Effusions of Fancy: Consisting of Annotated Sketches from the Life of Jane Austen in a Style Entirely New [Paperback]

... the artist's attempt to portray the young Jane Austen, whose personality sparkles and leaps from her novels, has succeeded.

She cleverly 'reworks' Cassandra's famous water colour portrait, imbuing life to her features...shows a woman of charm and sparkle...

....a work of art with beautiful layout and pictures....an excellent present for the Jane Austen collector who has everything....

'jewel-like watercolors',...'text and pictures work together harmoniously'...'a study of the miniaturist-like, enameled details is rewarding and refreshing.'

Effusions of Fancy is a new Jane Austen book with a difference. It is a light hearted portrayal of a youthful Jane Austen as seen through the eyes of her sister Cassandra. Watercolour sketches and paintings depicting events and scenes from the novelist's life are annotated with facts and accompanied by illustrated letters.
The letters are based on Jane's correspondence with her sister and presented as Cassandra's lost letters. The paintings are inspired by Cassandra's sketches, contemporary works and historical costume. Illustrations include, Jane Austen's birth, childhood scenes, a family wedding, the Austen family, a new portrait inspired by Cassandra's sketch, love and dancing with Tom Lefroy, balls, shopping and social gatherings in Bath and Jane with her mysterious Sidmouth beau.
The book is produced as a high quality paperback, consisting of 36 beautifully illustrated pages and would make an ideal keepsake or gift for anyone interested in Jane Austen, the Regency or Georgian eras.

The inspiration for Effusions of Fancy came from the two authenticated sketches made by Jane Austen's sister Cassandra, contemporary paintings, silhouettes of Austen family members and Jane's correspondence with her sister. We are often left with the idea that the novelist we love, was a prim, staid spinster who lived at home and led an uneventful life. The two water colour sketches by Cassandra give us an impression of how she looked but have always left me wanting more. I wanted to add to the few images that we have of her and portray the sparkling personality which leaps from the pages of her novels and letters. The sisters kept up a regular, almost daily correspondence whenever they were apart and although Cassandra's letters have not survived, we can glean hints of their content from Jane's writings. I decided to combine paintings, drawings and letters as though executed by Cassandra. I thought it might be fun to imagine the sort of letters Cassandra might have written and to draw other pictures she may have had in her head. I wanted to see Jane Austen as a baby, a small child, a young girl at a ball and standing beside her first love, with her hair dressed and her heart full of hope. I wanted to show the girl who was described by contemporaries as pretty and vivacious, a girl who flirted and loved to dance. I hope that in a small way I can change people's perceptions of the novelist, from that of a country spinster, to that of a young girl who enjoyed life, who had hopes and dreams like the heroines in her books and give a glimpse into the world from which the delightful Pride and Prejudice was born. This book was made to satisfy my particular need and I hope that you will approve and forgive my presumption.

Jane Odiwe lives in London with her husband and three children. She is a huge fan of all things Austen and is a member of the Jane Austen Society. Recent illustration commissions have been for the Society and Bath’s Jane Austen Centre magazine.
Effusions of Fancy was born after Jane had sought out every image of Miss Austen and found there were only two authenticated portraits. In fact, she was finding it so hard to find a wide range of Austen related images, that she decided to create her own, based on contemporary paintings and sihouettes. As an artist, she was fascinated by Jane’s sister Cassandra who had painted Jane’s portrait and about whom there is little known. Jane’s letters provided the clues for a set of fictional letters from Cassandra and drawing on her experience as an Art, Literature and History Graduate and teacher, she set about creating Jane Austen’s early life in pictures and letters. This is her first book and she hopes that her readers will forgive and approve her presumption.

January 1796

Dearest Jane,

Here is a portrait which I think you will agree displays your handsome face and fine hazel eyes to their best advantage and will, I hope, console and appease the hearts of your many ardent admirers; Mr.Heartley, Rev. C Powlett and Mr. Warren amongst others - when they discover that your own heart is particularly lost to another. If you have set your cap at Mr. Thomas Lefroy you will leave these other fellows broken hearted! Can it really be true that you are to dance your last with the beaux of Hampshire? I find it hard to believe that you will now only confine yourself to dancing with a young Irishman who chooses to display his shocking want of taste by dashing around Steventon in a light coloured morning coat! However, I hope you will enjoy the Ashe Ball and have many partners with which to dance, although I fear that you and your Tom may expose yourselves too much for propriety - in any event I will allow you to step out for the first two dances with the dashing Mr. Lefroy and I remain,

Yours affectionately,

Cassandra