HELLO FRIENDS, THANKS FOR JOINING ME FOR MY JAY AHEER COVER ARTIST SPOTLIGHT, WE ARE GONNA HAVE A BLAST! I HAVE SOME BOOK COVERS, AND ART FOR YOU (CLICK ON THE BOOK COVERS FOR THE AMAZON BUY LINKS ), AN INTERVIEW AND A SURPRISE FOR JAY, BUT MORE ABOUT THAT LATER, LET'S GET STARTED!
HERE IS SOME OF JAY'S ART WORK:
I LOVE THESE NOW FOR A FEW MORE:
I WILL HAVE A FEW MORE OF JAY'S COVERS IN A BIT BUT THESE ARE STUNNING AREN'T THEY? NOW FOR THE INTERVIEW:
HEY JAY, THANKS FOR JOINING ME, AND ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS, LET'S GET STARTED SHALL WE?
1. What made you decide to design book covers?
I started designing book covers after I made some fan art, An author friend asked me to do her cover and i jumped at the chance and well the rest is history. I ended up giving up the job I already had full time to make book covers last year and well now I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.
Bec- Well I can't say as I blame you, you are so good at it!
2. Do you work with all Genre's and what genre do you tend to gravitate to most personally?
I work with every genre, and i really honestly can not pick one genre i gravitate to.
Bec- Well that makes sense, all of your work is beautiful no matter what genre it is! :)
3. What is the most challenging aspect of doing a cover for you?
The most challenging aspect for me, is finding the images, some can be quite hard, i have resorted to playing a Crazy Dr and doing a Frankenstein just to get the ideal man or woman.
Bec- I should have asked you to do a before and after...darn :P!
4. Who was your biggest influence in your carrier as a cover artist?
There wasn't just one great influence... it was a lot of people. All who happen to be Authors.. very well known Authors. Kathleen Kerridge giving me my first big break with the very first cover. At the very beginning, there was Teodora Kostova, Christa Tomlinson and Varian Krylov. All those wonderful ladies pushed me to do what I am doing. Had so much faith in me.
Bec- Ahhh yes, I love that into the woods cover so much, and yes all those ladies are pretty wonderful!
5. I love all of your artwork I have seen, do you have a favorite theme to work with? Animals, people, etc....?
For my personal Artwork i don't intend to make anything, It started with an image, an i let it go from there, with a cover there is already a strong outline as to what is needed.. 2 guys and a country lodge.. a Kissing couple and a beach landscape etc etc..
But with my art there is no set limits.. I just see what happens.
Bec- That is a great way to be, and it certainly works for you! :)
6. How long does it typically take for you do to a cover?
That all really depends on what i have to do. How much work the base images need.. If they don't need an arm attaching or painted with tattoos.. . If everything falls into place which we all hope for..... Then about 5 hours
Bec- Wow that is awesome, I am a big fan of your work and I know my friends are too, thanks for joining me Jay, it was a blast!
WOO HOO, TIME FOR JAY'S SUPRISE, I CONTACTED THREE AUTHORS THAT I KNOW HAVE WORKED WITH JAY, I ASKED THEM TO WRITE A FEW WORDS ABOUT HER, HERE IS WHAT THEY SAID, AND THE COVERS JAY DID FOR THEM (CLICK COVER FOR AMAZON LINK):
ALEX C. CLARKE
Jay Aheer? Oh, you mean, this crazy
woman with long, artfully decorated nails, amazing cover artist, with
gold in her hands? Now I remember. Yes, I have to admit, I know her.
*sighs*
I have daily, long, chats with her. No,
I mean reaaaaally long chats with her. I first met her by accident,
as she’s a friend of a friend. To be honest, I don’t remember the
first time we talked, but, after these last few months, I can say she
has become one of my closest friends on the Internet.
It’s incredibly easy to work with
her. She asks you a few questions about what you want on your cover,
what you need, what the story is, what you truly don’t want to see
on it. She works her magic and bam! You’ve got an amazing cover
that matches perfectly what you had in mind. At least, that’s how
it went for me. She’s the nicest person, unless you mess with her;
then, she unleashes the crazy ninja girl in her. I’m kidding...
well... mostly! ♥
When I look at her work, I’m always
amazed at the finesse, the gracefulness, the precision of her art.
She doesn’t only do covers; she also does art you can buy on
Society 6. Framed prints, tote bags, sheets, t-shirts, rugs, and –of
course– mugs. Those who know me are aware that I’m a huge fan of
Jay’s art and a mug collector. I have six of hers so far and I plan
to order a few more to get the entire collection.☺
I wish I could order some of her covers
too, like the one she made for Christopher Ledbetter, which was just
wonderfully made.
She also had a brilliant idea. If you
don’t know the 'Heart of the Lion Project' yet, please, visit the
Facebook page. You’ll find explanations about the project, which
aims to raise funds to fight the constant bullying of young LGBT
people. The
Heart of the Lion Project
I can’t thank Jay enough for what she
did for me. She is an amazing cover artist, an inspiring person and a
great friend. I love you <3
A.E. VIA
I’ve only had the pleasure of working with Jay Aheer for a few months, but I have to say that short amount of time span has been… magical. She rescued me from a stressful situation and agreed to do a cover for me for a book that was releasing in only a couple weeks. After a brief conversation of my book’s characters, she came back a day later with a cover that blew my reader’s minds and literally brought tears to my eyes. After she did Defined by Deceit, I immediately asked her if she’d be willing to be my cover artist from here on.
Jay’s art, not only knows no bounds, but she is such a pleasure to work with. It’s not an easy job pleasing us authors. (Not me of course, I’m extremely easy), but I know it can be difficult illustrating an author’s vision, but Jay nails it on the head every time. I’ve never heard a bad thing about her and that’s why she came so highly recommended to me. I know she is an artist for many others, but I’m very fortunate to be able to call her my artist too. Thank you, Jay. Soak up all your spotlight, honey… you truly deserve it!
Love, Adrienne
A.E. Via
KATHLEEN KERRIDGE;
I think Jay is one of the most talented artists out there at the moment, and so very patient it's shameful. We met when she sent me some fan art for Into the Woods, and I asked her to do my cover. On a technicality, I get to say mine was the first EVER pro-cover she did. We have worked together since and I wouldn't dream of working with another artist. She's the best in her field, and it's amazing to see her getting the recognition she deserves!
THANKS GUYS FOR YOUR POST, AND THANK YOU JAY FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO FOR AUTHORS, AS THESE LADIES SAID, YOU ARE AWESOME!
WELL FRIENDS, THAT IS OUR SPOTLIGHT, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT! I HAD A BALL! THANKS JAY FOR AGREEING TO THIS SPOTLIGHT WITH ME!
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