Russ studied at San Diego State University in San Diego, California where he recieved a B.A. Degree in Applied Arts and Sciences and graduated with Over-All Honors and Distinction in the field of Art. After several years of teaching art, both public and private, owning and operating his own school and gallery in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California,, Russ was ready for a new adventure. He was headed to the 'Great State of Texas' to find a girl named Cynthia from Pala Duro Canyon and what an adventure it was.

Now just because you move to Texas it does not make you a Texan, after all, if a cat has kittens and moves them to the oven that wouldn't make them biscuits.

He found Cynthia and she said "Well bless yer harrt. Ya'll come back." He did and he's been learnin' Texan ever since. Texas is a whole 'nother country. The true Texans have a unique way of expressing themselves, for example, "I'm as busy as a cat covern' shit on concrete." or "My wife is like a cactus shedding it's needles" and then there's this one, "Jeet" that is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?".

After about a year of being fasinated by this new "speakeasy", Russ said to Cynthia, "We gotta start saving these little ditties and carve them in wood"... and what more appropriate wood than Texas Purple Heart Cedar. We bought a rusty skill saw, a worn-out router, rented 800 sq. ft. of a condemned warehouse on a dead-end, dusty road that we effectionately called the "Hole In The Wall". Let's start making signs.. "Signs Of Life" was established in 1990.

Russ is an accomplished Fine Artist (Paintings and Drawings) who has changed horses in mid-stream. "Our signs make people smile and we feel that the world needs a few more smiles and alot less tears.."

I don't mean to side track you but if I don't tell you now I'll probably forget. I was talking to Chock today, he's our good friend that I visit every couple days. He was telling me about a "Mule Footed Hog" he use to have... Ya gotta love this stuff!! It's hard to discribe the images that words like that conjure-up in an artist's mind.. OK, just had to get that out, now back to "The Hole In The Wall"...

We call it the "Hole In The Wall" because it was totally invisible to the public, it just wasn't there.. We never even had a stray dog come by. It was the perfect Hide-Out.. While I was carving signs like a woodchuck would, Cynthia was busy Russell'in'-up orders for shelves, boxes, cabinets, game boards and caskets for a local pet cemetery to keep our heads above water. Now that irony still blows my mind.. Our journey started with preserving Texas humor, Speakeasy as I call it, inspire some smiles and call ourselves "Signs of Life". Now we're a full blown wood shop making caskets for dead animals and the mortician is telling Cynthia "My, you have beautiful eyes." Well, what can I say, she does... BOOGA-BOOGA, time to take this show on the road.

We're a very small business, just the two of us, R'n'C, Russ and Cynthia. Becuase we're small, your sign gets individual attention from design to delivery. "We Sell Signs,The Smiles Are Free"

...to be continued.