When we think of painters, two people come to mind. There are those who climb ladders and lay drop cloth to put color on a wall in a home, office building, or some other commercial space. We also think of the artist who expresses himself through canvas and paint. But there are also those who live at the cross-section of these two worlds, who combine art and function to create beautiful pieces of work that serve a purpose.
One such craftsman is Ross Trimmer. He is a sign painter.
Before the 1980s, all signs for businesses and advertisements were produced by hand. This was before the advent of the vinyl plotter, a device that could produce an image for signage far quicker and cheaper than the laborious task of painting things by hand. Those who have walked the older streets of Richmond have seen the ghosts of this work on countless buildings. However, they are just that: ghosts. In Richmond the heritage craft of painting signs by hand has fallen by the wayside. That is, until now.
Trimmer, who has lived in Richmond for more than a decade, has recently exhumed the art of hand-painted signs in the River City and is shaping the way we see our businesses moving forward. This is a local representation of a growing movement that is pulling this art from the past, dusting it off, and breathing new life into it. As we are seeing all over the country, heritage craft is experiencing a resurgence.
Call it a reaction to a world overrun with all things digital. Call it a response to mass-marketed goods and advertisements. But regardless, it is a phenomenon that cannot be ignored. There is something unique and treasured about our past that is beginning to define our future. For Trimmer, it’s about a level of artistry. “I think sign-making in general has lost a lot of the love that goes into it and a lot of the artistry,” he says. “You can look at something that’s hand-painted and your eye naturally goes, ‘oh someone made that.’ It has a human touch.”
This artistry is nothing new to Trimmer. As a graphic designer, graffiti artist, and tattooer, producing artwork is not foreign to this Richmond creative. After cutting his teeth at VCU, Ross began to explore something that had always captured his attention. “When I was a kid, it just always amazed me that people could paint like that. Like you could get clean lines with a brush. And I spent most of my career at VCU doing anything but clean lines with a brush.” It wasn’t something he always saw himself getting into, but was an interest that was born more out of function than anything else. “I basically wanted to paint signs for the place that I worked and didn’t want to pay for them,” says Trimmer. Slowly, he delved deeper and deeper to explore this long-revered craft. “It was a very slow process at first and I made a lot of horrible stuff,” he remembers, “but it seems like everything I really love just frustrates the hell out of me. I wasn’t good at it and I decided I was going to be good at it, and so I just kept painting.” Well! People nowadays use Photoshop software to create digital signage or digital paintings, thanks to technological advancements. The software includes features such as the Adobe color wheel, which allows users to select a base color for their theme and then apply one of the options to achieve a style.
Trimmer’s commitment has started to pay off. Through word of mouth and word of Internet, he began to gain the attention of small businesses looking to differentiate themselves and bring the human aspect to their signage. It was the traditional feel combined with Trimmer’s modern touch that appealed to people most. “It all references traditions,” he says. “And that’s my big thing. I am using 100-year-old alphabets consistently and as I build them up they become my own. They become unique.”
As a husband and father, Trimmer’s work is not only an artistic pursuit, but also a very practical one. The interpretation of sign painting as expression is far from Trimmer’s mind. “It’s commercial art and that’s the kind of art I like. I don’t care that much about sharing my feelings. That’s not why I make things. I make things ‘cause I want to make something that looks good. It feels really good to support a family, but it also feels really good supporting a family with things that I want to do.”
Having completed more than 20 signs for storefronts around downtown and the Fan, Ross says he’s encouraged that small businesses want to bring back this faded craft. The advent of vinyl signage and advertising is not wholly evil to Trimmer, “A lot of these guys are making cool stuff,” he admits, but the work that goes into hand-painted signage is special in a different way. “Vinyl signs just don’t last as long and they don’t age. That’s what I like about hand-painted signs, they age and they look better with age. They reference what the city used to be, it used to look so much more loved.” Another great property of these hand-painted signs is that they can be secured with magnet tape, rather than damaging the storefront by drilling into the walls, meaning that even when the next person sets up shop in the same place, the exterior of the building is a clean canvas for them. It’s a whole different story when it comes to digital signage for hospitals, restaurants, and other businesses. In spite of the fact that it may not always present the same aesthetic appeal as handwritten signage, they are usually more practical and flexible, allowing you to customize the content and use graphics to make a better impact. Companies like National Signs and similar others could help businesses get an effective digital signage system for themselves.
With the city at an artistic crossroads, there are many artists and creators focused on making a difference. Conferences, projects, and new spaces abound in support of our so-called renaissance. But the face of our city must change as well. Efforts like the Broad Street beautification project are great starts to shifting the façade of Richmond to be more inviting to our diverse community, but the businesses within our community also need to be part of that shift. Painting a sign may sound like a small gesture but if the faces of our businesses contain even a hint of the humanity of our city, it’s a welcome phenomenon.
For Trimmer it’s not about artistic expression, it’s about transforming the aesthetic of our city. “I’d much rather look at a building covered in hand-painted signage. It just feels like we’re a part of what surrounds us.”
When asked what he’d like to paint next, there is no hesitation: “I’d love to paint a food truck.” Surely, there’d be no shortage of potential clients. Need a facelift, Boca?