Signal Brewing Company

Corbyville sits on the Moira river north of Belleville. Corbyville was once a thriving centre of industry, it produced whiskey and spirits for over 100 years. Sadly, the plant closed in the 1990's and most of the complex was destroyed by fire.

In several buildings that remain on the site, there has been a rebirth of sorts. Richard Courneyea purchase the old excise building and pumphouse, close to the river and has spent the better part of a year building a brewery on the site. I worked with Richard and his team on the concept, identity and branding. Signal Brewery opened it's doors this week.

It's a challenge to find the right image for a brewery, with so much history and craftsmanship to take into account, so I worked with Richard to refine the image, to find the right balance. We went through multiple iterations and designs until we came up with a simple, strong central image.

The site is beautiful, and the beer is also excellent. So thrilled to see all of the hard work pay off, and to have been a part of this from the start.

The brewery is developing a full range of craft beers, so we worked together to pair my illustrations and type with different brewing styles. Here is a sampling of three new labels. More brands and labels will be released down the road.

Easy drinking pilsner, anchor brand:

Full bodied (and very juicy) pale ale:

Hoppy and intoxicating:

I was inspired by Richard's dedication and work ethic to provide some of the finishing touches on site. I have a few pictures of the medallion I painted on the floor and the tasting room in the brewery, using a hand-cut stencil.

 

The event room has a stage space backed by reclaimed, rusted barn siding. I projected the image on to the wall and worked the rusty parts into the sign, to give it a weathered look. It's great to work big!

The motto of Signal is 'History Made Again'. Looking forward to many years with tasty beers for Belleville!

Follow/like Signal Beer on Facebook:

Signal Beer

Better yet, drop by the brewery, pick up a t-shirt and sample some pints. Signal's website will be up soon.

 Here's an amazing aerial shot of the site:

Home Brew

I've been known to relax with a pint or two after I get the work done. So I am raising a glass to Zymurgy magazine, who hired me for their January edition, an annual best directory of home brewing inventions and innovation. If you are wondering, Zymurgy is defined as the the study or practice of fermentation in brewing, winemaking, or distilling.

Last winter my family bought me a home-brew kit, which required a lot of sterilizing and boiling wort. It was an intense experience and I now can appreciate the guys who do it right. My beer ended up flat and watered down, with the exception of the one bottle I let sit for an extra couple of months. That last pour was tasty and lively, and was encouraging. I have to try it again and do it better next time.

Reading over the content of the article, I was inspired by all the creative thinking, observation, and home-spun solutions to complicated problems, like refrigeration coils, carbonation and dispensers. The brewers involved were concerned with getting the perfect pour, the right chill and obsessing over flavour, hops, alcohol content and colour. Getting the right balance is always important and nice to see others so dedicated to their craft.

Beer and illustration is a natural fit for me. I have done labels in the past, and have another project in the works. I always like doing covers, and the art director Jason Smith was great to work with. I worked with a beautifully photographed glass of beer, something that was a change, but also fit into the final artwork seemlessly.

The colour was adjusted and the title placed over the glass on the final edit of the cover.

Auld Acquaintance

To ring in the New Year, here's a few fond memories. I discovered these mementos while moving my studio this past year. I have always wanted to document the labels designed for Hillier Wines and Glenora Springs Brewery. These companies were pioneers in the incredible success and development of Prince Edward County, now a trendy tourist destination and home to a thriving wine-producing region.

Work like this is about the people you deal with, the relationships you develop, and the passion and interest that underlies the product. Dan Taylor commissioned the Hillier Label designs, his efforts focused on Pinot Noir varietals. Prince Edward County has long been a productive farming area, and was a long-time producer of canned fruits and vegetables. We worked together to create a visual tribute, reflecting the design qualities of vintage canning labels.

My friend Ruth Gangbar put me in touch with Christopher Gentile, who photographed the bottles. He has a masterful eye and did an amazing job with these.

I also worked with John McKinney at Glenora Springs Brewery. His feature product was Triple Chin, a rich, dark, full bodied ale with a light finish. I play hockey on Mondays with a group of players John put together over the years. Here's to hockey and a good pint!

Sad to say both of these companies have changed hands and the bottles are a relic of the past. But we can raise a glass to those who have paved the way and made the sacrifices. In days of Auld Lang Syne.

Wrapping Up, part 1

It's been a busy year, a lot of great projects completed. I thought I would share a few images from recent assignment work to tie things up.

But first, here is my dog, when he was a puppy, to get everyone warmed up and feel the joy of the season.

 He's the best.

I'll start off with the good news, let's keep our spirits up. I love book assignments. Here's a recent cover assignment for Anvil Press, featuring Albert Einstein. I have worked with them on a number of projects. I proposed a series of sketches, the publisher loved them so much they opted for 2 versions of the Atomic Storybook. Here's the first:

 

The plan during the Cold War by the U.S. to set off a nuclear explosion on the moon received some press last month, with a great segment by Colbert. Crazy, unbelievable stuff, but given the times, anything could have happened. I did an alternate version of Einstein for the other cover. Love that face. Here's a detail from the second cover

Enjoying some down time this month. Fixing up the house and getting ready for the Holidays. Had a great time at the Nook Holiday Sale a couple of weeks ago and spending time at the rink watching my son play hockey. Who needs the NHL?

Relaxing with some Holiday cheer. Thanks to Joel Kimmel, who gave me one of these this summer. My new favourite beer.