Carving signs and inscriptions is a very important part of my job. I particularly enjoy an opportunity to get the paintbrushes out and put some colour onto relief carvings like this sign for a house in Greece, with its rustic rough edges. For those who don’t know Greek, the inscription says ‘House of Flowers’.
Most signs are carved using European oak, unless a different timber is requested, with a wide range of fonts also possible. I don’t do ‘off the peg’ designs: each one is bespoke and tailored to the client’s needs. Signs are finished with a durable, weather resistant oil.
I don’t just carve house signs either! Inscriptions can be carved on all kinds of wooden objects, including those that are difficult shapes to inscribe using computer-guiding methods of lettercutting such as lasers or CNC routing.
Sometimes, carving an inscription may involve travelling out to site and carving ‘in situ’. Not all locations could be quite as beautiful as this converted barn at Kelston Roundhill, between Bristol and Bath.
Sometimes, there may not be any text at all! It was a lot of fun carving in relief and then painting this image of a camera for someone who loves photography.