Mystic Blue Signs opened on Magazine Street in 1997, but we have been specializing in hand lettering and illustration since 1973. New Orleans has such inspiring architecture and history that it's a natural location for a hand-painted sign shop. We use traditional methods and materials and we draw everything by hand, from logos to lettering to illustration.
Since 2003, Mystic Blue has hosted regular art shows in our gallery, featuring local artists. We sell prints, paintings, posters, signs, stained-glass, jewelry and objets d'art made by our artists. Yvette was interviewed for All Things New Orleans (a WWNO radio talkshow) by Joe Shriner on various subjects concerning sign painting and hand lettering in New Orleans.
Since 2003, Mystic Blue has hosted regular art shows in our gallery, featuring local artists. We sell prints, paintings, posters, signs, stained-glass, jewelry and objets d'art made by our artists. Yvette was interviewed for All Things New Orleans (a WWNO radio talkshow) by Joe Shriner on various subjects concerning sign painting and hand lettering in New Orleans.
Services
The signs we make at Mystic Blue Signs reflect a sophisticated community with a strong sense of its own tradition. Customers usually ask us to create the designs, and we have revived lost traditions like curled metal and turn-of-the-19th century styles to express the diverse flavors of the New Orleans area.
Mystic Blue artists do not use clip art, though we are familiar with the techniques used by the great advertising artists of previous eras. We like to create characters, which come to life in cut-out forms as hanging signs or sidewalk mascots. Mr. Apple and the Sno-Shak toucan are drawn in the graphic style with bold flat areas of color.
Traditional flat black with gold leaf or metallic gold paint, intricate metal shapes are a specialty in our shop. We also make metal cans and custom metal letter designs for original logotypes. Metal letters can have welded mounting hardware for raised installation on buildings; they can also be attached to sign panels.
Painted metal signs have a long-standing role in commercial sign history, a versatile medium for bakeries to breweries. We use sheet metal, aluminum, brass, with a variety of patinas available for effects.
Twenty-five years ago Mystic Blue Signs revived the 19th-century tradition of shield-shaped metal signs with curled-up corners, popular for jewelers and watchmakers, but suitable for almost any business that wants to blend with the wrought-iron character of our neighborhoods.
Twenty-five years ago Mystic Blue Signs revived the 19th-century tradition of shield-shaped metal signs with curled-up corners, popular for jewelers and watchmakers, but suitable for almost any business that wants to blend with the wrought-iron character of our neighborhoods.
The signs we make at Mystic Blue Signs reflect a sophisticated community with a strong sense of its own tradition. We are striving to keep alive the wonderful artcraft of window lettering or splash which was the goto request by restaurants, retail stores, and car dealerships to announce their sales or products creatively.
Reviews (10)
Sarah T.
Nov 25, 2019
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Sol O.
Jan 17, 2019
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We stumbled into this place on accident while it started to rain really hard. I'm happy we did because I had a blast looking at various vintage prints. The store is divided into sections. In the front there are prints divided by artist/era/location/style/etc. On the walls there are jewelry and in the back are the actual signs.
I ended up buying my mother-in-law a really pretty print of a vintage New Orleans coffee ad. I bought myself a Josephine Baker print. The owner was very friendly and answered all of our questions, even giving us a little bit of background behind some of the particular
I ended up buying my mother-in-law a really pretty print of a vintage New Orleans coffee ad. I bought myself a Josephine Baker print. The owner was very friendly and answered all of our questions, even giving us a little bit of background behind some of the particular
Jeanne Monet
Oct 09, 2018
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Sheryl M.
Dec 16, 2015
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I just opened a small business in New Orleans and hired Mystic Blue to hand paint my sign. They were extremely knowledgable about the city regulations around sign size etc. I just picked up my sign last week and it looks absolutely amazing. It seems only fitting to have a real piece of art like this welcoming people to my business! Great people, great product, great service!
Cassie C.
Aug 22, 2015
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David T.
Aug 16, 2015
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Dre A.
Aug 15, 2015
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Live around the corner and the intriguing signs in the window have been beckoning me to come in and check out the shop. One sign was of particular interest and despite the store's odd hours, I made it my mission to make it to Mystic Blue and make it mine! Sadly, it wasnt meant to be. I was the only customer in the store on a Saturday afternoon and less than 10 feet away from two employees sitting behind the counter. Neither acknowledged my presence with even a simple hello during the 15 minutes I spent in the store. I even spied my beloved, much lusted after sign! Alas, I could not bring myself
C. H.
Jul 17, 2015
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This place is one of a kind. All hand-painted, hand-drawn letters. They make custom signs here (the portfolio shows signs all over New Orleans), and there's also a TON of stuff in the front part of the shop, with small signs, prints, posters and other art/jewelry for sale. They also sometimes teach various lettering classes in the evenings.
I go here frequently and absolutely love it. For the record, I had to inquire about the one bad review, and Eve's side of the story is quite different. No need to get into details here, but I don't think it's fair that one person on an
I go here frequently and absolutely love it. For the record, I had to inquire about the one bad review, and Eve's side of the story is quite different. No need to get into details here, but I don't think it's fair that one person on an
Dietrich B.
Dec 10, 2012
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Phil R.
Sep 30, 2012
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We wondered in here after a walking tour of the Garden District. I am a huge fan of lettering and when I saw this was a shop that did nothing but old school, New Orleans style signage (gilded lettering, hand done flourishes, and what appeared to be a fanatical devotion to hand drawn type) I dragged Heather inside.
The shop is cute and has tons of work in progress. It is like a miniature museum of New Orleans advertising art : apparently these folks also restore a lot of signs that weather and age have not been particularly kind to. We wandered around for a bit and struck up a conversation with
The shop is cute and has tons of work in progress. It is like a miniature museum of New Orleans advertising art : apparently these folks also restore a lot of signs that weather and age have not been particularly kind to. We wandered around for a bit and struck up a conversation with
