Birches Notebook: Cover art from Life Magazine, October 28, 1911

This convenient little notebook, ideal for carrying in a pocket or handbag, features 64 blank pages and a stylish cover by illustrator Coles Phillips. The artist’s work frequently appeared in American periodicals of the 1910s and 20s, and this image of a young woman and collie striding through a stand of birches is a prime example of his famed fadeaway style and originally graced the cover of a 1911 issue of Life magazine. AUTHOR: Coles Phillips (1880 1927) was among the most in-demand illustrators in his field during the 1910s and 20s. A dynamic and highly skilled watercolor artist and draftsman, Coles did dozens of covers for mainstream American magazines. In 1908 he created a style in which the figure in the foreground blended seamlessly into the background, rendering some amount of the clothing invisible, save for the edges. Dubbed The Fadeaway, the eye-catching technique became a huge hit and was employed to great effect by the artist for the rest of his career.