Growing up in Huntsville, Texas, Todd Sanders spent his childhood fascinated by the vintage neon signs he saw every day. Happily, that fascination followed him to adulthood. Sanders creates quirky, retro-looking metal signs, lights them up with neon, and weathers them to make them even cooler than the vintage signs which inspired them (which is saying quite a bit). His shop, Roadhouse Relics in Austin, Texas, serves as studio, workshop, and gallery where he makes and shows his amazing handmade creations. Incredibly, his entire process is computer free. He wanted to remain faithful to the techniques of the original neon signs of the last seventy years.

His design aesthetic is pretty quirky, and a large part of what makes his work so irresistible.

“The art I create is rustic and garish and over-the-top. These objects don’t harmonize nicely with others in their presence; they dominate. Energy courses through them, electrifying their surroundings as well. They’re like that guy at a party who dresses wildly and talks too loudly, but everyone in the room finds him utterly fascinating.” -Artist’s Statement

I want them all. Seriously. All of them. It’s a problem. At the very least, I’ll be making a stop there when I get around to visiting Austin. Can’t wait!

All photos are the property of Todd Sanders.