The Artist behind the hand-lettering & Window art. An introduction into South London’s human printer.
Hey
My name is Sam TM. (If I’m trying to be posh, Samantha Temple-Milnes). I write on chalkboards and create window artworks for businesses across Surrey, London and beyond.
Thanks for stopping by to read my first blog post.
It’s taken me some time to break through the invisible wall that was ‘cantwriteicitus’. But I’m peeping through now- Hi.
I’m hoping we’ll get in the flow and improve with time- like most things.
I’ll start with what i want to achieve by writing blogs.
I wanted to write blogs to give a more personal insight into my own life, for myself and others alike. To help myself and help the world. Be clear, speak up. Being a commercial Artist is a dream, but comes with unexpected challenges. I want to be proactive with my experiences. Writing is a passion of mine that has been hidden away by my anxiety. I want to grow as an adult, Unlearn my self-saboteur. Life is for living. Expressing ourselves is the way forward. That aside, I’ve finally made myself a website. With the much appreciated help of my other half. I now feel that with all this cool tech power, I gotta rise to the occasion.
How did i get into this?
I was fresh out of college, having chosen not to apply for university, working at a little pub in Reigate, doodling in my every second the bar was quiet.
Inspired by a signpainter I’d seen visit - I thought - I could do that! And that i did....... well, more or less. Working with paint pens (a god-send), I gained some local clients and improved my chalkboard sign skills on the job starting with a low price mark to make up for my artistic insecurities.
I evolved my handwritten styles injecting my personality and applying my knowledge. I Gained a confident steady hand and perfected different fonts with attitudes to suit different brands.
From small jobs came big opportunities.
Age 18. I created some chalkboard art for my mate Jason Boon at his florist down at Queen’s Park flowers, NW London. The then, local marketing team at Gail’s bakery swooped to get my contact. I remember the first coffee menu i created for them, momentarily Misspelling Cappuccino. A sweet reminiscent memory of the beginning of my modern ‘calligraphy’ career.
Bar my minor mistakes, They must of had faith in my enthusiasm and excused my try-to-be corporate emails and they acquired my Artwork services for 5 years looking after all the chalkboard artwork/menus in all bakeries as they grew to a chain of over 30 across London & Oxford.
It was in this time where i gained skills and confidence with writing chalkboard menus on site - usually stood stretched over the toaster. As time went on, my skills were amplified through their client guidance. I was hand-illustrating everything for them from tea tags to Christmas cards. Through my time with Gail’s bakery, I acquired a secondhand knowledge in Simple effective marketing using relatable wording, linked with friendly and fashionable illustrations and font styles.
From chalkboard art came window art.
A few years down the line, I found myself doing signage jobs all over the city for all different brands. My portfolio grew with my clientele. Another turning point in my career was when I landed in Le Pain Quotidien. ‘LPQ’, Another leader in fresh artisan food-to-go in the city. I was invited again to refresh all London restaurants and update their chalkboard signage seasonally across more than 35 bakery/restaurants, but this time in London Paris & Belgium! Mad. I was overjoyed and proud to have that experience of travelling abroad for work and hopping around Other beautiful cities. It was with the Le Pain Quotidien brand I was requested to do more elaborate colourful pieces on windows which subtly pushed me out of my comfort zone into creating my artwork on a larger scale, whilst keeping the designs considerate to their current brand values.
A cool head,
Along with some juicy paint pens, plus a couple of flat whites is all I needed to find bliss at work. That’s when I realised I’m on a decent path for my own mental health. I’ve found an enjoyable sustainable career that drives my ambitions. Now my priority is to keep it fun. Keep it new and evolve as a creator, be clearer with my own values. The only way is up and the opportunities are endless when you realise the potential in Art and also, in yourself. I hope to create Larger and more personal work in the future. More cool projects, I would als0 love to do some teaching, Community and charitable projects. The opportunities are endless.
A story of natural progression
Half a decade of work. I am proud of this vast gallery. For me, it tells many stories. Check out my website, leave me a comment and thanks so much for reading. I hope to bring you many more stories and tips.
And massive thanks to my long term client friends for hiring me over the years. Also to my Owl for helping me create this Website. Woot woot
See you soon. Sam.
