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"We still hope that love will prevail. We still believe in love’s promise.”
- bell hooks ('All About Love') |
Notable Project Participation:
- Sundown RPG (fiend illustrator) - The Fat Folks Tarot (8 of Wands) - The Children of the Forest Zine - Character Design Zine 2021 - Wrestling With Gender Volume 2 Zine - The Super Posh Club - The Fox Who Became A Girl |
Orion Fern is a two time award-winning illustrator and motion graphic designer who uses his art to create prints, zines, comics and more!
Their colourful work is inspired by monsters, nature, and the fight for social justice. Xyr work celebrates queer and trans communities through educational zines and emotional stories. 'Ovaettr' means 'MONSTER' in Old Norse! Monsters and their symbolism are sacred to the work Orion does. Pronounced oh-VAY-tur (hear below) Pronouns for public use are he/him or they/them.
Within trans or trans-friendly spaces, xe/xyr/xem neopronouns are his favorite.
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^ Captain Barbosa his cat,
nicknamed "Barby" for short |
2017
Officially started his own small business as Ovaettr Art doing digital and traditional illustration commissions for hire both online and locally in DFW, TX while still attending college in Dallas, TX.
2021 summer
Orion's first zines were created in the Summer of 2021, when he attended a zine workshop during Disability Pride Week in July 2021. 'EUPHORIA ISLAND' an 8-page mini zine sprang forth from the workshop, depicting a fictional place where trans & queer people could exist without persecution and be free.
The second title, a half-pager zine: 'TRANS MASC. & NON-BINARY INCLUSION IN REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ACTIVISM' stood as living proof of the needs of trans masculine and non-binary people who can get pregnant. This one was created within one week in a passionate effort to educate people at a pro-choice rally where he handed them out when 'SB8' the Senate Bill that banned abortion across Texas was still in the legislative process.
The zine documents alternative language to better include all gender(s) or lack thereof when discussing pregnancy, abortion, and reproductive rights as well as interviews with people from the community on what would benefit them as trans masculine and/or non-binary pregnant people. After it's horrific passing, Orion adjusted the zine to provide resources for those in need of reproductive healthcare. It remains one of his most popular zines.
His love of zines and what they could DO began here!
The zine documents alternative language to better include all gender(s) or lack thereof when discussing pregnancy, abortion, and reproductive rights as well as interviews with people from the community on what would benefit them as trans masculine and/or non-binary pregnant people. After it's horrific passing, Orion adjusted the zine to provide resources for those in need of reproductive healthcare. It remains one of his most popular zines.
His love of zines and what they could DO began here!
2021 Summer
Orion is an advocate and activist for LGBTQ+ rights because he is trans & queer and has first-hand experience with the benefits of gender-affirming care as he was incredibly fortunate to gain access to much needed hormones and top surgery. He thinks all people who need it deserve access to these resources. He works to help in multiple places including donating to and volunteering with Equality Texas. In the Summer of 2021-2022 completed the Equality Fellows Program to become a more well-equipped leader in their community.
2021 Autumn
His first position in the arts outside of freelancing as Ovaettr Art was teaching a mixed group of youth from 4th grade to 8th grade on the subjects of Cartooning, Comics (Beginner & Intermediate), and 2D Animation with a small online after-school program based in NYC working remotely over Zoom. He enjoyed leading fun classes that he developed from the ground up.
He began teaching due to his educational video contributions to a large group animated series pitch project in college prior to the pandemic.
2022 SUMMER
Graduated in June 2022 from The Art Institute of Dallas with a Bachelor's of the Fine Arts degree in Media Arts and Animation. His focus was Motion Graphic Design & Character Design. Photo taken with one of his closest mentors, Stephen Steinbach - an artist and animation veteran who worked on amazing films like 'THE IRON GIANT'!
2022 Autumn
Participated in the The Dallas Way: Faces of LGBTQ+ History, Art & Archive Exhibit with a wild self-portrait. The event was hosted at the H. Paxton Moore Fine Art Gallery - El Centro Dallas College location between 9/20/2022 and 10/7/2022.
2022 - 2023 winter
Participated in the two-time successfully KickStarted
'FAT FOLKS TAROT' community art project centered on fat liberation, and love of the fat self, all drawn by fat artists! 823 backers pledged $63,825 to help bring this project to life a second time in late 2022 with it delivered in full by Summer of 2024.
The first KickStarter funding of the project in 2021 100% benefited TRANS LIFELINE, a needed resource and crisis help hotline for the transgender community completely divested from police. Read more about the incredible project at fatfolks.org.
'FAT FOLKS TAROT' community art project centered on fat liberation, and love of the fat self, all drawn by fat artists! 823 backers pledged $63,825 to help bring this project to life a second time in late 2022 with it delivered in full by Summer of 2024.
The first KickStarter funding of the project in 2021 100% benefited TRANS LIFELINE, a needed resource and crisis help hotline for the transgender community completely divested from police. Read more about the incredible project at fatfolks.org.
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Orion contributed by illustrated
THE EIGHT OF WANDS as a fat, fabulous, trans and queer non-op witch boy riding towards tomorrow in his kink gear upon his flaming altar, guided by the torches of 8 floating wands. |
2023 spring
Began vending in Denton, TX as Ovaettr Art providing his artwork as prints, stickers, buttons, as well as selling the zines he has been making since a virtual workshop in July of 2021.
2023 Summer
First ever award received from The Greater Denton Arts Council's micro grant program on June 26th, 2023! The council supported 'THE FOX WHO BECAME A GIRL', written by Chloe Bear, with 3 pages produced prior to 2023 being used to pitch the project to finish the story and cover printing the first 100 copies of the comic.
2023 Summer
Participated in the square-d community art exhibit benefiting the UNT Food Pantry at the UNT CoLab with their piece entitled 'QUEER SOLIDARITY ON THE SQUARE' in July of 2023. The piece was purchased by one of his good friends and supporters, Nova Martin, a trans woman, druidess, poet, and author you should support the work of. She is featured in this piece, holding her "STOP HATRED" transgender flag, marching on the square with other trans people, Orion included.
2023
Orion started volunteering with The Denton Water Project in 2023 and continues to help them fill locations of free coolers filled with bottled water and alkaline water or sports drinks on ice. These coolers that are open to the public provide a needed resource for our homeless neighbors (and anyone traveling) who do not have access to clean water regularly. The system has quite literally saved lives in Denton, TX especially during the Summer when we reach over 100+ Fahrenheit in North Texas. He has also donated his graphic design skills to make a recruitment poster seen below, done completely pro-bono for the organization.
You can help out the project too by donating to our fund links or volunteering your time and effort to becoming a filler for the coolers. Absolutely no purchase necessary to volunteer, you just have to pick up water at Gohlke Pools who stores our water & get ice from their icebox to fill as little as 1 up to 4 coolers near Downtown Denton and on University Dr. at frequented public locations. Two of these locations (Roland Law on Elm and Presby Church on University) feature Little Free Pantries too which are always in need of filling. Join us today and make a difference in your community in any way you can!
2024 july
Orion participated again in the square-d 2 exhibit featuring his work 'We Laugh, While They Cry, We Live, While They Die; Parallel Love, Her and I' a black-and-white acrylic painting mirroring the experience of a Mother's Love that both American mothers and Palestinian mothers feel towards their children, both deserving of life, freedom, and the chance to see their children grow up. This piece sold to an unknown yet supportive community member, benefiting the UNT Food Pantry. a
2024 August
The release of 'THE FOX WHO BECAME A GIRL' in both Digital and Print formats happened on August 17th of 2024 and it was a huge success! Written by Chloe Bear, Orion Fern illustrated this all ages queer fairytale comic centering trans joy. This was Orion's debut comic and first book to be officially made in his career as an illustrator. Chloe Bear has done numerous creative stories in her career as a writer. The Fox was one that she wrote after a conversation with Orion about wishing to see more transgender stories in mythology and folklore. The first 100 copies of the comic were covered by the micro grant awarded by the Greater Denton Arts Council, printed by KENESS!
2025 february
As of February 2025, Orion Fern was beyond grateful to be one of 30 people chosen for a mini grant of $500 from The Comics Advocacy Group for his and Chloe's excellence on 'THE FOX WHO BECAME A GIRL' - this mini grant covers the 2nd Edition (final edition) print run of the comic covering 150 total comics!!
2025 april
Officially started teaching workshops once or twice a month with The Denton Maker Center! The DMC is run by a council of awesome artists who all collectively came together to cover the rent for the location and get it started, its at 728 N. Elm St. in Denton, TX! Join Orion for Zine Workshops, Intro Classes to Japanese Watercolors with Gansai Tambi paints you can keep, and How-To-Make-Your-Own-Heraldry where you'll make shields with cool symbols in them for your own legacy! The DMC features so many more amazing workshops - check out their website at dentonmakercenter.com!
2025 may day
Orion Fern has officially taken Ovaettr Art into a new direction, revealing the business name change to: OVAETTR ART & ZINE DISTRO!
With a fully realized mission set and declared, Orion has been revitalized by the support his art has received outside of the mainstream "working in a graphic design studio" environment.
He had struggled from December 2024 - April 2025 attempting to find more stable employment after being laid off from a graphic design position he held for 4 months of 2024, but with no luck. Rather than give up, Orion decided to face the unique situation the current economy presents us with and has gotten creative.
Going full time now with Ovaettr Art & Zine Distro, Orion seeks to continue his freelance approach and get back to what makes him happiest: helping people see themselves in the art he creates. Depicting people in truth, depicting people's souls on the page, through a character design, or through branding or animated elements for their business or streaming persona. Orion knows that people are seeking out genuine human connections right now in the arts, and seeking out #RealArtists who are against Generative A.I., making things from the heart.
Through Instagram, BlueSky, and the Denton, TX community he's been connecting with more people than ever as he leads workshops, vends, and develops educational resources for fellow creative spirits. He continues his beloved work doing art commissions and celebrates 8 years of being in business this year.
With a fully realized mission set and declared, Orion has been revitalized by the support his art has received outside of the mainstream "working in a graphic design studio" environment.
He had struggled from December 2024 - April 2025 attempting to find more stable employment after being laid off from a graphic design position he held for 4 months of 2024, but with no luck. Rather than give up, Orion decided to face the unique situation the current economy presents us with and has gotten creative.
Going full time now with Ovaettr Art & Zine Distro, Orion seeks to continue his freelance approach and get back to what makes him happiest: helping people see themselves in the art he creates. Depicting people in truth, depicting people's souls on the page, through a character design, or through branding or animated elements for their business or streaming persona. Orion knows that people are seeking out genuine human connections right now in the arts, and seeking out #RealArtists who are against Generative A.I., making things from the heart.
Through Instagram, BlueSky, and the Denton, TX community he's been connecting with more people than ever as he leads workshops, vends, and develops educational resources for fellow creative spirits. He continues his beloved work doing art commissions and celebrates 8 years of being in business this year.