Sketching the neon of Wyoming, Montana and the Canadian Prairie

In this age of photographic excess (think of that little phone in your hand right now with thousands and thousands of pictures on it) there is something so delightful about being deliberate and detailed with how you visualize, comprehend and, ultimately, design the world around you.

On our recent adventures from Denver to Calgary/Banff (via Wyoming and Montana) I took some time to sketch signs along the way. Okay, I wasn’t prepared with an arsenal of the perfect artist pens and premium sketch paper, but my Pilot pen (0.7 for those keeping track) and Staples-purchased notebook did the trick.

I find that sketching signs captures the essence of what makes a sign appealing. The fluff falls away, and with quick sketches you can capture what matters most with the sign’s design.

Wyoming

We ventured to Casper and Sheridan in windswept Wyoming. Sheridan, in particular, captured my sign soul during our quick drive through the downtown on the way to Billings. The WYO marquee was spectacular with its delightful “O” and vertical-scalloped concrete façade.

Montana

Billings, Montana, was home to a whole street of neon signs, and I loved capturing the signs that hung in gravity-defying ways off building walls (thanks to well-placed cables that spidered across the fronts of those buildings).

The Canadian Prairie

We went the typical Lethbridge-Calgary-Banff-Edmonton-Saskatoon-Regina-Winnipeg route that most tourists take through Canada. Although neon signs weren’t as prevalent as they are in the States, we definitely caught several gems along the way. We found an outdoor neon sign museum in Edmonton and a newer theater sign in Saskatoon that didn’t have neon, but definitely drew inspiration from the glory days of theater marquees. Loved capturing all the creativity on the high northern plains this fall. HCR