Saturday, January 25, 2014

Shelf Candy Saturday #101: Gilded, by Christina Farley





Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!


This weekly feature
showcases beautiful book covers,
and provides information,
if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information
about Shelf Candy Saturday,
just click HERE.




 Here's my choice for this week!!



Gilded
Christina Farley
Hardcover
Skyscape
March 1, 2014
Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16173250-gilded?ac=1





Why do I love this cover?

What is it about the color blue, I wonder, that gives me so much delight every single time I see it, whether on a book cover, a car, or any other object?  But then, it's a very specific shade of blue....perhaps I could call it "electric blue".  And that's the shade on this gorgeous cover!

I guess it's just that this color is a very peaceful, mystical one.  After all, it's associated with the sky and the ocean, two of the most beautiful things on this planet.  It's also a very magical color -- the color of wonder and mysterious, unknown  worlds....

The artist who created this cover has certainly used this color to its greatest advantage!  The swooping bird -- I think it's a raven or crow -- seems to have a ghostly shadow image, and I love the various tones of blue in its feathers and body.  The landscape below looks rather ghostly, as well.  I'm not sure if it consists of blue mist rolling over mountains, or blue surf rolling over rocks at the ocean's shore.  Perhaps the artist means this to be ambiguous.  That just adds to its mystery and visual appeal, I think.

I also love that Art Deco-inspired border around the cover image, as well as the beautiful font used for the title, which looks as if it is indeed gilded.  I'm sure the letters are actually raised from the cover, on the actual book.

I was torn between using this book for "Shelf Candy Saturday" or "Waiting On Wednesday", because it won't be released until March 1st.  However, I finally decided to feature it as my SCS post today; that cover just had to be showcased!   Of course, I am waiting on this book, too!!

When I opened the Amazon online reader to look up the artist who designed this brilliant (in more ways than one) cover, I was very happy to find that, this time, the artist was credited -- on  the copyright page.  

Her name is Abby Kuperstock, and she lives in Rochester, New York.  She has a graphic design studio by the name of "AbbyDora Design", and does very whimsical illustrations for children's books.  She studied illustration and graphic design at Rochester Institute of Technology, going on to get her M.S. in Communication Design from Pratt Institute.  She specializes in the following areas: book design, typesetting, custom cards, invitations, and business identities and collateral.




Abby Kuperstock



Online Links





What do you think of my 
choice this week?
Leave me a comment and 
let me know!




 

2 comments:

  1. This is another great cover Maria.

    Aside from what you mention, I like the way that it seems that light is coming out of the mists or the ocean. That makes a nice contrast with what seems like a dark, ominous and stormy sky.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Brian!

      Yes, that light is totally eerie, as well as magical! And you're absolutely right that it makes a nice contrast with the ominous sky.

      The overall feeling of this cover is one of magic and mystery....I am enchanted, and very eager to dive into this book!

      Thanks for dropping by and making such a perceptive comment!! : )

      Delete

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