Join us for our ALL Together Auction in support of NAMI MN

May is Mental Health Month and in support of NAMI MN and its mission to champion justice, dignity, and respect for all people affected by mental illnesses, I have joined the All Together Auction. May 10 - May 17, 2021.

I am giving away a hand painted sign (unicorn not included) with other amazing contributions from over 60 small businesses, artists and makers!

“It is like nothing that has ever happened to you before!”
Enamel paint on an Ikea cabinet door
23.5 x 25”, 2020

Help us crush our fundraising goal of $5,000 and help @nami_minnesota_helps expand their mental health services to support more Minnesotans. Bid now!

https://bit.ly/2R7PQ54

And as always… thanks for the support!!

Spring time in MPLS. Magical unicorns LOVE hand painted signs…

https://bit.ly/2R7PQ54 - Bid now!

Hand painted sign donated for All Together Auction in support of NAMI MN https://bit.ly/2R7PQ54

New fairground food signs in the pipeline.

New sign painting on paper, 16x26" each. (These are not photographed correctly but I wanted to share them anyway) I decided to make a series of food signs.... because, well, maybe that's just how I feel lately. Comfort food for some, junk food for others. Definitely nostalgic, blatant.

More to come! Pop-corn might be next, or cotton candy(?)

Sign painting on cover of MPLS/St Paul Magazine!

Nice to see Sign painter @DustySigns on the April cover of MPLS - St Paul Magazine. Any promotion to help the raise awareness to the craft is a good thing… A rising tide lifts all boats!

New sign painting at the studio

New hand painted sign:
‘NICE’, 8.25 x 13”, enamel, acrylic, latex paint on a scrap piece of plywood.

With this sign I was more interested in the color combo… although have you ever heard about Minnesota N’ICE? It’s probably nothing. Although I have been thinking about it. Or maybe this sign just came out looking good. For example: “That is a NICE looking painting.”

To view more sign work, check out my Flickr page
Sign and prints available to purchase on my Saatchi Art web page

If interested in sign painting for your business or home check out my website for more information: (Now based in Minneapolis, MN!) http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting

New sign painting at the studio!

Hand painted signage on a scrap piece of wood. Continuing with the cold theme, I used the same text/font normally used on ice coolers (usually seen in front of convenience stores). 9.25 x 11 1/8”

Now that I have more room maybe its time to start making some bigger work(?)

To view more sign work please check out my Flickr page
If interested in sign painting for your home or business check out my site for more information: (Now stationed in Minneapolis!) http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting

New sign painting at the studio

New hand painted sign at the studio on a scrap piece of luan. This one inspired by a zine I picked up by Colt Bowden at a fun joint in Brooklyn, NY called Park Deli. A skate shop… sort of. But more like a flower shop… sort of.

Anyway, I was floating around the idea of painting some ‘ice’ signs for awhile but for whatever reason I never got around to it. But when I bought the zine it brought the whole ice thing back to my attention again. I guess moving to Minneapolis helped too. Whenever you mention Minneapolis to anyone the subject of the weather always comes up. Every time. It is a strange phenomenon. I don’t think I talked about Florida weather that much, or even Arizona weather for that matter. Yeah, it’s cool here but…

I had heard how Minnesota people are nice but will act a bit icy to strangers. I personally haven’t experienced that yet but maybe someday, just feels like America to me.

9.5 x 11” enamel and acrylic paint

To view more sign work please check out my Flickr page

If interested in sign painting for your home or business check out my site: http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting

New hand painted signage

New sign painting on a scrap piece of plywood. This one inspired by a Nordstrom ‘anniversary sale’ advertisement I saw back in 2018. I photographed a poster of the image somewhere in Manhattan and then just sat on it until it was the right time to use it. Three years in the making(?).

6.5 x 6 1/8”, enamel paint

Ch ch ch ch changes

I recently moved to a new city so I spent the last couple of weeks trying to get acclimated to the new environment.

So what happened in Brooklyn, NY?
Raising a family in NYC is no joke, and adding Covid-19 to the mix was just making the whole situation intolerable. Honestly, the pandemic has made a lot of people reevaluate their living situations and I guess I fall into that same category. After spending 16 years in NY I came to the conclusion that finding that elusive level of ‘success’ I wanted (a personal definition for sure) was just not going to happen. It’s a puzzle I can’t solve. NYC was starting to feel like one of those hamster wheels.

So where do I live now?
Minneapolis, MN!
My wife grew up in that area so she has a lot of friends and family there. It seems nice, quiet. Perhaps a change of scenery is a good idea?

So studio is now getting set up in the basement. I hope to accomplish a great many things here… opportunities abound!

New hand painted sign at the studio!

Sign painting on a scrap piece of masonite.
Inspired by DC‘s “World’s Finest” comic book title. 18 x 24”

For more information about sign painting in the NYC/Brooklyn area check out my site: http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting

Or if your interested in purchasing a sign and/or print check out my Saatchi Art webpage

New hand painted sign at the studio

Wow… anything happen in the news lately?

New sign painting on a scrap piece of Ikea furniture. 23.5 x 25” (I think it was a cabinet door; I found the panel on the street).
I finished this up last week but I didn’t expect it to be so relevant to the times. Well…. that’s not completely true. I guess I was thinking about covid 2020 when I was painting it but then the topic in America abruptly changed this January.

The sign was inspired by a trailer for a classic sci-fi movie but I didn’t write down the title so I don’t know the source. Anybody out there know??

It is like nothing that has ever happened to you before…

New hand painted sign at the studio

New sign painting on a scrap piece of wood. Inspired by the movie poster, “Island of Terror.” Starring Peter Cushing, Edward Judd, Carole Gray. Directed by Terence Fisher

’An isolated remote island community is threatened by an attack by tentacled silicates which liquefy and digest bone and tissue.’

I’ll be adding this sign to my Saatchi web store soon, so please check it out if interested.

For more information about sign painting in the NYC/Brooklyn area check out my site: http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting

New artwork posted on my website

I started painting on small 4 x5” pieces of foam core because… well, I was running out of room to be honest. Big art can be a big problem if you can’t find a home for it. So working small is the way to go, at least for me, at least for now.

These started off as individual works. The first one (upper right) was started sometime during the pandemic. Bottom right was second, top left was third. Just making shapes, lines, excitement, imagery that might be associated with the circus arts. It wasn’t until the end of the year that I finished the bottom left. But once it was completed I noticed that they all related to one another (it wasn’t really on my radar at the time). Perhaps this is my take on the year 2020. Only now, right before the holidays, I was able to see it.

So here’s to hoping that things will pick up in 2021: to a better life, peace, prosperity, and a better understanding.

“Four topics, one conversation”, enamel paint on four pieces of foam core, 5 x 4” each.
Check it on my website: http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/#/mixedmediaartworkseamusliamobrien/

Sculpting and scenic painting for new Aritzia Super Puff Pop Up in SOHO, NYC

New work up at Aritzia’s Super Puff Pop Up in connection with the Brooklyn fabrication studio, New Project.
Located at 560 Broadway, (corner of Broadway and Prince St, NYC)

I had the opportunity to sculpt and paint the mountain diorama located within the boutique store. Below are some pictures showing the process in creating the work. I believe the whole project took about 4 weeks to complete. ”Aritzia is an innovative design house and fashion boutique. We conceive, create, develop, and retail fashion brands with a depth of design and quality that provides compelling value. We pride ourselves on creating immersive, human, and highly personal shopping experiences, both in our boutiques and on our website - with a focus on delivering Everyday Luxury”

Forbes - You Can Do More Than Shop At Aritzia’s Pop-Ups Thanks To Drake And Jay Z’s Grammy-Winning Designer

Sheets of insolation foam were adhered together and attached to an elevated platform. The rock shapes were sculpted using a reciprocating saw and a kitchen knife.

Once the shapes were established, we painted a joint compound mix over the entire surface to fill in gaps and give the rocks more definition.

Color is added. Shadows and highlights help to create definition. (I would sprinkle snow on top occasionally so that I could see how the work was developing)

A completed boulder…

Snow and branches are added last, the final touch!

The completed project after install.

My daughter checking out the massive yeti at the end of the diorama.

New mural painting at Hydra Studios in NYC (Opening Soon!)

New mural paintings up at Hydra Studios in connection with PB Paints and KCC Design and Build. Located at 120 Wall Street in NYC, “Hydra Studios is a modern approach to wellness, helping you restore what daily life takes out. Optimize your body, health, and mind by reserving private rooms for mental and physical wellness.”

The design for each mural was provided by the client. You can’t see it in these photos but each color has a stippled surface to give it a more vibrant effect.

New hand painted sign at the studio

New sign painting on a scrap piece of wood. Inspired by the pre-code horror comic book “The Hand of Fate.” Not sure why this particular comic title got my attention but it did. Maybe it was the bright colors? Regardless, the text seems somehow appropriate for this particular time in my/our life.

For more information about sign painting in the NYC/Brooklyn area check out my site: http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting

New hand painted sign at the studio

New sign painting on a scrap piece of wood. “(Half) Truth” is inspired by our recent outgoing president. Soon to be posted on my Saatchi Art gallery site. Stay tuned!!

For more information about sign painting in the NYC/Brooklyn area check out my site: http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting

New hand painted sign at the studio

Sign painting on a scrap piece of wood. 8 x 12” Inspired by the ‘Strange Tales’ comic book title page by Marvel Comics.

“Strange Tales is a Marvel Comics anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their debut in Strange Tales. It was a showcase for the science fiction/suspense stories of artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, and for the groundbreaking work of writer-artist Jim Steranko.”

I will be posting this sign on my Saatchi account in the coming days so please stay tuned!

For more information about sign painting in the NYC/Brooklyn area check out my site: http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting

Flash back Fridays - Sign painting for Stussy store in Manhattan

When I moved to Brooklyn (2006) one of my first jobs was at Lite Brite Neon. I might have worked there for a month or two… mainly assisting with holiday installs, but they hired me specifically because they needed a sign painter for a job at the Stussy store in SOHO, Manhattan. I believe it was a pop up shop, and for one area I had to paint a list of famous street artists names on a wall. The only one I had ever heard of at that time was Mark Gonzalez, to whom I was a big fan of growing up. I remember wanting his skateboard sooooo much. (Vision skateboards were really popular back then)

But anyway… I’m happy to say that I recognize more of the names now. Including
Wes Humpston
Neckface
123 Klan
Kaws
Gary Panter

The work was up for about a month or two, really quick turn around. And what happened to the signage?
No idea, lost in time..

For more information about sign painting in the NYC/Brooklyn area check out my site: http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting