, coming north on I-65, I saw the directional sign that said "David Crockett State Park", and I thought "Who the heck is that?"
Posted by Jean Shimp (Member # 198) on :
Awesome sign - don't ever retire! The sign industry needs this caliber of work to keep the bar high for those that follow.
Posted by Rusty Bradley (Member # 6938) on :
Dale...I have been told that back in the early days of our country if you could read and write you often showed off your erudite abilities with a flamboyant signature...think about the Declaration of Independence...many of those signatures were quit embellished many with elaborate under scorings much like that of Crockett
[ October 02, 2015, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: Rusty Bradley ]
Posted by Ricardo Davila (Member # 3854) on :
[ October 02, 2015, 08:40 PM: Message edited by: Ricardo Davila ]
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
That's true Rusty, but I'm wondering if it might possibly also have been rendered after he had entered his congressional career? One might have the tendency to be somewhat more formal, under those surroundings.
Posted by Rusty Bradley (Member # 6938) on :
Yes Dale he might have developed that signature after he entered politics...that would be the same time he learned to become a professional liar.
[ October 02, 2015, 05:51 PM: Message edited by: Rusty Bradley ]
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
quote:he might have developed that signature after he entered politics...that would be the same time he learned to become a professional liar.
A sad but very true comment Rusty!!!!
We have those same learning experiences occurring here in Canada.
Posted by Craig Sjoquist (Member # 4684) on :
Seems to me I remember seeing that in Signcraft
& it still looks outstanding after all these years wow.
Posted by Rusty Bradley (Member # 6938) on :
Dave...interestingly my house...where I lived for 40 years... was only about a long par 5 from that entrance sign...too bad we didn't connect up back then...we could have put you up Southern Style...since I retired we moved from that house to a small cabin way back in the woods about 20 miles from there...but if ever you're in the area again let me know...we'll still put you up if you can find us.
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Now THAT'S a big sandblasted sign. Looks Mega-nice too.
Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
I could probably enjoy a couple hours thumbing through your portfolio.
But....ain't that Fess Parker?
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
Beautiful quality work !
'They' wont let me retire either ... that is ... the phone company, the water company, the elecric company . . . .
