Inlet to Cleveland Lake

purchase here

Grabbing a fountain pen at random, I laid my hand on my very first pen, the TWSBI Eco in clear.  Months have passed since I've used it, and it lays down a line at the very first touch.  No cleaning, no coaxing, just ink flowing effortlessly, as if I've used it every day.  And to top that off, it is filled with J.Herbin Anniversary Ink in Caroube de Chypre, a rich brown ink loaded with gold flecks (known to be clogging to any fountain pen).  I really love tools like this workhorse, that can keep up with my every need, at the drop of a hat.  Painting number 2210 in 2210 days.

Looking up to Ha Ha Tonka

The castle ruins of Ha Ha Tonka are majestic high upon the bluff in Camdenton.  There is such a feel of the past here, as if time stands still.  I pick up a favorite fountain pen for this one, my TWSBI Eco.  The J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre ink is from their anniversary line, and is full of shimmering gold.  The tiny flecks are visible in the line work, especially in the heavier areas.  Although this gold is supposed to clog up fountain pen nibs, I have never had this issue.  The ink has a rich brown color that shifts to red with a little water.  You can clearly see that in the writing under the drawing.  I love the fancy bottle, too!  Timeless!  Painting number 1906 in 1906 days.

Ha Ha Tonka - journal

The Ha Ha Tonka ruins are majestic as they sit high on the bluffs, above a winding spring.  I start first with my TWSBI mini, filled with Caran D'ache Cosmic Black ink.  I most often use black when sketching a scene.  It wasn't long before my pen ran dry - oh why didn't I check it?  It is a demonstrator pen and I can clearly see the ink, if if only pay attention!  So, I move to another favorite, the TWSBI Eco filled with a fancy J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre ink.  My favorite part of this ink is the tiny gold flecks!  I use a little watercolor to tint and a little water to move my ink - which is a little new for me.  I almost always use India ink when using watercolor because it can be tricky to control the ink on a wet surface.  But, I'm growing more adept at the media, and like the depth I can achieve here.  Cool pens, cool ink, cool paper - how can one go wrong?  Painting number 1901 in 1901 days.