Pens, Pens, Pens

 I have a love of Lamy pens and I have a few. Each of these is filled with a different color waterproof ink...black, grey, and brown. Each comes in handy in different situations.

Years ago I visited an internet friend who lived in Italy. I knew her from online, but this was the first and only time I met her in person. After a day of art activities together I had to head back to Florence to catch my train back to Venice. We planned that day to explore a bit of Florence. One of the places we stopped was the Fabriano store where Robin taught me a bit about Lamy pens. I bought the red one that day. We stopped for lunch and there at the table Robin gave me a lesson on filling and installing a converter in the pen and how to care for it. I remember that time often when I look at my Lamy pen.

Sadly Robin passed away a few years later and I never got the chance to spend time with her again. I am so glad I did travel to meet her and spend a bit of time with her. I thank her for her inspiration.

Here we are in Robin's living room during that visit.

Inktober Day 4 - Brookhaven Park Stream

 For my Day 4 for Inktober 2020 I used a combination of my Platinum Carbon Black ink and the Noodler's Brown ink. Both are in Lamy pens which I love to use. There is a small park in Brookhaven that has a small stream, a Monet-style bridge, and a gazebo. It is difficult to draw the stream without color because there is just so much foliage in assorted greens and with just ink you can't add in touches of other colors like blue for the sky and some of the reflection in the water. It was fun to give it a try.

Inktober - Day 15 - At the Cemetery

Today the NYC Urban Sketchers went to Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. It is a huge place and the burial place of some famous people like Leonard Bernstein and Louis Tiffany. We drove around to find a good view to sketch and ended up by one of the back gates. I'm going to post this first, because it was what attracted us to this area...the prostrate angel was so moving that I had to sketch it. I used watercolor pencils for this.

This next sketch is my Inktober Day 15 sketch done right around the same area as the angel. I used my Lamy pen with waterproof black ink as well as my Elegant Writer to make some areas bleed.

Inspired by Maggie Latham

One of the bloggers who I have followed for a long time is Maggie Latham.

http://maggielathamstudios.blogspot.com

In addition to posting her own wonderful work she often teaches on her blog. She is presently doing lessons incorporating permanent ink with other water media. She started the lessons just as I was on the road to my workshop in Myrtle Beach so I am trying to do a few of them and catch up. I don't know if I will get to all the exercises but it is fun to see what she recommends doing.

I went to the Suffolk County Farm and Environmental Center in Yaphank. My favorite all time view there is from the exit ramp on the Long Island Expressway. You can see many of the small barns across the field as well as the silos. I have painted this a few times before. For safety reasons I always do this view from my car (NY drivers are crazy.) and every time I sit there I expect a police trouper's car to come over and see why I am sitting there for so long, but I guess they are too busy chasing down speeding cars. lol

Here are the three quick sketches I did.

I did the top sketch with my dip pen, a small brush, a bottle of India ink, and my water brush. I did have visions of spilling the ink in the car, so I made sure to put a towel on my lap for protection. Then being a colorist I couldn't resist adding some alizarin and yellow ochre tones.

The second sketch was done just with the dip pen and brush and some water from the water brush.

The bottom one was done with my Lamy pen with brown ink that is not very permanent.

Thanks, Maggie for some good ideas. I'll have to try a few more of the ideas you showed. I know my Myrtle Beach sunrises and palm trees are calling out to be combined into something.