After years of apprenticeship with local craftsmen, sign maker Ryan Solomons opened his own business, Geometric Signs and Design, at 375 Springtown Road in New Paltz. (Photo by Lauren Thomas)

As a native of Highland and New Paltz, Ryan Solomons must go through a long internal and external journey before returning home with a clear idea and knowing that he wants to be a professional sign maker By. But now he is re-rooted where he started, and Geometric Signs and Design, the business he founded in 2019, is justifying himself.

The striking aluminum font "City Winery" on the towering brick chimney of a remodeled tannery in Montgomery, and the 7 x 17 foot mural with the word "Wine" on the old water tower at the same location are the most obvious examples. Solomon's recent work. "It's definitely an epic job," he said, and described how he had to use climbing harness ropes to complete the chimney work because the scaffolding didn't get him close enough to the brick surface of the concave structure.

But it was this challenging work that paid for one of the key equipment in his woodworking workshop: a huge CNC (computer numerical control) milling table that allowed him to carve out wood and metal with CAD/CAM software. Exquisite design. "It is a workhorse and my biggest teacher," Solomon said. "When I first got it, I didn't know how to use it. It was a one-year setup process."

Learning by doing has always been the style of this 30-year-old young man because he was a child and attended Mountain Laurel Waldorf School and Poughkeepsie Day School. In the early days, he honed his field survival skills in the Wild Earth project, and later put these skills into practice when traveling as a "weight-bearing longboarder" riding a skateboard. Whether it’s identifying mushrooms or making iron, whenever Solomon decides he wants to know how to do something, he will go to the place where it is done—Mexico, such as building adobe structures from local clay. In order to make his own skateboard, he learned from a woodworker in Rosendale, who taught him how to harvest all kinds of wood, and how to safely use machinery and joinery.

Solomon's learning curve also includes several years of formal school education at the Boston College of Art. He stayed in that city for a while, gained technical skills at the Boston Sign Center, and then transferred to other apprenticeships, including Signarama, Flag Graphics, and wallet designer.

Since returning to his mother's house on Springtown Road, he has continued to work with architect Rick Alfandre on sustainably sourced local wood. On the day of the visit of Hudson Valley One, a beautiful table made from the ashes of Alfandre's own land was ready to be picked up at the printing plant in the Solomon Islands. There is a Roland printer/plotter in the next room, which can print banners up to 56 inches wide and 200 feet long, and a laminating machine.

Solomons prefers to use natural materials and said that if they want a 3-D logo, he will guide his clients away from foam and turn to wood. His engraved signs are very exquisite, sometimes with gold leaf inlaid words. Local examples of his signage can be seen at Sweet Bakery and two pizzerias in New Paltz, Rino's and La Bella, and Bird Watcher's Country Store in Tilson. In his work at Rocking Horse Ranch, Highland, he recently blackened the windows of a building that was being converted into a laser tag arena. He learned enough masonry to make monumental signs, and he also designed signs, vehicle lettering, T-shirts and stolen goods.

What are the trends in the signage world these days? Neon, according to Solomon, he knew how to do this and learned glass blowing techniques in his usual hands-on way. "Melting the glass and injecting argon into it-it's a cool process, a super fun medium. It's all over the city in different clubs. It's so versatile; you can use it indoors and outdoors, and it will It produces cool lighting effects."

But banners are the main content of Geometric Signs and Design's daily business, where he was able to provide local non-profit organizations with drastically reduced prices. The mission of these non-profit organizations resonated with his personal spirit. During his cross-country trips, he spent some time in Stand Rock, observing the poverty and addiction problems that plagued indigenous communities. He was deeply impressed by the job creation work done by an organization called the United Veterans Construction Team in South Dakota, and he contributed his sign making skills to their efforts.

"I want to help indigenous people start businesses," he recalled. "I asked myself,'How can I support such a thing?' So, I'm helping local activists make banners, and the charge for each banner is as low as $10, because my heart is there. This is about the community. Change. People want to promote their business and are excited about it. I would rather let them relax and see the change." One of his most recent projects was to draw a beautiful logo for the Three Sisters Farm in Mengxi, Newton, New Jersey.

Although he has all the expertise in helping others to clearly establish his own brand, Solomon is not aggressive in promoting his relatively new business. "I don't know how I find customers, but I do. There is a lot of word of mouth," he said with a smile. "Most of my transactions are conducted through face-to-face meetings."

Once the business really takes off and he chooses a job, what does Solomons like to create most? "The one who challenged me the most, let me get out of my comfort zone," he answered without hesitation. "This is the best place to learn and grow. It keeps me alive."

Geometric Signs and Design is located at 375 Springtown Road in New Paltz. Ryan Solomons will host a family-friendly open house on Saturday, November 20 from 10 am to 3 pm, which will include pony rides and free stickers for children. To learn more about company services, please visit https://geometricsignsanddesign.com or www.facebook.com/geometricsigns, or call (845) 514-8702.

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