posted
Today we had a visitor from the city. A rookie letterhead stopped to see what he might observe and learn.
Although we had never met previously except via email and the BB he was welcome in our shop.
Julio Tome from Surrey B.C. dropped in for the day. Once here he pitched in, helping us with a few of the many projects on the go. I was struggling to learn Illustrator ( never attempt to learn something new on a deadline YEAH RIGHT) and converting a design I had dome into vector format. Julio gave me a few helpful hints. Thanks.
We were loading some heavy pieces into the trailer and Julio grabbed on with the rest of the crew... working together we light work of the heavy task.
We stopped in at Giggle Ridge for a quick looksee... but unfortunately we didn't have time for a round of golf.
Then it was on to do a final install on the monster sign and he pitched in with tossing boulders around the sculpture. He even got his hands dirty... not bad for a city guy.
We teased him by letting him play with the plasma cutter for a little while... I know he's going to be begging his wife for permission to buy one the instant he gets home... DON"T blame it on me Julio!!
Although we weren't painting today with OneShot Julio now knows which label to look for the next time he is at the supplier.
The crew enjoyed Julio's visit... happily showing off their skills and jobs in progress.
Although we were a bit frantic with the looming deadlines of the imminent road trip he got a pretty good picture of the variety of work we do in our shop on a daily basis.
Before leaving, of course, he added his name to the wall of fame.
Thanks for dropping by!!!!
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8739 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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I met Julio last summer, out at his home... he was new to the BB, and it was a pleasant visit. I wondered how he was making out...sounds like he's still in the Game!!
Go Julio!!
John / SignRider
-------------------- John Lennig / Big Top Sign Arts 5668 Ewart Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada bigtopya@hotmail.com 604.451.0006 Posts: 2184 | From: Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
btw...the City soensn't include Surrey,...they're across the River...they're the Valley, same as you!! lol
-------------------- John Lennig / Big Top Sign Arts 5668 Ewart Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada bigtopya@hotmail.com 604.451.0006 Posts: 2184 | From: Burnaby, British Columbia,Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
Well I just have to thank Dan and his crew again for making me feel welcome in their creative world. From the momment I walked on the property and headed for those huge shop doors, right past the finished moster sign that was loaded on a trailer, I knew I was in for a treat.
When I arrived Dan and the gang were on a break, and he immediatly made me feel welcome. He pulled up a chair for me to join their circle and started to share stories with me about his crew and how they started out working for him.
Dan then gave me the grand tour of the property and let me tell you his design studio was breathtaking. I felt as if I had suddenly been placed in the middle of a Harry Potter Movie. I had seen the pictures before but to stand their under that wall of books was amazing. I could spend hours just in that one room looking at all of the details and gadgets that surround and overwhelm your senses.
I looked through Dans portfolio as he finished off a logo design on the computer and we talked about business and life in general. We then went for lunch and even though I offered to pay Dan insisted that while I was at his shop lunch was on him. We were travelling in Dans truck that was loaded up with a huge 300lb sculptured rock sign work of art in the truck bed, and when asked by the young man working behind the counter at the deli we stopped at, "what do you have their today Dan?" Dan simply replied "Oh, just a rock."
We grabbed lunch to go and headed off for giggle ridge, and let me tell you that aint no regular miniture golf course. The place was amazing. The detail and imagination that went into that place is unbeleivible. I asked Dan how long it took to design and he admitted that it had lived in his head for 10 years.
After we arrived back at the shop it was decided that the famous monster sign was to be delivered and installed today. The crew quickly hooked up the trailer and gathered thier tools as we headed off to the gravel pit. We ended up driving past an elementry school just as the kids were being let out to go for the day, and as two kids were walkin down the sidewalk in our direction Dan said watch these kids as we go by. It was so funny as you could see the kids relizing what was being towed behind the truck. Their jaws all dropped and they pointed and you could see them mouth the word COOOOOOLLL!! as the monster sign drove by towering above them.
Once at the gravel pit with the monster settled in his new home I helped Dan and his crew pile up the rocks around the base of the monster.
We then headed back to the shop where Dan and his crew talked to me and gave me a crash course on how to make his famous concrete sculptures. They showed me how to weld the frames and attach the mesh. Dan showed me the ingredients used for his cement mix as well as told me were I could buy these items. They talked to me about how to carve the concrete and paint it. We talked a bit about the tools neccacary and Dan fired up his plasma cutter, and let me play with that for a bit.
We then headed back to the design studio were Dan showed me how he makes his wonderful drawings. He showed me step by step how he scans a pen drawing into photoshop and then traced it with his drawing tablet and adds colors and shading etc. By this point it was five o'clock and I had to call it a wonderful day.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dan once again for welcoming me into his world and sharing his knowledge so openly with a complete stranger basiclly. I gained a ton of knowledge and inspiration on a world outside of vinyl signs. I will definetly be putting what I learned to practice. I came home and started thinking about all of the different things I could do with what I learned and the possiblities are endless. This visit was just what I needed to kickstart my imagination.
Thanks again Dan, I hope I was not in the way, and I look forward to seeing you again!!
P.S. Dan please thank Phoneix and the rest of your crew for putting up with me as well, and tell Dave to drive safe!!!
Julio Tome
-------------------- Julio Tome Affordable Graphic DeSIGNS Co. Surrey, B.C. email@affordablesigns.ca Posts: 34 | From: Surrey, B.C. | Registered: May 2004
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