Who We Are
Handsome Hand Signs was founded in 2015 by Heidi Tullmann after seven years of painting adventures throughout North and Central America. Now based in downtown Port Townsend WA, the Handsome Hand studio turns out high quality work made the traditional way: with a pencil, paint and a brush. The work intends to bridge past and future in a fresh and graceful way.
Heidi studied calligraphy and Roman lettering at Mystic Blue Signs in New Orleans LA. When she inquired about an apprenticeship, her teacher encouraged her to continue on her own. Aside from a handful of classes and workshops, her skill was honed from constant observance of signs in her surroundings, or “street study”.
Heidi lives with her partner and child in Port Townsend. She enjoys creating non-commercial art and is currently honing a medicinal art practice called Talisman Sessions.
What Moves Us
Every place has its own sign vernacular, at one point in time or another. As Heidi traveled through nearly every part of the country, she observed and absorbed a wide array of styles and techniques. She experienced why hand-painted signs are so special, and how they directly enrich communities, even long after a businesses has shuttered.
Hand-Painted signs blur the lines between advertising and public art. The subtle inconsistencies of each hand painted letter offer relief to the part of our brain that is dulled from digital perfectionism. The brush strokes are evidence of human touch, without which we would wither. The intentional design, rich colors, and clean lines tell a visual story that will never exist in a vinyl sign.
Towns and businesses that invest in quality hand-painted signs are rewarded with immeasurable warmth and charm, while preserving a time-honored craft.
What Our Clients Say
“Heidi painted a sign for my soap company. She is such a talented artist! She helped me pick the design and colors and I couldn't have been happier. The classic artistry lends a true authentic touch to my sign that I feel proud to use to represent my business.”
-Sarah, Goldie’s Natural Beauty
“I could not be happier with the results! Heidi did an outstanding job working with me to select just the right style, and she got to work quickly and has now produced a number of signs for different uses in my business, along with the large signs on the windows and doors. Her work is very professional, her prices are fair and just, and she is a joy to work with.”
-Eric, Grain Street Bakery
“Sólo wouldn’t be the same without the creative touch of Heidi’s intentional signs sprinkled about the cafe. I have always trusted her vision and given her complete creative control. I am always blown away whether it's a new version of the same sign or a completely new concept shows up, revealing her development and growth as an artist.”
-Lauren, Sólo Espresso
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MOSTLY TRUE: A chronicle of modern-day hobos, rail workers, and a forgotten outsider subculture. Obscure railroad nostalgia, freight-riding stories, interviews with hobos and boxcar artists, historical oddities, and tons of photos of modern-day boxcar tags are all presented in the guise of a vintage rail fanzine. The book spotlights beloved railroad artists Matokie Slaughter (Margaret Kilgallen), Colossus of Roads (Russell Butler), Herby (Herbert Meyer), Mind Detergent (Big Will), Twist (Barry McGee), and others, including an interview with itinerant sign painter Heidi Tullmann. [interview circa 2017]