My friend Susan requested a new piece of art for her birthday on February 12. She sent me some ideas and I chose to replicate this painting by Etsy seller Mincing Mockingbird.
I painted this using acrylics on a 5×5″ block of wood. After the paint dried, I tacked the strips of text in place with a glue stick and clear-coated the entire block.
Now I just need to make one for myself…
Happy Halloween! This year, my boyfriend Marc carved a masterpiece: the “Frank-Einstein” pattern from Symmetry Magazine. I decided to take the easy route and carve a bat, but I did help with Frank-Einstein’s hair.
The pumpkins are so beautiful that we don’t even want to put them outside for the squirrels to feast on.
I recently took a three-session watercolor painting class at CREATE Arts Center with my boyfriend Marc and our friend Matt. The class was led by Sulay Khin, a very talented watercolorist and alumna of the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). The lessons were pretty advanced but we had a good time. I also liked that the class was affordable.
My only suggestion would be to spend less time on the initial drawings so we can get right down to painting. We sketched our flowers from real-life artificial ones, which is a lot more challenging than drawing or tracing from a photo. Just my thoughts!
Blackbeard the Bearded Dragon has some stuck shed and was instructed by his veterinarian to get a good scrub. I used lukewarm distilled water with a few drops of Shed-Ease and a baby toothbrush to help him out.
If you know why my screen transitions are square when my video is rectangular, please do let me know.
I am very pleased to share this Spanish-English insect guide that I collaborated on with Crossroads Community Food Network. Based in Takoma Park, Maryland, Crossroads strengthens our local food system by providing resources to those who grow, prepare, and eat fresh produce (i.e. all humans ever).
This bilingual guidebook provides important safety information about the management of pest insects, as well as an overview of beneficial insects. My favorite quality of this book is that it will help facilitate effective communication between English- and Spanish-speakers who work in agriculture. I love opening the lines of communication!
It was satisfying to learn in detail about the various pests and beneficial insects as I created the page layouts and illustrations. In the acknowledgments, you will see a gamut of talented people who contributed their agricultural expertise to this book. As an avid gardener, I was grateful for the chance to absorb their knowledge. The final product was printed in a practical fashion with a spiral binding and waterproof cover–it is meant to be out in the field with you!
Designing projects that have a positive social impact is very meaningful to me. I hope that this book will help strengthen working relationships and build inclusivity for farmers all over Maryland.
I want to thank Crossroads for hiring me to help create such a unique and worthwhile book. If you visit their weekly farmer’s market, be sure to pick up a copy.
Flip through the digital copy above, or download a PDF version.
Brianna and Michael are excellent swing dancing instructors. My boyfriend and I look forward every week to our Intermediate class. I’m new to dancing, but last fall we enjoyed the Beginner class so much that we took it twice!
I designed this flyer and social media image to help promote their beginner and intermediate-level classes. They also do private lessons. You can get started by liking their Facebook page and checking out their class schedule with GottaSwing.
I can’t believe it has been over a year since I left the University of Maryland and started working at APS Physics. Here’s a #TBT in the form of a video I made for the University’s Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA).
Some IAA alumni formed a program called The First Green, an environmental and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education outreach program that utilizes golf courses as learning labs.
This short snippet was one of my very last projects for the IAA. I really had a blast filming at Westminster National Golf Course that day and felt like I was on the field trip too! The students learned about soil science, water conservation, and plant identification, among many other topics. We even had time to practice some putting.
People, there is more to turfgrass than you or I know.
If you are heading to the big community yard sale on April 27 at the Marietta House Museum in Glenn Dale, Maryland, my chapter of P.E.O. International will be there! We are selling various items, and every dollar earned at our table will benefit scholarships for local women in Prince George’s County.
Marietta Spring Yard Sale
Saturday, April 27, 2019 | 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
5626 Bell Station Road, Glenn Dale, MD 20769
I used Adobe Illustrator to draw a cute owl holding a cup of coffee, which my fellow chapter member Kathy printed on tote bags for us to sell!
In addition to the owl tote bags, I painted some 3×3″ moon paintings on mini easels. Love those tiny easels! My chapter mates will decide on pricing because I don’t need that kind of pressure in my life.
The yard sale is adjacent to the Glenn Dale Farmers Market so you can pick up some additional treasures.
My boyfriend’s mom asked if I could draw an eagle carrying a set of scales to promote a social gathering for legal professionals. I like it when people give me unique ideas for things I wouldn’t usually draw.
As a side note, I discovered that there is a white gel pen product that does not suck. This thing draws over Sharpie and colored pencil. I used it to draw the Ruth Bader Ginsburg collar on my eagle. Here is your link to THE Uni-Ball UM 153 Signo Broad Point Gel Pen.
I’m not really what they call a professional reviewer. I receive no compensation other than the joy of giving good reviews for my fave art supplies.
Randie Hovatter 