Cover design for K.Melissa Burton's Divided They Stood (McClanahan Publishing House)

From the Kitchen of Mary Parlanti and 111 Fabulous Food Finds

Recent release for popular Lexington Chef Mary Parlanti. Photo shoot for the cover was inside her home in the fall of 2010.    New McClanahan book coming out in April by David Dominé. This cover design features shots from Boone Tavern and the Fancy Farm Picnic in Kentucky.

 Background for a working illustration.  Photo is from a Adsmore photo shoot I did last year. It is for an upcoming brochure.  Splash of Bourbon (McClanahan) Spread shot taken at Woodford Reserve warehouse. The book is written by David Dominé.  Currently, we are working on 111 Fabulous Food Finds by David and published by McClanahan. For more information call 1-800-544-6959.

It is with deep regret that I report the loss of friend and author Marty Godbey in December. The pen and ink was one of hundreds of illustrations I did for her books in the late 80s and early 90s. (McClanahan) Her talents crossed many areas, from architecture, history, food, and along with husband, Frank, a love of bluegrass music. McClanahan published a series of dining guides carefully researched and beautifully written by Marty for several states and overall for the South.The illustration depicts Scarlett O'haras in St. Augustine, Florida.

Ebb, painted in mid 70s.  Terri at 16.
Both pieces are about the way photography influences painting. Ebb is my grandfather, Terri, my daughter. Her portrait illustrates the darkroom technique of solarizing a print by exposing it to a brief light while processing. The painting was done with an airbrush. Each head measures about 36 inches.

White Horse from Derby Entertaining (McClanahan)


Girl with Blue Bike, a painting of a model from the Instituto Allende.

The self portrait is posted as kind of a joke to honor our 50th high school reunion. The abstract (a favorite) is from the 90s. It stems  from an earlier representational painting of a late afternoon street scene in Mexico.

Illustration and page layout from Kentuckys Boone by Melissa Burton. Second illustration is for Grimy, Grubby, Gardening by Karen Angelucci.
Both books published by McClanahan.  www.kybooks.com    1-800-544-6959

Two similar covers done about 15 years apart. In both cases the subjects had to be created from scratch. For example, the services had no such insignia for broadcasters, so I had to create one.   This kind of thing has been a lot of fun — I've been very fortunate to find opportunities to do what I love to do.

Below: Two paintings from '71, 12th Station and Ravine

My grand daughter who modeled for the book illustration Betsy Ross sewing.

All images are under my copyright. Book published in association with

McClanahan Publishing House illustrated and designed by me. The newspaper

series that preceded this book won an international grand prize in Europe.

Below are two portraits of my grandchildren I did about seven years ago.

Both are at a university now.

Painting hangs in our family room measures 4 by 6 feet. It is an ongoing piece for over 30 years, a place to experiment and try ideas. (bookcover) Congratulations Florida Book Award Bronze Medal Winner: Todd T. Turrell, Naples Waterfront – Changes in Time. Happy to have been a part of this project, published in association with McClanahan Publishing.

A full color book by McClanahan, Splash of Bourbon, Kentucky’s Spirit, features many shots I took along the famous Bourbon Trail in Kentucky and food shots by the author. The cover design is over a textured watercolor background. For information go to www.kybooks.com or call 1-800-544-6959. All images are copyrighted.

Chalice, a 2010 painting. 

Cover illustration forSeasoned in the South (McClanahan). This book was featured on QVC the shopping network.

Below is the book cover illustration/design for A Distant Light, (McClanahan) by Justice Bill Cunningham. This story involves a murder and subsequent trial in Murray, Kentucky and shines a light on racial injustice in the early 1900s in Kentucky. Of art interest - the challenge here was incorporating the two portraits from different eras of the two governors. The train and the weapon are both from that period. Also of lesser interest, I personally modeled as both the victim and the shooter. Next is a watercolor illustration depicting the late Dr. Thomas D. Clark for the cover of a book, Kentucky’s Clark, (McClanahan) by Bill Cunningham chronicling an extended conversation with the popular Kentucky historian. Dr. Clark graciously invited my wife Carol and I into their Lexington home to photograph him for this painting. Bill Cunningham is now Justice Cunningham, a Kentucky Supreme Court Justice. I did the portrait in 1986.

One of my foodshots and the cover design for Derby Entertaining (McClanahan) published in 08.

Find it at bookstores or at www.kybooks.com.

The impasto painting below titled Harvest Festival was an experiment that became an award winner. The next painting (from a private collection) is a 2009 painting titled Where Doves Go to Die, inspired by the passion found from the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. I attempted to find that kind of passion through what is now classical abstract expressionism using colors from traditional landscape painting of the late 19th century.

Three children’s books designed and illustrated by me and published by McClanahan. Grimy, Grubby Gardening by Karen Angelucci, Kentucky’s Boone and Kentucky’s Capitol by Melissa Burton. Read an early review of Grimy below. The background for Boone is Cumberland Gap in March-April, the same time of year Boone’s party crossed through and opened the Wilderness Trail into the Bluegrass. Capitol cover features a night shot taken in the rain with existing light. At bookstores and at www.kybooks.com

http://www.kentucky.com/lexgo/books/story/922893.html?story_link=email_msg

The fun illustration of the goat was done in pencil in 1976. (I'm a capricorn) Center is an award my wife and I went to Chicago to receive for a McClanahan book I designed, Cook Talk withCurtis Grace and Friends. I am especially fond of it because it was done on an old MacPlus in 1989. At that time computer book design was in its infancy. The World Young Reader Prize for 2008 (grandprize) held by the old goat was for the Woody Washington series awarded in Europe to the Lexington Herald Leader. I illustrated the series and subsequent book. I did six Woody books (published in association with McClanahan) and four series published in 85 newspapers which reached close to a million readers a week. The article above announced our grandprize win.

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Below are examples of commercial prints. Originals are usually commissioned pieces and prints are marketed to various institutions. The series of pride prints (© Progress Prints) were generally done in the mid to late 70s including the University of Kentucky 78 Basketball Championship with a presentation made in Japan as they toured after the win. The tractor prints were a small series done in the 90s.

Page spread and cover design for Merry Christmas from Kentucky by Michelle Stone. (McClanahan) Order online at www.kybooks.com or find it at bookstores. I did the food shots and design.

Two illustrations of Charleston, SC. The first was used for the cover of a book South Carolina, Always in Season (McClanahan). That scene was discovered when my grandson and I were driving to the beach. The second is a miniature painting.  These paintings can also be seen @ http://www.rcstart.com/images.php?q=Marsh%20Lowcountry%20Oil%20Paintings&first=41

My wife Carol. She is the author of two books, Especially Herbs and Herbs, Cultivating & Cuisine. The first book was published in 1996 and the second in 2001 (both by McClanahan). The books were designed, photographed and illustrated by me. The author’s photo is from the dust jacket. Above right is a pen and ink from the 2nd book. Both books received several positive national reviews including the following — “Straightforward recipes that offer a practical look at cooking with herbs and a taste of what goes with what. The recipes encompass a full range of culinary herb uses, including seasonings, oils, sugars, sauces, salads, breads and entrées.” Sue Lenthe, Herb Companion