I tend to be pretty willy-nilly with my pen and ink pairings—no real plan, no real theme. But in honor of Fountain Pen Day, rather than buying anything new, I simply cleaned out a bunch of pens for a much-needed reboot. Instead of simply filling or refilling pens with random inks, I decided to create a winter palette to embrace the slide towards winter.
Life has been a bit stressful of late, but this little evening project felt calming and meditative—a wonderful reprieve from the hamster wheel of hectic days and problems. I didn’t belabor my choices (how un-Mary-like!) but instead went with my gut and pretty quickly came up with the following six pen and ink pairings:
SBRE Brown is a caramelly brown, while Writing Desk is a darker brown with a hint of green sheen. Both shades of brown are well-represented in the woods and fields here in Central New York.
I chose Sailor Epinard for my green—dark and pine-like, while Wonder Pens Tuna Grey mirrors our skies of late.
Occasionally we see a patch of refreshingly blue sky break through the late-fall gloom that’s reminiscent of Sailor Sky High, my absolute favorite blue.
My dad was born in December 1928 and passed away in January 2022, so I think of and miss him even more in these dark wintry months. My mom, sister, and I believe that every cardinal sighting is a visit from him—a message that he’s now restored and eternally with us in spirit. Levenger’s Cardinal Red is a color that brightens the page and my heart.
There is, oddly enough, no urge to ink up any other pens. I’m gradually settling into the colder and darker season, and am enjoying the inner warmth that comes from writing letters to friends and journaling with this winter palette of colors.
There is beauty in the this seasonal darkness, both in nature and on the page.
From the Pen Cup 