The Artist: George Arthur Bush
Did you know George Bush was an artist? No, we’re not talking about that George Bush, although incidentally, he does dabble in painting. (Really, he does. If you look it up, he’s quite good.) And no, we’re not referring to his papa, George Sr, either.
George Arthur Bush, also known as G. A. Bush, was a prolific cover artist in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He was born in 1953 in Reading, PA. Bush worked in various genres and produced fantastic cover art for Jove, Charter, Fawcett, Dorchester, and Zebra, among other publishers.
Bush’s covers had an eye-catching style that made his romance covers especially memorable. The way he played light and color against each other made his art stand out.
To achieve his unique look, George Arthur Bush would use various paints. For example, for The Exiled Heart, first, he coated a foam board with acrylic Gesso. Then he painted the artwork in oils, and finally, he covered it with a spray of acrylic clear varnish to get that beautiful glow.
Bush was also a fine art illustrator who worked in multiple mediums. He has created book covers, worked in comics, designed collector’s plates for Danbury Mint and the Bradford Exchange, and sculpted in clay. He’s also worked for film and television.
Unfortunately, George A. Bush suffers from debilitating MS and can no longer paint and sculpt.
The Covers
Our Covers of the Week edition for Monday, November 29, 2021, to Sunday, December 5, 2021, highlights romance covers created by the very talented George Arthur Bush, aka G. A. Bush.
A Fire in the Heart, Francine Rivers, Charter, 1987
Exiled Heart, Susan Tanner, Dorchester, 1993
Wild Conquest, Rene J. Garrod, Zebra, 1987
Count Vronsky’s Daughter, Carola Salisbury, Fawcett Crest/Ballantine, 1981
That fourth book is a presumably unofficial Anna Katerina sequel!