Intrepid Book Cover Art- Featuring Laura Beasley Ottensman

  Laura Beasley Ottensman  Painting the Book Cover for “Intrepid” (Coming Fall 2015) Follow Laura at      https://www.facebook.com/Ottensmanart

As I work on a story like Intrepid, I am reminded that we are who we surround ourselves with. The multiverse is so vast and incomprehensible, that we, as tiny specks on the cosmic scale, need other tiny specks to tether us to reality. It keeps us from getting too carried away with our own insignificance.  However, we also need those with the talent to pull us out of these realities we create. We need people brave enough to stretch the limits of our imaginations so that it inspires us to think outside of ourselves, because it is only then that we can reach towards greatness. For a novel, such as Intrepid, I needed a book cover that inspired this “stretching” of reality. I needed someone who could look beyond what “is” and ponder what “could be.”  So, naturally, I thought of my dear friend, Laura Beasley Ottensman. 

I met Laura when I was fourteen. She was the younger sister of one of my best friends, but she quickly won me over as we entered into the vast labyrinth of high school in small town Texas. Since then, our friendship has transcended the ultimate test of time and tragedy. We’ve always been like colliding stars, and every time I’m around her, her brightness rubs off on me just a little bit. 

As for her art? I’ve witnessed first hand the evolution of her talent. On her older sister’s wall rests one of her first paintings, and the portrayal of Laura’s imagination can be seen in it’s beginnings. Translating what is seen in the mind’s eye and what gets onto canvas is the ultimate challenge, and Laura tackles this with a fiery vigor. 

In Laura’s own Artist Statement, she says: 

“My art depends on nature.  What if we could create a reality dictated by the our travels, dreams, ideas and memories?  Every time I run my eyes along the horizon my pupils begin to dance, and I wonder how I can capture this moment with my hands.

The creatures of this world have always intrigued me.  They feed my soul with a natural excitement. I am eager to transfer the connection between Earth and its inhabitants with my desired perception.   I form an instant relationship with every painting as my brush touches the blank canvas, uncertain of where we might end up together.  The thrill of visually sharing my personal encounter with nature allows me to fall in love again and again; and the dance goes on…”

With a passion like that, how could I trust anyone else with my reader’s first encounter with my first Sci-Fi book? 

Check out her Facebook Page and follow the progress of her projects.  

https://www.facebook.com/Ottensmanart

More to come as her Intrepid adventure continues. 

These paintings represent mere snapshots in Laura’s brain, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with for the Intrepid book cover.