I attempted some magical realism while depicting one of my daughter’s favorite authors. No doubt, this beloved Colombian belongs in the pantheon of Latin American writers.
Sylvia Plath
Early on in Sylvia Plath’s classic novel, The Bell Jar, the main character, Esther, attempts to take her own life by drowning in Boston Harbor. This would set the tone for her struggles to maneuver through this world with mental illness. In real life, the author enlightened us to the deep depression so many people suffer through silently.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
As we live through this modern-day pandemic, I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction, but also finding escapism through classic literature. One particular story which was assigned way back in high school English class, Young Goodman Brown, has always stuck with me. Having recently reread it, this devilish tale still spooks the hell out of me. The author is the descendant of a judge who presided in the Salem Witch Trials. With that kind of family lineage, no wonder his writing is so vivid and haunting.
Signed prints of this portrait are are available here, in my Etsy shop!
John Steinbeck
Much of this author’s literary universe is set in the fertile lands around his hometown, Salinas, California. If he didn’t have the life experience which was shaped by this region, we would never have The Grapes of Wrath, or Of Mice and Men.
Signed prints of my John Steinbeck portrait are available here!
W.E.B. Dubois
Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, he’d grow up to become a founding father of the civil rights movement. W.E.B. Dubois
Signed prints of this portrait are available here!
Zadie Smith
Here’s a portrait of noted author, Zadie Smith, who was born and raised in London. Her novel, White teeth, is my younger daughter’s favorite book.
Signed prints of this piece are available here!
Jack Kerouac
Born in Lowell Massachusetts, he was destined to go on the road. Jack Kerouac emerged from this New England town to become a poetic voice for the beat generation.
Prints of this piece are available here!
Margaret Atwood
Spawned in the creative wellspring of Ontario waters, a literary current flowed down to southern daughters. Spreading into bible-belt tributaries, this handmaid’s tale bled into harsh realities. When fiction dilutes into fact, Margaret Atwood foresaw these repressive acts.
Signed prints of my Margaret Atwood portrait are available here!
H.P. Lovecraft
Here’s a portrait of legendary horror author, H. P. Lovecraft, who hailed from Providence, Rhode Island. Prints of this piece are available here!
