The Watercolor Flower Artist’s Bible: An essential reference for the practicing artist (link to Amazon for more info)
Last December I received an invitation from an editor at Quarto Publishing in London to submit photos of my watercolor flower paintings for publication in an upcoming book. At first I ignored the message because I assumed it was the kind of spam email I get regularly inviting the artist [to pay] to be in a show or a book. Just before the submission deadline I did some investigation and discovered they are a good publisher and that I actually owned another of their books. I submitted files of my photos and scans of five paintings.
That editor’s editor approved the photos for inclusion and they asked me to write about my process, goals, focus, techniques, etc. for each painting which I did. Then I waited. I was promised only a copy of the book and good publicity in exchange for their right to publish the art in their book.
I got the book this week and was so excited! Not only did they do a really nice job with my artwork and the descriptions, but it’s a really good and comprehensive book on flower painting in watercolor. The most exciting part for me is that I’m sharing the pages of a book with some truly amazing artists, including one of my favorites, Lucy Willis, who has published several wonderful books (that I own and treasure) on watercolor painting, seeing and painting light, and travel painting.
My artwork can be found on pages 72, 85, 86, 101, and 152. Here are my chunks of those pages:
Hi Jana,
How does it feel to be Celebrity? just kidding….
your pantings are source of inspiration for so many people and me. My daughter always makes it a point to check your site out religiously. I do it with great love.
good to know you.
Thanks for such a wonderful gift to all of us!
Fantastic news! Congratulations! They all look gorgeous
Will look out for it when next I get an opportunity.
Jana, this is such exciting news! Your work really looks wonderful – I think the author of this book showed extremely good taste in choosing you to help illustrate her book.
Congratulations! Your work is stunning and this looks like an excellent book. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, congrats Jana!!!
Jana,
I’m so excited for you!!! Your flowers look just gorgeous – especially the rose in the glass vase. You must know by now how much I love your handling of glass and refelctions! Enjoy the glory – you deserve to be there among your fellow favorite artists.
Shirley
this is what we live for. great job and congrads
WOW, Jana, it looks like a wonderful book, and as usual your work in incredible! Congratulations!!
Well done!!! Gorgeous pictures!! I have a regular subscription to a Quarto magazine called Artists and Ilustrators which is really good.
JANA!! I AM OUT OF MY SKIN EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A GLORIOUS COLLECTION OF YOUR WORK — AND THE BOOK SOUNDS WONDERFUL!! I AM AS PROUD OF YOU AS ANYONE CAN BE!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!! BRAVA BRAVA BRAVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wonderful!!! Congratulations. You were smart to investigate the offer. It’s so nice when these things turn out to be the wonderful opportunity we hope for. Your paintings look amazing.
Peggi
The iris blows me away! These are masterful paintings, and deserve to be published. Congrats to you, dear heart! And this book looks terrific.
Nel
Isn’t this cool? I love what you submitted its really a wonderful exampl eof your work. Looks like it really payed off to investigate and not just ignore the e-mail. Congratulation’s.
Wow Jana! That’s absolutely fantastic – many congratulations!
Your flowers all look totally stunning – I’m not at all surprised that so many were featured. I’m familiar with the format for these books and I know they are very popular in the UK.
This means you’re definitely featured artist of the week on my blog on Sunday – I’ll e-mail you!
Hi Jana, wow indeed! a big congratulations to you! your pages look terrific! Now if the publisher is wise they’ll be asking soon for you to write a book of your own, if anything like your blog I know it’d be wonderful.
Very nice – I can see why they included your work.
Stunning work, Jana. Congratulations!
JANA!!! Congratulations on your work in the book. You deserve it. The work is beautiful!
Lydia
OH JANA – STANDING OVATION!!! How Wonderful and these entires are simply jaw dropping gorgeous!!!! How do I get an autographed copy (and I am not kidding!!!)
Congratulations, Jana! How exciting! And the flower paintings are gorgeous.
Way to go!! Great news and lovely paintings… I just love the pink rose in the glass container with the blue background! I think I could learn a lot from this book.
Congratulations, Jana – this is a well deserved honor and your work is really beautiful. You should be getting a share of the royalties (seriously) because great work like this will no doubt help to sell the book for them.
Uh … ditto the above!!!
That’s so exciting! Congratulations, Jana. You really deserve it.
Absolutely fantastic and SO deserved…Congratulations!!!
You are one of my star posts this week.
My goodness! What a wonderful, wonderful thing to happen. I think the publishers are extremely lucky to have you, Jana, and I also believe you deserve more than ‘the honor’ because you will sell books. Anyway, your own book can’t possibly be far away. Congratulations – I am speechless with delight looking at that poppy and the iris.
Awesome paintings!! BIG CONGRATULATIONS! What an honor.
Many many congratulations……how wonderful. Especially love the roses in a bottle, and the descriptions of how you produced your gorgeous flowers. KUDOS!
Congratulations, Jana! Five paintings – that is awesome. And they are beautiful paintings. Perhaps you will write a book yourself someday – I hope so.
Congratulations Jana, and it was only to be expected as you do such lovely work.
I am glad I dropped in today to see what you had been doing, life has got in the way here so not much time on the computer or any where else.
Your flowers are just wonderful. I love how you do the shading and colors.
Congratulations. You should be so proud.
Becky
http://www.pooka-art.com
I’m impressed but not surprised. You did it! That’s wonderful.
Janet
Jana, Wonderful to get published in such a reputable publication. I know those books & they’re great. You’ve really ‘made it’. All the hard work pays off.
Congratulations! I love the selection of flowers that you chose. Beautiful!
Congrats Jana! That is really fantastic to get so many images in the book!
I love Lucy Willis too, and would love to be able to go on one of her painting workshops. It would be fun to have a bunch of blogger/watercolor artists go at the same time.
Congrats, Jana. Thoroughly deserved in my opinion;I rate you among the best of water colourists in this style.
Must go…kitten twins wreaking havoc!
Sorry for the late comment but congratulations Jana, your watercolours look absolutely gorgeous! I agree, you need a book of your own, these are outstanding, well done!!
Congratulations Jana. I will have to put this book on my chirstmas wish list. I will bet your heart went pitty patter when the book arrived, as well it should. I am excited for you.
Congratulations, they’re fantastic, and look especially great in print.
I came to this post via Anita’s “Star posts” … congratulations, Jana … your work is excecllent and deserves to be published and seen!
CONGRATULATIONS, Jana….this is wonderful news and certainly well deserved ~
Congratulations Jana!! How exciting and definitely well-deserved! I hope many more open doors of opportunity come your way by this publishing…you’ll have to start practising your outograph…
ronell
A very late, but thrilled congratulations to you, Jana!! I remember when they first approached you about this book and now, just look at how gorgeous it is!!! Your crystalline, glowing paintings are really shown to wonderful advantage here. Many, many good wishes to you on this great occasion!!
It’s so exciting that your wonderful work is getting out into the world even more, Jana. Congratulations! The Birthday Tulips and Bearded Iris are knockouts!
I’m so happy about thisseeing your floral paintings has always given me a lot of pleasure and inspiration. The roses are beautiful and this iris really defines the iris for me.
So happy for you, I have a little tear.
Jana, what a fantastic achievement – the paintings look fantastic too. I will keep my eyes out for a copy of the book.
Hey Jana! I was completely blown away by your paintings when I opened the book, they are absolutely beautiful and I would so love to see them face to face. (That iris makes me want to give up….!) I am also thrilled to have found your blog thanks to Katherine – I shall be back!
Well I am taking up the rear end here with my congrats.
so a big CONGRATULATIONS!
excellent stuff! I showed this to a colleague at work the other day, a statistics professor who is a painter and who has become really interested in flowers in watercolour, he was impressed, I think he’ll get the book. Congratulations on this!
Congratulations! Your talent is evident, glad you are getting some recognition for it….
Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo
Thank you Raiul,
Your English is just fine! What language do you speak?
Jana
Jana Bouc
Sketchblog: http://JanasJournal.com
Website: http://JanaBouc.com
very very nice paintings.hard work.
Jana, I’m so sorry I missed this very exciting event. Your flowers are just stunning. No other word for them. Beautiful, beautiful work. I’m so glad they were published for others to see. I love iris’ and that purple one is just a show stopper. Belated congratulations to you!