Here I am, asked by my local Chinese takeaway to sort out their sign across the width of the shop with "DELIVERIES AVAILABLE" and their phone number. I start by cleaning up the rust (with a combination of angle grinder and rust converter). I then metal prime, undercoat and paint it an ultramarine blue (exterior gloss for its weathering properties), and sign write the text in an appropriate font, colour and paint (in this case Franklin Gothic Medium, in white and with "One Shot" Sign Painters' Lettering White).
Here's a Top Tip for people who aren't regular professional signwriters (like me!)
Print off your lettering to the finished size on A4 paper.... use a compass or other such instrument to pin prick through the outline of the letters...stick the lettering together with masking tape making sure it is perfectly straight, level and well spaced out...then on site, sponge chalk through the holes in the paper to leave a pointillist image of the letters to paint over as a guide. With a fairly confident hand, you should be able to achieve excellent results!

Plenty of regional art galleries have once again been put on the international map this year with the help of Artist Rooms, the most exceptional for me being Ron Mueck at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery, displaying a small selection of his hyper realist sculptures including the immense Wild Man.
It's always exciting to see people of all ages so absorbed in art.
Although the exhibition is finished now, it is well worth checking him out either on the web, for example at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGB4Ew87ieA or through a plethora of excellent books.
I took some art novices to the show, who showed a mixture of humour, gobsmacking incredulity, amazement and joy at all of the pieces, including "Youth", "Mother and Child", "Spooning Couple", "Ghost", "Wild Man" and plenty of his working drawings and maquettes.

Never one to refuse a job, I have found myself becoming busy working in schools recently, doing plain preparation and painting, and creating murals and themed rooms for both secondary and primary schools.
I've also become a dab hand at reconditioning iron railings as I said in the previous post.
AND so here's a very good proven method -
Galvanised metal railings! - strip with a combination of scraper, wire brush and angle grinder. Once stripped of loose material, take as long as you like 'cos the metal won't rust).... prime it with zinc phosphate... finish it with 2 coats of oil based gloss for a durable finish.
Iron railings - strip with an angle grinder (with a wire cup attachment, or a paint / rust remover disc), then treat rust with a suitable rust converter (as they use in the car trade, converting iron oxides (rust) into a protective chemical barrier), and then apply zinc phosphate, and 2 coat oil based gloss for durability - JOB DONE! You could undercoat in between primer and top coats for extra paint adhesion, but I've found without to be more than adequate!
I've done several sets of school railings in this manner, and it stands the most excellent chance of lasting a few years against weathering and wear n tear.
Happy Painting!

I have finally published this site....and hope to make a useful and informative blog of some kind.
ProMurals has emerged from the ashes of Smart Murals, simply because I foolishly let the old domain name time out.
With a new business name however, comes a fresh start, even if I have kept the old logo!
I have some exciting specialist painting and mural jobs coming up, and anticipate writing some comments about them and my working practices here. As I type this, I am currently rained off (yes, that typical old English weather) from renovating a vast stretch of neglected school iron gates and railings, with some help, of course. Onwards!