I thought this certificate from Lemon House Farm was too cute not to share. I drank too much at an axe throwing event and sponsored a senior chicken for my husband after seeing a late-night marketing email.
Flurffy is a 4-year-old Black Cochin hen. She is retired to the leisure coop at Lemon House Farm in Burtonsville, Maryland. Welcome to the family (symbolically), Flurffy.
I designed Lemon House Farm’s logo for owners Meredith and Guy in 2021. Meredith posts the most amazing pictures of the chickens and their multicolored eggs. If you are like me, you didn’t know that eggs come in colors other than white and brown. See cute chicken pics and browse the farm’s products on Instagram and Facebook.
It has been a while since I blogged anything (I blame COVID). But, I swear I am going to start adding my infographics from NOAA Fisheries to the site.
Here is one that I finished recently, ‘Ocean Acidification and Aquaculture.’ It will be used in an upcoming report about the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on marine aquaculture.
“Ocean Acidification and Aquaculture,” a report infographic.
I drew these fish illustrations for work and was really excited to use them. But, we ended up not needing two very specific fish illustrations. So now these fish will enjoy freedom on my blog.
Illustration of Atlantic Salmon.Illustration of Black Cod Sablefish.
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.
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.
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.
I recently hosted my very first Second Saturday workshop, Draw Like Keith Haring, at Art Enables in Washington, DC. Art Enables is a gallery and vocational arts program dedicated to creating opportunities for artists with disabilities to make, market, and earn income from their original artwork. Learn more about the workshop.
An art teacher friend of mine gave me the excellent idea of creating Keith Haring-style stencils for participants to trace. The simplicity and affordability of this activity make it perfect for artists of all ages and skill levels.
Getting Started To create my stencils, I drew various arms, legs, heads, and torsos on brightly colored cardstock paper. For added variety, I made several Haring-style dog, cat, mouse, and person heads. After cutting out the many pieces, I used metal brads (from Amazon) to assemble my stencils. Each stencil was approximately 10″ tall after assembly.
Workshop Setup I stocked each table at the workshop with the following:
Let’s Make Some Art As guests arrived for the workshop, I showed each of them the instructional PDF and went over the process. Each participant followed these steps to create their own Keith Haring masterpiece:
Recently I finished painting this special watercolor of a Marguerite Daisy. The Marguerite is the official flower of P.E.O. International (Philanthropic Education Organization). The official P.E.O. slogan is, “Women helping women reach for the stars.”
Three years ago, a Maryland chapter of P.E.O. awarded me a grant so I could pay for books during graduate school. Even though my employer was covering tuition, money was too tight for me to cover the remaining fees and overpriced college textbooks.
Although I felt embarrassed applying for a grant when I already had a full-tuition rebate, it was no time to be shy. I was still swimming in undergraduate debt plus the crippling general expenses of being a live human in her 20s. Because I worked in the education field at the time, a master’s degree appeared to be a life raft to higher income status. With dreams of someday being able to afford adulthood, I quit waffling and applied.
The P.E.O. members that I met were very kind and understanding. They saw a young woman making ends meet, but who still needed a boost. I was very clear to mention that I just needed some help with books and fees. The grant they gave me was enough to cover books and fees for the remainder of my schooling.
After I graduated with my M.S. in Marketing Management, I was invited to become a member of the local chapter that funded my grant. We meet regularly and work together to find ways that we can support other women. When we award a new grant or scholarship to a deserving woman, I feel like we are helping her reach the stratosphere!
At a luncheon later this month, we will raffle off my painting and the proceeds will fund our grants and scholarships for women. It feels good to give back in some kind of way, since P.E.O. generously offered me a hand when I was struggling financially. When you’re facing hard times with money and someone lifts that burden for you, the feeling is indescribable.
My dream is that someday, community colleges and public universities will be tuition-free to attend… or at least accurately price-adjusted based on merit and/or financial need (we all know the FAFSA is complete B.S.). I think there are a lot of hardworking people out there who are experiencing pushback when what they should be receiving is the support to complete their degree.
I hope we sell enough raffle tickets to give a generous scholarship to a fellow hardworking woman. I will feel so proud!
Yes… I know Marguerite Daisies are white, but I took some artistic liberties.
Randie Hovatter 