I put together my first sketchbook in 2008.

It was a random mess of stuff. A hodgepodge. But I liked doing it. So in 2009 I made another. And then another. I liked the sort of “benchmark” aspect of it all. The thought that, this is 2009 and this the best work I did for myself this year. The first few weren’t themed, again, just a hodgepodge of whatever I had done that wasn’t for any clients.

It wasn’t until my 2011 sketchbook, The Hidden People, that I managed to approach the thing that I’d been after — a collection of new, original work all on a theme. Not a hodgepodge. Not whatever scribbles I had leftover. A thoughtful and structured series of sketches and drawings centered around a single idea. A collection that a person could walk through and experience. Well, that was the plan anyway! And I’m sticking to it.

My dream all along has been to collect these sketchbooks into five year anthologies. Which brings me to Visions of Whence.

Visions of Whence is what I’ve called the 300 page hardcover anthology collecting my first five sketchbooks.

But this isn’t a simple reprint! While the original sketchbooks were 6″ X 9″ paperbacks for this project I’ve gone back to my original 600 dpi scans to completely rebuild the collection, page by page. There are additional pages of art (and paintings!) not collected in the original print runs. Truly, this anthology is the definitive editions of these books.

If you’d like to take a closer look, the Kickstarter for Visions of Whence is running now!

Speaking of Kickstarters, there’s a number of great ones running at the moment that I wanted to take a minute and highlight.

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Sam Guay’s Blood Moon Tarot.  This is a beautiful collection of work that she’s been creating for the last two years. Sam’s work is something special!

Ashly Lovett’s Little Mermaid “Intrigue” Giclee Print. I’m a huge fan of Ashly’s work; I just think it’s magic. Three different versions of this piece inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s tale are available.

Stephanie Law’s Mini Pal-ettes. A genius idea of miniature, terrifically portable palettes for “the watercolorist who wants a maximum variety of pigments, while keeping a small travel-sized container.”

Flesk Publications’ The Art of Mark Schultz: Carbon 3. Flesk and Schultz need no introduction around here! This new book collects 60 of Schultz most recent works.

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I love getting the chance to support my fellow creatives. Whether it’s making books, or cards, or prints, or tools, the good folks behind Kickstarter have made a platform that truly empowers artists. Take a look! I’m sure you’ll find something to inspire.