Diva's Weekly Challenge #78 - Auraknot

The first photo is for submission to the Diva's Weekly Challenge.  The challenge is to use the new tangle pattern Auraknot.  I spent time this week trying to get to know this pattern, and attempting several different drawings.  This pattern inspires me to draw in color, thus there are several attached here.  Perhaps due to the fact that it's summer, several drawings took on either a flowery or beachy feel.  I am still getting the hang of this one, and tend to make a lot of mistakes with it.  I think this pattern is easy to over-do, and, ultimately, it seems as though less is more with this one.    

Spirit Smile.  I am calling this tile "Spirit Smile", because for whatever reason, it makes me think of a person's spirit bursting out of them with joy.  When I started drawing this tile, I didn't have anything in mind, but while drawing I simply wanted to keep adding auraknots.  As an aside, I used to draw flowers with this same type of petal shape when I was in high school.  Interesting that I wanted to keep using it with this pattern.   

A lone flower in a secret garden.   (Esterbrook Transitional 9461 with J. Herbin Perle Noir and Platinum Preppy with Noodler's Saguaro Wine.  Clairefontaine Graf-it.)

This pattern makes me want to add Mooka.  All the time. (Pilot Iroshizuku Kosumosu and Lamy Vista EF.  Clairefontaine Graf-it.)

Starfish.  I felt that it was lacking something, so I went back and added the grounding effect that you typically see in Betweed.  (Lady Sheaffer Skripsert EF with Sheaffer Turquoise.  Clairefontaine Graf-it.)

Hydra.  While this isn't exactly a serpent with many heads, it is a bit of a water beast.  :D  I changed the way I drew Mooka here and wanted to add in the layered effect that you see inside the auraknot.  (Lady Sheaffer Skripsert EF with Sheaffer Turquoise.  Clairefontaine Graf-it.)

Sheaffer Imperial IV

I purchased this lovely pen almost one year ago by placing the winning bid on eBay.  The photos in the listing were few and not of very good quality.  From what I could tell, the nib appeared to be caked with what could possibly have been years worth of ink, but otherwise the nib seemed in tact.  I crossed my fingers and placed my bid.  

I was pleasantly surprised when this pen arrived.  My suspicions were confirmed.  Very inky nib, no damage whatsoever.  Needless to say, this pen had a major cleaning session.

My Sheaffer Imperial would likely fit the description of "user grade".  It was clearly used by someone else, perhaps for many years.  There are slight wear marks where the cap has been fitted onto the barrel over and over again.  There are slight dings in the barrel, more than a few scratches and plenty of scuff marks.  That being said, the pen is really in amazing condition.  What few cosmetic blemishes there are, they are faint and the plastic has dulled somewhat but still has a little bit of shine to it.  Overall, the wear and tear is commensurate with age and use, and I consider this pen to be in very good condition considering the fact that it is approximately 50 years old.  

just look at those scuff marks!  this is one well-loved pen!

When I write with this pen, I often think about its history.  Who the previous owner might have been.  How often they used this pen.  Where this pen may have gone with its previous owner in his or her travels.  Sometimes, I want to tell its previous owner that I'm taking good care of it and that I'm enjoying it very much.  Which is quite silly.

Pen Hero gives a generous overview of the history of the Sheaffer Imperial, complete with lovely photos. According to his timeline, Sheaffer began manufacturing the Imperials in 1961.  (Interestingly, that is the same year my dad graduated from high school.)  Additionally, Sheaffer incorporated the new touchdown filling system with the Imperial instead of the snorkel.  

The Sheaffer Imperial IV is very slender in the hand, and lightweight.  I have small hands, and I sometimes have difficulty with pens that are too wide in the grip section.  Not the case here.   I can write in a nice relaxed position for hours, literally, with no hand fatigue.  

The diamond shaped 14k inlaid nib is very smooth and a pleasure on the page.  The auction listing did not specify a nib size with the pen, but I am guessing it's a medium.  Because of the pens age and use, the tines were quite dull and needed a little "sprucing up".  I sent it to Tyler Dahl for his nib tuning service and he did not disappoint.  When it came back to me, it as as if the nib were brand new.  The nib now skates along the page, giving very slight feedback.  It is very pleasant.  Additionally, the pen puts down a very comfortably wet line that is "just right".  My favorite ink to use with my Imperial is Sheaffer Blue-Black.  It's a perfect match, thus it receives a steady diet of that.  

The touchdown filling system is very easy to use, making the pen quick to both fill and clean.  For instructions about how to fill the Imperial, Richard Binder has a great mini-tutorial on his website which I found very helpful.  He stresses the importance of pulling the touchdown filler all the way out before dipping the pen into ink, and then inserting the nib into the inkwell, and pushing touchdown filler all the way back into the pen.  To find these instructions, go to Richards site, and click on "Reference Pages", then scroll to "Filling Systems: How They Work".   I have found that once the pen is filled, my Imperial can write for quite some time.  

This is one of the best pens I own in terms of manufacturing quality.  It is well made, the touchdown filler is easy to use, the pen holds a good fill of ink, and the nib is extremely pleasant.  I like this pen so much that I often consider buying another just to have a back up.  Occasionally, Peyton Street Pens will offer New Old Stock Imperials for sale.  I check the site often.  

I never expected to fall in love with this pen, but I did.  It has not only become a go-to journaling pen, but a go-to business pen, and I often think of it as a loyal friend.  

Writing sample: Sheaffer Imperial IV with Sheaffer Blue-Black on Apica

  

Two Sunsets on a Clear Day in May

I decided to spice things up for handwriting practice today and inked up my calligraphy pens with sunset-themed fountain pen inks.  Caran d'Ache Sunset recently became a surprise favorite of mine over the winter, and since I was so enchanted with it, I decided to try Iroshizuku Yu-Yake (which means "sunset" in Japanese).  They are both quite different, but a pleasure to use.  Caran d'Ache is a deep red-ish, pink whereas Iroshi is a yellow-orange, with deep orange shading.  Where the Caran d'Ache is slightly on the dry side, the Iroshi is neither too dry, nor too wet.  

In terms of personal preference, I enjoy the Caran d'Ache more because perhaps I am simply more inclined towards reds and pinks, as opposed to orange shades of ink.  However, the shading with Iroshi Yu-Yake is really gorgeous, and really "one-ups" the Caran d'Ache in that respect.  There is just this beautiful interplay of yellow and orange within the same letter that it makes the entire word appear to be on fire.  

One of the qualities I enjoy most about the Caran d'Ache is that evokes memories of one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen.  Last fall, I was traveling regularly and had to wake up very early in the morning (3:00 am) to catch an early flight to Atlanta which connected in Philadelphia.  When I arrived in Philly, it was still dark.  It happened to be a Monday morning, and there were hundreds of people at the gate waiting for this flight; it was wall to wall people.  Standing room only.  Business people, college students, vacationers.  I was lucky to get a seat and even better, it was facing the tarmac, but I happened to be engaged in conversation with the person next to me.  She stopped talking mid-sentence and pointed to the glass windows and said, "Look at that sunrise!"  I turned and the sky was flooded with deep pink and dark grey.  Sitting in front of those large airport windows, it was as if we had a front row seat in front of this large expanse of sky.  It was amazingly beautiful, and we just sat there looking at it for quite some time.  I don't think I have ever seen a sunrise that breathtaking before or since.  What I remember most distinctly aside from the beauty of that morning, was that there were so many people at that gate who were entirely disinterested, or playing with their iPad, or iPhone apps, or talking business on the cell phone, or talking business with the person at their side.  It was as if this young woman and I were the only people in the world who saw it, and it was both strange and wonderful at the same time.  I felt transported from the chaos for just a few moments, and yet I was still sitting right there.  The shade of Caran d'Ache Sunset is amazingly similar to that pink sunrise that I saw that morning, and, as a result, I do have a fond affection for it.

Caran d'Ache Sunset on Clairefontaine Graf-it.

Iroshizuku Yu-Yake on Clairefontaine Graf-it.

I had fun with handwriting practice today, but my handwriting really needs some work.  Today's exercise was "horizontals and v-shapes".  I really need to get into the discipline of playing with my calligraphy pens once a day.  I always enjoy handwriting practice, because it's very relaxing but I have long struggled with perfecting "s", "t", "q" and "x".  I really need to exercise a bit more effort in this regard. 

Iroshizuku Yu-Yake / Lamy Joy 1.5/ HP#24

Caran d'Ache Sunset / Sheaffer Calligraphy pen Broad 1.8mm/ HP#24

On Rhodia.

On Rhodia.

05/20/12: edited to add samples on Rhodia.