2012 Will o’ the Wisps – Charles van Sandwyk Artist’s Proof Miniature Book

Author: Charles van Sandwyk.
Title: Will o’ the Wisps (for Tiny Hands).
Publisher: Vancouver, Charles van Sandwyk Fine Arts, 2012.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 2.5 x 1.5 inches.
Pages: 9 pages, extending into a continuous accordion-fold panorama.
Binding: Fine original hand-marbled paper covers, speckled with gold, with printed paper title label to spine; housed with original paper band.
Content: Fine content throughout. Complete with the delicate marbled leaf insert, embossed with veins and signed by the artist; the ensemble exceptionally well-preserved.
Illustrations: Finely printed sepia illustrations forming a whimsical panoramic procession of tiny magical creatures in the artist’s unmistakable hand.

Estimate: (USD 900–1,000).

The book: A vanishingly scarce miniature panorama by Charles van Sandwyk, issued in an edition of only 35 copies, here presented as an Artist’s Proof, a form rarely encountered on the market and often retained by the artist himself.

The work unfolds as a continuous dreamlike frieze of delicate ink drawings, populated by a procession of curious and endearing creatures—part botanical, part fantastical—rendered with the quiet poetry and imaginative charm that define van Sandwyk’s universe.

Housed within its original marbled wrapper and accompanied by the signed leaf insert, this example embodies the intimate, handcrafted nature of the artist’s productions. The Artist’s Proof designation further enhances its appeal, suggesting a copy set aside from the regular limitation—more personal in character, and likely produced in only a handful of impressions.

A jewel-like object, at once book and artwork, and a particularly desirable example of the artist’s miniature creations.

The author: Charles van Sandwyk is a Canadian artist, illustrator, and bookmaker whose work evokes the spirit of the Golden Age of Illustration. Deeply inspired by nature, folklore, and the quiet magic of the everyday, he produces finely crafted limited editions that blur the line between book and art object. His creations, often issued in very small numbers, are highly sought after by collectors for their charm, craftsmanship, and deeply personal character.