Posts Tagged ‘pens’
About that cocktail napkin sketch….
August 14, 2012
Designers have to find ways to communicate with clients across a broad spectrum of industries. The default way many of us do that is by quickly sketching out an idea on whatever blank surface is within reach. As in many aspects of life, business is often conducted in a social setting, over a drink, a [...]
2012 | Art for Art's Sake, Happy Hour, Humor, Inspiration, The Studio | Tags: adventures, cocktails, design, designer, drawing, drinks, Inspiration, KLAD, pens, scenic design, set designComments (0)
30 ways to say I love you no matter where you roam…
February 6, 2012
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day Ana behibek (to woman) (änä hĕ bēk) / Ana behibak (to man) (änä hĕ bĕk) – Arabic Obicham te (ō bē′ cham tā) – Bulgarian Soro lahn nhee ah (sir län nē rock) – Cambodian (Khmer) Wo ai ni (wō ī nē) – Chinese (Mandarin) Volim te (vau [...]
2012 | Art for Art's Sake, From the Road | Tags: adventures, Modernism, pens, writingComments (0)
A good read…
July 4, 2011
The New York Times used to publish this every July Fourth. They may still. We no longer read the hard copy of The Times, but we do think this is a worthwhile read. At lest once a year. IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When [...]
2011 | Inspiration | Tags: pens, writingComments (0)
Drafting of Design: Vintage Tools of the Trade
December 20, 2010
Every once in awhile when I need to step away from technology and all its wonderfulness, I spend a few minutes on Shorpy.com. Here you can get a glimpse into the past, slow down and quietly contemplate how much things have changed and really, how much of life is constant through time. Today I happened [...]
2010 | Architecture, Inspiration, The Studio, VectorWorks | Tags: Architecture, design, designer, drawing, KLAD, pens, scenic design, set design, VectorWorksComments (2)
It’s a Blog! It’s a Party! It’s a Blog Party!
December 14, 2009
Last Thursday night I had the opportunity to attend producer Ken Davenport’s 2nd Annual Blog Holiday Party. I’m not sure how many people were mingling in the upstairs space at Hurley’s Saloon on 48th Street, but it was full of professionals and theatre goers. Mostly professionals it would seem. Crowded, but it did not feel [...]
2009 | Theatre | Tags: ale, art, KLAD, n, off-broadway, pens, TheatreComments (1)
Edna’s Pens
December 7, 2009
Well some, anyway. My mother (Edna) had excellent taste. And I assume that she also got the pen fetish from Lester. So while we don’t collect pens, we did save a few of hers for sentimental and artistic reasons. We haven’t tried to use them, I think I would bring them to Fountain Pen Hospital [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: art, drawing, KLAD, Modernism, n, pensComments (0)
Faber-Castell; who knew?
November 30, 2009
At the Holiday Fountain Pen Hospital event we discovered Faber Castell. I always thought of them as wood pencil manufacturers, but we learned of their quality and acquired several. We now plan for more! I have been using the simple fountain pen with only a steel nib since we made the purchase. The mechanical pencil [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: design, drawing, KLAD, learn, Modernism, n, pens, red, writingComments (1)
Caran d’Ache
November 23, 2009
When in Rome, one must shop at the Roman’s art supply store, right by the ass of the Parthenon (more on those another time). We had hoped to find some interesting Italian made pens in Rome. Something only available in Rome, or Italy at the very least. The cupboards were bare of that in both Rome and Florence. At [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: art, colour, drawing, KLAD, learn, Modernism, n, pens, redComments (1)
Fountain Pen Hospital Holiday Expo
November 19, 2009
More than a sale, this is an educational opportunity. We always try to go, but we are also sure to go as early in the day as possible. It will be crowded, but it will be the least crowded. Our tools are very important to us. We always try to use the best tools possible [...]
2009 | The Work | Tags: ale, design, KLAD, n, pens, toolsComments (0)
Hey Sailor!
November 19, 2009
Disappointed in Waterman quality, I was introduced to Sailor Pens at a Fountain Pen Hospital Expo. I was leery of a Japanese pen, but I do use, primarily, Japanese watercolors. And some acrylics. I did struggle moving from the German paint to the Japanese, so making the pen shift was not so bad. A beautiful, [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: ale, art, color, drawing, KLAD, Modernism, n, paint, pensComments (0)
Whither Waterman
November 16, 2009
When I bought my first Waterman, they were a private French company, descended from the original Waterman, founded in NYC in 1884. As a designer and craftsman, I liked this. I have always liked working with and buying from small companies. In 2001, Waterman was bought by Rubbermaid. This is so very wrong. Rubbermaid also [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: design, designer, drawing, Modernism, n, pensComments (0)
Milton Glaser Draws & Lectures
November 15, 2009
MILTON GLASER DRAWS & LECTURES from C. Coy on Vimeo. When I teach, I require a sketchbook. Doesn’t matter what I am teaching. I require my students to build the habit of drawing daily. Milton Glaser articulates the reasons why quite clearly in this video which I discovered via Jack Nack of Adobe Systems. As [...]
2009 | Inspiration, Teaching, The Studio | Tags: adobe, art, color, design, drawing, Graphic Design, Milton Glaser, n, paint, pens, redComments (0)
The Waterman Edson
November 12, 2009
Another pen I coveted, but hated at the same time. Too fat. I loved the nib tight to the body, something I would learn about with the Caréne. Pretty, yes. But this technology kills some of what makes a fountain pen a fountain pen. It has a line quality like a roller ball or ball [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: color, drawing, KLAD, learn, Modernism, n, pens, redComments (0)
Why are you afraid of color?
November 9, 2009
Why is everything beige? Homes, cars, clothes, office spaces, all various shades of beige. I hear people say “I like neutral colors.” I usually think they mean “I like beige.” When we moved into our house the interior was, I thought, all one shade of beige. Every wall in every room was the same color. [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake, Inspiration, The Studio | Tags: art, beige, color, design, emotion, green, happiness, KLAD, learn, n, paint, pens, swatch, wallsComments (2)
Waterman Caréne (s)
November 9, 2009
That nib! So cool. So gold. So elegant. So beautiful. So destroying everything a fountain pen should be. No wonder Rubbermaid bought the company. The finishes. Don’t get me wrong, these pens write and draw beautifully and I still use them, but the nib of a fountain pen is suppsoed to draw with a think and thin [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: drawing, elegant, KLAD, Modernism, n, pensComments (0)
South Sea Blue
November 5, 2009
My fountain pen ink of choice, although I have been using Pelikan turquoise as the universal cartridges fit in my Faber-Castell fountain pen. The Waterman cartridges are nice, they hold twice the ink, but not all barrels can accommodate the size. For some time, when I first started to usea fountain pen, I would travel [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: art, drawing, KLAD, Modernism, n, pens, writingComments (0)
The Fountain Pen Hospital
November 2, 2009
Heaven on Earth! When in lower Manhattan, if you love pens, the Fountain Pen Hospital is your destination. We’ve been to many pen shops in many cities and FPH remains our favorite. Several times a year, Fountain Pen Hospital hosts sales events that are much more than simple discounting. These are learning experiences. At each Expo [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: ale, art, drawing, KLAD, learn, Modernism, n, pensComments (0)
Where to begin?
November 1, 2009
There is just so much going on here. This is the home/office of a dentist about a click from our studio. Every suburb has one of these guys, although I think it is a bit unusual for a dentist. I imagine this is where his advertising budget goes every year. This home/office is located on [...]
2009 | Events, From the Road, Humor | Tags: ale, art, design, KLAD, Modernism, n, pensComments (1)
Collecting Pens
October 29, 2009
I (we actually) don’t collect pens per sé, we love fine writing instruments. We love to use them, we love to have them at meetings. They make a strong personal statement. But we don’t collect. We admire the many ‘collectibles’ but they tend to be too big, too fat and poorly balanced in the hand. [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: drawing, KLAD, Modernism, n, pens, writingComments (0)
My First Fountain Pen
October 25, 2009
I’ve used a fountain pen for most of my adult life. I recall shopping for the first. I wanted a Mont Blanc, they were popular and expensive. I wanted one. I went shopping and I test drove the Mont Blanc and just didn’t like it. At all. Now, at the time you couldn’t grab a [...]
2009 | Art for Art's Sake | Tags: art, color, colour, drawing, KLAD, Modernism, n, pens, red, writingComments (0)
Happy Hour Friday: Grill, Baby, Grill!
September 18, 2009
We’ve been crazy busy here at KLAD HQ, and I haven’t been contributing to the blog lately. My bad. I popped in to see what was going on, and I see that one of our resident evil geniuses has hijacked the blog and is having a VectorFest. Don’t get me wrong, I love Vectorworks and [...]
2009 | Gastronauting, Happy Hour | Tags: art, drawing, Friday, green, Happy Hour, KLAD, Modernism, n, pens, red, VectorWorksComments (1)
What’s the password?
June 29, 2009
Looking for something to do on these warm summer nights? Well, if you’re in town on a Wednesday evening – why not visit a museum? No, no not that museum – The Museum of the City of New York. Now through August the Museum is hosting an outdoor speakeasy. On the menu – cocktails from [...]
2009 | Uncategorized | Tags: cocktails, design, drawing, KLAD, Modernism, museum, n, pens, researchComments (0)
Lighting is everything
May 4, 2009
I every set we design, we try to add lights and give lighting designers mouldings and crevices and details to work with adding interest. I always makes for a good collaboration and improves the end results. Lighting matters everywhere, not just sets (the restaurant we were in could use a good dose of lighting, but [...]
2009 | From the Road | Tags: design, designer, drawing, KLAD, lighting, Lighting Design, Modernism, n, pens, setsComments (0)
National Portrait Gallery
May 1, 2009
In August, we visited Washington DC and amongst our stops was a visit to the National Portrait Gallery. It was our first visit (well ever) since a recently completed renovation. August was about 9 months after The New York Times reviewed the work of architect Norman Foster. Just about the right amount of time for [...]
2009 | From the Road, Inspiration | Tags: art, design, drawing, KLAD, lighting, Lighting Design, Modernism, museum, n, pens, redComments (3)
The beauty of a crappy camera
April 28, 2009
I often love the results of an image created with a low resolution camera. It is all about happenstance, lighting and luck. Not at all the clarity of an image created with my Rollei SL-35 or the Nikon FG that we picked up at a garage sale. But I digress. This image was shot in [...]
2009 | From the Road, Inspiration | Tags: ale, color, design, drawing, KLAD, lighting, Modernism, n, neon, pens, red, set designComments (0)
Pens, Pens, Pencils
April 15, 2009
We both love fine writing instruments. Fountain pens, pencils, ball point pens, roller balls, the works. And we love the Fountain Pen Hospital in New York City. Especially during their semi-annual Pen Expo. Great values and representatives of all the major manufacturers. While the expert staff has a huge knowledge base, the manufacturer reps bring another level of expertise.
2009 | Inspiration | Tags: art, color, design, designer, drawing, KLAD, KM+KLA, learn, Modernism, n, pens, red, signs, writingComments (2)
Shoes Glorious Shoes
April 9, 2009
I paint what i like. I like shoes. Call it a fetish. I have many fetishes; shoes, little boxes, pens, art supplies, gadgets; all come immediately to mind. But I digress. I love shoes that make the feet attractive and sexy. Women’s shoes especially, but men’s as well. As long as the men’s shoes are [...]
