I've been working at Whole Foods for about a year and a half now, but as of 4 months ago, I was fortunate enough to snatch up the position of Assistant Store Artist at the South Street location in Philadelphia. It's kind of stressful, and not as creative as it may seem, but I still have fun with it. Mostly, I handle printing and distribution of standard signage (i.e. produce signs, cheese signs, hot bar & chef case, name tags, etc.). It's really interesting to see how regional and global marketing distributes visuals to coincide with campaigns, and we have to apply it to our specific situation at the store. I'm partly responsible for the visual consistency of the store, so I'm thinking more about the layout of displays and their impact. The full time artist, Erin, has been doing this for way too long. She's a great resource and it's been a lot of fun picking her brain over stuff no one else needs to think about, like brands of chalk ink markers, sign clips, glitter, and laminating machines.
Occasionally I get to do some hand lettering and create some chalkboards for the store. Takes a good, smooth hand that I'm slowly achieving. These have to be done fairly quickly and efficiently; there's no use laboring over something that will be erased and replaced within a week or two. With any luck, there will be more of my work on the walls of South Street Whole Foods more frequently.
These were all done with chalk ink markers (like the kind you write on a car with). They handle like a Posca or DecoColor, but don't cover as well; drawing on glass is the hardest.
This one is by far my favorite.
Edit: I also get to make stupid little signs for the back of the house, involving things like toilets, time clocks, and water fountains. Here's two of 'em.
This one is by far my favorite.
