Book cover designer

 I have always wanted to design book covers. I did one for Patsy Crawford years ago that I was really happy with; but more did not follow. 

Now though, I am on a bit of a roll.

I didn't design this cover but they asked to use my Robbie Flower t-shirt design. It came up well. And Damian writes beautifully, it's a great little collection. Available here, a steal at $17.95! Speaking of stealing – this pic belongs to Matt Zurbo, who has written a heartfelt review here. Here's the original below, still on sale on Redbubble.

My friend Andy Fuller has a small publishing house called Reading Sideways Press. He asked me if I'd like to illustrate the cover of a new novel called faded yellow by the winter by Scott Pearce. It's a sombre book dealing with loss and struggle.

The novel’s lead character, Vic, struggles in his bids to save the footy club, his family’s inter-generational apple orchards while seemingly losing a grip on his relationships with his wife and daughters.

As I remember it I said sure, I'd love to illustrate the cover but I insist on designing the whole book. And I was very happy with how it came out. I'd been wanting to experiment with a woodcut look in digital media. While I can see some mistakes I decided to keep them and embrace that woodcut lyfe, bro.

This is another small press book, this time non-fiction. Michael Sexton looks back at the summer of 1970 in the sleepy backwater of Adelaide. The world's best young cricketer Barry Richards comes to town to play A grade for Prospect, for $100 per week plus $10 a wicket and $1 per run. Of course he was picked for South Australia, and dominated that Sheffield Shield season. Michael asked me to come up with something that captured those giddy times. 

Richards was South African, and just as he reached Test cricket level, he was sidelined along with his countrymen by sporting boycott designed to isolate the white-minority apartheid regime. It's a great read and if you are quick you can still pick one up here.

They are all quite different. But it's been really fun and I hope people will keep sending me these sorts of jobs.