THICKET: The Art of Lily Seika Jones (2023)
Publication Design
Art Direction
Product Design
Marketing
Client & Artist : Lily Seika Jones
Editor: Nicole Collins
Art Direction
Product Design
Marketing
Client & Artist : Lily Seika Jones
Editor: Nicole Collins
Thicket: The Art of Lily Seika Jones is the first publication from Vancouver-based artist, Lily Seika Jones. Known for her delicately painted forest scenes and animal portraits, Lily is largely influenced by classic fairytales and myths.
Thicket compiles some of Lily’s breathtaking watercolor artwork from 2018 to 2023, alongside poems and character descriptions written by Lily herself.
I had the opportunity to design the cover and layout of the book. Plus guide the book from concept to print. Additionally, I designed the kickstarter page, pre-order exclusives, and all additional marketing related to the book.
Thicket compiles some of Lily’s breathtaking watercolor artwork from 2018 to 2023, alongside poems and character descriptions written by Lily herself.
I had the opportunity to design the cover and layout of the book. Plus guide the book from concept to print. Additionally, I designed the kickstarter page, pre-order exclusives, and all additional marketing related to the book.
Moodboard + Art Direction
Since Lily draws inspiration from childhood tales and myths, I wanted those elements to show through and influence the direction of the book. I wanted to give the idea that this book is like an “on the go” journal or guide to the “Unknown” so I imagine that the poems and text in the book would be typed on a typewriter or written messily in cursive. You can see some of those ideas come to light in the moodboard. Some books and aesthetics we used as a guidance are Scientific Illustration posters, The Spiderwick Chronicales, The Land of Froud, Labyrinth, and Zao Dao.
Cover Explorations:
For the cover, I wanted to keep the composition simple. I took a lot of inspiration from “traveler’s journals” and Field Guides where the covers are simple and it is up to the owner to add some personality.
Additional Products:
To fit with the outdoorsy and whimsical theme, We came up with the idea of a wooden book mark as a crowdfunding bonus. A bookmark is the perfect tool for a traveler to keep track of where you left off in your guide into a forest.
We also chose a few other deliverables that were exclusive to the Kickstarter. We had Individual transparent die-cut stickers of pieces featured in the accompanying solo exhibition, a larger opaque sticker sheet, and a limited edition giclee print.
We also chose a few other deliverables that were exclusive to the Kickstarter. We had Individual transparent die-cut stickers of pieces featured in the accompanying solo exhibition, a larger opaque sticker sheet, and a limited edition giclee print.
Thicket: The Art of Lily Seika Jones Solo Exhibition & Book Release
The photos below showcase the opening reception of the exhibition/book release party. The artist was present, showcasing new original artwork and sharing more of her original poems. Snacks were also provided, and the book was available for purchase.
