Q1: About the Collector’s Edition and the original drawing: The idea is that one can select a photo from the book and you will create an original drawing?

No, to reproduce the exact same photo in drawing would be too boring. The idea is to draw an inedited that is not included in the photo book, based on a photograph of mine or a composite of different shots by others. My book only contains 82 out of the thousands photographs I have taken / published on my Facebook. There are some nice shots that I wish I could include in the book but didn’t make the cut in the end. I plan on including those shots in this project in the form of original drawings.

For example, the first drawing depicts The Sound of Music picnic area in Werfen, Austria, but it’s from a different angle than the photo that’s chosen for the book (p.47) and contains more man-made objects.

The second drawing depicts Westminster Abbey in Mission, BC, but again it’s based on a different photo than the one on p.12.

The third drawing depicts Charles Bridge in Prague using the same image on p.87 as basis, however, I added a foggy effect to the whole scene (as inspired by a photograph I purchased in Prague) and removed the people.

To avoid copyright issues, I prefer that the reference photo on which my drawing is based be taken by me or you. I suggest you look at my travel photo albums and my itineraries (they are all on my Facebook) to select a scene. If you are interested in a location I have passed through but I have not taken any good photo, either you can provide me with the reference photo or I can try to look for online royalty-free resources. So long as the final result cannot be entirely traced to a copyrighted work by others, I am allowed to sell it.

Q2: Can I choose a number?

Yes, absolutely. If you should have any preference for a specific integer between 1 and 28, simply let me know and I will do my best to assign it to you. So far #1, #2, #3, #5 and #6 are taken.

Q3: $140 is really expensive. Can you lower the price?

Those who know me know that my generosity is usually unbounded, and that I prefer to give / donate rather than to sell. However, sadly this time it cannot be. The reason is that 80% of the production of these 28 ‘forerunner’ copies is sponsored by a friend of mine. Even though she willingly gave me the funds and doesn’t mind my not making a profit, I feel beholden to her that I should at least try to give her part of the money back. Hence, I can only afford to give 5 free copies to those who really want to collect my artwork but lack the financial means to do so. As of today’s writing, there are only 3 copies left. If this situation applies to you, please get in touch with me; I will see what I can do for you. I am not trying to impose a financial burden on you; I am really happy and grateful that you should appreciate my arts.

Q4: Why didn’t you opt for Blurb? Isn’t it cheaper?

For Canadian customers, Blurb’s photo books are printed in the US. With shipping and import duties / taxes to Quebec, a copy of my book (with Blurb’s logo on) is estimated at $120-$130 — not that much cheaper anyways. It’s tricky to rely on an online-based service because I don’t get to approve anything nor have any say in the finishing of the book. There is a significant colour / brightness / saturation shift in converting on-screen RGB colour space to CYMK colour space that is used in the printing press. With BookArt, I can get the chance to see the proof of my book, and correct any potential problem so that the final result matches as closely with my expectation as possible. BookArt also offers more finishing options such as foil stamping on the cloth cover, which is a nice addition to the book. Plus, as a proud Canadian, I prefer to have my book made locally and support local business / artisans. I hope my collectors will understand my choice.

Any more questions? Let me know!