I'm a 60 year old brush man here from California. I've been lettering and screening since the early 1970s. I've lived in a few different states picking "flowers from baskets" where ever I went. Soon after finishing my college days I found myself in the midwest and then to Denver, Colorado. While in Denver in the mid to late 70s I worked for two different sign companies.....Advance Neon and Arapahoe Signs ...both on Broadway. I also tried out my very first sole ownership sign shop for a year there in 79. While at Arapahoe Signs, I worked with two guys, Wil Morton and Archie Anderson and Joe Tedusco (okay that's three guys).... who knew and introduced me to Earl Vehill, Mark Oatis and Noel Weber....who in turn got me over to Bob Mitchell's for some direction in glue-chipping in Golden, CO. So, at the time, I had no idea that these guys' shops I used to just drop in on a couple times and shoot the bull with about "saving the true craftsmanship of sign design" and really, basically trying to emulate those nice old post victorian, art nouveau, and art deco letter forms.....would soon spawn the "Letterheads". I recall Earl's "Casualigraphy" he developed and we all copied. It was a cross between single stroke casual and classic calligraphy. And another turing point for me was combing cool techniques like sand-blasted redwood signs with inlaid stained and glue-chipped glass. Oh, and then those very daring color combos on way-finding signs at all those dozens of massive suburban neighborhoods sprawling out everywhere back in the shale-oil and other "alternative energy" developments back in the booming age of such commerce. I remember watching Noel and Oatis who would do these cool little sandblasted post'n panels that had dark green backgrounds with magenta lettering and light blue pin-striped outlines. Pretty radical stuff back in the day right after the Bi-Centennial era.
So, up to speed where I'm at is back in my hometown of Hanford, CA on recent disability due to a heart condition. I had a massive heart attack in '04 while working at a big sign shop in Seattle. They saved my life with emergency stent procedure ..and they found during a follow up, the condition of BAV (bicuspid aortic valve) something I was born with and is a permanent case even with a valve replacement (that will come one of these fine days.) However, now that I have three new coronary arteries, as of last year) which is helping my plumbing... I can work and am doing pretty okay.
So, I've started my own shop again and have gotten more and more requests to do hand painted graphics, signs, and pin-striping. And I gotta tell y'all, it feels good to get back in the saddle again...albeit not NEARLY as aggressive or energetic as I used to be putting in those 12 hour days 6 days a week. haha! But, it is carrying with the new interest in some markets....an interesting amount of cash. I think we've actually lived to see the day where our art is indeed a rarity that is desirable ....again. Thank goodness! I'm going to be attending as many Letterhead meets I can close to my area this next year. I've already been invited to one up in Petaluma. Gonna grab my 37 year old son, who's a good sign man out of Hayward, CA to go with me. Life is good! Chat atcha laters!
~Gear
But, I've got a few orphan pics. 
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads