Tag Archives: vintage

Sign Painter, yup that’s me

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Suhita Shirodkar

Just a quick post linking to this piece that KQED’s ARTS section did on my sign-sketching obsession. Here is the video. And a link to a longer piece on their website. A big thank you to Creo Noveno for shooting … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, california, Close to home, san jose, Silicon Valley, teaching, Vintage Signs | Tagged advocacy, dancing pig, location drawing, san jose, sketch, sketchbook, stephens pig, urban sketches, vintage, vintage sign, Vintage Signs | Leave a comment

Storytelling Sketches

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Suhita Shirodkar

I like to think of every sketch as a story. Not always a big one, with a grand plot and story arc. Stories can be quiet little everyday things tucked into bigger pieces. Like this Saturday morning sketch at Social … Continue reading →

Posted in california, Close to home, Everyday Sketches, people, san jose, Silicon Valley, Vintage Signs | Tagged band, cafe, coffee, coffee shop, locatin drawing, music, orchestra, san jose, social policy, urban sketch, vintage, Vintage Signs | 2 Comments

End of the Year stuff

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Suhita Shirodkar

Bits and pieces as we head towards the end of the year. Continue reading →

Posted in california, Close to home, Everyday Sketches, people, tools, Vintage Signs | Tagged holidays, mel cottons, petroglyph, pottery, vintage, vintage sign, vintage signage | 11 Comments

Odds and Ends and the Winchester Mystery House

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Suhita Shirodkar

A strange house, gouache persimmons, bubble tea and cats on a couch. All in one post. Continue reading →

Posted in california, Close to home, Everyday Sketches, san jose, Silicon Valley | Tagged san jose, sofasketch, vintage, vintage san jose, winchester house, winchester mystery house | 2 Comments

Launching vintagesignsanjose.com (and asking for your help)

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Suhita Shirodkar

If you know a history buff, interested in the history of Santa Clara Valley. Or someone who lived in the area and might know more about these signs or have a story to share, could you point them to the site? Continue reading →

Posted in Close to home, san jose, Silicon Valley, Vintage Signs | Tagged announcement, history san jose, knight foundation, location drawing, san jose, urban sketch, usk, vintage, vintage signage, Vintage Signs, vintage vintage sign | 9 Comments

Catch ’em before they’re gone

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Suhita Shirodkar

Drawing old signs in Silicon Valley always feels like a race against time… Continue reading →

Posted in california, Close to home, san jose, Silicon Valley, Vintage Signs | Tagged bar, burbank theater, california, location drawings, sunset, the bears, theater marquee, urban sketchers, vintage, vintage sign, vintage signage, watercolor sketch, western appliance | 4 Comments

Jose Theater and Zanotto’s

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Suhita Shirodkar

Two gems on one street… Continue reading →

Posted in california, Close to home, Silicon Valley, Vintage Signs | Tagged location drawings, marquee, san jose, san jose improv, theater, urban sketchers, vintage, vintage sign, vintage signage, zanottos | 7 Comments

A common surprise

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Suhita Shirodkar

It’s becoming more and more common: someone will email me telling me about an interesting sign in San Jose that I haven’t sketched. I’ll go out to sketch it only to find something quite different from what was described to me. Just a couple … Continue reading →