« Cover Art for My Next Book: Artist John August Swanson »

If you are not yet acquainted with the art of John August Swanson, it’s time. His art is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian. His painting, “The Procession,” was selected by the Vatican to be part of the Vatican’s Museum of Contemporary Religious Art. He is included in print collections in the U.S. and Europe. What a treat, then, that he’s agreed that his “Into the Forest” would be the cover art for my next book, From Egos to Eden: Our Heroic Journey to Keep Earth Livable.

I met John in 2010 at a conference in San Diego, where he was the conference artist. There I learned more about his process of serigraph making. He draws the prints which he silkscreens. But he goes way beyond anything I’d previously thought of as silk screening. The complexity of his serigraphs can use 40 to 60 different silk screens and even more.

Born of a Mexican mother and Swedish father, John’s art reflects the storytelling of them both. His website tells of the influence of Corita Kent on his art, and that “his unique style is influenced by the imagery of Islamic and medieval miniatures, Russian iconography, the color of Latin American folk art, and the tradition of Mexican muralists.”

Much of John’s art expresses his deep understanding of what it means to “do justice” today. His spiritual life is united with his art. He’s taken many of his pieces and put them onto posters where he juxtaposes them with poignant quotes from those making prophetic witness to a better world. His website shows some of them. You can purchase any that fit your purposes.

Beyond giving permission to use his art on my book cover, John believes in what I’m writing about. He prays that we can keep Earth livable and do so with great Spirit and deep love. Because our hearts are united about what From Egos to Eden is about, there’s great mutual benefit in having John’s art on the cover of my book. Readers of my book will learn about John’s colorful, full-of-life art, AND, because he plans to promote my book, those who follow his art will learn about my book.