Awesome Cover Artist, Kristen Thompson

I've stumbled upon an really awesome cover artist. Her name is Kristen Thompson. Her work, to me, ranges from hauntingly beautiful to old-fashioned chic.

She's agreed to answer some questions for us!!! Exciting right!?!?!?!?!

Hi Kristen! Welcome to my blog.

First, let me tell everyone about your bio (that I got directly -- copied actually -- from your website)

Kristen Thompson
Growing up with a father who loved art, he became my inspiration and my push towards the world of art. I had always loved science fiction and fantasy and comic books, it was then I really wanted to find my way in the digital art world. I began teaching myself how to create images and layers in Photoshop 7.0 during my high school years. Creating my own web site by reading tutorials came soon after and I never looked back. I started college at Santa Barbara City College in 2004 at 17 years old and worked for my AA in Media Arts and Technology. I worked with many professionals in both Web and Graphic Design, they helped me gain better knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Flash, InDesign and working in the professional world. My senior year I did an internship with SOMA (School of Media Arts) at SBCC, I worked with the professional staff in creating the new SOMA website. I graduated in 2008, with two awards, First Place in Digital Art and Second Place in Web Portfolio. In October 2008 I started the Art Institute of San Diego California to earn a BA in Graphic Design. Through out the time there I have stayed on the Honors List with a high GPA and started creating my portfolio work. I will be graduating June 2011 and hope to work for a design firm who has the same love for art as I do.

I also have a love for books, designing covers for authors would be a dream come true. I have started a book blog reviewing and discussing books I have read, also interviewing authors about their writing. I hope to one day be a freelance designer for authors, both eBooks and Print.

That's impressive!!!!! And she's CUTE too!!!

NOW SOME INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Kristen, we learned a lot about how you got into your work from your bio (amazing, I might add). Now, tell us, I'm sure we're all dying to know! -- What is your most favorite thing to bake?
Bake? Hmm As my husband would tell you, I’m not much of a baker lol. But I love baking poppy seed muffins for breakfast they are my favorite! Also I love cooking Mexican style dished, I make a mean salsa to go with everything. J

2. I love your work. Do you get your inspiration from the book itself or is it something that just comes to you?
A lot of my work comes from reading. I have a larger than life collection of books and sometimes I just really want to express my thought on the ones I read through art. Other than that it just comes to me, I have created a lot of images that I played around with and then all of a sudden I have something that I love. I have a style that I go with, mostly with the use of textures and then I go from there to see what I can come up with.

3. When designing a cover for a book, do you get a summary of what each character is like or do you get your inspiration just on one or two pieces of information the author/publisher gives you?
From one book I designed I actually wrote the book lol. I went based off the main character and how she was described and the setting of the whole story. When authors ask me to do their work, I’m the type of artist that would like the read their novel so I can really get the feel of what I’m designing.

FAST SHOT QUESTIONS:

Cheerios or toast for breakfast (or dinner)? Toast

What is your favorite thing to bake or cook? Muffins!

What is your favorite thing to eat -- what?? Sometimes my favorite thing to bake or cook is NOT my favorite thing to eat?! Besides, I'm the Bakin_Goddess, I can ask what I want! ha ha ha ha Korean Spicy Pork…My husbands Korean and he got me addicted.

I'm watching the first Sex In The City movie right now. There is a part in there about a book called "Love Letters Of Great Men - Vol. 1" Do you or have you ever written a love letter to someone?
I haven’t… I know said but I’m a very independent girl who thinks the guy should write the love letter lo. My husband understand and is awesome, he’s the guy that comes home with flowers for no reason.
Super Lucky Girl!!! I'm sure he appreciates you so much!

I find that the art of writing letters is being overshadowed by e-mails (that's not to say that you can't write a great love e-mail).

Do you actually write letters or are you just an e-mail kinda girl? I’m an email kinda girl, but I do keep a journal where I write down ideas and do all my brainstorming.

I truly don't have a lot of questions for you, your bio says it all and your work says even more!! I just want people to be able to ask you questions about you and your work. Your work says things that I have no questions for. They speak for themselves, your covers.

What do you guys think? Amazing right?!!!

This is a link to KDesigns. You can follower her through Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and her Blog by click on each of the links (highlighted in a different color).