About Vern Fannin

SUMMER 2022

I love living, playing, and creating in the woods. You may have supported my Kickstarter back in 2017, bought an A is for Asparagoose book, know me from my time at Draw Botanical, The Hoot, or just randomly found my website (cool!).

I am currently on a journey of grief and growth, both from the obvious and close, familial grief of my mom’s passing, as well as the larger grief we all feel (from war, hate, environment destruction, [insert atrocity here], etc.). These overwhelming griefs fight me daily for control over my emotions. That survival, fight-or-flight instinct, constantly abuzz within me, is no environment for creative growth. In my recent releasing of old habits and thoughts that no longer serve me, I’ve begun to make space for learning and trying new things; I am reconnecting with nature and spirit, and a creative environment and inspiration are emerging.

That sadness is still there, but I am learning to try to shake hands with it and make something beautiful.

In the wake of the horrors of death, a dim light remains that glows a little bit brighter with each passing day; a reminder to stay present and seek authentic joys with wide eyes and an open mind. I hope to harness lessons from these feelings and create meaningful work under the umbrella of my new business, Earth Art Magic (all of my favorite things!).

I intend to create with these principles in mind:

​Earth: Working toward regenerative ‘scapes; clean air, water, and soil; and healthy food for all

​Art: Channeling energy into material artworks with ink, pencil, paints, digital media, and paper

​Magic: Inviting the mystical, spiritual, and aethereal into this realm through meditation, connection, and natural energies

For me (you, too?), grief + covid crisis = re-evaluating priorities. What really matters? How do you want to spend time in this body; here, now? How can we contribute to/with our communities in authentic ways that support our larger goals? This feels like the perfect season in my life to explore the growth I am experiencing and pour all of my time and energy into Earth, Art, and Magic.

I see meaningful work in the redefinition of “nature” to include humans as integral to the system. From soil microbes to snake venom, rose thorns to chipmunk paws, sea cucumbers to stalactites, eagle talons to human fingernails; everything touches everything else, and actions of one affect all. Lately, in an attempt to connect with nature and with my emotions, I have been exploring sacred geometry and patterns.

If you are interested in working with Vern,  please fill out this form.

MORE ABOUT VERN

I grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida, surrounded by Spanish moss and live oak trees. I loved to burrow into the shrubs and pretend I was in a faerie grotto. I spent a lot of quiet time alone, drawing. I thought one day I would draw for an animated feature film or make my living painting wall murals. My grandfather is an artist, and as a child, I loved observing him while he worked. What amazed me the most about his art was the way he would use unexpected colors (hot pink!) in his beautiful Florida landscapes. I avoided art training in school because I didn't think that I was very good at art, and I bought into the idea that it had to be secondary, or just a hobby. But finally in college, I went for it and had a wonderful art professor who encouraged me to find my voice.

In experiments with materials and themes,  I discovered that the art I enjoy making the most incorporates well-developed concepts, text, narrative, illustrative imagery, and intrigue. I like to incorporate music and art, whether it is the soundtrack during a gallery show, a video set to music, or a poster for a musician friend. I believe that music, as aural art, is inextricably linked to visual art, and the two complement each other very well. When I am able to work with a musician or include music in my art in some way, I feel extra excited and complete.

I am inspired by medieval manuscripts, Arthurian and Faerie Tales, and intricate patterns. I think I was a scribe in a past life, because I could be completely content transcribing text all alone in a room for much longer than your average Joe-monk. I remember being a little jealous of kids in grade school who misbehaved and were assigned the task of copying dictionary pages. To me, that was not punishment. I loved handwriting and spelling. In college, I took Ancient Greek and would have failed, had it not been for my well-formed letters-- I couldn't speak it, but I loved to write it! Part of my undergraduate thesis project included an original alphabetic code that I created from re-forming abstracted text. I am mesmerized by the structure and architecture of letterforms.

I am a lover of games: strategy games, card games, video games. Tabletop games can bring people together to play in a way that is rare in our modern society. When I find a fellow Catan lover, I know that we share something special in common. Role-playing and rouguelike video games can weave complex narratives that feel like walking around in my own dreams; they present puzzles, plots, and predicaments that keep me on my toes.

I also get inspiration from street art, graffiti, sci-fi, and fantasy. I enjoy the large scale incorporation of text and the full-scale public impact of street art. And I love the otherworldly perspective of imaginative fiction--from Dungeons & Dragons to Star Trek to Middle Earth; the worlds and environments that writers and creatives envision and are able to share with us are astonishing.

I hope that my work inspires you to continue hand-writing, and encourages you to approach the everyday with wonder. The everyday is all we've got, after all. We might as well embrace it, and use our creativity to push us forward as a people. 

This is a love letter.

-Vern

SUMMER 2016
Written by David Bank
Hudson Valley, NY

Vern Fannin surrounds herself with musicians. She lives in one of the oldest mountain ranges in the country, the Hudson Valley, and has, literally made her mark on this musical community. Rooted in the mountains and founded by the likes of the Band some four decades prior, the artwork of Vern Fannin embodies the depth and the earth of the land on which she has chosen to produce it.

Unlike many that fall under the Rumpelstiltskin variety of craft makers, Vern is not hung up on Puritan values with regards to her process. Rather, she has embraced modern media and all its gadgetry to accomplish her vision. Well known for branding the Hoot Festival, the Woodstock Music Shop, and local rockers the Mike + Ruthy Band, Lindsey Webster, and The Dub Mob, now Vern is crossing into more exploratory territory. She has joined forces with renowned botanical illustrator Wendy Hollender in developing an interactive educational platform. Instrumental in the growth of each diverse project- artistically, spiritually and financially- Vern is now expanding her repertoire to a market outside of the Hudson Valley. (Hello, Italy.)

In the modern world, branding is everything. The record labels that used to exist used to have large budgets for album artwork. Before the Beatles were the Beatles a blonde German dressed them all in leather. There used to be somebody named Jim who was called the Art director. He smoked a lot and drove a Jaguar. He drove this car and smoked his imported smokes because Jim had a concept. Now Jim works at Stole Foods selling organic cheese.

The point is, is that now more than ever one still needs to present himself and herself in an authentic way. This leads to the right opportunities that will limit future pitfalls. Stay focused on one defined vision and discover an enthusiastic audience for your work.

The sensitivity inherent in Fannin's sense of design and space translates to this process, of taking a client's vision and manifesting it into real life through elements as simple as pencil and paper, as integrated as a music video and as visionary as a marketing strategy for a start up. In whatever medium she chooses, Vern can take an artist, a festival, a concept, a venue, and develop it in a profound way. Catalyzing a conversation with the desired market (think dollars here)- thru logos, illustration, product development, art direction, music videos, children's book illustration, company branding, and website design.

Vern Fannin is trained in lettering and deep into building aesthetic story lines of her own. Her world is rich and colorful and complex and quirky and open to all who are nice. You can find Vern making the signs each year at the Hoot Festival at the Ashokan Center in the Hudson Valley of New York.