Every so often I discover something new that takes up all of my attention, maybe to the point of obsession. Last year I became obsessed with tropical flowers and scents of my childhood, and spent months hunting down niche perfumes that were evocative of tropical scents. I finally found Les Nez' Manoumalia, a scent so powerful and literal that I would never subject any members of the public to its pungent exuberance, but it's something that I really enjoy dabbing onto my wrists when I'm stuck indoors in inclement weather. Why don't I wear it in public? Because it is not an easy scent and quite the opposite of the more subdued, unisex "skin scents" that I prefer. It leaves a trail that can compete with the sillage monsters of the 1980's (I'm looking at you, Drakkar and Poison); but it is not a "power fragrance" with all of its white flowers and strangely rotting, vegetal undertones. I both love and hate it, and thus it does not leave the home with me.
So my latest foray is into the world of fountain pens. As someone whose AP art portfolio consisted of ink drawings, and who ended up becoming an architect, this seems a natural progression. I have always been very particular about my pens. My office kit consists of several varieties of the Pigma Micron, Pilot and Pentel sign pens, and the Pentel Stylo. In fact, the Stylo is a disposable fountain pen. I dove into fountain pens for a reason not at all related to aesthetics: earlier this year SB and I did an audit over how to be better at environmental consciousness and eventually I reviewed that large number of pens that I go through on a monthly basis in the course of my work.
I am now in the middle of a full fledged pen and ink obsession, testing out colleagues' pens and I've already ordered several beautiful inks for the pen or pens that I don't yet own. I had a friend pick up some Robert Oster "Fire and Ice" ink when she was in Australia, and another from Maryland is bringing to me Organic Studio's "Walden Pond". Now I just need the vessel to set sail.
So my latest foray is into the world of fountain pens. As someone whose AP art portfolio consisted of ink drawings, and who ended up becoming an architect, this seems a natural progression. I have always been very particular about my pens. My office kit consists of several varieties of the Pigma Micron, Pilot and Pentel sign pens, and the Pentel Stylo. In fact, the Stylo is a disposable fountain pen. I dove into fountain pens for a reason not at all related to aesthetics: earlier this year SB and I did an audit over how to be better at environmental consciousness and eventually I reviewed that large number of pens that I go through on a monthly basis in the course of my work.
I am now in the middle of a full fledged pen and ink obsession, testing out colleagues' pens and I've already ordered several beautiful inks for the pen or pens that I don't yet own. I had a friend pick up some Robert Oster "Fire and Ice" ink when she was in Australia, and another from Maryland is bringing to me Organic Studio's "Walden Pond". Now I just need the vessel to set sail.
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