Kristen Fissell

 Roger Williams University Bookplate

Early June 2024 a member of Roger Williams University marketing reached out to me for a commission. They were seeking to update an illustration of the Roger Williams library for their bookplate and thought my artistic skills and unique perspective as a graduate would be a perfect fit for the project. I looked up more about bookplates because I hadn’t heard of them before. Here’s a pretty good description of what they are:

Bookplates are full page illustrations, pictures, or photographs that are printed separately from the text of the book, but they are bound in during production. Platings add color, texture, and value to books, and they are often gorgeous and riveting. For certain titles, plates are only included in first editions or deluxe editions, and they can often spread over entire sheets of paper. Book plates will also often be in the front of the book, and serve as a way of indicating ownership.

The bookplate for Roger Williams University would be used on the inside cover of all books donated to the University by alumni and professors. I decided I would love to contribute! Here is their old bookplate design:

UPDATED DESIGNS AND PROCESS

I received a couple different reference photos of the library but I was drawn to two different compositions. I decided to paint two versions and see which one the marketing team liked better (or maybe they would use both!). The originals are 7x5 inches, quite small. The request was to use “bold colors” capturing my unique take on the library. I really tried to push the oranges, blues, and even greens and yellows without the artworks looking cartoon-y. Both of these took me about 6 hours each start to finish, even though they are small. I am not sure how that compares to other artists but sometimes it feels really slow!

I just sent these to the University and will hear back soon on their thoughts. What do YOU think? Which composition would you like to open a book up and see? Let me know!

By the way, another request was for me to sign these with my graduation year so even though I completed these in June 2024, they say 2022 because I graduated December 2022.