David Johnson, Family Tree, Watercolor on Paper, 10 1/2 X 9 1/2"

Watercolor on Paper, 10 1/2 X 9 1/2"

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 is a unique pictorial take on the fictional world.

This wonderful painting features a caravan and a blurred family tree to illustrate Carole Cadwalladr's 2006 novel Family Tree. Remarkable is Dave's signature light touch, and the ways in which it can create such a range of expression, form, and meaning. Here he deftly manages to render a believable solid form in the camper, while also illustrating something about the bleeding, messy, ghostly drama of inheritance.