Jan 19, 2020
Known as one half of South East Queensland based creative duo Frank & Mimi, Rick Hayward is now translating 15 years of traditional sign writing and 8 years of collaborative public art into a contemporary studio and public art practice. During our chat, we start with Rick taking us through the beautiful process, history and technique of hand painting signs. Sign writing is extremely fascinating in how it strikes a balance of part utilitarian product and part high level of craftsmanship, detail and artistry. We talk about the evolving trajectory of Rick's creative career as he takes us through the ins and outs of his very conscientious and intentional decision to transition his practice. We touch on some really interesting creative topics such as how technology can be a great tool but sometimes equally distracting from the foundations of a craft. I really love the process nuances we dive into in this episode, including learning about an essential sign painting tool called a mahl stick, what it means to be left handed in the industry and how your oily nose could come in handy in a pinch. This wide ranging chat lets us go into some of the highly valuable insights of Rick’s progression through his career and what those transitions look and feel like. Things like finding your voice, style and finding more about yourself in the process. Introducing Rick Hayward On Creative Progression.
Rick Hayward
Links
70meter Queensland Rail Project
Freehand Lettering by Dick Bird
Mastering Layout by Mike Stevens
Quotes
"You can express emotion with different letter styles."
"Often the more simple the design, the harder it is to get it right, but there is something beautiful about that."
"That's where the appeal is, the imperfections and those little subtle touches."
"Often what defines a letterform is actually the negative space, not so much what you're painting, but what surrounds it."
"Letterforms are something that I like to consider as more of an art than a science. They can communicate character and that can be individual and special to the person that painted it."
Original Theme Music
by Devin Luke - devinlukemusic.com
Stay In Touch
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@onprocesspodcast
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