I've been an artist forever, and minored in studio art in college. I got away from it while I worked on my doctorate, and when I had time to get back, the digital revolution had arrived. This was great news, because photomanipulation seems to be perfect for my range of artistic talents. Cover art is important to me as a consumer--my artistic side adores covers that are aesthetically pleasing. I fully admit to judging books by their covers.
At the current time, I only do eBook covers, but I hope to expand this soon.