June is National Pollinator Month; in observance, this illustration was displayed above Oryana’s produce endcap all month long.
When I was hired into Oryana Community Co-op’s Marketing department, there was this nice, big space above an endcap in the produce department that was used for large signage. This same space would also accommodate a large chalkboard.
For roughly two years (until the endcap was removed to make more space for grocery shelving), I would task myself with the creation of large, thematic chalk illustrations, usually around holidays or seasonal events, with some simple hand-lettered messaging. Below are some of my favorites; I’ve also included smaller chalk signage, provided it fits into the seasonal/holiday theme category.
A large (roughy 50×30″), Thanksgiving-themed chalk illustration for Oryana’s Produce endcap.Food co-ops see a lot of traffic around the new year; this cabbage illustration coincided with Oryana’s annual healthy eating and resolution-based promotional efforts.Before and after: chalk lettering detail. A Halloween-themed chalk illustration, with some gloppy red lettering which I remember being very proud of. “Goryana” was Oryana’s recurring Halloween promotional event, which they later gravitated away from.A few more Halloween-themed chalk signs; these were done relatively quickly, and placed on endcaps throughout Oryana’s grocery department. . A “bone broth” chalk sign, shown next to a miniature skeleton in a cauldron. These sat above a display for – you guessed it – bone broth!An Easter-themed chalk illustration. Smaller Easter-themed chalk signage, used during one of Oryana’s natural egg-dyeing demonstrations. A heart-shaped illustrative vegetable arrangement for Valentine’s Day.A close-up of a smaller sign used next to Oryana’s in-house baked goods.
Since the illustrations didn’t typically feature explicit sales or promotional information (the provenance of other, smaller chalk signage), they had a “just because” feeling about them which really contributed to the co-op vibe. They were very popular, and I miss working on them.
