A wordless picture book told through 30 full page oil paintings by Julia Allisson Cost.

11.25 inch x 11.25 inch x .375 inch book. The cover is a cloth-textured hardcover. 44 pages. Oil painting illustrations on every page.

Email if you’d like Julia to personalize your book’s title page with a name or a message.

The first 1000 books will receive a 3 inch round vinyl sticker picturing a scene from the book.

Price includes US shipping. For international shipping, email julia@costgallery.com with your full shipping address and the number of books you would like to order.

Julia painted every page of this book as an oil on canvas painting with the goal that each scene should stand alone as a work of art. Julia created the props and sewed the quilts and costumes so that she could paint everything from life and achieve a level of rich detail and realism.

Fabric Connections: Three of Julia’s fabric designs appear in the book: Blush Watercolor, Pink Bouquet Jubilee and Cherry Blossom Panel. And now, seven of Julia’s new fabric designs are based on the lush scenery in the book: Edge of the Ocean, Wildflower Mountain, Field of Flowers, Golden Fields, Poppy Fields, Lemon Tree, and Green Garden. You can sew to match the book!

Synopsis: The Girl and the Boat is a tale of friendship chronicled through 30 evocative oil paintings that invite you to explore countless details and interpret the story for yourself. A little girl lives high on a mountain overlooking the sea. One day, she discovers a boat in a field of wildflowers. She carries it home, washes it, sews it a new sail, and they share a series of adventures. Over time, the boat shows her it is ready to return to the sea, and the girl has to find the courage to let it go. In the tender portrayal of the little girl, you will feel the joy of loving a new friend, the timelessness of creative play, and the heartbreak of saying goodbye. Blurring reality and make-believe seamlessly, this story leaves you pondering: Was it real? Was it play-acted with toys? Did you dive into a child's sketchbook? However it is read, the story gets to the heart of being human and ignites your own imagination, beckoning poring through the paintings again and again.

Maui photographer Angelina Hills took the photos of the book with the orange flowers in the background and Julia with the book (wearing sunglasses).