TRADITIONAL SIGNWRITING Taking a punt on hand painted signage


Ready for a new challenge, she founded her signage company, “Signs of Good Taste,” based in Cornwall. “I knew I already had the skill set, so I set up a single page website just to see if there was any work, and it grew from there.” Today, her company specialises in traditional, hand painted signs for boats, pubs and restaurants, shops and other business ventures. “There’s been a resurgence in real traditional signwriting. People are kind of sick of the plastic and the generic, and they all want something different. I think especially where I work in Cornwall, people want to see something that’s a bit away from the corporate. People setting up a café or something want a sign that’s individual, they don’t want to look like a chain.”


Sheila uses One Shot paints to create her signage, seen in both indoor (above) and exterior applications.


Sheila even works on motorbikes and vehi- cles for individuals, noting that demand comes from various sectors. To create her signage, Sheila uses One Shot paints, which are ideal when navigating the practi- cal challenges of working in the weather and dealing with Cornwall’s coastal condi- tions. Sheila notes that many people are un- derstanding of the craftsmanship and what goes into creating such bespoke hand painted signage, and are supportive of her work as a result. “I think people who want traditional signage really want it, whereas those who don’t, you can’t really persuade them,” she says. “I think people are under the impression it’s going to be really expen- sive, and for those people, you cannot per- suade them if they want a plastic sign because it’s cheap and quick. But those who see the value, they really want to go for it, and they’ll support you and advertise you to other people, too.”


www.signsofgoodtaste.com


“There’s been a resurgence in traditional signwriting – people are kind of sick of the plastic and the


generic, and they all want something different.”


- Sheila McCann Downes Traditional signage is well-suited to establishments in characterful Cornwall. 68 Sign Update ISSUE 167 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016


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