Tattoo shops have a long history of elaborate and decorative signage. After nearly a decade of our settling in, The Honorable Society had the distinct pleasure of working with a true master of their craft, Phil Jarvis. For the uninitiated, Phil has been a staple of hand painted signs for over 40 years. The last of the old guard, he started his apprenticeship just before mass adoption of inexpensive, disposable vinyl signs. His work can be seen all over the world, providing a welcome to the patrons of barbers, breweries, tattoo shops and even a few aristocrats.
In 2017 we invited Phil to hop a plane from St Louis to sunny Los Angeles, with his tools in tow. It was time for THS to up its sign game. With nothing more than a rough sketch on a napkin, a few books of gold leaf and a can of 1 shot, that’s exactly what he did for us.
After a week of impressive attention to detail, we were left with an absolute masterpiece. Not just that, we were now part of an impressive circle, its’ members fortunate enough to have their windows graced by Phil Jarvis. And with that, The Honorable Society enjoys custom gold leaf, commensurate with the best tattoo shop in West Hollywood.
Check out Phil’s modern art and amazing portfolio of custom sign work.
@PhilJarvis on Instagram or his website PhilJarvisPainting.com
Photography from Bob Beresh
