I recently finished painting my first commissioned book cover.
I will be writing much more regarding this project in additional posts. For now I will simply write that it’s so different to paint a translation of another’s writing than to paint what simply beckons you. Ahhh … there is so much written about this that I still want to read and then write about in those noted future posts.
The first step was to visualize an image that responded to the poems in the book. I had two ideas amongst many that stood out. Then one visually solidified into a complete painting in my mind, including the smallest details. I knew then that mental painting would become the book cover.
Next, I sketched a dozen or more small works of various areas of the visualized piece. I then watercolor painted each. This preliminary work was so significant when it came to sketching the final work. This artwork was completely done by hand.
When it was almost finished, I was so favoring it that I thought for a moment I wouldn’t add the final touch, a string of celestial stars. They were to be threaded via a held needle by the subject in the work. Why not craft a visual mythology that echoes the poets words? Too, the title of the book is, Ordering The Stars.
Yet, not adding that thread of stars that wove through the celestial sky, the thread spinning out from a spool in one of the pockets of the coat the subject wears, would mean the work wouldn’t be finished. Always finish work or the story is incomplete. I wrote an earlier post titled, Taking Creative Leaps: I Am At My Bravest When I Am Painting that resonates much with this statement and this work.
I took a deep breath, stood up so as to get a better angle and then said out loud to myself, "Susan, do this." Yet, it wasn't just randomly drawing a celestial string and painting a few stars here and there. There were steps.
As I was going to paint a string of thread, I nabbed a spool of white thread from my sewing machine. I then laid a long string of thread across the painting, shaping and reshaping it until I had the line design I wanted. Then I used a white chalk pencil to draw the line from just beneath the thread before removing it completely from the work. I used a soft white paint, slightly diluted by light blue, to paint over the chalked line.
I ordered stencils of stars in various sizes weeks earlier. Referring to the placement of stars in my preliminary sketches, I used the stencils to duplicate that placement in the painting. These were chalked and then painted, too. When I lifted my paintbrush from the artwork, I thought for a moment it was finished.
Yet that inner voice that speaks to me and guides me (and I always listen to) said, "All of the stars are on the thread, yet the subject still holds the needle in her hand ready to add more. Paint more stars; paint them at large and not yet threaded." I did exactly that.
Now, the thread of stars stands out more vividly. You can almost see them flickering with light. Even the author noted that as soon as they saw photos of the completed work. They wrote me, "That thread of stars pulls the entire work together wonderfully!"
It’s done. I’ve been generously paid. I am now a book cover artist. Such a bucket list dream. No photos of the art other than the one of the painted moon above as those are now the property of the author / publisher. Too, the painting has already been shipped. I will share more images when the title and more have been added, including a photo & small bio of me on the back of the book, and the author /publisher have posted those on-line.
Again, I have so much more to bring from the notes in my journal and the thoughts still circulating in my mind about this work to future writing. I am vastly grateful that having seen my earlier published work, that the poet and her team invited me to join their project. Already looking forward to another book cover project. Just waiting for the invitation. All good, so good.
- S.S.D.
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