Yesterday Tom and I took a trip into downtown Chicago to visit the huge Dick Blick store there. Two levels, connected via escalator, brushes and pens, paints, canvas and craft supplies for every possible project. It was artist’s heaven.
I was excited to find inexpensive binders and sleeves to protect my Wits End originals (finished pencils, development sketches, cover and poster illustrations, totaling just over 130 pages with chapter 5 still underway). It’s great to have them safely and neatly organized, and out of the box I stored them in during the move. I also bought myself a sheet of a gorgeous crimson and gold paper that will someday be the cover for a small run of beautiful handmade books.
I love hand bound books. I led a small bookmaking workshop in Kansas this past week, and came away with some beautiful finished products. I expect to have a variety of handmade sketchbooks available at conventions starting this fall, some with patterned covers (like the ones pictured below) and some featuring my illustration work. I should have a variety of new merchandise along with my comics, which I am very excited to share as things start to come together.
My fall convention schedule isn’t set in stone quite yet, but as soon as my travel plans have been worked out I’ll let you all know. I won’t be making it to as many shows in New England this coming year, but I’m very excited to be able to attend more events in the Mid West.