I decided to restart writing my thoughts, ideas, adventures and visualizations in a journal. Not just any journal would do though I thought my requirements fairly simple…rustic, unique-looking, truly handmade, easy to write or draw in, with great paper.  So, I scoured the city and surrounding areas for the perfect book, to no avail. I looked everywhere and found nothing!

In complete frustration, I began to read about how to make books. I remember many months of evenings, sitting in the aisles of bookstores for hours, reading about books, papers and boxes. This frustration was the seed that sprouted and grew into Renaissance Art.

I gave the first book I made was to a friend who took it to Spain for a student exchange. I gave other books to more friends and then began being asked to make them for other people. Over the next couple of years I built my initial product line, which I sold at summer art festivals.   I interacted with customers about their ideas and what they would like to see in a line of leather books.  Renaissance Art today has a continually growing line of leather bound journals, photo albums, portfolios and stationery items.