New from Central Illinois

Hey everyone, I’m not new to the business, but I’m new to the forum. I’ve actually been lurking for a while. Our shop is located in Pontiac’ Illinois, 100 miles south of Chicago right on Rt. 66. I’m a second generation sign artist and work along side my brother, mom and dad. I know, weird huh? We do signs, logos, vehicle graphics, fine art and portraits, pin striping, websites, glass work, murals, and a bunch of other stuff. Check us out on our web sites, www.diazsignart.com and www.diazmedia.com . We mainly use Corel Draw along with a bunch of other programs. We have a VersaCamm, and a Graphtec Plotter, and a paint shop.

My dad Bill started the business in 1978 and my mom who was a grade school art teacher came to work for the business to help out. My brother and I worked for the family business when we were growing up mainly mowing the lawn and sweeping the shop floor and learning what we could. While I was in college both my brother and I worked for another sign shop, Prairie Signs. Within the past 3 years we have both moved back to Pontiac to help run the family sign shop. Some of you might have met us at letterhead meets and walldog events. But I thought I would just stop in and introduce myself.

 

Thanks for the welcome guys. Good to see some fellow Illinoisans.

Doug, I didn’t get to make it to the Dixie meet. Someone had to stay behind and run the shop. I wish I could have made that one though. It looked like a lot of fun. I didn’t get a chance to make it to the Muster meets either. Hopefully some day Mike will throw another one. Usually at least one of us stays behind when there is a meet unless we are project leaders for a mural and we need every bit of help we can get.

Jackpine, small world huh? When did you graduate? I might have run into you at party or something. I’m a Heartland man myself, but a lot of my friends were from ISU and IWU. Unfortunately while working for Prairie Signs, they kept me in the back working at the computers most of the time. So I didn’t really get to network and meet many people in Bloomington’s art industry besides the people that were in contact with Prairie Signs. I loved working for them but many of the sign shops in that town are very competitive and guarded. With the exception of a few, you won’t see them at a meet or here exchanging ideas. I do know Dave Draper (who I’m not sure if he posts here or not), the guys at Wensco, and I’ve met the owners of Sign-a-rama in Bloomington. I’ve been to Don’s a few times too, but my brother was there all the time. Were you at the meet in 1991. I might have met you there, I was young but my parents co hosted that meet so both my brother and I were there.