Mr. Plywood Stands Proud Again: Recreating a Portland Icon
Kirsten Bauer and Alina Radetsky collaborate to replace a celebrity sign of 60 years' standing.
Last year, Kirsten Bauer shared a project via her newsletter that brought a smile to my face. It was a collaboration with studio pal Alina Radetsky, and I invited them to tell the story of their work to recreate Portland's popular Mr. Plywood sign.
Mr. Plywood Stands Proud Again: Recreating a Portland Icon
The Mr. Plywood sign, an iconic and beloved landmark, has stood proudly in the Montavilla neighbourhood in Portland, Oregon, for decades. The caricature was designed by one of the founders of the locally owned Mr. Plywood lumber and building supply store, shortly after it opened in 1963. His unique character, made with three stacked sheets of plywood, has become a recognisable symbol of the business and, fittingly, the material it represents. His charming cartoonish appearance — customers often mistakenly refer to him as a pig — has etched him into the memories of Portlanders for decades.
The sign's authentic 1990s replacement had weathered the Pacific Northwest elements remarkably well over the years, largely due to the durability of MDO (medium-density overlay) plywood. (Mr. Plywood is one of the few lumber stores in Portland to stock MDO — making it a favourite stop of most local sign painters!) However, it was starting to show its age.
When Tom Jardine, a collector passionate about preserving eye-catching local relics, sought to acquire the ageing sign, he presented Mr. Plywood’s owner Bret Brantner with a unique proposition: he would keep the original, while taking care of the process to replace it, to include its removal, hiring sign painters to faithfully replicate it on new panels, and installing the new sign. It took some convincing, and a few reminders, but Bret finally agreed, and in March 2023, Tom began the process of removing the old sign.
We were forwarded Tom’s email request from another sign painter in town who couldn't take on the project, and the opportunity to recreate it was too compelling for us to pass up! We had been sharing a studio space and assisting each other with smaller projects for a while, but this seemed like the perfect opportunity to team up and take on a larger job. Having the support of another sign painter to bounce ideas off was invaluable as we navigated the process. We were excited but also justifiably apprehensive about replicating something so ingrained in Portland’s visual history.
Tom saw the faded sign as a sort of 'crown jewel' in his collection, but he also sought to preserve its original legacy by recreating the new sign as faithfully to the original as possible. It was therefore a project that demanded both precision and reverence for the original work.
We worked closely with Tom, who provided the cut and primed MDO plywood as well as a space to paint at his warehouse. We traced the original design and made paper patterns. We then brought Mr. Plywood back to life by hand-painting with enamel paints and painstakingly colour matching the original hues — a difficult task, seeing as the old sign was so faded in areas!
Mr. Plywood Snr. settling into retirement as details on his successor are finessed by All Good Signs' Alina Radetsky before reaching the half-way point.
The challenge lay in balancing the historical accuracy of the original with the need to create a fresh, high-gloss version of the sign. There were no modern shortcuts or digital tools involved, just the careful application of time-honoured methods.
"Where's my pencil?" asks Mr. Plywood, to which Kirsten Bauer replies, "Hold tight, it'll be back behind your ear as soon as this paint has cured".
Seeing the ease of the brushstrokes on the faded paint made us appreciate the craftsmanship of the original sign painters. There was a real joy in tracing the old sign’s lines, capturing not only its visual impact but the personality and texture of the hand-painted work.
Once the new sign was complete, Tom and his brother handled the installation, ensuring it was put in place with the same care as the original.
"I'm going up in the world!" But team Mr. Plywood still have a few touch-ups to do before coming back down to earth.
For all of us involved, this project was more than just painting a sign. It was about honouring a piece of Portland’s visual culture, while respecting the craftsmanship of those who came before us. We felt incredibly fortunate to play a part in preserving this little bit of Portland’s history for future generations to enjoy.
Written by Kirsten Bauer and Alina Radetsky
It's job done for Alina Radetsky, Tom Jardine, and Kirsten Bauer, but there's still time for a little surprise for Mr. Plywood owner Bret Brantner.
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