A PLANE TAKES OFF AT MIDWAY AIRPORT, KITTY-CORNER from the light-filled studio where Chuck Wilmarth picks up his cup filled with poster paint and dips in his flat brush. He works quickly without sacrificing precision, moving across the canvas, bright white paper that comes in big rolls. For the detail work, he rests his right hand on his left, steadying a much smaller brush as he deftly curves the bristles into an almost perfect circle that punctuates the tableau.
Chuck paints in large scale, gliding along the perimeter of the 30-foot table, wasting little time while imbuing a sense of thoughtfulness that makes the final product clean in its exactness, compelling in its magnitude. His technique is specific, eschewing the easel for a flat surface, which allows the paint to dry rapidly and drip-free.
That paint is also specific: an oil-based poster variety so that the paper doesn’t wrinkle (water-based paint causes unsightly ripples). “It’s very high in pigment,” Chuck’s business partner, Dan Kamba, says. “That’s why, even though it’s on paper, you don’t really see through it.” This is important.
After Chuck completes the final flick of the brush, he steps back to observe his handiwork, a 30-foot banner displaying numbers and letters.
Organic Kiwi, 4 for $1.00
Sweet Tangerines, 2 for $3.00
Green Peppers, 49¢
La Preferida Hominy, $2.99
High pigmentation is what makes Southwest Signs’ signs pop, what makes them shout the necessary information to passersby, who may not realize they need to know that today center-cut beef shanks are $1.59 a pound.
The banner will be cut into individual signs that are themselves big enough to cover the large windows at the corner grocery. Block lettering announces what’s on sale, with price and product in some combination of vibrant colors.
“They need to see ,” Dan says. “That’s what has to stand out, no matter what.”
