The Beholder's Share – a leather collection for the people who look

From the Practice Log – an ongoing series of leather stamping studies.

A September study. Volume II.

The Beholder's Share is a small leather collection about the other half of art – the looking. Art historians use the phrase for the part of a picture the viewer completes, and these pieces are for the people who do that work: the ones who stand in front of things and come back for a second look, and the givers who love them.

First, we hung a small landscape in its frame and let the horizon walk out of it – past the frame's edge the same line swells into a full-size hill, since no reproduction survives the original. SEE FOR YOURSELF runs beneath, and the whole design lies lengthwise along the tag.

Black-and-white SEE FOR YOURSELF die artwork with a gallery frame opening into a hill line for The Beholder's Share leather collection, Volume II.

It looks genuinely beautiful – here on pale warm greige and pale sea-blue.

A gray-sand leather luggage tag blind stamped with SEE FOR YOURSELF and a gallery frame opening into a hill line, from The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

A pale sea-blue leather luggage tag blind stamped with SEE FOR YOURSELF and a gallery frame opening into a hill line, from The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

The black tag carries the design in gold.

A black leather luggage tag stamped in gold with SEE FOR YOURSELF and a gallery frame opening into a hill line, from The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

Next, the keychain: one wide-open eye above WORTH A SECOND LOOK – true of the art, and of whoever finds the fob in their pocket.

Black-and-white WORTH A SECOND LOOK eye die artwork for The Beholder's Share leather collection, Volume II.

On the black fob the eye goes down in gold; on golden tan it presses plain and deep.

A black leather keychain stamped in gold with an open eye and WORTH A SECOND LOOK, from The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

An Arizona tan leather keychain blind stamped with an open eye and WORTH A SECOND LOOK, from The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

The same eye sits low in the corner of the toiletry bags, warm tan over deep espresso – for the traveler who unpacks, then goes straight back out to look.

Caramel and dark-espresso leather toiletry bags blind stamped with an open eye and WORTH A SECOND LOOK, from The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

Then we lettered a proper museum label for the catchall tray. EVERYDAY OBJECTS. MIXED MEDIA. ON LOAN FROM DAILY LIFE. Whatever the pockets surrender each evening is hereby accessioned.

Black-and-white gallery-label die reading EVERYDAY OBJECTS, MIXED MEDIA, ON LOAN FROM DAILY LIFE for The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

Looks great when stamped onto the leather.

An Arizona tan leather catchall tray blind stamped with a gallery label for everyday objects on loan from daily life, from The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

And finally, the one we liked the most. Inside a plain frame a small boat sails ahead of its own drawing – the horizon line simply stops midway – and beneath the frame stand the words THE REST IS YOURS. On the cover of a blank book, that is a plain statement of fact.

Black-and-white THE REST IS YOURS die artwork with a sailboat drawing that stops halfway across its frame, for The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

Looks absolutely gorgeous when stamped onto the leather – one journal in pale warm greige, the color of good paper, and one in deep navy.

A gray-sand leather journal blind stamped with a half-finished sailboat scene and THE REST IS YOURS, from The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

A blueberry leather journal blind stamped with a half-finished sailboat scene and THE REST IS YOURS, from The Beholder's Share, Volume II.

We made this out of love. Leatherius Woodman is on a mission to create and share artifacts of beauty, craft and love – this study is one of them, and we hope the feeling is mutual. Every image is a render – how we prototype before cutting a die.

If these belong on your shelves, or you'd like anything here made real or changed – say hello through our contact page.