Too Many Pens.

Is it possible to have too many pens? Maybe too many crappy pens, but I don't think having an abundance of lovely, well-working, colorful pens is ever something I will feel bad about.

Like I said before, I spent all my birthday money on art supplies and books, and that included quite a few sets of new pens. I also got some pens and notebooks as Christmas gifts, so I'm getting to be pretty well stocked (but by all means, send more if you insist). I'm learning the ins and outs of what makes a pen nice, what makes it good for certain tasks, and what price-point feels like "good enough" for me.

Today another set of brush pens arrived. I have a couple sets of the Tombow Dual Brush Pens that I like quite a lot, but I saw someone on Instagram using the Ecoline Brush Pens and thought I'd order myself a set. At first I did feel a little bit bad for using my Amazon points on more markers, but after using them a little I realized it was just what I needed to learn a few lessons.

1- Every marker or pen has a different hardness, density, and inkiness that makes it write and look different.

2- You cannot know what markers or pens are best for what until you spend time experimenting.

3- I don't think I'll ever get sick of playing with markers and pens.


Never tried a brush pen? Well, here are a few things to know.

A softer brush end makes it harder to use in some ways; you have to be more precise and steady. But it's also easier to use because, if you've been practicing, it gives you a huge range of thickness to thinness in your lines, making it really fun to write with.

The inkiness of the pen really matters. It will give a different look with different amounts of pressure, and it can affect the sharpness of your edges (that kind of depends on the paper you are using too).

There will be a lot of trial and error going on, probably forever. I bought my first set of brush pens about 3 years ago, and while I was using them frequently for the first 6-ish months, they've just been used on and off for most of the last 2 years. Over the last several months, I've been getting more into that craft again and I'm having a ton of fun, but I'm still honing my skills and there are still a million things to learn.

You can learn a lot from watching other people letter, reading or listening to what they have to say about their likes and dislikes of certain products, but at some point you really just have to jump in and start. You can store up a lot of knowledge, but it will only really help you when you start making mistakes and are able to apply that knowledge to what happens.

Lastly, paying good attention to detail is a skill you MUST gain. It's just pivotal in art. Otherwise, it will take you ages to learn things, and you'll just have to hope that someone points things out to you, or writes about them. Being able to notice subtle movement differences, ink and paper combinations, and techniques in stokes and methods are all going to be most helpful if you can figure out how to connect the dots without being told directly.

Honestly, I think paying attention to detail probably comes more naturally to some than others, but it's something worth striving to grow in. It will make you a valuable asset in whatever role you function during your days and in whatever job you might get down the road.

I hope this has been a fun little insightful post. Let me know if you have questions about lettering or pens - I love to talk about what I'm learning!

A List.

Today's prompt was to write a list. I thought of a bunch of different kinds of lists I could make but none of them seemed that great.

Again, it's the whole "whatever I do must be original, amazing, and the best ever" type of thought-process that keeps me from actually doing stuff. So, it might be boring, but I'll throw out a list here and see what happens.

Art Supplies I was recently gifted or purchased myself:

- calligraphy set
- calligraphy books
- calligraphy ink
- table-top, medium-sized easel
- a small, blank canvas (my sweet middle-child spent his own gift-money on it for me)
- a variety of gel pens
- Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens
- Tombow Dual Brush Pens
- Calligraphy Made Easy - this book is not "real" calligraphy... it has calligraphic elements, but doing the "real" thing with a legitimate nib is WAY harder. Though, I am LOVING this book and highly recommend it for anyone wanting to learn brush-lettering
- blank sketch book (THIS one - so lovely!)
- Pentel water brush pens
- How to Draw Modern Florals - this book is pretty straightforward, but super helpful!

There might be a few more things too. I basically used all the money Mark gave me to spend on my birthday on books and art supplies. I'm trying to embrace my inner artist more - it's one thing I regret not pursuing more intentionally.

It's odd really. I was extremely athletic (still am, just not in decent shape) and very artistic, but those are two career fields most teachers and leaders in the school system seem to try and steer you away from. In college I had momentarily decided to minor in Art (under my Writing and Lit major) but felt like I was so far behind that I could never really do it. I had a roommate for one semester who was an art major, and she was always behind on some major project and I never felt like I had the capacity or tools/knowledge to do anything remotely as well as she did.

This new thing I'm working on is a lesson I am still learning. Honestly, like this very minute.

Making a little progress is better than doing nothing. 

I'm pretty sure this idea comes up a lot on my blog. I'd rather just give up than progress only a tiny bit and still be so far from where I wish I was. But inaction and regret will just keep me here. So this year I am really attempting to do less of what my head says is realistic, and do more of the things I really wish I had been doing before. Which includes a lot of art.

I had a conversation once, with the same friend who previously encouraged me to try this 31-day writing challenge, and we talked about looking at great works of art. I told her that I look at paintings and feel a tiny rush of adrenaline, then a little jealousy, wishing I could paint something beautiful too. She looked at me and said "I think you should probably do something about that, because I don't have that feeling at all, and I don't think everyone does."

So, I am hopeful to make some good progress in that endeavor this year. Thus the abundance of art supplies I've begun to collect :) We'll see how it goes. It's hard to only be "average" and feel like I don't know how I'm supposed to do stuff, but the only way to overcome that is to keep moving forward.

All the Beautiful Things!

I love beautiful things. Like, scroll through Pinterest looking at flowers and color combinations for hours kind of love ;)

What do you gravitate toward when life gets you down? Do you head to Starbucks? The cookie jar? Your favorite band or book? I do all of the above sometimes, and when I am in a real funk, I blast Hillsong United's Zion (Deluxe Edition) to put my soul back in line.

There are a lot of great coping mechanisms we can use like working out, listening to music, doing something artistic, or meditating, but none of them can really put us back on track unless we allow God to move us. Many of my coping mechanisms are totally ineffective, probably because I don't really want a solution, I just want to feel good about my life. However, I will never feel good about my life unless I reconcile my heart to the truth, to come back to trusting in God's ways above my own. 

Meditating on Him, on His word, is a great way to settle my soul. Instead of fretting, looking for answers, or trying to find a person to blame, I just see who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing. This is what helps me surrender my selfish desires with less of a fight. Again, that Hillsong United album gets me every time. 

I know we are all drawn to beautiful, satisfying, and lovely things, but these things won't settle our souls in and of themselves. I try to see them as evidences of God, little creations that point to His beauty, His wonder, His creation. I hope you can enjoy these things I've picked out for you! These are all items I have pinned or favorited on a website, and I love to look at them and admire the person who brought them out from raw materials. When you look at these, see if you can find something to praise God about, or at least see how God evident, in every single one. If nothing else, simply enjoy the delightful things He has made. Have fun!

Like I said, Hillsong United! This album is beautiful in lyric and music. 

This beautiful bouquet of flowers. I love flowers, I love art, and this picture combines them in such a lovely way. The colors, the shapes... I'm just in awe. I accidentally pinned this post three different times on the same board! 

This pretty picture. I have a whole board on pinterest of color combinations. Back when I had time to knit, I had all kinds of plans for making pretty blankets and scarves with all of these color combos. Now, I just pin more and more, because they are all so pretty. 

I cannot find the link for this image, but I'm sure you'll enjoy the photo anyway. I could read all my books here, no problem.

I have love Creative Market and have purchased a few fonts from their site. Lovely stuff! Although, I often sit and wish I could spend a good chunk of time each week, perfecting some form of visual art. Still, there is so much beauty to soak in here. This is one of my favorites.

Like I said, I long to create visual art, and I do with my jewelry I suppose. But I really want to learn to paint well. I have so many screen-shots in my head, with very little practice in being able to pull them out. I love this site, and this particular painting. Many of my ideas revolve around my children, and the beauty I see shining from them. 

Again, this link doesn't work, but you can look at this image and feel your pulse slow, your mind relax, and your spirit breathe deep. I hope to live at the coast again someday, because it's such a beautiful, soothing place. Again, perfect reading spot, yes?

This etsy shop sells some beautiful soaps, including these super cool jewel soaps!

And this etsy shop has some BEAUTIFUL jewelry. I have been wanting to buy one of these rings, but haven't quite taken the plunge yet.

And lastly, how cool is this? Amazing art, intriguing History, a successfully determined woman, and ballet! 

Have I shown you enough beautiful things? Fun stuff, right? I might have to make this a regular thing, posting images and links of the lovely things I come across. I hope these can all lead you to a place where you admire the lovely things God has given us, the way He's made us to love what is beautiful, and be thankful for the ability to make and admire these charming items and images. 

Tell me, which is your favorite? If you could add any beautiful thing to your daily life, what would it be? 

Me? Flowers. Without a doubt! I'm trying to turn my black thumb to green... I will let you know how it goes :)