Jessica Cleveland, Author at Blackwing https://blog.blackwing602.com/author/jcleveland/ Pencils & Stories Mon, 15 Apr 2024 19:02:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://blog.blackwing602.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cropped-Favicon-32x32.png Jessica Cleveland, Author at Blackwing https://blog.blackwing602.com/author/jcleveland/ 32 32 Blackwing x Independent Bookstore Day 2023 Retailer Locator https://blog.blackwing602.com/blackwing-x-independent-bookstore-day-2023-retailer-locator/ Thu, 27 Apr 2023 16:01:02 +0000 https://blog.blackwing602.com/?p=59854 Celebrate independent bookstores across the country with the limited-edition Independent Bookstore pencils! This year, the […]

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]]> Celebrate independent bookstores across the country with the limited-edition Independent Bookstore pencils! This year, the celebration goes beyond Independent Bookstore Day and honors these stores every day. These pencils are available exclusively at participating independent book stores starting on April,29th 2023, and quantities are limited. Please refer to this directory and visit or contact your local independent bookstore to purchase.

ALABAMA

The Snail on the Wall
1301 Forbes Drive
Huntsville, AL 35802

ALASKA

Hearthside Books
8745 Glacier Hwy
Juneau, AK 98801

Parnassus Books and Gifts
105 Stedman Street
Ketchikan, AK 99901

ARIZONA

Bookmans Entertainment Exchange
1520 S. Riordan Ranch St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Bookmans Midtown Store 1
3330 E. Speedway Blvd.
Tuscon, AZ 85716

Bright Side Bookshop
18 N. San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Phoenix Booksmans
8034 N. 19th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85013

ARKANSAS

Two Friends Books
801 SE 8th St. STE 47
Bentonville, AR 72712

WordsWorth Books
5920 R St.
Little Rock, AR 72207

CALIFORNIA

Browser Books
2195 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

Bel and Bunna’s Books
3581 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
Suite C
Lafayette, CA 94549

Books on B
1014 B Street
Hayward, CA 94541

Capital Books
1011 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95670

Capital Books
1011 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95670

Chukaruka
11251 Sierra Ave 2E-113
Fontana, CA 92337

Diesel, A Bookstore
225 26th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90402

Face in a Book
4359 Town Center Blvd.
Suite 113
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

Gamble House Bookstore
4 Westmoreland Place
Pasadena, CA 91103

Ink Spell Books
500 Purissima Street
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

J Crawford’s Books
5301 Freeport Blvd.
Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95822

Lido Village Books
3424 Via Lido #103
Newport Beach, CA 92663

Northtown Books
957 H Street
Arcata, CA 95521

Red Rock Books
206 W Ridgecrest Blvd.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555

River House Books
208 Crossroads Blvd.
Carmel, CA 93923

Rubys Books
724 Sutter St.
Folsom, CA 95630

Tin Can Mailman
1000 H Street
Arcata, CA 95521

UCSD Bookstore
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093

Warwicks
7812 Girard Ave.
La Jolla, CA 92037

Wild Sisters Book Company
3960 60th Street
Sacramento, CA 95820

Word After Word Books
10052 Donner Pass Rd.
Truckee, CA 96161

Word Horde
2200 Petaluma Blvd. N Ste 805
Petaluma, CA 94952

Bel Canto Books
375 Redondo Ave. #108
Long Beach, CA 90814

Book Passage
51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Corte Madera, CA 94925

Bookshop Benicia
636 1st Street
Benicia, CA 94510

Bookshop West Portal
80 West Portal
San Francisco, CA 94127

Builders Booksource
1817 Fourth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710

Frugal Frigate
9 North 6th Street
Redlands, CA 92373

Monarch Books
201 E. Branch St.
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

The Book Catapult
3010-B Juniper St.
San Diego, CA 92104

Keplers Books
1010 El Camino Real #100
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Library Shop
330 Park Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92101

Linden Tree Los Altos LLC
265 State Street
Los Altos, CA 94022

Mysterious Galaxy
3555 Rosecrans St. Ste 107
San Diego, CA 92110

Napa Bookmine
964 Pearl St.
Napa, CA 94559

Pendragon Books
1223 8th Street
Berkeley, CA 94710

Skylight Books
1818 N. Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Alibi Bookshop
624 Marin Street
Vallejo, CA 94590-3919

Avid Reader
617 Second St.
Davis, CA 95616

Bookshop Santa Cruz
825 Front St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Chaucer & Company
3321 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Gallery Bookshop
319 Kasten St. #270
Mendocino, CA 95460

Green Apple Books
506 Clement St.
San Francisco, CA 94118

Mrs. Dalloways Literary & Garden Arts
2904 College Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705

Once Upon a Time
2207 Honolulu Ave.
Montrose, CA 91020

Vroman’s Bookstore
695 East Colorado Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101-2116

Rakestraw Books
3 Railroad Ave.
Danville, CA 94526

Village Well
9900 Culver Blvd. 1B
Culver City, CA 90232

COLORADO

Cultural Legacy Inc.
3633 W 32nd Ave.
Denver, CO 80211

Black and Read
7821 Wadsworth Blvd.
Arvada, CO 80003

Downtown Books
525 Yampa Ave.
Craig, CO 81625

Old Firehouse Books
232 Walnut St.
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Once Upon a Trapeze Bookstore
301 South Main, Suite 170
Buena Vista, CO 81211

Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop
150 Murray St. #66
Niwot, CO 80544

Words of Windsor
631 Birch Street, Unit B
Windsor, CO 80550

Bookworm of Edwards
295 Main St. C101
Edwards, CO 81632

Out West Books
533 Main St.
Grand Junction, CO 81501

Macdonald Book Shop
152 E Elkhorn Ave
Estes Park, CO 80517

Matter
2134 Market St.
Denver, CO 80205

CONNECTICUT

Bank Square Books
53 West Main St.
Mystic, CT 06355

Byrd’s Books
178 Greenwood Ave.
Bethel, CT 06801

Hickory Stick LLC
2 Green Hill Rd.
Washington Depot, CT 06794

River Bend Bookshop
2217 Main Street
Glastonbury, CT 06033

RJ Julia Booksellers
768 Boston Post Road
Madison, CT 06443

Kent Book Shop
10 North Main St.
Kent, CT 06757

DELAWARE

Delaware Art Museum Store
2301 Kentmere Parkway
Museum Store
Wilmington, DE 19806

Browseabout Books
133 Rehoboth Ave.
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

East City Books LLC
645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Suite 100
Washington, D.C. 20003

Solid State Books
600 H St. Suite F
Washington, D.C. 20002

Busboys and Poets
2021 14th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20009

Politics and Prose Bookstore
5015 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

FLORIDA

Story & Song Bookstore Bistro
1430 Park Avenue
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Bodacious Bookstore and Cafe
110 East Intendencia Street
Pensacola, FL 32502

Books & Books Suniland
11297 South Dixie Hwy
Pinecrest, FL 33156

Books & Books Coconut Grove
3409 Main Hwy
Coconut Grove, FL 33133

Books & Books at Bal Harbour
9700 Collins Ave #370
Bal Harbour, FL 33154

Portkey Books
404 Main St.
Safety Harbor, FL 34695

Writer’s Block Bookstore
316 N Park Ave.
Winter Park, FL 32789

Writer’s Block Bookstore
32 W Plant St.
Winter Garden, FL 34787

Books & Books Coral Gables
265 Aragon Ave.
Coral Gables, FL 33134

Tombolo Books
2153 1st Ave S
St. Petersburg, FL 33712

San Marco Bookstore
1971 San Marco Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32207

GEORGIA

Charis Books & More
184 S. Chandler St.
Decatur, GA 30030

Crazy Book Lady LLC
5058 Cherokee Street NW
Acworth, GA 30101

Book Tavern
978 Broad Street
Augusta, GA 3090

Little Shop of Stories
133 A East Court Square
Decatur, GA 30030

Shaver Bookseller LLC
326 Bull St.
Savannah, GA 31401

IDAHO

Winnie & Mo’s Bookshop
343 A Street
Idaho Falls, ID 8340

ILLINOIS

Abalabix Books
30 N Williams St
Suite A
Crystal Lake, IL 60014

Afterwords Books
441 E Vandalia St.
Edwardsville, IL 62025

Anderson’s Bookshop
123 W. Jefferson Ave.
Naperville, IL 60540-5310

Anderson’s Bookshop
5112 Main Street
Downers Grove, IL 60515-4601

Book Table Inc.
1045 Lake St.
Oak Park, IL 60301

Brookie’s
10324 S. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60643

City Lit Books
2523 N. Kedzie Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60647

I Know You Like A Book LLC
4707 North Prospect Road
Peoria Heights, IL 61616

Read Between the Lynes
111 E. Van Buren
Woodstock, IL 60098

The Sly Fox
123 N. Springfield St.
Virden, IL 62690

Wordsmith Bookshoppe
235 East Main St.
Galesburg, IL 61401

Bobzbay
419 N. Main St.
Lower Unit
Bloomington, IL 61701

Book Cellar
4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625

Bookstore of Glen Ellyn
475 N. Main St. Suite 100
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

Volumes Bookcafe
1373 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622

RoscoeBooks
2142 W. Roscoe St.
Chicago, IL 60618

Exile in Bookville
410 S. Michigan Ave.
Suite 210
Chicago, IL 60605

Women & Children First
5233 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60640

Bookends & Beginnings
1712 Sherman Ave.
Alley 1
Evanston, IL 60201

INDIANA

Chapter 2 Books
107 E. Sycamore St.
Kokomo, IN 46901

Pete & Freddy’s Pages Aplenty
301 W. Washington St.
Mentone, IN 46539

Wild Geese Bookshop
40 East Madison Street
Franklin, IN 46131

Fables Books
215 S. Main St.
Goshen, IN 46526

Viewpoint
548 Washington St.
Columbus, IN 47201

IOWA

Book Vault LLC
105 S. Market St.
Oskaloosa, IA 52577

Dog-Eared Books
203 Main St.
Ames, IA 50010

Dungeon’s Gate
2525 N. Ankeny Blvd.
Suite 101
Ankeny, IA 50023

River Lights Bookstore
1098 Main St.
Dubuque, IA 52001

KANSAS

Green Door Book Store & Gift Shoppe
7713 W. 151st St.
Overland Park, KS 6622

Watermark Books
4701 E Douglas
Wichita, KS 67218

Raven Book Store
809 Massachusetts St.
Lawrence, KS 66044

KENTUCKY

Carmichael’s Bookstore
1295 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY 40204

Carmichael’s Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Ave.
Louisville, KY 40206

Joseph-Beth Booksellers
161 Lexington Green Cir.
Suite B1
Lexington, KY 40503

Read Spotted Newt
221 Memorial Drive
Hazard, KY 41701

LOUISIANA

Blue Cypress Books
8123 Oak Street
New Orleans, LA 70118

Cavalier House Books
114 N. Range Ave.
Denham Springs, LA 70826

Octavia Books, LLC
513 Octavia Street
New Orleans, LA 70115

MAINE

Briar Patch
27 Central St.
Bangor, ME 04401

Hello Hello Books
316 Main St.
Rockland, ME 04841

Print: A Bookstore LLC
273 Congress St.
Portland, ME 04101

MARYLAND

Caprichos Books
11310 Manklin Creek Rd.
Unit 4
Ocean Pines, MD 2181

Snugbooks47
4717 Harford Rd.
Unit 1C
Baltimore, MD 21214

Atomic Books
3620 Falls Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21211

The Ivy Bookshop
5928 Falls Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21209

MASSACHUSETTS

Wellesley Books
82 Central St.
Wellesley, MA 02482

All She Wrote Books
451 Artisan Way
Somerville, MA 02145

An Unlikely Story
111 South St.
Plainville, MA 02762

Porter Square Books Boston Edition
50 Libery Drive Ste 500
Boston, MA 02110

Whitelam Books
610 Main St.
Reading, MA 01867

Book Moon Books
86 Cottage St.
Easthampton, MA 01027

Book Shop of Beverly Farms
40 West St.
Beverly, MA 01915

Copper Dog Books LLP
272 Cabot St.
Beverly, MA 01915

Papercuts JP
60 South St.
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Sea Howl Bookshop
46 Main St.
Orleans, MA 02653

The Bookloft
63 State Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230

Porter Square Books
25 White St.
Cambridge, MA 02140

Eight Cousins Inc.
189 Main St.
Falmouth, MA 02648

Harvard Book Store
1256 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138

Odyssey Bookshop
9 College St.
South Hadley, MA 01075

MICHIGAN

27th Letter Books
3546 Michigan Ave.
Detroit, MI 48216

Booksweet
1729 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48015

Brilliant Books
118 E. Front St.
Traverse City, MI 49684

Coy’s Comics
3220 Bay Rd. Ste. B
Saginaw, MI 48603

Epilogue Books
10 E. Bridge St.
Rockford, MI 49341

Literati Bookstore
124 E. Washington
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Schuler Books Ann Arbor
2513 Jackson Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Schuler Books Grand Rapids
2660 28th Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512

Schuler Books Okemos
1982 W. Grand River Ave.
Okemos, MI 48864

Schuler Books West Bloomfield
7260 Orchard Lake Rd.
West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322

Serendipity Books
108 E. Middle St.
Chelsea, MI 48118

Sidetrack Books
325 S. Washington
Royal Oak, MI 48067

Source Booksellers
4240 Cass Ave.
Suite 105
Detroit, MI 48201

The Bluestocking Bookshop
501 Butternut Dr. Suite 3
Holland, MI 49424

2 Dandelions Bookshop
428 W. Main St.
Brighton, MI 4811

Bookbug
3019 Oakland Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49008

McLean & Eakin Booksellers
307 E. Lake St.
Petoksey, MI 49770

MINNESOTA

Birchbark Books
2115 W. 21st St.
Minneapolis, MN 55405

Buffalo Books LLC
6 Division St. E
Buffalo, MN 55313

Content Bookstore
314 Division St.
Northfield, MN 55057

Magers & Quinn
3038 Hennpin Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55408

Paperback Exchange
2227 West 50th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55419

Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105

Subtext: A Book Store
6 West 5th St.
Ste. 150
St. Paul, MN 55105

Zenith Bookstore
318 N. Central Ave.
Duluth, MN 55807

Moon Palace Books
3032 Minnehaha Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55406

Next Chapter Booksellers
38 Snelling Ave. S
St. Paul, MN 55105

MISSISSIPPI

Square Books
160 Courthouse Square
Oxford, MS 38655

Turnrow Book Co LLC
304 Howard St.
Greenwood, MS 38930

MISSOURI

Mills Record Company
4045 Broadway Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64111

The Novel Neighbor
7905 Big Bend Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63119

Unbound Bookshop LLC
22 South 9th St.
Columbia, MO 65201

MONTANA

Country Bookshelf
28 W. Main St.
Bozeman, MT 59715

Montana Book Company Redux
331 N. Last Chance Gulch
Helena, MT 59601

NEBRASKA

Francie & Finch Bookshop
130 S. 13th St.
Suite 100
Lincoln, NE 68508

The Bookworm
2501 So 90th St.
Ste 111
Omaha, NE 68124

NEVADA

Sundance Books and Music
121 California Avenue
Reno, NV 89509

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Still North Books & Bar
3 Allen St.
Hanover, NH 03755

Concord Booksellers, Inc.
45 South Main St.
Concord, NH 03301

NEW JERSEY

Asbury Book Cooperative Corp.
644A Cookman Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712

Words Matter Bookstore
52 S. Broadway
Pitman, NJ 08071

Literary Visions, LLC
54 Fairfield St.
Watchung Plaza
Montclair, NJ 07042

Inkwood Books North, LLC
106 Kings Highway East
1st Floor
Haddonfield, NJ 08033

New Mexico

Bookworks
4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87107

NEW YORK

The Little Book Store
413 Riverside Dr.
Clayton, NY 13624

Books Are Magic
225 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231

Books Are Magic (Montague)
122 Montague St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Oblong Books, LLC
26 Main St.
Millerton, NY 12546

Oblong Books, LLC
6422 Montgomery St.
Suite 6
Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Element of Fun LLC
274 N. Goodman St.
Suite B133
Rochester, NY 14607

Parthenon Books
333 S. Salina St.
Syracuse, NY 13202

Postmark Books
1553 Lucas Avenue Ext.
Cottekill, NY 12419

Talking Leaves…Books
951 Elmwood Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14222

The Bookstore Plus
2491 Main St.
Lake Placid, NY 12946

The River’s End Bookstore
19 West Bridge St.
Oswego, NY 13126

Merritt Bookstore
57 Front St.
Millbrook, NY 12545

Buffalo Street Books
215 North Cayuga St.
Dewitt Building
Ithaca, NY 14850

The Word is Change
368 Tompkins Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11216

Battenkill Books, LLC
15 East Main St.
Cambridge, NY 12816

Kew & Willow Books
8163 Lefferts Blvd.
Kew Gardens, NY 11415

Red Jacket Books
77 Main St.
Suite D
Westhampton Beach, NY 11978

Barner Books
3 Church St.
New Paltz, NY 12561

Book Club
197 East 3rd St.
Book Club Bar
New York, NY 10009

Golden Notebook
29 Tinker St.
Woodstock, NY 12498

Greenlight Bookstore – PLG
632 Flatbush Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11225

Greenlight Bookstore
686 Fulton St.
Brooklyn, NY 11217

NORTH CAROLINA

A Novel Escape
60 E. Main St.
Franklin, NC 28734

Country Bookshop
140 NW Broad St.
Southern Pines, NC 28387

Downtown Books
103 Sir Walter Raleigh St.
Manteo, NC 27954

Main Street Books
126 S. Main St.
Davidson, NC 28036

McIntyre’s
220 Market St.
Pittsboro, NC 27312

Sassafras on Sutton
108 Sutton Ave.
Black Mountain, NC 28711

Quail Ridge Books
4209 Lassiter Mill Rd.
Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27609

Flyleaf Books
752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe
55 Haywood St.
Asheville, NC 28801

Page 158 Books
415 S Brooks St.
Suite B
Wake Forest, NC 27587

NORTH DAKOTA

Zandbroz Variety
420 Broadway
Fargo, ND 58102

OHIO

Book Rack
8315 Beechmont Ave.
Suite 23
Cincinnati, OH 45255

Dark Star Books
237 Xenia Ave.
Yellow Springs, OH 45387

Fundamentals Books and More LLC
25 W. Winter St.
Delaware, OH 43015

Gathering Volumes
196 E. South Boundary St.
Perrysburg, OH 43551

Joseph-Beth Booksellers
697 Wilmer Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45226

Learned Owl Bookshop
204 N. Main St.
Hudson, OH 44236

Loganberry Books
13015 Larchmere Blvd.
Shaker Heights, OH 44120

Prologue Bookshop LLC
841 N. High St.
Columbus, OH 43215

New & Olde Pages
856 Union Blvd.
Englewood, OH 45322

OKLAHOMA

Magic City Books
221 E. Archer St.
Tulsa, OK 74103

Literati Press Bookshop
3010 Pase
Oklahoma City, OK 73101

OREGON

The Bookloft
107 E. Main St.
Enterprise, OR 97828

The Next Chapter Bookstore
1000 S. Hwy 395 Ste. C
Hermiston, OR 97838

Third Street Books
320 NE Third St.
McMinnville, OR 97128

Waucoma Bookstore
212 Oak St.
Hood River, OR 97031

Books Around The Corner
393 NE Kelly Ave.
Gresham, OR 97030

Powell’s RDC
2720 NW 29th Ave.
Dock Door 5
Portland, OR 97210

Roundabout Books
900 Mt. Washington Dr.
Suite 110
Bend, OR 97703

Paulina Springs Books
252 W. Hood Ave.
Sister, OR 97759

PENNSYLVANIA

Completely Booked
201 Blue Spruce Way
Murrysville, PA 15668

Aaron’s Books
35 E. Main St.
Lititz, PA 17543

City of Asylum Books
40 W. North Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Cupboard Maker Books
157 North Enola Rd. (Routes 11/15)
Enola, PA 17025

Lahaska Bookshop
162A Peddler’s Village
Lahaska, PA 18931

Pressed
1535 W. 8th St.
Erie, PA 16505

Farley’s Bookshop
44 South Main St.
New Hope, PA 18938

Little Green Bookstore
104 North Main St.
Zelienople, PA 16063

Penguin Bookshop
417 Beaver St.
Sewickley, PA 15143

Reads & Company
234 Bridge St.
Phoenixville, PA 19460

The Squirrel and Acorn Bookshop
103 South Allen St.
State College, PA 16801

Commonplace Reader LLC
49 S. Main St.
Yardley, PA 19067

RHODE ISLAND

Epic Decade
14 Narragansett Ave.
Jamestown, RI 02835

Charter Books LLC
8 Broadway
Newport, RI 02840

SOUTH CAROLINA

Itinerant Literate Books
4824 Chateau Ave.
North Charleston, SC 29405

Turning Page Bookshop
604 St. James Ave.
Suite 1
Goose Creek, SC 29445

The Village Bookseller
761 Coleman Blvd.
Ste. B
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

TENNESSEE

The Bookshop
1043 W Eastland Ave.
Nashville, TN 37206

Novel LLC
387 Perkins Ext.
Memphis, TN 38117

Parnassus Books
3900 Hillsboro Pike
Suite 14
Nashville, TN 37215

TEXAS

Buy The Book
25162 Grogans Park Dr.
The Woodlands, TX 77380

Katy Budget Books
870 S. Mason Rd. #101
Katy, TX 77450

Nowhere Bookshop
5154 Broadway St.
San Antonio, TX 78209

Reverie Books
5330 Menchaca Rd. Ste. D
Austin, TX 78745

The Book Nook
108 S. Douglas St.
Brenham, TX 77833

Blue Willow Books
14532 Memorial Dr.
Houston, TX 77079

BookPeople
603 N. Lamar
Austin, TX 78703

Lark & Owl Booksellers
205 W. 6th St.
Suite 101
Georgetown, TX 78626

Monkey and Dog Books
3608 West Seventh St.
Forth Worth, TX 76107

Patchouli Joe’s Books & Indulgences
221 W. Hickory St.
Denton, TX 76201

Twig Bookshop
306 Pearl Parkway #106
San Antonio, TX 78215

Interbang Books
5600 W. Lovers Lane
Ste 142
Dallas, TX 75209

Murder By The Book Inc.
2342 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005

UTAH

The Book Garden
2 North Main St.
Bountiful, UT 84010

The King’s English Bookshop
1511 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84105

The Book Bungalow
76 W. Tabernacle St.
Suite 8A
St. George, UT 84770

VERMONT

EloquentPage
70 N. Main St.
Saint Albans, VT 05478

Phoenix Books Burlington
191 Bank St.
Burlington, VT 05401

Phoenix Books at Essex
2 Carmichael St.
Essex Junction, VT 05452

Phoenix Books Woodstock
12 Central St.
Woodstock, VT 05091

The Bookstore
8 Conant Sq.
Brandon, VT 05733

VIRGINIA

Read Books
2200 Parks Ave.
Virginia Beach, VA 23451

The Book Dragon
102 W. Beverly St. Ste. A
Staunton, VA 24401

Winchester Book Gallery
7 N. Loudon St.
Winchester, VA 22601

Old Town Books
130 S. Royal St.
Alexandria, VA 22314

Peach Street Books
401 Mason Avenue
Cape Charles, VA 23310

Scrawl Books
11911 Freedom Dr.
Reston, VA 20190

Fountain Bookstore
1312 E. Cary St.
Richmond, VA 23219

New Dominion Book Shop
404 East Main St.
Charlottesville, VA 22902

WASHINGTON

BookIt Nook
21800 Market Place NW
Suite 101
Poulsbo, WA 98370

Darvill’s Bookstore
296 Main St.
Eastsound, WA 98245

Edmonds Bookshop
111 5th Ave. S.
Edmonds, WA 98020

Hi-Voltage Records
2714 6th Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98406

Madison Books
4118 E. Madison St.
Seattle, WA 98112

Main Street Books Monroe LLC
110 E. Main St.
Monroe, WA 98272

Queen Anne Book Company
1811 Queen Anne Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98119

Sandbox Bookstore, LLC
102 E. 3rd Ave. Suite 104A
Moses Lake, WA 98837

Third Place Books
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

Third Place Books, Seward Park
5041 Wilson Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98118

Time Enough Books
157 Howerton Way SE
Ilwaco, WA 98624

Wishing Tree Books
1410 E. 11th Ave.
Spokane, WA 99202

Ye Olde Bookshoppe
11 Palouse St.
Wenatchee, WA 98801

Brick & Mortar Books
7430 164th St. NE
Redmond, WA 98052

Island Books
3014 78th Ave. SE
Mercer Island, WA 98040

Phinney Books
7405 Greenwood Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98103

Paper Boat Booksellers
6040 California Ave. SW
Suite A
Seattle, WA 98136

Elliot Bay Book Company
1521 10th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98122

Village Books
1200 11th Street
Bellingham, WA 98225

Ballast Book Company
409 Pacific Ave. Ste. 202
Bremerton, WA 98337

WISCONSIN

A Room Of One’s Own Bookstore
2717 Atwood Ave.
Madison, WI 53704

Apostle Islands Booksellers LLC
112 Rittenhouse Avenue
Bayfield, WI 54814

BayShore Books LLC
302 Collins Avenue
Oconto, WI 54153

Books & Company
1039 Summit Ave.
Oconomowoc, WI 53066

Boswell Book Company
2559 N. Downer Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53211

Leopold’s
1301 Regent St.
Madison, WI 53715

Mind Chimes Bookshop
1766 Superior St.
Three Lakes, WI 54562

Reads By The River LLC
102 E. Main St.
Waterford, WI 53185

Stevens Point Bookstore, LLC
1008 Main St.
Stevens Point, WI 54481

Barrio Books, LLC
3016 W. Layton Ave.
Greenfield, WI 53221

Blue House Books
5915 6th Ave. A
Kenosha, WI 53140

Dotters Books
1426 Emery St.
Eau Clair, WI 54701

Kismet Books
101 N. Main St.
Verona, WI 53593

Redbery Books Inc.
43455 Kavanaugh Rd.
Cable, WI 54821

WYOMING

Jackson Hole Book Trader
970 W. Broadway, Suite A
Jackson, WY 83001

The post Blackwing x Independent Bookstore Day 2023 Retailer Locator appeared first on Blackwing.

]]> Introducing Blackwing Vol. 20 https://blog.blackwing602.com/introducing-blackwing-vol-20/ Tue, 28 Mar 2023 15:44:34 +0000 https://blog.blackwing602.com/?p=59697 The post Introducing Blackwing Vol. 20 appeared first on Blackwing.

]]> .avia-section.av-dlsbutk-691bdd764b3fa24202b2ce5526316b23{ background-repeat:no-repeat; background-image:url(https://blog.blackwing602.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Vol20-banner.jpg); background-position:50% 50%; background-attachment:scroll; } .avia-section.av-dlsbutk-691bdd764b3fa24202b2ce5526316b23 .av-section-color-overlay{ opacity:0.5; background-color:#222222; }

March 2023

VOLUME 20

The Tabletop Gaming Pencils.

The Blackwing 20 celebrates tabletop games and the cherished moments they can create.


The types of games we play and the way we play them have evolved. Some of the earliest tabletop games – like chess, mancala, and senet – were games of strategy. Today, math, language, storytelling, and more help forge unique game play experiences for countless different games.

With just a pencil, notebook, and a set of dice, you can become a real estate tycoon, a wordsmith, or an adventurer on a quest. You can team with others to solve a mystery, or build the ultimate baseball team to crush the competition. The only limit is your imagination… and the rules of the game, of course.

Blackwing 20 celebrates tabletop games and the cherished moments they can create with a collection of game-inspired items:

  • The Vol. 20 Pencil features a raised polyhedron design inspired by gaming dice, a gold ferrule, gold imprint, and a red eraser. Each pencil contains our firm graphite core, perfect for keeping track of hit points or tallying a final score.
  • Vol. 20 Point Guard not only protects pencil points, it’s inspired by the six-sided die used in tabletop games. Each side of the point guard features a white pip numbering 1 through 6, so it can be rolled like dice at to play a game or make a decision on the go.
  • The Vol. 20 Hex Grid Legal Pad is the first to feature a hex grid that includes both 1-inch and 5-per-inch hexes, perfect for both mapping out your tabletop adventures or as a unique grid for drawing and note-taking. Available in packs of 2. Each pad contains 50 pages of 80 GSM ivory paper that is sewn-bound and perforated.



SUBSCRIBE TO VOLUMES
BUY VOL. 20

Vol 20 Polyhedron

Every Blackwing purchase benefits music and arts education at the K-12 level.

The post Introducing Blackwing Vol. 20 appeared first on Blackwing.

]]> Lore Master: The History of Tabletop Gaming – Part 1 https://blog.blackwing602.com/lore-master-the-history-of-tabletop-gaming-part-1/ Tue, 28 Mar 2023 15:10:54 +0000 https://blog.blackwing602.com/?p=59663 Though tabletop games may seem like a modern pastime with popular choices like Scrabble and […]

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]]> Though tabletop games may seem like a modern pastime with popular choices like Scrabble and Settlers of Catan, their origins stretch back before written history. The first known examples of gaming and game pieces were crude dice found in archaeological sites around the Middle East. From dice to family board games to building empires, Blackwing Volume 20 celebrates tabletop gaming history and the evolution in the ways that we play.

  • Ancient bone dice
  • Other ancient game pieces

As civilizations advanced, gaming continued to grow in popularity and complexity. What started as simple dice expanded into multiple game pieces like Senet, Mehen, and Chatarunga. Gaming was not only enjoyed by the masses but was tremendously popular among royal and religious houses, even going so far as to determine the player’s favor with the gods. These games were so well-loved that evidence of their popularity has been found in ancient pictographs and burial sites in the Middle East and Eastern Asia.

  • Senet game set
  • Early pictograph depicting Senet

The Tabletop Games

The oldest “tabletop” games date back to around 5000 BC with the discovery of game pieces in the famed Başur Höyük burial mound found in southeastern Turkey. It is believed that the earliest games were those of chance played with dice-like pieces.

These types of games expanded throughout the Fertile Cresent. Around 3000 BC, ancient Egyptian rulers began playing a game called “Senet” which is considered the oldest board game to date. Even though the exact rules of the game remain unknown, archaeological evidence shows that the game consisted of 10 game pieces and a 30-square game board.

The Royal Game of Ur

The Royal Game of Ur

Originating around 2600 BC, the Royal Game of Ur is regarded as the longest-running board game in history with people still playing this ancient game today. The rules of the game were first found carved into an ancient stone tablet discovered inside a royal tomb in the city of Ur in ancient Mesopotamia, now modern-day Iraq. This game is played with black and white tokens featuring seven markers and four-sided dice.

The Royal Game of Ur and other games played during this time were predecessors to the game we all know today as Backgammon. We will visit the origins of backgammon, chess, and other popular classics that transformed tabletop gaming into a worldwide pastime.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Lore Master: The History of Tabletop Gaming coming soon…

Shop Blackwing Vol. 20 Pencils – Special-edition release celebrating Tabletop Gaming
Explore the Blackwing Vol. 20 Collection

The post Lore Master: The History of Tabletop Gaming – Part 1 appeared first on Blackwing.

]]> 5 Ways to Unplug for the Global Day of Unplugging https://blog.blackwing602.com/5-ways-to-unplug-for-the-global-day-of-unplugging/ Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:49:03 +0000 https://blog.blackwing602.com/?p=59640 Why unplug? What began as an awareness campaign initiated by non-profit group Reboot about the […]

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]]> Why unplug? What began as an awareness campaign initiated by non-profit group Reboot about the mental health benefits of long-term smartphone use in 2009 has grown into a worldwide phenomenon known as the Global Day of Unplugging (formerly known as the National Day of Unplugging). This year, the Global Day of Unplugging will be observed March 3-4. We’ve rounded up suggestions for five ways to unplug below

1. Disconnect

The first step is to actually unplug! Commit to disengaging from all nonessential electronic devices for anywhere from a portion of your day to all of it, whatever is actually possible for you. Be realistic about what you can manage, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you can only commit to a small part of your day; it’s all part of building healthier habits around our attachment to devices, and starting somewhere is still a start.

2. Move Your Body

Take a fitness class, go for a bike ride, or take a long walk. Anything that gets you up and moving, out of your seat and away from screens, will be beneficial for your mental and physical health. Bonus points if it gets you out in nature! For those with physical limitations, try checking out a new shop, cafe, or museum–anything that’s accessible and gets you out of your usual environment for a new experience.

3. Clean & Declutter

For some, disconnecting from devices can cause restlessness energy. Not only does a deep clean keep your hands busy, but it can also refresh the energy in your space. You can start with a small corner, or dive into a deep clean of your entire home. If your home is already in tip-top shape, consider areas of clutter. Is your t-shirt collection getting out of control? Is your pantry overflowing with canned goods and condiments? This is a great opportunity to tackle clutter that you’ve been turning a blind eye towards, and donate to those in need with appropriate items. March heralds the arrival of spring, so this is a perfect chance to get started on spring cleaning.

4. Get Creative

Another way to keep your hands busy is by channeling your energy into a creative activity like drawing, journaling, or playing an instrument. Choose a medium that’s either comfortable for you, or inspires you to try something new. The goal here is to release energy, not to be perfect, so focus on the process instead of the outcome. Commit to 15 minutes to start, and you might just find that you want to keep going long after the timer runs out.

5. Give Back

In addition to donating extra goods from your home, you can find ways to give back with your time. Look for volunteer opportunities through local nonprofit events and organizations. Your hands will be too busy helping out to check your phone, and you might be surprised how much fun you have connecting to others in your community. Choosing a cause that is special to you will make the experience even more rewarding.

Visit unplugcollaborative.org to search for local GDU events and additional ways to unplug.

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]]> Visit Greenpoint, Brooklyn with Blackwing https://blog.blackwing602.com/retailer-spotlight-visit-greenpoint-brooklyn-with-blackwing/ Fri, 10 Feb 2023 17:20:44 +0000 https://blog.blackwing602.com/?p=59613 Take a trip with us to Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Tucked away in this brick landscape is the cozy Yoseka Stationery shop, where East meets West. “We started Yoseka Stationery as a way of introducing Asian stationery here in the U.S.” says Daisy, who co-owns Yoseka with her husband, Neil, whose parents started the first Yoseka in Taiwan in 1981.

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]]> Take a trip with us to Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Tucked away in this brick landscape is the cozy Yoseka Stationery shop, where East meets West. “We started Yoseka Stationery as a way of introducing Asian stationery here in the U.S.” says Daisy, who co-owns Yoseka with her husband, Neil, whose parents started the first Yoseka in Taiwan in 1981.

“My favorite thing is being able to inspire our customers through these wonderful tools.”

One of the hallmarks of their shop is a long wooden table that runs through the center, and offers a space for customers to try Yoseka’s most popular notebooks, fountain pens, and pencils before buying them. “My favorite thing is being able to inspire our customers through these wonderful tools,” remarks Daisy about what drives her passion to sell stationery. In fact, customers leave everything from notes and doodles to full drawings in the tester notebooks left out for them. “It’s inspiring to see what people can make with nothing but something to write and draw with.”

Yoseka has been a Blackwing retailer since the very beginning of their U.S. journey in 2018, when they began as a series of pop-ups in Queens. They soon settled into their current location, a friendly corner of Brooklyn, in the Greenpoint neighborhood. If you are local to Brooklyn or visiting, there is also a wealth of places to visit in the surrounding blocks. Favorites of the Yoseka team include Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop for pizza, Ovenly for sweet and savory baked treats, Word for books, Rhythm Zero for coffee, Greenery Unlimited for indoor green spaces, and Transmitter Park for outdoor green spaces!

Visit Yoseka Stationery Tuesday through Sunday, from 1-7pm EST.

They are located at:
63 West Street
Brooklyn, NY
11222

Unable to make the trip? Check out their shop and blog at www.yosekastationery.com or find them on Instagram as @yoseka.stationery.

The post Visit Greenpoint, Brooklyn with Blackwing appeared first on Blackwing.

]]> The Evolution of Animation – Blackwing Vol. 7 https://blog.blackwing602.com/the-evolution-of-animation-blackwing-vol-7/ Thu, 29 Sep 2022 16:48:05 +0000 https://blog.blackwing602.com/?p=59478 Blackwing Volume 7 celebrates the history of animation. Vol. 7’s unique design features 6 different […]

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]]> Blackwing Volume 7 celebrates the history of animation. Vol. 7’s unique design features 6 different interlaced patterns that form a 7-frame animation when seen through a viewfinder. The viewfinder uses a process known as “picket fence animation” or “barrier-grid design” which is a predecessor to film animation. This Picket-Fence animation technique and other analog animation devices laid the groundwork for animation as we know it today.

Magic Lantern Image Projector circa 1600s

One of the earliest examples of animation devices dates back to 1603. The Magic Lantern used painted glass slides that were moved through the device that were then projected onto surfaces using candlelight and a lens. When the images on the glass slides were moved at the right speed, it gave them the illusion of animation. The Magic Lantern was a popular form of entertainment in early Western Europe, it went on to serve as a tool for education and eventually appeared as children’s toys.

Thaumatrope circa early 1800s, Gif courtesy of RandomMotion.com

Greek for “wonder turner,” the Thaumatrope was a disc attached to strings that appears to show two images at once when the strings were spun between the user’s fingers. The first recorded instance of this device was in the 1827 book, Philosophy in Sport Made Science in Earnest by John Ayrton Paris. Typically the disc has related images on both sides, and through a phenomenon known as persistence of vision, the two images would merge when spun. Popular image pairs include a bird and a cage, or a tree with and without leaves. Examples of the Thaumatrope can be seen in period drama films, including the 1999 film Sleepy Hollow and 2006’s The Prestige.

Phenakistoscope circa 1833

This device was known by multiple names before the height of its popularity but is most commonly referred to as the Phenakistoscope. The technology of this device relied on a viewer peering through apertures at a series of illustrations that, when spun, created the illusion of movement. Multiple variations of this device also existed: a single disc with apertures that required the viewer to face a mirror; a double-disc device for a single viewer with apertures on one side and the illustrations opposite (pictured above); and a double-disc where both sides were illustrated with apertures and accommodated two viewers. This was considered the precursor to the Zoetrope (below), and also a more contemporary form of looped animation: the gif.

Zoetrope circa 1883

The Zoetrope followed up on the Phenakistoscope‘s popularity with a few upgrades, including a cylindrical shape that could be viewed by multiple people at once, and animation on slips of paper that could easily be interchanged. Zoetrope animation techniques(whose name means “life turning” or “wheel of life” in Greek) have been used more contemporarily in subways starting in the 1990s, and with 3D objects at different phases of motion. Zoetropes have enjoyed continued popularity through the present day, making appearances in things like Blue Man Group performances, music videos, television, films, and toys.

Booby Trap by Ben Zurawski/TheFlippestFlipBooks

Many of us can recall a time in our childhood when we owned a flip book or made our own; hours spent penciling in tiny drawings on each page and beholding the fruits of our labor with that first flip through. Flip books hold the power of animation frames right in the palm of your hand, the speed at which the pages move giving the illusion that the objects drawn within are moving too. The first recorded instance of the flip book dates back to 1868 by John Barnes Linnett, who patented the booklet as the kineograph (“moving picture”). More recently, flip books have moved into the digital age. Now, it is possible to submit sequential photos or digital pictures to print companies who will print and bind your flip books for you, saving you precious hours.

Praxinoscope in motion

From Phenakistoscope to Zoetrope to Praxinoscope, the final evolution of the cylindrical animation viewer appeared in 1877 and made a few more updates to the past iterations. The viewing slits of the Zoetrope were removed, and instead, mirrors were added to an inner cylinder which reflected the animation back to the viewer from the outer cylinder. Additionally, some models appeared with a hand crank below the cylinder, which kept the device in a continuous state of motion. If the animation above looks familiar, you might have experienced a Praxinoscope on a grander scale; some carousels have mirrors along the interior perimeter; when paired with the ride moving in a circle and the carousel horses moving up and down, the rider can witness the horses appearing to gallop fluidly while still affixed to the ride.

Vol 7 Stop Motion

Picket fence animation, or barrier-grid design, pairs carefully designed interlaced images with a viewfinder. When the viewfinder moves across the pattern, the openings not only complete the picture, they can give the illusion of movement – as seen above with our Blackwing Volume 7 animation above. This technique emerged in the mid-to-late 1800s but wasn’t officially patented until 1906, by Alexander S. Spiegel. Spiegel’s technology went on to be used in postcards, toys, and more recently, in children’s books using pieces of acetate with colored stripes that move across a page.

From candles and mirrors to spinning discs and viewfinders, early devices captured our imaginations and inspired enthusiasts to invent new ways to keep us fascinated with animation. The Blackwing Volume 7 honors the long tradition of analog animation with its picket-fence viewfinder, and designs inspired by legendary animator Chuck Jones’s character.

Each set of 12 pencils comes with six different designs, and each pencil features a black ferrule, gold clip, orange eraser, and our balanced graphite. 

Additional Resources

Vol. 7 Behind the Design – Picket Fence Animation Tutorial: https://blog.blackwing602.com/59506-2/

History of Animation: https://history-of-animation.webflow.io/

Random Motion: Animation by Ruth Hayes: http://www.randommotion.com/html/zoe.html

The post The Evolution of Animation – Blackwing Vol. 7 appeared first on Blackwing.

]]> Introducing Blackwing Volume 7 – Tribute to Animation https://blog.blackwing602.com/introducing-blackwing-volume-7-tribute-to-animation/ Tue, 20 Sep 2022 16:05:25 +0000 https://blog.blackwing602.com/?p=59468 The post Introducing Blackwing Volume 7 – Tribute to Animation appeared first on Blackwing.

]]> .avia-section.av-dlsbutk-f2ecefd63de8316a6e47e129adb1c17c{ background-repeat:no-repeat; background-image:url(https://blog.blackwing602.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/vol55-3-2x3.jpg); background-position:50% 50%; background-attachment:scroll; } .avia-section.av-dlsbutk-f2ecefd63de8316a6e47e129adb1c17c .av-section-color-overlay{ opacity:0.5; background-color:#222222; }

September 2022

VOLUME 7

The Animation Pencils.

The Blackwing 7 celebrates the animation and the incredible stories it lets us tell.


The Golden Ratio is a mathematical ratio, often found in nature, art and design. It gives the world around us composition and symmetry that, for reasons we don’t fully understand, we find beautiful. It appears in the spiral of a seashell, the uncurling of a fern, and many other natural structures. When applied to the arts, it becomes a tool for creating balanced, organic works.

The Golden Ratio can be heard in the arrangements of Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach. It can be felt in the syllabic patterns of Sanskrit poetry. It can be seen in the works of artists and architects from Salvador Dali to Frank Lloyd Wright. It can even be applied in your day-to-day life by framing a portrait using photography’s “Rule of Thirds.”

The Blackwing 55 celebrates the Golden Ratio. It’s a reminder to slow down and savor the beauty around us. We designed this pencil using the Fibonacci sequence, a series of numbers that approximate the Golden Ratio. The width of each color block is the sum of the widths of the previous two color blocks (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, & 55mm). A simple formula with a magnificent result.



SUBSCRIBE TO VOLUMES
BUY VOL. 7

Every Blackwing purchase benefits music and arts education at the K-12 level.

The post Introducing Blackwing Volume 7 – Tribute to Animation appeared first on Blackwing.

]]> Introducing Blackwing Lab 08.25.22 https://blog.blackwing602.com/introducing-blackwing-lab-08-25-22/ Thu, 25 Aug 2022 15:15:08 +0000 https://blog.blackwing602.com/?p=59146 With Lab 08.25.22, we’re experimenting with a chroma key green lacquer that lets you digitally overlay images, videos, and designs directly onto the pencil.

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]]>

Introducing Blackwing Lab 08.25.22

The fifth installment in our Labs series brings a green screen right to the palm of your hands.


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Create the Blackwing pencil of your dreams with green screen technology. With this Lab, we’re experimenting with a chroma key green lacquer that lets you digitally overlay images, videos, and designs directly onto the pencil. Any scene or texture that you can dream up can be virtually presented on its surface.

Each set includes 6 matte chroma key green pencils and 6 gloss chroma key green pencils. Each pencil features a black ferrule, black clip, black eraser, black imprint, and our balanced graphite.

Blackwing Labs are small batch pencil releases that offer a fun look at our design process. The results may see us experimenting with new features, or putting new spins on old favorites. Each pencil is foil stamped with the date of the release, and each box is numbered by batch.


Purchase Blackwing Labs




Tutorial: How to use the Lab 08.25.22 Pencil


  • Photoshop
    Photoshop tutorial
  • After Effects
    After Effects tutorial
  • Premier Pro
    Premier Pro tutorial
  • Instagram (iPhone/Android)
    IG tutorial


Watch: How to use the Lab 08.25.22 Pencil



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]]> The Return of Blackwing Eras https://blog.blackwing602.com/the-return-of-blackwing-eras/ Thu, 04 Aug 2022 18:23:53 +0000 https://blog.blackwing602.com/?p=59099 The post The Return of Blackwing Eras appeared first on Blackwing.

]]>

Introducing Blackwing Eras 2022

The latest in our annual series that celebrates Blackwing heritage.


We teamed up with the folks at Makers Cabinet to create a truly unique sharpening experience. The Blackwing Høvel allows you to create your own custom pencil points suited for whatever your needs may be. The Blackwing Høvel offers the benefits of a traditional woodworking plane right in the palm of your hand.

Create your custom point by holding the Høvel at both ends with your dominant hand and shaving directly away from yourself until you’ve reached your desired point. You can also sharpen directly into the wooden base. Adjust the angle of the Høvel and the depth of the blade to achieve a variety of different points.

The Blackwing Høvel is made from anodized aluminum and includes a matching black wooden base. This set also includes 10 carbon steel replacement blades.


Purchase Blackwing Eras


Method 1: Hold the Høvel in your hand and shave away from yourself
Method 2: Sharpen directly into the wooden base


Watch: How to use the Blackwing Høvel





Blackwing Høvel FAQ

Commonly asked questions about the Høvel


  • What does Høvel mean?
    Høvel means plane (hand plane) in Norwegian. Pronounced “hoe-vel”
  • What is the difference between the Høvel and a traditional sharpener?
    The Høvel gives you the ability to craft any shaped point. You can use it on any type of wooden pencil as well as charcoal, pastels, and even makeup pencils. The Høvel is designed to last a lifetime, simply change the blade when it becomes dull and continue sharpening.
  • What is Høvel made of?
    The Blackwing Høvel is made from anodized aluminum and comes with a black wooden base. The set comes with 10 carbon steel replacement blades.
  • How does it work?
    You can find detailed instructions on how to use the Blackwing Høvel here.
  • How do I get a different point?
    You can create your desired point by adjusting the angle of your sharpening and/or changing the depth of the blade as demonstrated here.
  • How do I clean the Høvel?
    The Høvel is made from anodized aluminum so any graphite marks or scratches can be removed with a clean cloth.

The post The Return of Blackwing Eras appeared first on Blackwing.

]]> De Divina Proportione: The Golden Ratio Applied in Art https://blog.blackwing602.com/de-divina-proportione-the-golden-ratio-applied-in-art/ Thu, 14 Jul 2022 16:02:47 +0000 https://blog.blackwing602.com/?p=59042 The Golden Ratio is a mathematical value that appears all throughout the natural world. When […]

The post De Divina Proportione: The Golden Ratio Applied in Art appeared first on Blackwing.

]]> The Golden Ratio is a mathematical value that appears all throughout the natural world. When applied to the arts, it becomes a tool for creating balanced, organic works. Artists throughout history have tried to emulate the sense of natural beauty that they witnessed in the world around them. Not until the invention of the printing press and the widespread flow of information did artists fully realize the method that made their works so aesthetically appealing. Discoveries made by mathematicians and scientists during the Middle Ages helped pave the way for artists to utilize the Golden Ratio in future artistic movements.

Mondrian, Tableau 1.
artandobject.com

Prior to the publication of works such as Leonardo Fibonacci’s Liber Abaci and Luca Pacioli’s De divina proportione, the “secrets” of the Golden Ratio were closely guarded by the masters of painting and sculpture, and passed down to their pupils via letters. However, with Fibonacci’s publication of his mathematical sequence –where an integer is the sum of the two integers that precede it (i.e. 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc.) — the principles surrounding the summation, division, and “spatial awareness of numbers” started to gain traction. Pacioli’s De divina proportione, illustrated by Leonardo da Vinci, was able to expand on this concept and visually connected the worlds of mathematics and fine arts in a groundbreaking way.

da Vinci, L. Human Head. De divina proportione by Luca Pacioli. 1498.

The Golden Ratio is often visualized in a rectangular space, making it a natural fit when applying it to the composition of a painting. Finding the Golden Ratio requires just a short series of measurements. First, divide the canvas into eight equal sections by halving it several times. Next, draw a vertical line at the third section from the left. Then, draw another line horizontally at the fifth section from the top. This can also be reversed and applied to any composition in this 3:5 ratio.

virtualartacademy.com

Where the lines intersect is likely what will draw the most attention and should be the focal point — this is a general approximation of where the primary focal point will land. You can check your work by using a Golden Ratio overlay if you prefer to be more exact.

Below are more examples of the Golden Ratio applied to famous works. It can be applied to a single element, a significant portion of the piece, or the entire composition as a whole. When the spiral is used in multiple elements within a single composition, minor focal points will land along the spiral, leading the viewer’s eye towards the primary focal point in the center.

  • Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring.
  • Fragonard, The Swing.
  • Sargent, Madame X.
  • Rodin, The Thinker.

The Golden Ratio is a principle that offers structure and balance to many disciplines, most notably fine art. Our Blackwing Volume 55 celebrates this foundational ratio, using it as a daily reminder to slow down and savor the beauty around us.

Learn more about the Blackwing Volume 55, our tribute to the Golden Ratio.

For more reading on the Golden Ratio:

“3 Steps for Using the Golden Ratio to Create Masterful Paintings.” Virtual Art Academy, 28 Sept. 2021, https://www.virtualartacademy.com/golden-ratio-in-art/.

Bahadur, Published by Tulika, et al. “De Divina Proportione.” On Art and Aesthetics, 3 Oct. 2020, https://onartandaesthetics.com/2016/03/02/de-divina-proportione/.

Riabovitchev, Andrei et al. Art Fundamentals. 2nd ed. 3d Total, 2020.

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