A sign-painting business ran by a husband and wife is ‘thriving’ due to it being the only business of its kind throughout the Isle of Man.

‘Sneaky Weasel’ is ran by Ealish and Charles Hunt, and specialises in hand-painted lettering, gold leaf gilding for a variety of surfaces, and mural art.

The business has painted for a variety of projects, including shop fronts, personalised house signs and unique hand painted gifts, while it also specialises in design and hand drawn lettering.

Talking about the demand for sign-painting in the island, Ealish said: ‘We find there is a big demand - we’re the only traditional sign painting business in the island, and we constantly get enquiries for all sorts of jobs.

‘We do a lot of painting for the Isle of Man Railways and Manx Electric Railways, as well as working for a lot of small businesses.

‘Although sign painting isn’t always the cheapest option for signage, in comparison to vinyl lettering, there is no question on quality.

‘It’s more environmentally friendly, and the results not only last much longer than vinyl but also age over time rather than just peeling off a building.

‘The end result is always more bespoke and has been created with love and care - we put so much effort and time in to all of our projects, which I think is why we keep up with a constant stream of work.’

Ealish and Charles met when we were both living in Leeds, with Ealish studying her degree in printed textiles and surface pattern design at Leeds College of Art while Charles studied graphic arts at Leeds Beckett University.

In 2016, the pair began working for a Leeds based events company, where they painted sets and building props for a variety of events including festivals and fashion shows.

When the couple moved to the Isle of Man in 2017, they set up Sneaky Weasel and quickly began to work on commissions.

Talking about what her favourite piece of work has been up to now, Ealish said: ‘I would say my favourite job so far has been the mural I painted in one of the Mooragh Park shelters last summer - I got to combine my love of pattern and colour with hand painted lettering.’

One of Sneaky Weasel’s biggest commissions to date was the painting and refurbishment of the Silverdale horse carousel, which was funded by the Isle of Man Arts Council.

This work was then featured on one of the Arts Councils’ stamps to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

‘It was a really proud moment for us, and it’s great to see our hard work celebrated in this way,’ Ealish added.

‘Sign painting is a craft that is time consuming by nature - I love having the time in my workshop to slow down and paint, and I find it really therapeutic.’

To find out more about Sneaky Weasel and the work they do, you can visit their Facebook page or email [email protected]