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Illustration


Here you'll see just the artwork, just the painting without the text, title or type. Sometimes they kinda look nice that way. If you'd like to see how they look in context as book covers, they might be in the "Book Cover" gallery.


Select image to view:

The painting  for the book cover for "The Essential Freud" from Wilder Publications. It was fun to research the details of Freud's original office in Vienna for information about the carpets, his famous couch, the pillows on that couch and even the art on his walls, just seen at the edge of the cover. As I was finishing the painting, I almost neglected to research and include his wedding ring which had a large, dark green stone, and was worn on the fourth finger of his right hand, as was a Central and Eastern European Jewish custom. A fun painting to do. I liked playing with the "picture-within-a-picture" idea.
The Essential Freud
Here's my painting for the series of Sherlock Holmes books published by Wilder Publications. Hank, a hugely talented actor, was my model for Holmes and when he showed up with the perfect period wardrobe for the model session, I knew I had the right guy to portray the detective. The publisher requested a more updated, younger sort of Holmes rather than  the Basil Rathbone type. I stood in for Watson and the bobby.
Sherlock Holmes-The Art
Originating as an endpaper design, this painting was promoted to cover status and also has enjoyed a further incarnation as an art print. The original book is "Matinee at the Flame," a horror anthology by Christopher Fahy, from Overlook Press.
Matinee at the Flame
I had in mind that this painting for a dear friend's book, "Looking Through the Rain." would hopefully evoke the author's love of the Virginia countryside. It was published as a wraparound book cover by his friends posthumously so it meant a great deal to me to do justice to his writing. That's Duane, the author, walking his little pup, Teddy who I'm guessing misses Duane very much, as we all do.
Looking Through the Rain
This was originally a front cover eBook illustration for Elizabeth Massie's "Homegrown" a wonderful mainstream "coming of age" novel. When the publisher wanted a wraparound cover painting for a print book, I expanded the artwork out to the left. The location is an actual children's home here in Virginia. I was quite happy with the expanded painting.
Homegrown
This was a private commission, a wraparound book cover with the ingredients and elements precisely requested by the author. Though the symbolism is quite commonplace, I like the juxtaposition of an angel just enjoying a regular everyday sunset.
A Heavenly View