Beatles artist Shannon MacDonald, known for her lifelike portraits of the Beatles that hang at the Cavern and the Hard Day's Night Hotel in Liverpool, will collaborate with author Jude Southerland Kessler on the covers for Kessler's complete nine book series on the life of John Lennon.
The agreement was announced jointly by the author and artist on Thursday. MacDonald's first cover will replace the current cover on the next edition of Kessler's first Lennon volume, "Shoulda Been There." The fourth printing, due out in mid-November, will feature MacDonald's painting "Standing on the Edge." (See picture at left.)
"Shannon and I are kindred spirits, one a writer, one an artist, both the most ardent of Lennon devotees. When Shannon and I chatted about the project initially and she began to tell me about the painting of John that she envisioned, it was as if she were actually reading my mind!," Kessler says.
“This has been a long time coming as Jude and I discussed this two years ago while meeting in Chicago," says MacDonald. The thing I like most about Jude, like myself, she is not just a fan but she has a passion to ‘get it right.’ Together this will be a win-win situation."
The second volume in the series, "Shivering Inside," will also get a new cover, probably in 2012. The revised edition of "Shoulda Been There" can be pre-ordered at Kessler's website.
Kessler has announced on her website that the third volume in the series, "She Loves You," is currently in the works. In an interview last year, she told us her plan was to publish it in October, 2013.
Prints and t-shirts of MacDonald’s artwork are available at www.TheShannonGallery.com. The "Standing on the Edge" painting to be used on "Shoulda Been There" is not for sale, MacDonald's publicist told us.
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