“A Route of Evanescence”

The hummingbirds have returned, but I’ve only been able to catch two fleeting glimpses of them at our feeders before they vanished into the woods, which is why Emily Dickinson’s poem about them rings so true.

I haven’t been able to get her description out of my head ever since I googled “Emily Dickinson” and “hummingbird.” Evanescence, Emerald, Cochineal (which I had to look up to find that it’s an insect from which carmine-colored dye is extracted) perfectly describe these brilliantly-colored birds that seem to evaporate as soon as you lay eyes on them. I would expect nothing less from our brilliant Emily.

Then it dawned on me how her words are also a spot-on description of one of my favorite inks—J. Herbin’s Emerald of Chivor. Emerald, cochineal, with an evanescent shimmer. So hard to capture in photos—both the tiny birds and the ink’s best characteristics. Look one moment and it’s there. Another moment and it’s gone. Fleeting. Dazzling. Always a surprise.

That’s what makes them both so special—the iridescent bird and the sheening/shimmering ink. That Route of Evanescence.

Thank you, Emily. Yet again.

Pen used in this post: Diplomat Aero, bold nib with an Architect grind by The Nibsmith.

Ink Is Everywhere

I’m not talking about the time that I poured ink from an eyedroppered pen onto the carpet, thankfully. (Ink truly WAS everywhere, in a very bad way.) What I mean is that I’m always seeing colors out in the world that would make great fountain pen inks.

I even saw the potential for a super desirable ink in the blue/black paint job (Carbon Black, I believe) on a high-end BMW at a car show. Looking at it from one angle revealed glistening black metallic finish while looking at it from a different angle revealed a deep, deep purpley blue. I probably looked like a weirdo swaying back and forth in front of the car, but I was mesmerized by that paint job because I could envision it as a very cool blue/black sheening ink.

I guess you could say that I’m always wearing ink-colored glasses. Is it just me?

P.S. > If you have suggestions for inks that match any of the colors in these photos, please share! I’m on a quest. A never-ending quest.