Culture 24 reports that one of the illustrators of the Harry Potter books, Clare Melinsky, will be showing her work at some exhibitions in the next few months.  Clare is responsible for the “Signature Look” designs for Bloomsbury that were released back in 2010. They also talked with the artist about her Harry Potter designs.

“I had to cover up what was on my desk so even my friends didn’t know what I was working on,” she says, discussing the secrecy which proved the hardest part of the project. “There were many times when I sat up reading the text deep into the night so I could get the illustrations just right. And sometimes I went out in search of places that would give me inspiration.”

Once the covers were out, Melinsky swiftly won new-found admiration from her nephews and nieces, inspired by a local landmark.

“Many people assume that the picture of platform 9¾ in on the back cover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is from Kings Cross. In fact it’s not – it’s the railway station at Dumfries. And the gravestones on The Deathly Hallows are also from reality. I based them on the old graveyard at Morton in Dumfries and Galloway.”

She will be part of the following:

D&G|OUT is at James Harvey British Art, London from April 24-26. Clare Melinsky will be discussing her work on April 24 at 6pm. Tickets £8, visit spring_fling.eventbrite.co.uk to book.

Spring Fling, the popular annual event in the region, will feature 95 Scottish artists in a series of open studios from May 24-26.

Filed Under: Books