we root, we leaf

 a gift beyond time

Book design and publication

My beloved friend, Rachel Devins, ran out of time. Cancer took her life before she could fulfill her wish to publish her poetry and writing. So I was honored to work with a team of amazing and dedicated women to publish “we root, we leaf” for Rachel and the world.

The book is now available on amazon.ca and amazon.com, and the website www.werootweleafbyracheldevins.com is an informative resource about Rachel, the whole project, its cause, and how readers can support.

Below is an explanation of the concept I used in the cover art and page design:

About the Art

Rachel had gorgeous dark curlicue hair. Her symbolic writing about her hair and its loss—combined with her love of trees and plants (literal and metaphorical)—inspired the cover and page art for the book, as well as its title “we root, we leaf.”

Rachel worked hard to twist her roots deep into mysterious soil, deep into minds and hearts—while her branches and tendrils reached out with bright leaves of language, love, playfulness and connection—open to the world and all it offers.

The front cover’s inversion of sky and ground represents the idea that our space and time have perpetually cyclical layers. Our roots and branches not only stretch in opposition away from one another, but also reach toward each other—continuing the cycle.

The imagery touches on the space between life and death—as a fluid, timeless field between digging down and stretching up.

Plus, Rachel had the beautiful ability to see the world from a different, unique perspective—so we loved the idea of inverting what might normally be expected. It is as if Rachel herself flopped down with her head hanging off her bed in an effort to see her own roots—wondering at her tendrils and leaves growing with a new, playful, colourful twist.

The bright leaf is an expression of her vibrant spirit.

On the back cover, the curls have become the wind carrying her message. The wind is the invisible energy of the earth—and it is us.