EST. 2013
A collection of Linda’s artworks, designs, humanitarian projects and publications where light, space, and mathematical precision intersect.
In case you are wondering why some elements of my first book are designed in this particular way — especially why the title is so big whereas my name so small — I have made a video explaining the rationals behind my design choices.
For those who are interested in visual art and graphic design (and those who want to hear me speaking ‘Canadian’ English).
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.
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.
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.
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!
Today I am launching my first photo book, Roads Go Ever Ever On (2021). Worldwide shipping available. Please visit my Etsy store or contact me to arrange a purchase and delivery.
Specification of the physical book:
This photo book comprises 82 photographs taken during my two as-yet biggest bike tours that are 10 years apart: the first across Canada in 2009 (11,000 km) and the second across half of Europe in 2019 (3,400 km). At the beginning, I was thinking of publishing two books focusing on each journey individually, but in the end I decided to combine them into one volume, without clearly differentiating between the two parts. By so doing, I hope to demonstrate the universality of nature and the unity of humanity.
Photographs in this book come in pair: the photograph on the one side is purposely chosen to echo or contrast the photograph on the other side, be it by composition, colour, subject matter, colour or whatnot. For example, one recurring theme is nature vs. human civilisation. Visual cues aside, hints are also given in the titles of the works that may help readers to make the connexion between the two photographs within a pair and the pairs within the global sequence order.
This project’s original title was ‘Forever’, taken from Stratovarius’ song of the same name to which I referred several times in my preface and in naming my photographs. As the project evolved, it became clear that a different title was in need to capture its new essence. I have come up with several options and this one, borrowed from a renowned literary source and suggested by my friend Mary-Jane (who also graciously served as the proof-reader of my preface), best describes what I intended to convey to my readers. It also alludes to the subject of my next book, which will fill in the 10-year gap between my two solo cycling adventures.
I hope my readers will enjoy flipping through this book as much as I did in making it.
There are 28 copies of the Collector’s Edition for sale at the price of $180 per copy. Each of them come with a different original drawing of mine. There are also 172 copies of the Regular Edition without numbering nor drawing at the price of $50 per copy.
For those who opt to have the Collector’s Edition, here is a sneak peak of my drawings in progress.
You may communicate with me on what drawing you want to receive. So long as it depicts a location I have travelled through (15,000 km through 6 countries, that’s a lot of choices!), I will happily produce it for you. In the absence of preference from your part, I will assign a drawing to you based on my personal bias and my knowledge of you.
So far each drawing takes 6-20 hours to complete. I hope this addition makes the book’s high price tag justifiable.
I acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
I plan on self-publishing my first photo book Roads Go Ever Ever On this year.
Originally, I was thinking of making two books, with one focusing on my Tour of Canada, the other on my Tour of Europe. But after much considerations, I decided to juxtapose 82 photographs taken during these two solo adventures that are 10 years apart, without clearly drawing the distinction. Only in the index at the end of the book will readers see where these photographs were taken.
It will be printed and bounded by BookArt in Montreal, on the Canadian Spicers Supreme Silk Cover 60lb paper, hardcover with dust jacket.
Originally, I was thinking of relying on Blurb‘s online service, but in the end, I decided to partner with a local Montreal-based art book maker, BookArt instead. They specialise in small production (typically 100-150 copies) of art books, and actually do print at a number smaller than 100 upon request. They use the same Indigo printing system that Blurb uses, and allow me to see the proof of everything and choose from more finishing options (like foil stamping, cloth cover material / colour, etc.). The paper is also Canada-sourced and FSC-certificated. Therefore, my book is entirely Canadian and environmentally friendly.
All of my photographs have been previously published, so the only new thing is the preface I wrote for this occasion. It’s been proof-read by Her Majesty of English Language Mary-Jane, hence is guaranteed to be an enjoyable read.