Sunday, December 30, 2012

Pappy Van Winkle Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Custom Window

Here we have a near custom window for a small batch whiskey. Eliza had this made for her husband. He would by a bottle when it's available to celebrate new beginnings with work, hence the celebrate be beginnings on the window. Since it's small batch it is a pricey bottle. So Eliza's solution was to have a more permanent representation of Pappy Van Winkle whiskey in the form of this wind-ow. The pappy lettering is similar to the bottle logo, coupled with a vintage script similar to the Indian motorcycle font and a slim yet elegant antique bank font. Enjoy!
Pappy Van Winkle SOLD (approx 24x34in)







Merry Xmas My Brotha

My brother, Mattypants, is a huge Dr. Who fan. Honestly, I don't know anything about it, sorry. But here is my painting of the time traveling machine, Tardis. Dr. Who theme for my brother.

Tardis! SOLD 15x19in








Nebraska Huskers Themed Bike Frame

A great customer of beans day job at Lugs custom vintage Bicycles, Lea, recently picked up her freshly powder coated frame for her boyfriends birthday gift. Hand painted simple detail plus Nebraska huskers n logo.
 









Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Sign For Best Friend's Wedding... and... Welcome to Signs By Bean, Off-White Paint

A few days after the Renegade art fair I received an email from Josh, titled, Sign For My Best Friends' Wedding. Josh was looking for a custom painting to give as a unique customized gift to newlyweds, the Czerwinski's. His email said he wanted something fresh and unique. Josh just recently picked up his custom sign gift. Thanks for you patience, Josh! This window came out great. The frame polished up nicely, with a lovely black brown wood gradient to lighter brown wood. Also, I love the almond color I've been using lately. It's almost exactly the same color of vintage milk glass. It reminds me of pharmacies, bottles, labels, store signage, from the early 1900s. You can imagine it, a white glass Pharmacy sign with black and gold sign painting. Or white glass bulbs that say "Bar" or "Bank". I don't want to change my color style too much, I love you black and gold 1 Shot sign paint. But my next design (coming soon, another custom window) does include the third color. Welcome to Signs By Bean, off - white paint...

Czerwinski Approx 33ish x 31ish inches SOLD (bad cell phone image quality... sorry)





Sunday, December 2, 2012

Vintage Hairstyling

Pompadours, Pixie cuts, Victory Rolls, and Crew cuts
This window was inspired by those neat vintage hairstyle charts most commonly found in old barber shops. There aren't many out there anymore and I had a hard time finding the right hairstyle images that matched the names. So this window took much more time researching, drawing, and choosing the right styles. All the hairstyles and faces are hand drawn before painted; if you look closely you can find Betti Page, Johnny Cash, and Elvis! (Again, these photographs don't do the window justice! Shot in mixed lighting..)

Hairstyles of Today SOLD





Optometry

Inspired by an antique sign I collected. The sign was for an optometrist here in Chicago that offered the services of, eyeglasses fitted, surgery of the eye (i love the way that is worded), and eye exams. The sign was simple, just lettering stamped into a sheet of aluminum. This is my interpretation of the antique optometry sign. The round rays icon is common in antique optometry signs and the eye is an original drawing. The frame is a nice dark wood with some neat latches. Photos were taken in poor mixed lighting, and don't do this window justice!

Dr. Of Optometry Approx. 21wx29h in For Sale! $210






Hey Greasers!

Soda fountains, doo wop, early rock n roll, cuffed jeans, white t shirts, hot rods, pixie cuts, poodle skirts, and pompadours. Here's one for the 50s hairstylers. Jack's Pomade (a brand I made up named after my pup, Jackson) Painted on a chrome metal vintage shower window.

Jack's Pomade 25wx16h in. SOLD!






Circus, One of many to come

I have a deep love for vintage hand painted circus or sideshow banners. There is an antique warehouse that owns nearly 20 of them that hang in a gorgeous old warehouse. They are all quite large 10ft by 8ft or so. Some of my favorites include, Turtle Girl, The Fire Breather, Medusa, and Electra. Also of interest are circus prints from Barnum and Bailey's travelling circus. I've always wanted to own some of these posters but that day hasn't come yet. So, I decided to make some windows in the theme of the Circus. I hope to complete many more circus themed signs! Enjoy.

Circus Approx. 32wx28h in. For Sale $250




Moonshine Mini - Lil Guy Redo

My windows are all one of a kind, therefore I don't redo or make multiples of the same window. This is tricky because, I have interests that I want to use more than once. Such as, Moonshine. Moonshine was of my first windows ever done so I decided to make redo lil' guy for Moonshine.
It hung next to the Q of Hearts ♡'s in the shampoo room in the salon. Both are sold. Both are in handmade frames made from reused wood flooring from an old Chicago school building.

Moonshine deux, Q of ♡'s SOLD

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Take me to the Bar ➳

Better photos coming soon. Plus 3 new signs coming soon.
But, here is a snapshot of a recent bar sign. I wanted to make a simple sign that was to the point! So here we are, simply says Bar.
But, simple with some elegance. Neat lettering with a nice arrow ornament. Cool looking paint on a neat lookin' window, on a light wood frame with flaking paint.

Anddd... she's available!

Bar $160



Operation Ivy or Nancy Sinatra?

Op Ivy! Yeah, Nancy did it well, with her knee high boots and all, but I'm referring to the punk rock version from Tim Armstrong and his steel toed Doc Martens. Plus, this neat window with the tough metal L brackets was perfect for a punk rock song. Operation Ivy was the band that turned into Rancid. Check it out, you decide which is best:
Nancy or Operation Ivy!?
Plus, this neat window with the tough metal L brackets was perfect for a punk rock song.
These Boots SOLD!





Custom Mini Window For My Old Bud, Mandy, A Gift For Her Mom's Birthday




Happy b day Sara! My good friend, Mandy, one of my first buds here in Chicago, commissioned this mini window for her mom's birthday. It's intended to hang at her work where she practices craniosacral therapy.
Listed are certifications and her name. Her practice is called Lunar Tide Bodywork, hence the moon and wave.
The frame is handmade by me from repurposed wood flooring from an old Chicago school building. This recycled wood comes from my buds at the ReBuilding Exchange in Chicago.

Sara Johnston SOLD




The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock N Roll

You thinkin'.. Muddy Waters? Yep, you're right! This is a song by Muddy Waters that you can listen to here on youtube.
Great artist, good song, and a statement on it's own...deserved a window.
This one sold at Renegade.

Blues Baby SOLD