Afterword
from Stephen Foster, artist and avid reader
“We are all digging through the same visual treasure, amassed over centuries, looking for inspiration. It’s what we do with what we find that makes our individual work unique…”
And this is true for the written word as well as for the visual. Stories have always been an inspiration for me to pick up a pencil and draw. This project is just one of many that have kept me busy beginning in 2021 as the world adjusted and healed from a pandemic that kept us all so isolated. As much as the virus has been a curse, forcing us to change, some of those changes have been welcome. For myself, it included newly found free time to catch up on reading and drawing, which is what gave birth to Authors in Ink, and it continues today as additional authors are added to the site.
The writers chosen for this project are authors whose works I’ve read and loved, whose writings I find compelling regardless of their popularity. Be it Stephen King, who has sold more books than nearly anyone else alive or dead, or Hart Crane, who is hardly known today outside of devoted poetry circles. And whenever possible, I use stories these authors have publicly shared about their creative process, which is always fascinating and sometimes surprising.
As a professional graphic designer and illustrator, most of my time has been filled with commissioned work for advertising, retail, film, and publishing clients. My range of work includes art for animation, book illustrations, corporate ID, logo design, and packaging. For a look at a variety of my commissioned work, please visit my site at: stephenfosterdesign.com
Finding the time to work on personal projects with the responsibility to complete them only to myself, has always been a joy. It reminds me of those days as a teenager, before joining the workforce, and sitting at the edge of my bed with a sketch pad, dreaming up something to draw, just for myself.
Thanks for visiting, and I hope this site will inspire you to investigate a newly discovered author or reacquaint yourself with an old favorite. To take a break from reality, sit on the edge of your bed, or better yet, in a comfy chair, and dive into the pleasure of reading.
To view more of my illustration and design work, or to learn more about my professional background, click through the links below or hop over to the Contact page where you can reach me directly.
I’m also happy to announce I now have an Etsy Shop where some of my work is offered as quality art prints, including specially designed 2-sided bookmarks of some of the authors featured here.