Over the last couple of years, James Kilby of Koko Signs and Paint has been making a great contribution to helping us promote the barn and its events using his considerable artistic talents to create bright, memorable signs that really capture the spirit of the place. Below he tells us a little about himself, how he came to be a signwriter and why he enjoys working with the Tithe Barn Trust.

Hi. I am James, I’m 41 years old and based in Upwood in Cambridgeshire along with my wife Darlene and three grown children; a 22 year old daughter and two boys of 18 and 17. Before taking my arts more seriously my working life was as a welder and fabricator but I had always been into art and had very often done custom paintwork, whether it was with brush, airbrush or aerosol. I then found myself learning to tattoo and made my way into studios. While doing this I reconnected with an old friend from school who was working as a traditional sign writer and seeing his work inspired me to give this a go. Soon after starting I recalled my growing up and going to steam fairs and my love of canal boats and remember loving the vibrant paintwork for which I now had a much bigger appreciation for and loved the idea that I could do my bit in keeping an old trade alive, also knowing that there maybe signs of mine still around in years to come, and this is how Koko Signs and Paint came about.

There are two main pleasures from this work. One is having a happy smiling client as this shows me I’ve done well and given the client what they want; and two is when I get to see my work years later still going strong and this gives me a real sense of pride. The most challenging side of the work for me is the design process when I am given more free reign on the design; I often have so many ideas going through my head that I end up making it more difficult for myself to make the final decision. Developing my skills is the same as any job or hobby for anybody, I just keep practising or, as a saying I heard, ‘keep on keeping on’ which led to the abbreviation for my business – Koko. An aspect I love is the sheer variety of what I am asked to do. I can be doing a custom skateboard deck one day and restoring a village sign the next, designing motorcycle tank art or producing traditional-style canal art. Other than this it’s great to see others’ work and their design and work processes as there are always tips, tricks or even new products to try and see if it makes life easier.

It was during the midst of Covid when work was slow that I came across an advert seeking supporters for the Tithe Barn Trust and Landbeach tithe barn. I had a great chat and meeting with Gemma O’Shea (Trust Chair at the time) where it was decided that I could do something to help with their cause by producing attractive traditional-looking sign boards.

You can see more of my work for the Tithe Barn Trust and my other clients on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kokosignsandpaint/ . To contact me call 07707 168490 or email kokosigns@gmail.com .