Fisheye Rhodia
People are taking their smartphone photography quite seriously these days. Hundreds of apps (software applications) are available to tweak and modify the digital images taken with the built-in cameras on our phones. With the ever increasing quality of these cameras seemingly never ending, (My 1st digital camera was 1.4 megapixel and the built-in camera on the iPhone 4S is 8 MP.) it’s not surprising that people are spending real money to further expand the abilities of these cameras with the addition of external lenses. Continue Readering »
Friday Link Share
What do you think of the wall of Rhodia? I think it looks like Tetris.
Post-It Iterations Take Classic Notes to New Levels at WebUrbanist
Featured Pen – TWSBI Vac 700 at Whatever
Marbled-Edge Ledgers at Notebook Stories
The Extravagant Tale of a Mere Pencil: Palomino & Blackwing at the Blog of the European Paper Company
Stockholm’s underground subway art at BBC
Delfonics Utility Bag Review at The Well-Appointed Desk
J. Herbin Vert Pre Fountain Pen Ink Cartridge Review at The Pen Addict
What Do You Do When You’re Angry? ~ Deborah Lange at Elephant Journal
New Favorite Eraser: Pentel Hi-Polymer at Little Flower Petals
Fascinating Liquid Art by Markus Reugels at abduzeedo.com
Antique E. Wolff London Pencil Lead Case on Etsy (InkLinks)
The Lost Art of Hand Lettering at Serifs & Sans
Links From Montblanc to Calligraphy to Watercolourists at An Inkophile’s Blog
Image courtesy of Eric Ink – follow ericink on Instagram.
Petunia and new ideas for another Rhodia Swap
This would be Petunia, as drawn by Trillium – one of the members of our Rhodia Journal Swap. The swap consists of 12 members all over the US creating content in a Rhodia Webnotebook and then mailing the books once a month to the next person in the swap.
The members are posting images of their progress on a group Tumblr blog which can be viewed here.
We are considering implementing a second swap this fall and are looking for ideas for a new exchange. One I have been kicking around would have several groups of two creating content in one half of a 48 page 6×8″ side stapled cahier style book.
Any other suggestions? Would you be interested in participating in such a swap?
the choicest of relics…
“A written word is the choicest of relics. It is something at once more intimate with us and more universal than any other work of art. It is the work of art nearest to life itself. It may be translated into every language, and not only be read but actually breathed from all human lips; — not be represented on canvas or in marble only, but be carved out of the breath of life itself.” ― Henry David Thoreau, Walden, or Life in the Woods
Enjoy your weekend everyone, it’s summertime!
Image courtesy of Colin Harris – Digitalnative on Flickr.
Sandra Strait, Clairefontaine, and Rubber Stamp Madness!
From our good friend Sandra Strait (aka Molossus) of the blog Life Imitates Doodles.
“This is a picture I did in my Clairefontaine Carnet de Voyage travel album for a Design Team blog hop with Viva Las Vegastamps! They decided to use it as an advertisement for the fall issue of Rubber Stamp Madness! Yay, Clairefontaine! Your excellent paper made it possible!”
Congratulations! Sandra is well known for creating her amazing art with Zentangle inspired designs and patterns. You can actually read about the entire process that Sandra used to create this image in this post.
Sandra’s original review of the Clairefontaine Carnet de Voyage travel album can be found here.
Image above © Sandra Kay Strait.
Friday Link Share!
How to Play and Pretend Your Way to Breakthrough Writing Ideas at Writing Forward
Viarco soft carbon pencils at Pencil Talk
Why Nikola Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived at The Oatmeal
Eversharp Dollar Mechanical Pencil Review at Dave’s Mechanical Pencils
Wolff’s Royal Sovereign Blue Solid Ink Pencils British Made on Etsy
Mobile Library of Artists’ Sketchbooks Rolls Into Echo Park at laist.com (Check out my sketchbook – I’m in this!)
How to Shade Pencil Drawings By Miranda Aschenbrenner at Art Instruction Blog
Bookmark Doodles at Doodlers Anonymous
Do Typos Matter? at Inc.com
The Perfection of the Paper Clip at Slate.com
If You Want to Actually Finish the Tasks on Your To-Do List, Include Why You Should Do Them [Getting Things Done] at Lifehacker
Mustang Sally at Sharpie Blog
The Legend of the Blackwing at JetPens Blog
Koh-I-Noor Rapidosketch at Drawing with a Squirrel
FP101- Storing Fountain Pens at Ink Nouveau
May Carnival of Pen Pencil and Paper at Whatever
Planned Discoveries for Creative Kids at daisy yellow
Midori Brass Bullet Pencil Holder Review at The Pen Addict
Developing a Daily Writing Habit at A Penchant for Paper
Ice Cream As Private Property at Amateur Economist
Is the Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil really perfect? at The Well-Appointed Desk
Faber Castell TK-Fine Vario L 0.3/0.35 mm Mechanical Pencil at Lung Sketching Scrolls
A Fashion Designer’s Notebooks at Notebook Stories
Open Secret: The Ghost Town of New York City at WebUrbanist
A Weeks Worth of Journaling Prompts: Breaking Through to the Other Side at Writing Through Life
72 of the Best Success Quotes at Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online
Indelible Pencil Comparison, Short Version. at Pencil Revolution
A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: The Importance of Little Things at Writing Through Life
Image courtesy of Archerfior Art
Mandala Doodling on a Rhodia dotPad
These days I work in lots of different kinds of art media but I still consider myself a doodler.
It was about 5 1/2 years ago that I first started doodling mandalas- a circular art form typically represented by concentric circular patterns radiating from the center outward. For the first 4 years I drew them almost constantly in sketchbooks, tablets, notebooks, etc., typically with a fountain pen or marker. Sometimes I’d draw up to ten in a single day just by sitting and doodling one after another… this became my meditation.
Do you doodle? Do you do it just to kill time/keep your hands occupied or do actually you make the time to do it?
Friday Link Share
7 Ways to Turn Your Journal from Whiny to Empowering at Kaizen Journaling
Julie’s Gadget Diary 04-18-12 at The Gadgeteer
12 Ways to Attack Any Challenge at Inc.
Up and Down at Flickr Blog
Courage and Creating at Creativity for Life
7 Tips For Increasing Your Writing Productivity at Business 2 Community
20 Ways to Kill Your Writer’s Block Forever at Lifehack
Getting messy at nordljus
Travel Week: Flying With Fountain Pens (and other options) at The Well-Appointed Desk
My Collection at Plannerisms
How Cartoons Can Jolt You Into Being Creative at Thoughts on Theater
What exactly happens when you send a letter to the L.W.A. P.O. Box at Missive Maven
Altered Book: Things I Collect at Daisy Yellow
graphite archive at La Vie Graphite
Note: Journal Addict has become Kaizen Journaling
Image up top courtesy of Bonnie Jean Woogler. It shows off her new favorite pen from Chance Pens.
Take a Community Art Walk
Since participating in the Lehigh Valley Art Wars last year, (a local live art competition) I’ve met and have become inspired by dozens of amazing local artists including Joey Gourniak, shown here in his Easton, PA art studio.
I had the opportunity to visit Joey in studio last weekend when he opened it to the public as part of the 14th annual Easton Open Studio Arts Tour Continue Readering »
Objects of My Affection in a Carnet de Voyage Travel Album by Clairefontaine
Playing around in one of the new Clairefontaine Carnet de Voyage Travel Albums – not yet for sale in the US. (Soon….) It’s noted as 180g (83lb) “drawing paper” but that wouldn’t stop me nor Sandra from trying a multitude of art supplies on its medium textured surface. Continue Readering »
Friday Link Share – a giant list!
More Along the Boulevard at Urban Sketchers
‘Imagine’ That: Fostering Creativity In The Workplace at NPR Books
How Fountain Pen Highlighter Inks Hold Up During Copying at Ink Nouveau
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen at Cool Tools
Zen-Like Artist Creates Intricate Pencil Tip Carvings at Web Urbanist
Akashiya Sai Brush pens, Clairefontaine Carnet de Voyage at Drawing with a Squirrel
Another sneak peek at Clairefontaine’s Carnet de Voyage travel album at Life Imitates Doodles
Must you finish a journal? at daisy yellow blog
A Little Ink History For The True Geek at An Inkophile’s Blog
Sticky Note Clock Face – But Why? at Office Supply Geek
How to Defeat Writer’s Block at Writing Forward
Handwritten at Notebook Stories
Fountain Pen Nib Comparison Video at The Pen Addict
Rhodia R Pads – Wow! at Field Notes
Western Suede-covered Diary from 1949 at Notebook Stories
6 Ways to Keep on Writing at Creativity Portal
In the Beginning at The Pear Tree Pen Company
Turn Paper Into Pencils With The P&P Office Waste Paper Processor at Office Supply Junkie
A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Creative Clustering at Writing Through Life
Fountain Pens And Collecting Autographs In 1932 at Fountain Pen Restoration
Connecting with Nature is Good for Creativity from Art Asana
Letters in the Mail: from famous authors, to you at The Missive Maven
Old Church Converted into a Modern Bookstore at My Modern Met
6 Ways to Make your Own Luck at Inc.
Where doctors go for their fountain pen fix at Chron.com
Listen to some podcasts from our friend Brad the Pen Addict at 70Decibels
Image courtesy of Seth from the blog Good Pens. He is also one of our Rhodia Journal Swappers.
My Art Store Addiction
I will admit that I am one of the lucky ones because there is an honest to goodness art supply store (Blick) not to far from my house and I go there all the time. In the past 5 years, I have probably spent more money in that store than in any other. Except food. (I think.) I buy sketchpads, markers, paint, canvases, artist crayons, drawing pens… you name it. Continue Readering »
Pen Test Book
Gentian Osman is one of our favorite calligraphy artists from the blog Drawing with a Squirrel where she can often be found creating the most amazing ink and watercolor art. In this image, Gentian is using the last page of a Rhodia Unlimited pocket book to test a few Hi Tec C Coleto pens. Continue Readering »
A different kind of Rodia
Sabato “Simon” Rodia (April 15, 1875 – July 16, 1965) was an outsider artist who built the Watts Towers – an infamous Los Angeles landmark. Simon began construction of the Watts Towers in 1921, but did not finish them until 1954. Continue Readering »
Meet a new dotPad artist: Bonnie Jean
Bonnie Jean Woogler is using the dot grid of a dotPad to create this amazing art. Continue Readering »
