As the maple sugaring season goes on, many people have asked if I made the label featuring my pa's smiling mug. I did not. But my boyfriend
Michael did! He is an amazing artist who makes his living doing illustration work for many publishers across many genre. I think he is especially good at those "exploded views" for How-To books. But he can draw anything...and I mean anything!!! I have tried to stump him, asking for a drawing of a clear glass of vodka tonic against a fur wall with a rusty nail and a dead fish...but that is another story!
Michael has done all the drawings for Rita Mae Brown's Sneaky Pie Brown Murder mysteries as well as a series of maps for George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones. So we find ourselves in high quality company and are seriously proud of our labels!!!!
Twelve years ago when I was moving away from the farm, and sure to miss my pa, Michael secretly got together with my dad and drew this portrait IN PENCIL when he was at an artist residency. It's so special. I cried with joy and wonder when I saw it and had it framed with me in Miami. The original is a treasure.
Now that we are bottling a new batch of syrup and packaging the sugar and we have many different iterations that need tweaking for weight and date. Michael is working hard behind the scenes. It is not always easy and several computers need to be configured to line up the print exactly with the sticker edges.
We have a temporary set up in the sugar shack so that Dennis, who is full time sugar master, can make changes and corrections.
Michael is also gifted with another incredible virtue! He's positively willing to do what ever it takes to make us all happy. To see more of Michael's work check out his website:
www.mgellatlyart.com
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