There are some books that will always stay with us. In this blog series, illustrators share a book that has made a big impression on them. Here, designer Rose Lazar shares her book tip.
“The book that I always go back to and that had a big impact on me is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. My aunt gave it to me when I was a child and I couldn’t help but hope that one day I would find a secret garden of my own. I love plants and flowers and always have.”
“This particular copy of the book was a hardcover version and when you took the dust jacket off there were gold foil-embossed plants and flowers on a hunter green cover. It’s forever etched in my brain as one of my favorite, most beautiful things. Sadly, I lost that copy but I always check for the same version of it at used bookshops wherever I may be. There have been so many different editions of it printed since then, but this version has a special place in my heart.
Reading is a part of my life, as it’s where I get a lot of inspiration for the text for our greeting cards and prints. As much as I love fiction, I often read a lot of biographies of artists or creative types as it’s nice to read about – and at times relate to – their lives as artists trying to make it in the world!”
Rose Lazar has a background in fine art and printmaking. She works in her studio in Brooklyn, New York, US. What started as a way to continue her love of printmaking with a paper goods line has turned into a world of positive vibes and lucky totems for you and your home. You can see what she makes on her website.
Illustration homepage: Jennifer Orkin Lewis
- This is the last blog in our series Books to remember.
- If you’d like to read more about books to remember, take a look at the blogs from Jennifer Orkin Lewis (1), Monika Forsberg (2), Victoria Johnson (3), Flora Waycott (4), Elizabeth Olwen (5), Carolyn Suzuki (6) and Jesse Levinson (7).
