The online portfolio of Page Redford
Alas it comes but once a year, Happiest of Halloween’s to all you boos and ghouls! Here is a selection of small (about 1x2foot each) chalkboards featuring some of our favorite scariest treats.
These small boards generally take between 30 and 60 minutes from start to finish. They are a fun way to try new color markers and paints as well as new styles of lettering.
I was asked to create signage for our cheese department. There are many ways to “build a cheese board” and sometimes those choices can be overwhelming. I tried to make a fun sign that could guide customers and work with any budget.
As you can see, I am working directly on this farmhouse-style wooden paddle (purchased at Michael’s craft store) using Posca brand paint markers. These markers are the best markers for what I do, in my opinion. They come in a range of sizes and colors and they have replaceable nibs.
For every painted sign of any size, I always do a preliminary sketch on paper and sketch out the design using white chalk. As the paint drys and I get further through the design, I wipe away the chalk while the paint stays in place.
I am excited for the trend that a few restaurants and businesses have been following, where designs are hand-painted directly on their walls. While this is nothing new, it is refreshing to see many businesses putting value in the skill of traditional sign painting.
I created this piece today as an exercise/sketch for a restaurant/bar. I tried to come up with a fun, bold saying that would look nice in the small dining area around a larger bar setup. I used bold, yet legible typography that highlights some of their specialties, and a fun custom tongue-in-cheek phrase. 
Made to look hand-painted. Digital paint using photoshop and illustrator.
What do you think? Would you want to see a similar style of artwork in your neighborhood bar or burger shack?
Today is the day we celebrate our Earth and try to make it a better place for ourselves and for future generations.
While I may not be the person with the smallest ecological footprint, I do take steps to minimize my impact whenever possible. As an artist, I try my best to find paints and inks that are nontoxic and papers that are made from recycled materials. I recycle shipping materials like tissue paper and packing bubbles and reuse them in outgoing packages. I am a hoarder of fabric scraps and I’ve even got a project in the works that makes use of many of them! The list goes on…
I also recently made a wonderful hand-painted chalkboard globe. It is painted with nontoxic chalkboard paints (THANK YOU Martha Stewart!) and was created with love and extreme care). Each landmass was carefully painted with layers and layers of paint. The oceans were given the same amount of TLC. I did find out, however, that the black paint takes more coats than the blue paint to cover evenly. Who knew!
While it looks lovely on my bookshelf, It would look even better in a children’s room. It is the perfect addition to a nursery or a bedroom for a child of any age. As it is made with chalkboard paint, you can write on the globe. It is perfect for children learning the continents. Practice the names right on the globe.
The globes are also PERFECT for weddings. Use a permanent gold, white, or silver paint marker to write a personal message to the bride or groom. Customizable messages are also available.
More colors and more designs are soon to come to Pink Toe Press!
I’m sure you know by now, but I am working as a Sign Artist at Trader Joe’s. Every so-often we have Fearless Flyers, sales specials and new-item flyers that showcase some of our awesome product. Each store decorates to let the customers know that the “Flyers have landed!” This month we’ve decided to give the flyer a “Sailor Jerry”-syle nautical tattoo theme.
Here are some photos of works in progress:
This photograph shows the work in progress and the original sketch as well as color-blocking and color ideas. We use paint, markers, and paint markers to do signs like this. The paint markers save a lot of time because they dry so quickly!
This is one of my favorite signs. This sign is going to go over the wine and liquor section. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with some great wines and cheese. Several great wines and cheeses are featured this month!
This sign is probably going to go over the “Demo” area. Swallows, roses, and fun lettering make for eye-catching signs.
Another swallow sign. Did you know that swallows symbolize love and loyalty? We love our loyal customers! :-)
Now here are the final pieces, hung and ready for the Flyer:
This sign is above our cheese and deli meats section. There are quite a few products featured from this section. Make your honey some fondue this Valentine’s Day!
This sign is hanging above the liquor section. Don’t forget the snacks to go with your drinks!
All dry and ready to be brought up to the front of the store. How exciting!
This sign is on the far left of our veggie cooler where our bagged veggies and fruits are kept.
This sign is on the far right of our veggie cooler where our bagged veggies and fruits are kept.
This sign is a little wider than the rest and fit perfectly above the Demo section. It reminds our customers who are tasting the demo items that they are available in this month’s flyer! Yum!
I’ll be sure to post more photos as I take them. That’s all for the signs for this month’s flyer, but I will be sure to share more photos of more projects soon!
This Christmas I decided to make a gift for my Honey. He generally gets the things he needs (new clothes, new games, etc.) when he needs them, so sometimes it can be hard to find the right gift in the stores. I really love old maps and globes especially, and when I found this little globe, I just knew I had to have it. I was a little disappointed in the size of this globe at first (it’s pretty small), but now that I see it on his desk, I know it was just the right size!
The lettering was designed and hand painted by me.
The words are from the Carpenters’ song “Top of the World”.
Page Redford 