This just looks like a book…it’s really just paint on canvas. I’ve wanted to do something like this for ages, and seeing A.J. Hateley‘s vintage paperback cover designs for non-existent books finally tipped the scales from daydreaming to doing something about the idea.
The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys is a favorite of mine for its sensuous language and steamy equatorial images, mainly, though I also chuckled at the way Rhys cleverly, ironically braided her novel’s ropes in with the silken cords of Charlotte Bronte‘s Jane Eyre…like a cuckoo sneaking her vulgar egg into a respectable bird family’s nest.
Sort of the way, come to think of it, that my painting tries to hide among the Penguins on my bookshelf… 😉
As paintings go, this one’s pretty bland…pretty, but not really saying anything. I just had the image of seaweed viewed through a cross-section of seawater, and stuck to it, even when it was obvious that there wasn’t going to be much tension or interest in a flat sea and some seaweed. There are events from the book that would have made for much more intriguing cover images, but I didn’t feel capable of a composition with burning parrot against night sky and French windows, or something dramatic like that. It’s okay for a book cover, though.
I’m especially delighted with the way it looks hanging—like I’ve got a book stuck on the wall.
this is too cool–great idea, i am going to have to try this!
||| tara | planned spontaneity |||
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This is really pretty! 🙂 Witty! You’re blog inspires me to continue with my art! 🙂 Great great job! Instantly a fan!
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Hey, glad if these random posts help you to continue with creativity. Thank you!
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This is a great idea! It does look great hanging on the wall.
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What a neat idea, Nat, and it turned out so lovely. I’m jealous of how neatly you hand-letter!
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I’ve recently been reading Game of Thrones — if I could draw reasonably well, I can think of all kinds of potential covers ;-).
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Any good with Photoshop? If it’s just to test your ideas out, why not give it a try? Can’t hurt, might be fun!
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Very effective. I don’t think cover artists necessarily want to illustrate scenes from a book, because if their vision doesn’t tie in with the readers it may affect sales. When you are designing covers for yourself you don’t have such constraints!
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My biggest constraints are my own! 😉 LOL Thanks, virtuosewadventures.
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Your painting is wonderful. A series of them hanging together (maybe in various sizes) would be stunning. I’m impressed.
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Thank you, ELizabeth! I did buy a stack of this size of cheap stretched canvases, and hope to do some more imaginary covers of favorite titles.
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If I weren’t already following your blog, the promise of more of these book cover canvases would definitely persuade me! That’s a really original idea, and I actually love the image. I mean, I would buy that book. Can’t wait to see the rest!
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“I would buy that book”, Thank you Rose! That’s awesome! I wasn’t trying for a real book cover, but it’s so nice to hear that, I’m kinda stunned. Thank you! Some of the titles on my ‘shortlist’ will be hard, I reckon…hope I can do the books I love some justice.
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oh i like this imaginary book AND cover. green sea/jungle vibe there. feeling it 🙂
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Thanks, Kat! I find I really love the hand lettering, and love the use of text in paintings, so will definitely do a few more of these.
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How very clever! I will try and give this a go!!
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Great! Will watch out for it on your blog!
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