Town Sign

Over a year ago I was contacted by representatives of Bridgewater Nova Scotia (the town I live in) to draft up a highway sign welcoming travelers. Bridgewater is a lovely town, but sometimes suffers in anonymity from the positive tourist reputation of our two closest neighbours in Mahone Bay and Lunenburg, each only 10-15 minutes away. Each of these towns are amazing and very well known to tourists, and both Lunenburg and Mahone Bay have these giant 'folk artsy' highway signs meant to take travelers off the 103 and divert them into town.

(photo source: http://girottifamily.typepad.com/mountain_musings/travel/)

I was commissioned to do something similar, but I was asked for a bit more depth and less simplicity. Clearly these signs are attempting to capture the folk art style that can be found here along the South Shore, but I thought Bridgewater's sign may stand out a bit more from the others if it was a bit more complex and more bold and colourful. This was the final image:


I think it turned out pretty well, Similar to the others yet a bit bolder perhaps. I especially like the flat colours, and I feel it has more depth than flat folk art but still retains (in my mind) a level of simplicity. The fountain was an interesting addition, as I was asked to add it before the town installed the actual fountain, so my placement in the image is not entirely accurate to where the fountain ended up. Here I am standing (looking like a derelict drifter) under the final 10ft X 17ft highway sign:

Undoubtedly the largest representation of any of my work, and something I get to see every time I drive back into town from Halifax. I now kinda wish I had managed to sneak some crazy message or hidden imagery into the sign so I can giggle as I drive by... maybe next time.