All the fun of the fair

Growing up on travelling steam fairgrounds in the West Country has inspired signwriter, pinstriper and fairground artist Amy Goodwin

Playfully flamboyant, colourful and vibrant, few things are brighter than a tradition fairground – and for artist Amy Goodwin her upbringing in fairs has provided a lifetime of inspiration.

As a signwriter, pinstriper and fairground artist, Amy’s work is heavily influenced from growing up travelling steam fairgrounds in the West Country – the elaborate and visual typography, flamboyant colours and meticulous lines are reflected in the signs she creates, both to commission and for exhibitions.

“After growing up surrounded by its visuals, my work has focused on signwriting, lining and fairground art for the last ten years or so,” she explains. “My work has developed by learning from masters of the craft, by practising (and making mistakes!), by extensive research into old signs and by exploring through both my PhD and exhibited work the possibilities of telling stories through signwriting. It is governed by traditional methods: all my work is undertaken by hand, using no tape or digital methods.