Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist In early 2023, I visited a museum, only slightly aware of fountain pens, and left completely changed, now excited by a newfound love for stationery that I never knew I needed! At that time, I owned exactly one fountain pen: the Pilot Petit. It was cute. Pocket-sized. Innocent-looking. But I… Continue reading My Current Favorite: IFEX Notebooks & Planner
Tag: fountain pen
Why I Stopped Typing My Notes
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist In the lab, we obsess over our equipment. We calibrate our equipments, we make sure the connection between computer and equipment is uninterrupted, and we panic if one part acts up. Yet, when it comes to the tool we use to actually process the information inside our heads, most… Continue reading Why I Stopped Typing My Notes
Best Lifestyle Purchases of 2025: My Top Picks
Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist As 2025 comes to a close, I like to look back at the things Iโve added to my lifestyle โ those that didnโt just sit on a shelf, but that got real use, day in and day out. This year, a handful of purchases stood out for their practicality,… Continue reading Best Lifestyle Purchases of 2025: My Top Picks
I attended my first Pelikan Hub!
The passion for fine writing instruments often begins in solitudeโa quiet ritual of pen, ink, and paper. But the annual Pelikan Hubs event reminds us that this singular obsession is, in fact, a thriving, global community. For this week, fountain pen enthusiasts all over the world met up in a gathering called Pelikan Hubs to share about… Continue reading I attended my first Pelikan Hub!
Why the Kakuno Fountain Pens are the Best Beginner Pens Beloved by Me and My Kids
The name Kakuno (ใซใฏใ) is derived from the Japanese word kaku (ๆธใ), meaning "to write," and the suffix -no (๏ฝใฎ), indicating possession. Thus, Kakuno can mean โfor writingโ or โthe writerโs.โ This name suits these cheerful pens that make writing enjoyable, even for beginners. Let me explain. One of the things I enjoy about my… Continue reading Why the Kakuno Fountain Pens are the Best Beginner Pens Beloved by Me and My Kids
Review: Majohn Q1 Demonstrator Fountain Pen (Fine Nib)
If you havenโt noticed yet, Iโve grown quite fond of writingโespecially with fountain pens. Naturally, that led me down the delightful rabbit hole of collecting not just pens, but also fountain pen-friendly notebooks and inks. Iโve written a few articles about some of the brands Iโve triedโhere are two of my recent ones, with snippets… Continue reading Review: Majohn Q1 Demonstrator Fountain Pen (Fine Nib)
Line-and-Wash Painting Using Fountain Pen, Inks, and Watercolors
Line-and-wash watercolor art is a technique that combines detailed line work, typically created with ink or fine pen, with washes of watercolor. The process generally begins by drawing the outline of a scene, object, or figure in pencil and then in ink - some sketch straight with ink. Once the ink drawing is complete and… Continue reading Line-and-Wash Painting Using Fountain Pen, Inks, and Watercolors