FAQ
Who is Geo Rutherford?
Geo is an artist and educator who transitioned into the publishing world after a career dedicated to art education. Her mother is a geologist with a weird sense of humor...hence the appropriate nickname. Geo’s fascination with lakes, initially sparked by her artistic practice concerning the Great Lakes, gained widespread attention when she began sharing her work on TikTok. Her engaging videos, which delve into the science behind phenomena like unusual ice formations, acidic bodies of water and drifting islands, quickly captivated a global audience. However, her account truly took off when she began her popular “Spooky Lakes” series in October 2020. Geo holds a BFA from Eastern Michigan University and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Geo currently resides on a spooky lake in Wisconsin, with her dog, Padfoot.
What is Spooky Lake Month?
Spooky Lake Month is an annual series that delves into strange and unusual watery topics. It started in 2020 and this year will be the seventh season. Despite the name, it’s not just about lakes! It can cover any kind of wet phenomenon. Spooky Lake Month isn’t about ghosts or ghouls, but instead explores natural phenomena, scientific oddities, historical events, environmental disasters, and the mystery of what lies beneath the surface.
What qualifies for Spooky Lake Month?
Anything wet and weird! With the exception of true crime and haunted locations (even though I have great respect for indigenous lore or folk tales!), I’ll pretty much consider anything for Spooky Lake Month. Some of my favorite topics are the unique and unusual, like toxic lakes in Texas created by abandoned oil mines or old nuclear silos that have flooded and are now visited by divers.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes! Kinda. I ship to a lot of countries, but unfortunately not all of them. I’m limited to the countries Shopify allows me to ship to. If you only order stickers, I handwrite your address and send them with a stamp. This is definitely not a flawless system, and occasionally letters get lost in the mail. If you don’t receive your stickers within a month or so, please email me and I can either refund you or try sending them again.
Larger items like prints, notepads, and pins use Shopify’s calculated international shipping rates. Please note that these shipping costs do not include customs, duties, taxes, or other fees charged by your country. If your country charges a customs or border fee when your package arrives, that cost is the responsibility of the recipient. International shipping can be weird and unpredictable, so please be patient with your package and feel free to email me if something seems to have gone seriously astray!
Who makes the art on this site?
Me and Kaitlyn! My favorite thing about Spooky Lake Month is that I get to make artwork about it. All of the artwork on this site is either painted by me using gouache or designed by my amazing graphic designer, Kaitlyn Shanks. We’ve worked together for six years now. With the help of my mom packing orders, we are a small 3 woman show!
I technically have degrees in printmaking and book arts, but I’ve been a passionate painter for my entire adult life. Gouache was a bit new to me when I started this journey, but it’s become my go-to paint for pretty much everything now. (If you’re an artist, I highly recommend giving it a try!)
Thanks for visiting my site! If you ever have any questions or concerns with your order, please email me at geo.rutherford@gmail.com
