I recently painted on top of some old photographs of my father, James Terence (Terry) O'Brien.
I think in the left picture he was around 18-20 years old(?). On the right, maybe 4-6 years old(?)
- 5 x 7" each, acrylic paint on photographic paper, 2025. I was trying to do something that was kind-of-sort-of-like the artist John Baldessari... but different, maybe. I used aspirational text for the work but why I chose those particular words for those particular photographs is unknown to me, it just felt right. This piece was challenging to paint because…
“OK”, acrylic and latex paint on wood panel, 10×10” each, 2025
I Finished Some New Artwork - OK(?)
I decided to make these really quick between projects, just something fun to do. There is a photo stylist at my job that has a handbag that says ‘OK’ all over it. I really like it, but it got me thinking about how much I say the word ‘OK’ throughout my life…
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New hand-painted CHILL signs now available for purchase.
New CHILL signs are now available at I-Like-You-MN
New hand-painted ‘CHILL’ signs are now available to purchase at a store called I-Like-You-MN in the Twin Cities! (6x10” each, acrylic paint on wood, $25 each) These wooden signs (with a hanger on the back) help to celebrate the winter season… or better yet, to help celebrate one’s dopeness at home! What better way to spruce up your old art collection or lonely book shelf than with a cool (pun intended) CHILL sign!!
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Original painting of a woman in a blue dress by the artist B. Milavsky
Completed - commission for sign painting on a thrift store painting
I got a commission recently to paint some text (in a word balloon) on a nifty thrift store painting;
36 x 24” text and design by the patron. The original painting, by B. Milavsky, is a portrait of a woman in a blue dress. It is unclear to me as to who the woman is or what her relationship was to the artist; the piece is not dated. But she kind of reminds me of the actress Amy Adams…
New sign painting on MDF
New sign painting on a scrap piece of MDF, painted to resemble faux marble. At my workplace, we create numerous samples, and one texture that consistently appears is marble. The Greeks and the Egyptians used it and well... it's still the product of choice for some reason. Something about it just speaks to people; it has an air of authenticity, it conveys "class."
So anyway, we had to clean out the sample library at work and…
New sign painting - Welcome, Welcome
New sign painting on a scrap piece of wood.
“Welcome, Welcome (2)”, acrylic paint on wood, 15 x 20”
The design is actually inspired by a sign I saw at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. There is a service elevator located downstairs that contractors must use to transport their equipment into the building. Kind of sort of near the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts area. In front of the elevator downstairs was an office door with a note on it that said, ‘Welcome Welcome.’ I would stare at it sometimes while we waited for the elevator. Ahhh, I can still hear that elevator sound…
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New sign painting - Man-Made Monster
New sign painting on a scrap piece of masonite. "Man-Made Monster", acrylic paint, 10.5 x 12". Inspired by the movie poster for the 1941 horror-sci-fi classic, starring Lionel Atwill, Anne Nagel, and Lon Chaney Jr.
Read MoreCompleted signage at Pura Vida Elite - Bienvenido a la casa de los cracks!
Completed sign at Pura Vida Elite Training in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Here is the final video of the text. It was hard to capture it all with a still image because it is so big (6’ tall text, 140’ in length). So I opted to just do a quick walk-by instead.
Some of you have asked me why some of the text is painted in, and some is not. This came down to the business aspect of art. I would have done the whole thing, but the owner of the facility had a limited budget, so it was agreed upon early on that I would only outline the text, and then he would go back in and fill in the words himself…
The Big Reveal: Final word for the BIG sign painting at Pura Vida Elite Training is...
Final day at Pura Vida Elite in Brooklyn Park, MN, is here. The work has been a blast! But all things must come to an end, or in this case, the sentence has to end. So without further ado…
BIENVENIDO A LA CASA DE LOS CRACKS!
(Welcome to the house of the cracks!) in reference to the sound that a soccer ball makes when it is kicked really hard, BOOM - CRACK!!
Adding a quick DAB for the photo
New Sign Painting Continues at Pura Vida Elite Training - Mpls, MN
PART 2:
Some big, BIG sign painting going up at Pura Vida Elite Training, a state-of-the-art indoor soccer training facility accessible to all youth players throughout the Twin Cities, Minnesota.
'Bienvenido A La Casa...' (Welcome to the house…)
The house of WHAT??? Soon to be revealed amigos, stay tuned!
New hand painted sign - ARCADE
New sign painting on a scrap piece of masonite: ARCADE - 9x17,” acrylic paint.
This one is a commission going out to an individual in the great state of Tennessee! Thank you for your purchase… and thanks for your interest in hand-painted signs!!
Interested in a sign? Then send me an email and let’s talk!! https://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting
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I finished a new painting and... I'm not sure what to title it!
So I completed a new painting that is both old and new. The two panels on the left are 6.5 x 10” each. They were painted in 2020 during the thick of the pandemic. My family and I were stuck in our little NYC apartment back then, and at that time, it felt as though time had no meaning. Tick, tock, tick, tock. I would bring my daughter down to the basement to watch Yellow Submarine on DVD and try to escape the boredom… sort of. During the Sixty Four part of the film the animation counts down (or maybe up?) to 64 (around the 2:00 mark), so these two paintings were taken directly from that sequence. It was just something I wanted to paint at that time; I had no restraints. I just enjoyed the process.
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Finished a new hotdog sign for collector in PA
I completed a new hotdog sign this week for a collector in Pennsylvania. Apparently she used to work in the carnival as a kid and has a collection of signs in her home. I sent her three iterations for the design, and this is the one she chose. Her only request was that I add a ‘$.25’ symbol to the work.
- Thank You for your patronage… and for supporting of the arts!
New ICE signs up for sale at I-Like-You-MN →
New hand painted ICE signs now for sale at I-Like-You-MN in NE Minneapolis.
- Click on the link for more info -
For the mere price of a tank of gas, YOU can purchase some Minneapolis ICE!
So what are you waiting for? Give the gift that keeps on giving… the coolest signs in town are HERE!!
New Sign Painting up at Las Estrellas Duel Language School in NE Minneapolis, MN
New signage on a shipping container at Las Estrellas Duel Language Elementary School in connection with Pedal Power MN (a 501c-3 nonprofit that uses donations to directly build bike fleets and teach kids how to ride all over Minneapolis. Arguably the best school-based biking program around!) I got the painting done in…
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New sign painting at Forgotten Star Brewery - Fridley, MN
New business hours at Forgotten Star Brewery means… new sign painting on glass for their front door entrance! (hand painted text on glass, 1-Shot enamel paint with hardener)
- Located in Fridley, MN in a building that was once a WWII manufacturing facility, “Forgotten Star Brewing was forged from a building rich with history and defined by Excellence and Effeciency….
New sign painting on a piece of oak
New hand-painted sign on an 8x11” piece of white oak, a novel Thank-You "card" for that special someone! Instead of sending an ordinary Hallmark or goofy plaque, why not up your game and give that amazing individual something that has presence and weight…. something they will remember!!
Find out how sign painting can change your life, for the better, by checking out…
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Just a guy painting an 'S'
The owner of Pura Vida Elite took a picture of me when I was painting their sign in their soccer training area. (The letter ‘S’ in ‘HAS’) - ‘A GOAT HAS GOTTA START SOMEWHERE.’ -
Check out the full signage HERE!!
Read MoreNew sign painting up at Pura Vida Elite Training in Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis
New sign painting up at Pura Vida Elite Training in Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis. “an elite soccer training facility accessible to all youth players in the Twin Cities. Our focus is to build community while connecting soccer lovers throughout the area.” The project took about 3.5 days to complete. Latex paint on plywood. 6’ x 132’
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More ALIVE and WHY? signs for sale at my local consignment shop: I-LIKE-YOU-MN →
One-of-a-kind refrigerator magnets are heading out to my local consignment shop this week for purchase! Inspired by the circus banner artwork of Fred G. Johnson, these 5" diameter, hand-painted pieces are the creme de la creme of circus gifts! Now, when you hang your family photo’s you can subtly ask, WHY? Or better yet, remind everyone that they are ALIVE! Get yours today!!
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