BOOK COVER COMMISSION
In 2020, I was commissioned to paint the cover for the novel, Pals Forever: The Sacred Bond, by Witold “Vito” Niesluchowski. The author, a friend and neighbor of mine, who was a cardiac surgeon before retirement, is now an accomplished writer. His book is about a heart surgeon whose life is turned upside down after a surgery that resulted in unexpected consequences.
Before I could start the creative process of painting some initial watercolor sketches for this novel, I wanted a feel for the story. I began reading the first draft and I was captivated. There are lots of twists and turns which kept me guessing throughout the book. The references to Chapel Hill and the surrounding areas were fun. I could actually put myself in the scene when I recognized the places described. This book is a real “page turner,” and I couldn’t wait to find out who did it!!! Here is a quote from the back cover: “While the novel’s plot is woven around the whodunit mystery, the overarching theme is the unbreakable bond of father-son flesh and blood ties.”
After reading the story, Vito and I had many discussions as to how the cover would be designed. “While the novel’s plot is woven around the whodunit mystery, the overarching theme is the unbreakable bond of father-son- flesh and blood ties.” It was decided that a father assisting his son in the balancing act of a two wheeled bicycle would be the scene. Since I don’t just draw random people from my head, I needed models that I could photograph to use as references for the painting. My son-in-law and my grandson graciously became my models for some father and son moments. I made arrangements with them when the sun was setting, and I took lots of photos of my son-in-law holding on to the back of the bike while my grandson pedaled. I also went out with them on a morning fishing trip, and got some wonderful father/son photos. Once I reviewed the hundred of photos I took, I picked out just a few of the best to show Vito. I gave him the opportunity to pick the bike riding scene or the fishing scene. He kept with our original bike riding plan.
With the final photo chosen, I then had some decisions to make as to color and composition. I decided to divert somewhat from the photo by making some color and structural changes for the watercolor preliminary sketches. My grandson was still using training wheels, so I eliminated those, including the shadow that they cast. I also changed my son-in-law’s shirt from yellow to orange, just to make the scene a bit more colorful and to use a complimentary color to the blues that were in my grandson’s shirt and my son-in-laws shorts.
In addition to the initial watercolor sketches I created as guides to the final, I probably painted the so called “final” 4 times before I got what I wanted. For me, that’s how it goes. Once in a while, I will get it the first go round, but usually there are multiple tries when it comes to painting people in watercolor.
In the end, I was happy with the way it turned out. Above you can see my final painting and below the fishing painting option.
A book launch event is scheduled to occur on Friday, July 21, 2023 at the Encore Clubhouse in Chapel Hill, NC.
