A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT this month - which I've already leaked pretty widely...

It was Rick Barber's birthday in October and his daughter, Nikki, has been working hard to make his artwork generally available again. Here's what she has to say:

My dad was a talented artist and cartographer, working in a space he dubbed Black Cat Studio. I remember coming home from school and hearing the classical music blaring in his studio as he whistled along, working on his maps. It’s a comforting memory. We lived close to Gettysburg, PA, and that was his very favorite subject to draw. We’d spend hours taking backroads just to see where they went so that he could make the most accurate depiction. Nature was his holy place - you can see it so clearly with how much respect and love he put into his scenery paintings. He started off working with watercolors and oils, and eventually moved more towards colored pencil and ink. His detailed stippling work is mesmerizing and I’m always finding something new when I look closely. 

Many people remember him for his maps and pen & ink Christmas cards, but his work extends far beyond that. He never really had a website or place to showcase his talents, so I thought I’d make him one as a birthday present (his 68th birthday would have been a week ago). It’s a work in progress, as I’m still discovering new pieces here and there, but I’d love for you to take a stroll through his catalogue. If anyone wants a print of a painting or map, there’s an option for that, but you can also just look & save an image to enjoy on a rainy day. All I’m hoping to do is share his paintings around for others to enjoy. May you find one that speaks to you. Happy birthday, dad x.

Special thanks to @kate for helping me get a lot of these paintings ready for bigger viewing! And to Andrew Loakes for helping to gather that maps together.

I have been working with Nikki and a number of publishers that have used Rick's maps in their games and, as a result, many of Rick's maps are available again via Limey Yank Games (www.limeyyankgames.co.uk/maps). Some are available for, I believe, the first time in over-sized versions (and some in reduced size).

Nikki's site is here: https://blackcatstudio.live and includes a link to LYG. If you're still having withdrawal symptoms regarding Rick's Cats at Christmas Cards, then this is the place to go.

I would like to thank Nikki and the publishers involved for their help and generosity.

In other news, we've also added a number of new counters during October. These can be found here: www.limeyyankgames.co.uk/die-cut-counter-showroom

And finally...