#walldogs

“The Civil War is sometimes called ‘The Boys’ War,’” says The Washington Post, and many of the youngest of those marching into battle were the drummers. Ohio-born drummer Orion Howe was only 12 when he joined the infantry in Illinois and only 14 when his bravery in the Battle of Vicksburg earned him the Medal of Honor. His even younger brother and fellow drummer Lyston is thought by some to be the youngest veteran of the Civil War. Some years after the war the brothers settled in Streator, Illinois where Lyston patented a coal washer that ended up funding his opening a hardware store, and Orion eventually became a dentist. When Walldogs, an internationally recognized organization of master sign painters and muralists, came to Streator to in 2018 to help the town celebrate its 150th anniversary, Wisconsin artist Brad Bandow, CEO of Brushfire Signs and Murals, was tasked with leading the team creating this remembrance of the brothers on S. Monroe St.  @streatorwalldog2018

The 19th century is coming to a close and American cities have no rules about where signs can go or how big they can be (or how much lead can be added to give signs longevity). Companies from Coca Cola to Borax are becoming national institutions and neon signs are still years away, so American business relies on “walldogs” to carry it through the Golden Age of wall advertising—with “ghost signs” still evident around most of America’s large cities today. A century later, with interest in signage and murals on the rise, a group of talented sign painters formed The Walldogs, showcasing their art with 10 to 15 murals created in annual festivals staged in small towns across North America. In 2006 dozens of Walldogs swarmed Lodi, California and to help celebrate the city’s centennial with stories of the past. “The Packing Shed” on Walnut St. tells a tale of the hard work and arduous conditions born by the women involved in the town’s fruit-packing industry.  

Big mural in Paris for @Nike and @globalstreetart @k.mbappe illustrated by @doyrivative an exhilarating way to end the 2019! #alwayshandpaint #signpainting #walldogs #streetart (at Paris, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7vfb3pAPsF/?igshid=hbmf6gguub43

#WallPhabet organized by @goodlooking_studio studio We started planning this project way back, so happy we made it happen! A collaboration between @signpainterspoland and different lettering artists and sign painters. When I was in Warsaw we started painting this large Wallphabet. There were a bunch of blank spaces left, so I sketched a few different letters straight to the wall. During the project, the contributions started ticking in, so not all the letters were finished as we wanted to involve as many different people as possible. Very happy with my #Warsaw lettering at the bottom! It was a great experience working with the #walldogs and cats of the Good Looking crew. In a week I am starting my first large scale advertising here in Copenhagen, and got a bunch of handy tips and tricks working on this one! Photo by @mdziurkowski #HandLettering #GoodLookingStudio #CopenhagenSigns #AlwaysHandPaint #SignPainting #Skiltemaler #Ligature #Letters #LegibilityIsNotAPriority (her: Warsaw, Poland) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4txjFLAMt4/?igshid=is3woh5y1fmd

And then there was this #alwayshandpaint #mural #paintedadvertising #signpainting #walldogs #paintedsigns #streetart (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx5RCrmA8Bm/?igshid=onb9b5r7z87g

Last weeks job for the excellent @globalstreetart.agency and as ever big love for the support @the_cunning_craftsman and @heartofthingsstudio #spidermanintothespiderverse #walldogs#alwayshandpaint #paintedsigns #signpainting #streetart #rattlecan (at Rich Mix London) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrHzalPBn9H/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1od10vxmyb7fm

The Mural turned out beautifully on our wall! Thanks again to #walldogs for coming to #Steator (at K's Secret Garden)

Come see Anne hard at work at K’s Secret Garden! #streatorwalldogs #streatorillinois #walldogs (at K's Secret Garden)