Around the time I was in Iceland in 2016, I got the first inklings of what would become A Cloud of Outrageous Blue. Today I wanted to show you how one of those sketches became a final piece in the book. (Click the arrows to see the slideshow.)
This is Gu∂run's pool (Gu∂rúnarlaug), a 1000-year old site from the Icelandic Sagas (the Laxdæla Saga). It's very much off the beaten path (about 3 hours' drive from Reykjavik, I think?), and I found it by searching for blogs that talk about these sorts of things.
I loved exploring the steam above the water, the way it disrupted the air as the water disrupted the look of the body. I did the first sketch on the plane home after 3 weeks in Iceland, and later I also did a gouache painting of the pool (these are the last four in the slideshow).
You can see in the photo that there was a little shed to change in; it was a freezing, rainy day and I wore my down coat over my bathing suit until the last minute. Yikes! Freezing. There was another couple in the pool and I got in anyway...so they left. Good for me. 😜
The story was slightly different at first, which is why there is a blond girl (not Edyth). But I knew this story would have something to do with a holy well, and in England, often yew trees were planted at sites of holy wells (as well as graveyards).
The final art that made it in to A Cloud of Outrageous Blue is hands down one of my favorite pieces in the book—I got to explore several textures and effects with the ink.
I hope you like it.
Enjoy.
This was honestly one of my favorite pieces of the year to work on. If you'd like to get your hands on this special illustrated edition of Nicholas Kotar's novella Son of the Deathless, you can get it through our Kickstarter here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1402845448/jolabokaflod-christmas-book-flood-in-a-box
We're so grateful that we were fully funded in about 4 hours, so there are new perks opening up for everyone! We're almost at our 3rd stretch goal, which is very exciting. Go on over and choose your level!
My husband Ben is creating a series of short book trailers for BERLINERS, and I swear, each one is better than the last! Here's the first! Feel free to share on your social media!
This isn't the official trailer, but I wanted to talk about how the idea for Berliners came to me. You can pre-order at https://bookshop.org/books/berliners-9780593428375/9780593428368 and, you know, that other place that starts with an "A".
Hi all,
Since I haven't been as active on here as in the past, I'm going to officially disband this Locals community. If you'd like to stay tuned with my work, the best way to do that is via my email newsletter. Just go to https://vesperillustration.com and at the bottom of every single page there is a newsletter signup. I don't send a ton of mail, just important updates like appearances and new projects. Let's see if I come back in the future, but for now, if you've been a supporter, feel free to end your support and stay in touch via the newsletter or Instagram (@vesperillustration). Thanks to all of you—nothing's over, just paused!
Vesperisms Community, dears:
I'm so excited to announce today that I am doing a collaboration with fantasy author Nicholas Kotar (the Raven Son series, and the fabulous fairy tale/fantasy podcasts In a Certain Kingdom and Fantasy for Our Time).
The dead will rise. The living will fall. The Deathless will reign...
This collaboration is a very special edition of Kotar's novella, Son of the Deathless, available in hardcover with illustrations by none other than Yours Truly—just in time for the Holidays! Here's an illustration in progress to whet your appetite.
With book design by Graphic and Surface Designer for film and television, Heather Pollington (Harry Potter, Malificent, Marvel, and more.), this is going to be a beautiful, gift-worthy edition that will be perfect for yourself or for your holiday giving. Son of the Deathless is one of those cozy winter reads that you want to pair with a warm beverage, a blanket and a crackling fire.
So how does one obtain this ...
