Cucumber Days

It's mid-July and I'm elbow deep in cucumbers; they're filling the drawers in my fridge and many more continue to sprout off the vine everyday. They never stop - but they're so good. 

Picklers are the favorite around here, but I've never actually pickled. Anyone want to teach me?

Simple, delicious cucumber salad: cukes + feta + mint + dill + salt + lemon juice + olive oil. Although I'm thinking of trying something more advanced. 

The cuke abundance is welcomed as deep summer humidity is bearing down upon us; lately I don't want to eat anything but cold cucumbers anyhow. Keep them coming, and getting anxious for ripe tomatoes to join them soon!

Brimfield in July

I am a Brimfield junky. Three times a year, I make the pilgrimage eastward down Route 20 in search of treasure among the fields strewn with tents and tables. It's like being transported to a Turkish bazaar full of exotic trinkets and wares, where cash is king and you'd better be able to barter, trade, and haggle. How lucky are we to have the world's largest antique fair in our own backyard?

July's spread was nothing short of stunning, despite grumbles from dealers and buyers alike around the monsoonish weather earlier in the week. We lucked out Saturday morning, with nothing but overcast skies keeping the heat and humidity at bay until noon - probably my first July Brimfield that required a sweatshirt. 

I was on the hunt for TLR film cameras, and saw plenty of oddities and glimpses of beauty in between:

Oriental rugs. My weakness. Although Brimfield prices intimidate me - I've never purchased one in the fields, although there are many.

No shortage of natural curiosities.

A handsome canoe Jake was drooling over. 

Antique maps had me drooling.

The most colorful vintage banner display I'd ever seen!

The Mahogany Ridge Fashion Tent is the absolute jackpot for vintage clothing. I tried on a fringed denim jacket and completely regret walking away. 

Most importantly, I tracked down a few TLRs that were in good shape, and bought not one, but three! Actually, the little Argus guy was thrown in for a deal on the Ikoflex Favorit. I'm looking forward to playing with them on a few trips planned for August. For now, I'm absorbing the instruction manuals and 120mm film is in the mail. In the meantime, it's more than enough fun to just take iPhone photos of the viewfinder. 

Looking forward to the September show! P.S., if you're Brim curious, pick up this awesome book that I'm reading now and learning a lot about what goes on behind the scenes. 

Logo Design: The Rooster Film Festival

The Rooster Film Festival is a new initiative in Newtown, CT organized by local film enthusiasits in celebration of independent cinema, local creativity, and community fun. They were in need of a little branding to get their name out there and spark some excitement around the event, and asked me to create a logo that puts the town's mascot behind the lens:

I'm glad they went with this option, but was a bit partial to a certain "chicken butt" concept I created as an afterthought. Here are some alternate options: 

The Rooster Film Festival will be held October 20 at the Edmond Town Hall in Newtown. Until then, they are looking for submissions! Click here for more info. Wishing The Rooster Film Festival the best of luck as they set the stage for what is sure to become a local favorite for years to come.

Wildflowers

I've had a lot of daydreams around planting a cut-flower garden on the farm, drawing inspiration from some incredible flower farms like this one and this one. While a busy spring went by too quickly and left any potential flower beds untilled, summer has not been without blossoms. 

There's an uncut grove on the outskirts of the farm bursting with wildflowers right now, and I've been cutting bouquets and satisfying my flower garden dreams that way. Plus you can't beat their natural, uncultivated beauty. 

They're brightening up several corners of my home, reminding me that those flower bed dreams must be realized next spring. 

Summer Storms

The latter part of June has been filled with dramatic afternoon thunderstorms and vivid sunsets. Last night, building purple clouds brought sheets of rain and blowing winds, which soon gave way to gaps of luminous sunbeams, hail, more rain, and rolling thunder. The colors and transitions and textures were surreal, and I tried to paint a little, taking advantage of a quiet evening at home.

A Trip to Umpachene Falls

When it starts to heat up down in the Valley, as it does at the end of June, that means it's time to head for the hills. The Berkshires, that is.

Jake and I made a Sunday trip to Great Barrington and my favorite summer spot, Umpachene Falls. I love the Pioneer Valley, but whenever I head a little further west, I dream of my own little getaway tucked under Mount Greylock or along the Housatonic. The air is fresher out there, the greens deeper, and the woods thicker. 

Umpachene Falls in New Marlborough is what I've long claimed to be my "secret swimming hole", but it is hardly mine and hardly secret. It is quiet though, only very busy on the most oppressive days of deep August. Cascading tiers of smooth (but impossibly not slippery) rocks empty crystal waters into a natural pool, just deep enough to submerge and cool down in. A dome of pine trees towering above make it feel private; a summer oasis.

After a swim that was not nearly as cold as we thought it might be in mere June sunshine, we went into Great Barrington for lunch and strolling. I don't visit Great Barrington nearly enough. We enjoyed pressed sandwiches at Rubiner's Cheesemongers (He a tuna melt and I a comtè and ham) and then of course stopped for ice cream at SoCo Creamery (a scoop of blueberry-honey-lavender, a scoop of ginger). We wandered in and out of shops carefully considering blankets and walnut tables and local framed art, but I only bought a lovely yellow stoneware cookie jar from Farm & Home. 

We headed back East and watched the temperature rise again, and took a too-warm afternoon nap before dinner. It feels like summer alright. 

Harvest at the Summer Solstice

Days like yesterday are rare - and it was the summer solstice no less. Gentle sunshine, June-blue skies, warm breeze, and downy clouds with golden glow. The hay field swayed in celebration and crickets sang as the sun set. It was the longest day of the year, and call me greedy, but I wanted even more. 

The harvest is urging towards summer too. May and June have offered the freshest, crispiest, greenest salads, and will soon give way to more substantial bounties that beg the broadest of sauté pans. 

Lots of spicy pink radishes and lettuce in every shade of green. Is there any better color combination? (up for debate).

Cauliflower and broccoli are beginning to make an appearance. Cauliflower always remind me of Lucien in my favorite movie, Amelie - "Shhh! Il dort dans le chou-fleur!"

Tomatoes have a ways to go, but they are growing into their cages. 

Every night!

Logo Design: Belchertown Farmers Market

The Belchertown Farmers Market is a fixture on the Belchertown Commons on Sundays during the summertime. To kick off their 2016 season, they wanted to rebrand and start the year with a new eye-catching logo. Here's the final design they chose:

The simplicity of the layout makes this logo ideal for applying to a variety of signage, market bags, t-shirts, and more. They wanted a rustic, vintage feel as well and were pleased with the way the tomato, banner, and neutral colors achieved that.

Just for fun, here are some of the other options we presented them with:

I'm pleased with the direction they chose and look forward to seeing it on display at their first market of the season on June 19th!

Logo Concepts: The Ashfield Farmers Market

It was opening weekend for a few of the big outdoor farmers markets in the area, and plenty of others will be swift to follow as April eases into warmer temperatures and gives way to sunny May. The Ashfield Farmers Market, a seasonal Saturday Market held on the Ashfield Town Commons, wanted a fresh look to start their season. I put together a few logo concepts for their consideration:

The blackberry theme was carried over from their old logo and refreshed, treated a little differently in each version. I also got out my brush pen for this one; the calligraphic hand lettering gives the logo a handmade, personal feel.

I'm eager to see which direction they choose to kick their 2016 market season off with!

Sowing the Seeds

Welcome to The Homegrown Studio! This is a new endeavor inspired by the rich history of farming in New England, and the incredible revitalization it is experiencing all over the country but particularly in my home of Western Massachusetts. The developments, stories, images, and food I witness coming out of this agricultural revolution are nothing short of inspiring, and it was time I got involved.

The Homegrown Studio is a concept I've been shaping in my mind for a while now. I knew combining my love for agriculture with my skills in graphic design, art, and marketing would be a dream career, and although it took time to identify the best way to execute, I am now pleased to present The Homegrown Studio as a marriage of my passions; a creative marketing studio with the mission of helping farmers and craftsmen tell their stories and reap the benefits.

I am eager to put my work out there for the agricultural community to consider, and start better getting to know many of you and your businesses. You'll see on the About page that there are a range of ways The Homegrown Studio can help tell your story and promote your business, whether it's through graphic design, photography, illustration, or public relations. Maybe you could use a re-imagined logo, a brochure describing the benefits of your CSA program, a label for your honey jars, or a colorful sign to bring to the farmer's market.

So please have a look around the site and let me know what you think; I hope my handmade, homegrown creative work inspires in you a fraction of what your work inspires in me every time I shop at a local farmer's market, visit a farm stand, or eat at a farm-to-table restaurant. Thank you!