Signboards are fast disappearing in Nepal, being replaced by the generic signs that have already taken over in the rest of the world. I became interested in these Beware of Dog signs painted on metal in the late 80's but it only became an obsession when I realized that they were disappearing (being replaced by a stenciled sign). In 2007, I decided to try to find people that would want their pets immortalized on metal by Nepali signboard artists. It worked! Soon people would send me a photo of their pet and I would give it to 3 signboard artists in Nepal, overpaying the artists and getting fantastic work from them. I have commissioned over 1500 portraits to date, now travel to Nepal twice a year to make more (a 30-hour commute each way), have written over 360 posts on the fair trade art project on my Danger Dog Blog, and have made many more people who are obsessed with their pets happy as well as helping the ... Read >

Signboards are fast disappearing in Nepal, being replaced by the generic signs that have already taken over in the rest of the world. I became interested in these Beware of Dog signs painted on metal in the late 80's but it only became an obsession when I realized that they were disappearing (being replaced by a stenciled sign). In 2007, I decided to try to find people that would want their pets immortalized on metal by Nepali signboard artists. It worked! Soon people would send me a photo of their pet and I would give it to 3 signboard artists in Nepal, overpaying the artists and getting fantastic work from them. I have commissioned over 1500 portraits to date, now travel to Nepal twice a year to make more (a 30-hour commute each way), have written over 360 posts on the fair trade art project on my Danger Dog Blog, and have made many more people who are obsessed with their pets happy as well as helping the children of the Nepali artists go to school. In my former life, I was an assistant film editor on films from Bob Altman's The Player to the Spider-Man trilogy. Using my organizational skills from this previous job, and my enthusiasm from this new obsession I have placed these signboards in museum shops, retail stores and art galleries. Micro-finance through art patronage has become a motto. I give the artists a rod rather than fish. Show Less <