Our History, growth and development
The first of June 1989 I started to trade as Signo on the corner of Second Avenue and Kellner Street, subletting tiny premises from an Architect. The services I provided was the printing of building plans and the supply of architectural equipment such as drawing boards, pens, templates scale rulers etc.
As the business grew we occupied the rest of the building which we later bought. We also expanded into the supply fo commercial stationery and art material. Maria, my wife, joined the business in September 1994. With her love for art she grew the art side of the business to what it is today, one of the largest art shops in the Free State and Northern Cape.
After thirty one years we found more suitable premises at 23 General Dan Pienaar Drive, with private parking for our customers and soon thereafter the expansion to an online store followed.
We are a family run retail business with Allen managing the print room and admin and Maria runs the sales and buying.
At Signo we stock imported prime art products such as Fabriano, Lukas, Pan Pastel, Dynasty, Hahnemuhle, Sakura, Speedball, Ghaint, Sadipal, Cretacolor, Aristo, Isomars and Lana. We have a wide range of oil paints, acrylic paint, water colour paints and inks (Dala, Winsor and Newton, Daler Rowney, Iris, Daniel Smith and Lukas). The full range of brushes will satisfy the need of any artist. For sketching, drawing and rendering we have high quality colour pencils, pastels and charcoal supplied by Faber-Castell, Cretacolor, Derwent, Lyra, Tombow, Caran d’ache and Copic, in single colours and sets. Prime Art quality canvas frames and panels come in a full range of sizes which we stock. Our range of artist pads and papers is complete to accommodate all the above mediums.
Further, we have all the requirements for technical drawing and architecture as previously mentioned. We can also supply any office with their stationery needs.