David Johnson, Daughter's Keeper, Watercolor on Paper, 12 X 9"

Watercolor on Paper, 12 X 9"

While working at a daily Bay Area newspaper, Dave became one of several go-to in-house illustrators, producing a wide range of original illustrations for the local news. When editorial wanted to supplement their Monthly Book Club articles with illustrations rather than photos (of an author sitting at a table, stack of books in the foreground) Dave happily took on the assignment.

For these book club book illustrations Dave read the book in its entirety, came up with a concept, and painted the resulting composition. Each offers his unique pictorial take on the fictional world.

For his neighbor Ayalet Waldman's novel Daughter's Keeper (2003), Dave brilliantly smashes the ideas of the precious / nostalgic paper dolls with the stripes of iconic prison garb. The doll and her costume, both floating precariously, get at the sense of fragility and disorientation at the heart of the story.