Poet Chrissa Ventrelle
Poet Chrissa Ventrelle
From idea to launch
Writer Chrissa Ventrelle hired Bess founder Christy Mack to help create the visual identity for her first two books of poetry, May it Be and the recently released What Nature Knows.
Christy encouraged Chrissa to commission artists to create original artwork for her books and helped her locate and select artists. Christy also supported Chrissa in selecting other important visual elements of her books, including a rich color palette to invite reflection and easy to read fonts to support the reader’s journey through her poems.
For Chrissa’s first book May it Be, Christy guided Chrissa through the process of working with artist Hannah Perrine Mode produce an original illustration for book’s cover. The illustration supports Chrissa’s exploration of growth in her poems and allows readers to experience the meaning of her poems in two languages – a visual and written language.
For Chrissa’s second book What Nature Knows, Christy brought in artist Hillary Waters Fayle, who frequently explores the intricacies of the natural world through different artistic mediums. Christy supported Chrissa and Hillary in their creative collaboration by identifying different artistic possibilities for the book and assisted Chrissa in selecting the illustrations that now grace the book’s cover and pages.
Original artwork, a complementary color palette and shared fonts ensure cohesion in the look and feel across both books, which is important as May it Be and What Nature Knows will often share space on a bookshelf, nightstand, coffee table, or wherever they may travel.
Both May it Be and What Nature Knows are available in hardcover and paperback at independent bookstores and on Amazon. Chrissa continues to bring her work and words to life at community readings held throughout the United States.