The Importance of the Bookcover

New cover

Old cover

Hi! I have been working on self publishing my book, Willow House! I actually finished writing it in the summer of 2019, but it has remained in the dark confines of a 3-ring binder. 

I later found a quote that I cut out and placed on the exterior of that 3-ring binder. It says, 

"you have not come this far, just to come this far." 

So, little by little I'm moving forward. I'm working through Bookbaby at present, trying to do as much as I can myself, however, I'm not great at navigating my way through websites, templates, uploads, etc. so I may just end up (if I can) sending them everything I have and saying, "please make this into a book."

Since starting with the publishing process, I've reworked my front cover, making it a little snazzier. I hope you think so too! I've gone through the editing process on the manuscript itself a few more times, and I'm currently working on the back cover and spine. I never gave a thought to the back cover and spine! Especially the spine! I work at a library part-time so

shame on me! 

When perusing books on the shelf, it is the spine that must shine!!! I have to kick some ass on the spine!

I will share my progress with you as I get things done, and if you stay tuned, I will share some excerpts from the book itself. Thanks for stopping by.

The Queen

This one started with a nifty little idea I found on Pinterest: Take a deck of playing cards, and cover them individually with gesso. Each then serves as an experimental painting. It's a great way to work out a composition or play with a technique (key word being play, which I do not do enough of).

Here's the playing card.

I then started these pieces in acrylics.

I did the background and queen separately because I wasn't sure where I was going with it. (I had visions of adding things like strings of beads, or rhinestones!) It's not a large piece, just a bit larger than an 

8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper so I felt free to try something new. However, there has been rain in my area and my basement studio is no fun to work in with small puddles of water on the floor. So, I placed both photos  in Procreate where I took it to the digital version you see in the top photo.

When I started this post a couple of days ago, I went down to the studio to take a couple photos for you, and as I placed the queen over the background, she was tipped a little.

I like the dynamic of this! It looks like she's pulling the checkerboard pattern with her movement! Once the puddles clear, I might just get back to this one and see where it can take me. You know . . . play.

Valentiger

  

It's a couple days early, but I can't wait until Monday because . . . go, Bengals!!!

I also want to share something I found stumbled across not too long ago:

                                                 

                                                   You gotta start romanticizing your life.

                            You gotta start believing that your morning commute is cute and fun,

that every cup of coffee is the best you've ever had,

that even the smallest and most mundane things are exciting and new.

You have to, because that's when you start living.

That's when you look forward to every day.

                                                            - author unknown, but it comes from themindsjournal.com.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! (Even Rams fans!)

Handmade Books

For the last couple of months I haven't posted anything because my creative interests took a turn into bookmaking! The above photo is the front and back cover of my own new sketchbook. It's done in oils on primed canvas fabric that I bound around some bookbinding cardboard.

Here's the book. I finished it yesterday, with the help of a tutorial by Sea Lemon.

I put the back cover on upside down. Haha! Good thing I wasn't charging myself much.

Here's a book I did for a friend.

And here's a small stack of my first 3 books.

I still have 2 more books in the works, to give as gifts, as well as trying to perfect my own personal Traveler's Journal.

Here's the Traveler's Journal. A friend made it for me several years ago. The outside was a plain cotton canvas which I had requested so that I could paint on the design. I'm now trying to decide what exactly to carry in it - calendar, to do list, sketchbook, etc.

I love planners, bullet journals, sketchbooks, scrapbooks, diaries, etc. and my interest in doing all of this comes from my desire to find that perfect balance for myself. I've been keeping a planner for probably about 10 years, and each year I've learned what works for me and what doesn't. I just decided that to have the perfect book for me, I was going to have to make it myself.

Also, all of the beautiful cover options and embellishments inside the books, open creative play in areas of sewing, embroidery, beading, paper making, marbling, and polymer clay! The sky's the limit!

Here's a small embroidery piece, for the interior of one of the books. I did it with the help of my best friend who has a subscription to Spellbinders and a lot of crafting equipment!

A couple of days ago I received a text from her asking me if I wanted to come play. WHAT?! Those are the greatest words to hear from your buddy no matter how old you are!

Granddaughters

I've finally been painting again! I started this one, last summer, before my desire to create nearly disappeared. I didn't take any progress photos until I got back to it a month or so ago. By the time I took this first photo (below), the acrylic underpainting was almost done. 

The next photo is the last of the acrylic underpainting, before I switched to oils. I switch to oils because they are my comfort zone. I have more experience getting them to do what I want. 

The image below is after working in oils for 2 sessions. Getting started on the hair was fun. When I first painted it, it was way too light, but it's easy enough to come back in and glaze more color over the top.

After the session in oils I had below, I was almost done, down to the tiny details. The one big change I made on the final day, was brightening up the light area of grass in the background. You can see in the top image that the final piece has a little more pop. 

By the way, the girls were a hot mess after their serene looking beauty shop session, with nail polish up their arms, legs, and on their clothes! They also polished the legs of a babydoll, who has mysteriously disappeared.

Personal Space - Meditation

PERSONAL SPACE

My thoughts as I try meditating for the first time:

I am taking a bubblebath on the moon.

It is an old-fashioned, clawfoot tub.

The bubbles . . . the bubbles are flying out of the tub!

Because there’s no gravity on the moon, right?!

Heck! The water is rising out of the tub.

I am flying up out of the tub!

It’s cold here. 

What was I thinking?

I am almost 240,000 miles from home.

If I try to get back, I will burn up on re-entry into earth’s atmosphere.

I am suddenly extremely lonely.

And, Oh my God!!! People have telescopes!

Strangers have seen me naked

Flying out of a bubblebath

On the moon.

A couple of weeks after practicing meditation.

I am taking a bubblebath on the moon.

It is a deep, old-fashioned tub.

The barely-there texture of the bubbles reaches my chin as I slip a bit further

Beneath the warm water.

There is a muffled silence as after a heavy snowfall.

The only sound, the delicate pop of bubbles as they burst, 

Releasing a hint of strawberry.

My responsibilities are a million miles away.

Nothing is expected of me during this bath.

My soul and my mind recline here together

In a bubblebath

On the moon.

 To see the two older versions of this piece, click below:

 http://tracyonoz.blogspot.com/2015/11/if-whimsical.html.