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Sven Sundbaum

Sven Sundbaum (May 28th, 1955 - present) is a Graphic Designer, Fabricator, and occasional Gold Leaf sign painter currently living in the Pacific Northwest. He gained many decades of experience working in many different industries from aviation maintenance in Alaska, to woodturning and cabinet making, but primarily evolved in the sign industry and it's many levels of commercial uses. He became known as being adept at accomplishing tasks requiring good eye/hand coodination. Sign painting provided a niche for an artistically inclined young person to eventually create a barely-living wage in an economically depressed area on the cold and windy Southern Oregon coast in 1976.

Early life

After High school Sven did some community college but life required that Sven better get serious about acquiring luchre. A friend who was already a grown-up installing phones, Dan Emmett, suggested Sven visit a fellow he'd met named Bill Blumberg who happened to be a local sign "craftsman". This was before any computers and all layout and patterns and the work itself was all done by hand. And it took a lot of practice to master handlettering. Bill willingly taught me the tricks of his trade, from layout to install. Sven teamed up with his friend Joel Montgomery, who went on to work with Bill for many years. A lot of the work on the coast was outside and sometimes the wind would blow Sven off a billboard. Sven spent the next eight years learning his trade while living in North Bend, Oregon, got married and had three sons, Philip, Andrew and Sam., who have gone on to get married themselves and be successful doing anything but signs, thank God. In 1985 Sven moved his family to Eugene, Or. Then on to Ellensburg, Wa and eventually the Seattle area. His time since has been split between working for himself and working for other companies. Sven met local photographer Chris Dahl who introduced Sven to personal computers and Sven became an avid user from early on.

Aquired Skills

Skills and Experiences will be listed in order of earliest exposure and on.
Art Training in various mediums. Woodworking Years of High School woodshop and mechanical drawing led to my first job as a woodturner. Airbrush Painting was a useful craft for technical illustration, murals and sign art. Sign Business introduces layout, design, handlettering, gold leafing, screenprinting, wood signs, plexiglas, and metal signs.Commercial Sign Business introduces computer design programs and computer aided vinyl and digitally printed signage. Software Programs Long time user of Adobe programs Illustrator and Photoshop. Cartoon Flash animation. Dreamweaver web creation. Complete Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch Up Pro, Blender. Fabrication Fine woodworking, Cabinet Making, Metal Working and Welding, Spray Painting finishes