Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Rodeffer.
Shelby, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started off in printmaking, doing letterpress at a shop in Nashville called Isle of Printing. That’s where I developed my love of letterforms and public art.
Letterpress isn’t really a hobby you can just take with you once you start. A lot of money, space and equipment is required to purchase and maintain the tools you need. I needed to find another outlet to sublimate my interests, and that’s how I came upon lettering and eventually sign painting.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the main struggles has been education. Sign painting specifically isn’t taught the way it used to be. In its heyday, every single tiny town had at least one sign shop, because the church needed a sign and the grocery store and the gas station. With the advent of digital illustration software combined with the affordability of vinyl plotters, sign painting almost disappeared in the 1980s. There is only one school left in the world that teaches sign painting as a degree program (Los Angeles Trade Tech).
Thankfully, many tradespeople refused to pack up their brushes and survived the digital sign wave. Today, those people are here to teach us, newcomers, the ins and outs of painting signs, but they aren’t in every city. I made the decision to leave Nashville for Chicago in hopes of encountering more of the veterans of sign painting, and that has worked out for me.
Please tell us about Finer Signs.
We are a small hand-painted sign business based in Chicago, Illinois. After traveling around the country for several years, learning from many veterans of the craft, we officially opened for business in 2015. Finer Signs specializes in hand lettering, design, illustration and murals painted directly onto a surface (such as glass, wood, brick or metal). We pride ourselves on offering a unique product to every customer and value the personal relationships we develop with our clients along the way. Sign painting is experiencing a worldwide renaissance, and we are happy to help in keeping the craft alive.
We are also proud to be a woman-owned business and we especially enjoy collaborating with other women-owned businesses.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I am lucky to have had an amazing childhood. My most favorite memory from childhood was when I had a drawing hanging up in a gallery when I was in first grade. I will never forget my mom said, “I am so proud of you, my heart is going to explode.” My parents have always been very encouraging of my pursuits in the arts and I owe my success to their support.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.finersigns.com/
- Email: finersigns@gmail.com
- Instagram: @finersigns
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finersigns/
Image Credit:
Shelby by Marta Sasinowska of Practice Studies
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