Best Cover Yet
- Kaaren Poole
- Aug 25
- 3 min read
I’ve finished the cover—and therefore the entire journal, as I always do the cover last—of volume 7 of my art journals.
Did I say this is my best cover yet? Well, that’s my hope, but I’ll have to wait to see how it turns out.
Getting the Concept
My covers don’t have anything to do with the spreads inside. They’re all completely independent pieces, just as the spreads are, each following its own unique inspiration.
The inspiration for this one was a watercolor I did quite a while ago, maybe ten years ago! I just found here last week when I was going through a pile of papers. It’s a rabbit as a scullery maid, and I decided to print a reduced copy then use it as the focal point for the cover.
Now that I remember a bit more or the painting's story, I first did a needle-felted piece then painted her portrait. Here she is! “Pleased to meet you,” she says!
Beginning the Work
Her clothes set the color scheme, and I began searching my many saved magazine clippings for collage elements. I was lucky to find several from clothing catalogs with blue and white fabrics. And so, after an initial collage layer of text snippets and alcohol ink blobs,
then paint, more alcohol ink blobs, and thinned gesso to tone down the text,
I reviewed some of my blue and white collage elements
and began another collage layer.
Now I had a really good start, with the basic layout established and the main collage elements in place, at least for the front cover.
That little bit of pink found its way onto the back cover, so I’d have to repeat that color elsewhere. No problem. Pink and blue are a perfect pair!
What will Make this the Best Cover Ever?
My art journal covers always have the volume number on the cover, and this would be number 7. I thought my rabbit might have seven little ones, so drew a strip to include on the cover that pictured her seven babes.
I knew the number would go in the upper right corner of the front cover. But how would I present it?
A great idea came to me. I’d search Etsy for a vintage French enameled number tag, number 7. I found many such tags, but only one number seven. I ordered it as well as a few more, but since I knew what size it was, I thought I could go ahead with the collage.
I was eager to forge ahead, but I've been burned a few times lately by acting impulsively, so thought I’d better stop until the tag arrived. After all, that tag would most likely be a second focal point and it needed to be placed just right.
It was hard to wait, but I did. More next week!
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