Spinach Seed Packet Artwork

Carolyn A. Pappas of Millbury, Massachusetts was selected to design the artwork for our several varieties of our Spinach seed packets.

What is your favorite vegetable to eat and why?

I would say that spinach is my favorite vegetable to eat, which is why I chose to illustrate it. Spinach is used in a lot of Greek dishes, which is my heritage and a style of food I really love. I actually like all kinds of vegetables and I try to maintain a good variety in my diet, so I don’t get tired of anything.

What is your favorite vegetable to grow and why?

I realize that they are technically a fruit, but I love to grow tomatoes because the taste of homegrown tomatoes are so far superior to ones from the grocery store produce section.

Why did you choose the medium you used for the packet design?

Pen and ink and watercolor my favorite mixed media combination. With these packet designs, I was going for the look of a woodcut print which was a bit of an experiment for me.

What is your favorite medium to work with and why?

My favorite medium is pen and ink. I love drawing in ink because there is so much versatility that you can achieve with an ink drawing, and the materials are so simple. I use fountain pens, dip pens or various disposable art pens. Recently, I have been using Noodler’s Lexington Gray ink, which I think adds a nice dimension as opposed to black ink. I feel that watercolor really brings my ink drawings to life, but oftentimes I like the look of plain ink.

Why were you excited about this project?

I have never done any type of illustration work before, and I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to practice working for a client and from my own imagination. I also agree with the philosophy of Sow True Seed and I go out of my way to support organic, non-GMO food businesses.

What is your favorite flower and why?

I love roses, especially pink roses. I love to grow, photograph and paint them!