Happy Vermonters: Todd Cummings Captures the Beauty of Vermont
July 12, 2018

Along a dirt road in Huntington next to Fargo Brook is where Todd Cummings lives, works and breathes inspiration.

On his five-acre lot on East Street, where he shares a home with his wife and where the couple raised their two sons, it’s easy to see why this is where Cummings chooses to spend his days as an artist.

The illustrator and photographer started Forest City Designs last year in the second story of his barn, where he creates prints, cards and t-shirts showcasing Vermont’s iconic mountains and lakes.

Cummings, who grew up in Bennington, attended art school in California before returning to his native Vermont in the 1990s. After working as a graphic artist at Vermont Teddy Bear and later as the creative director for Union Street Media in Burlington, Cummings decided to take the leap and open his own studio in 2017.

-A print of Lake Willoughby designed by Todd Cummings

An avid hiker, biker, paddler and backcountry skier, Cummings’ artwork illustrates places in Vermont that are near and dear to his heart—places like Lake Willoughby, where he spent summers as a boy, and Camels’ Hump, which he hikes regularly (Forest City Designs is named after the mountain’s Forest City trail).

He’ll often start an illustration by jotting down notes about a beautiful place he sees or by taking a photo, and then later sketching the scene by hand or making a digital mock-up on his computer.

Just as Vermont artists Sabra Field and Woody Jackson lovingly captured Vermont’s landscape, Cummings’s affection for Vermont shines through in his pieces.

“What inspires me is the natural beauty of Vermont and just embracing it,” says Cummings. “Living here can be hard, but I appreciate the seasons and all things outdoors—and I think my love for Vermont really shows in my work.”

To learn more about Forest City Designs, visit www.forestcitydesigns.com.

–Happy Vermonters is a series of stories sharing why people love Vermont.