Hi there,
I just read your brief and I would like to express my interest to work on your cover illustration since according to the descriptions of the requirements as well as judging from your budget, you seem to be interested in original handcrafted art. As I'm a traditionally educated artist and I've been working as an old-school illustrator for many years, I can offer real art for your cover - original illustration done from scratch, the development of which you'd be able to follow from scratch. My first association is a dreamy and sensual, yet colourful, mixed medium of pen and ink with watercolours with an impression similar to that of Klimt or Schiele, a busy double spread with no white areas.
If this is close to your ideas, please write back so that we could discuss this further. I would deliver either a high resolution scan or the original work.
Sincerely hope to hear from you,
kind regards,
Dusica