I've only ever considered myself an artist because of my own creative nature, not because of the quality of my work. As far as drawing and painting go, I'm only mediocre, I know. I'm really more of a sculptor. The problem is; I'm writing and self-publishing books and they need cover art. Because of the nature of the story, I think the book really needs a classic cover painting, not something abstract or 'nouveau.' I've considered holding a competition for cover art. but wonder how much interest their would be in such an endeavor, and if it would produce what I want. It's been said that you can't judge a book by its cover, which is true, but its also true that you can't sell a book with a crappy cover. Especially in today's merket, which is a tough little nut to crack. Really, the series of books I'm working on are pretty good, I think. The first novel has been read by some fifty people, and I've not received any negative feedback whatsoever. Well, except that one person said the story is for the "14 and up" audience because of violence and sexual innuendo. Funny, I was shooting for the 16 and up audience. Still, browsing through DevientArt I see so much wonderful work, I wonder if offering cash for covers would work, and if it would help to market the books. Hmmm ...