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DogArtist
November 4th, 2012, 10:56 AM
Hiya! I'm a member of FPN and decided if one FP forum is good, two is better so I registered here as well! I'm a casual forum visitor, though, since I'm usually pretty busy and prefer to be at the easel rather than the computer.

I "retired" (aka got laid off and decided I was tired of the tech job scene after 25 years in it) nearly two years ago and decided to elevate art from hobby to full time occupation. I paint in watercolors and specialize in dogs as subjects, with the occasional mad foray into flowers or fruits/veg when I get sick of painting brown and black and need to play with color.

I am also an avid sketcher, with a slew of sketchbooks in various stages of progress or abandonment. I favor fountain pens as the tool of choice to write and sketch with. That's why I use only water resistant ink--so that I can paint over my marks with watercolors and have the inks not run. My collection of pens is tiny: a Lamy Al-star, Fine nib (LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!); an Ohto Tasche (like it a lot); a cheapie Shaeffer calligraphy pen with a 0.8 italic nib (for a $5 pen, okay when it's not being fussy; has made me decide to buy another Lamy, though, and get an italic nib for that...which will probably see the Shaeffer tossed in the trash), and a few Pilot Varsity disposables in various colors. I admire the beautiful penmanship of people who have more mental discipline than I. My penmanship varies wildly from a loopy scrawl to a fairly boring block letters. Every once in awhile, I get the urge to "play around with calligraphy" but it usually doesn't last long.

You all would probably characterize me as a fountain pen abuser! I toss them in my bag or sketch kit, I'm not particularly fussed if they get scratched or dented. I just love them as creative tools and want them to feel nice when I write with them. I think it is safe to say I will probably never be a collector of expensive FPs...it's just not in my nature.

As for inks, my collect is teensy: Noodler's Dark Matter; Noodler's Brown #41; and Noodler's Lexington Gray (fave of all). I would like to get a green, a subdued rose/pink color, and a gray-blue. Just as with my watercolors where a limited palette suits me fine, I feel like with a basic collection of inks in the colors I like will do me fine forever. I SAY this, but also admit I was just looking at Goulet's Ink Drop membership, hahaha!

On a more personal note, my husband and I live modestly on a small farm in Rappahannock County, where we raise miniature donkeys. I have a great big mule that I trail ride (and used to foxhunt). I enjoy getting out with friends and doing some limited traveling, but I am happiest at home in my studio or wandering around the farm with a sketchbook in hand!

I look forward to becoming a contributing member of this forum and sharing my scribblings with y'all.

auto winder
November 4th, 2012, 01:20 PM
Welcome :)

Bogon07
November 4th, 2012, 02:53 PM
Hi DogArtist and welcome to the forum.

Good to see you've got an Al-Star (the Coffee was my first one) and you'll find you can never have too many Lamys. If you like treating them rough the Safari is an ideal candidate (the Matt black or Charcoal is probably the most robust finish) and the range of colours can come in handy if you need to co-ordinate the pens with inks.

Noodler's Dark Matter was one of my eariest inks and Noodler's Lexington Gray the latest.

Looking forward to see any doodlings of your donkeys.

fountainpenkid
November 4th, 2012, 05:43 PM
Welcome! Do you do portraits of dogs...see my avatar? ;)

DogArtist
November 4th, 2012, 09:28 PM
Haha, yes I do (http://www.carolepivarnik.com). My avatar is a watercolor portrait I did of a Maremma pup, in fact. It's one of 36 that I did for a book of my dog portraits that I'm about to self-publish called Doggitude (http://www.doggitude.com).

Yours is a very cute dog! What kind?

chad.trent
November 5th, 2012, 04:56 AM
What part of Virginia are you in? I'm in Roanoke and I'm starting to think I'm the only person in town who even knows what a fountain pen is...

DogArtist
November 5th, 2012, 07:23 AM
chad: You just might be ;) I'm between Culpeper and Sperryville not far off of Rt 522. It's about an hour north of Charlottesville. I know what you mean about people thinking fountain pens are some mysterious beast. I took one to my weekly art group, which consists mostly of women age 50 and older ... some much older. One of these women ask to borrow my pen for a second to mark something in her calendar and I handed her my Ohto Tasche. She took one look at it and said, "Is that a fountain pen?! I can't use that!"

I was like, "Huh?!" Really? It was weird but funny. I just took it back and let her find someone with a "normal" pen.

MrClockWork
November 5th, 2012, 09:21 AM
Welcome to the forum! I was born and raise in VA and now live in Utah. I sure miss Virginia. My family still calls Virginia "God's Country" :)

DogArtist
November 5th, 2012, 11:09 AM
Thanks! I must agree about Virginia. This place gets under your skin :) I was born in Ohio and moved here when in my early 20s; can't ever imagine leaving. Although I do think if I had been more aware of the world when I was younger, I might have ended up living in Europe for a long time.

chad.trent
November 5th, 2012, 11:56 AM
Virginia is a funny place. People that don't grow up here love it. People that grow up here can't wait to leave.

KrazyIvan
November 5th, 2012, 12:02 PM
Welcome to the dark side.

Dee8go
November 5th, 2012, 01:36 PM
Welcome to the forum, DogArtist, from another Virginian! Although I grew up one state farther South of here, I've been here for thirty years and love it.

fountainpenkid
November 5th, 2012, 02:48 PM
Haha, yes I do (http://www.carolepivarnik.com). My avatar is a watercolor portrait I did of a Maremma pup, in fact. It's one of 36 that I did for a book of my dog portraits that I'm about to self-publish called Doggitude (http://www.doggitude.com).

Yours is a very cute dog! What kind?

Big Lug is his name, and he's a maltese poodle...somehow! His dad is a little adorable purebred toy poodle, and his mom is a maltipoo...he's 15lbs. which is quite heavy for this type of dog. Nice artwork btw!