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| Thanks to British photographer Glynn Dewis for the portrait style inspiration. |
I will start this post by asking Graphic Designers to forgive me. And by reminding readers that it’s important, as always, to have a sense of humour.
I have spent a lot of time over the past few years focusing on messaging to corporate clients, in 2022 dressing up as a “business woman” for my series of portrait Tips (see my previous post). Now, in a bit of a twist I re-imagine myself as a bunch of imaginary authors, to illustrate some of the (sometimes) more creative ways an author may want to show up on a book cover or jacket flap.
Authors always need profile portraits. If you know one or are one, I’d love to work with you.
And if you’d like to see some actual author portraits click here.
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| Skies May 2017, me in my studio January 2023 |
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| James Gardens July 2021, me in my studio January 2023 |
Had there been room the subtitle for this one would have been “a biography that is never going to be written because this is my son’s dog who is now really my husband’s dog. He’s my dog, too, but my husband is the one for whom he wags his entire body.
And yes I do have tricks to make dogs (not just ours) smile like this.
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| Rosetta McClain Gardens Aug 2021, Jagger and me in studio Feb. 2023 |
Aging myself here but anyone remember the 1976 song by Mary MacGregor Torn Between Two Lovers? I can't not hear it when I see this:
As a detail oriented portrait artist who is often focused on showing people in their best, most professional light, I often don’t get an opportunity to venture outside the lines. But sometimes, there’s an author (or other client) who can stand to look a little less buttoned down. Even I don’t want to look perfect all the time. 😉
Does this next cover remind you of another cover you may have seen? It may be a bit of a stretch but here’s the back story…I hardly ever buy hard cover books but I bought Alec Baldwin’s Nevertheless because I LOVED the cover shot by Michael Tighe (check it out…he shot the front and back cover many, many years apart), and design by Milan Bozic. I was inspired to do my version of their cover, but I veered a little off course, first accidentally, then purposely running with making it a little more my own than I’d planned to, thus the title. It should have been no surprise I couldn’t exactly mirror AB’s familiar, intense expression as I am no AB! But when the title popped into my head I thought “that’s not the only thing in my life that wasn’t exactly what I expected”…so perfect title for a fake book (not) by me.
And that's what I've got for now. I might do more, might not. In the meantime, I look forward to collaborating with you!
Get in touch:
kathryn@hollinrake.com
