Vanessa's Creative Process: The Passport Stamp
Esterbrook generates and inspires creativity—it says so in their catchphrase, ‘The Right Pen for the Way You Write.’ This phrase communicates to people like you and me that whichever Esterbrook pen we choose, our writing experience will not only be personal, but it will also be enjoyable. Reborn in 2018, Esterbrook launched the classic Estie to pen enthusiasts everywhere. Since Estie’s debut, Esterbrook has presented many colorful variations of this model. Some variations are whimsical like the newly released Candy, while other variations embody class and sophistication like the Scarlett pen from last fall.
To compliment the writing experience further, Esterbrook has ventured into stationery territory with journal page holders, limited released notebooks, and stamps. It’s the newest stamp though I’d like to discuss with you that features an image of the globe with a centrally positioned Esterbrook nib. Below this image a phrase that exemplifies the nature of fountain pen enthusiasts globally, reads ‘Welcome to Our World.’ This phrase officially welcomes everyone to delve into an experience that completely lives with in the realm of Esterbrook’s bright and colorful world.
Three stamps were provided to me by Esterbrook and I was challenged to convert these previously bare stamp images into colorful representations of Esterbrook pens using acrylic paint. I chose my top three Esties to base the color schemes—the newest release Candy (of course), the Seaglass from Summer 2021, and the sassy Scarlett from Fall 2021. Candy was the ideal color palette to work with mostly because it includes a vibrant hot pink hue and a vivid blue, known as YlnMn. The toughest decision for these stamps was the color placement. I sat in front of these stamps arranging colors in my mind trying to figure out what color would be best suited for the water or what color would the land masses be. Overall, each stamp reflects the visual ideals attached to each pen.
The challenge did not end with color choice selections and paint application, I had to cajole these stamps into reflecting my style. Each graphic project I work on, be it sticker designs or simple drawings in my journal, must achieve visual and at times tactile texture. Without randomly disbursed dots, cross-hatching, deliberate patterning or thickly applied areas of paint, the image lacks energy. Viewers’ eyes need to be guided around these small images and allowed to dance around each brushstroke.
Once each stamp was completely colored and texturized, I was satisfied that these stamps had evolved into creative representations of the Esterbrook pens that inspired me. I also felt completely immersed into Esterbrook’s colorful ‘world’ of possibilities that could manifest in several forms as intended. Worlds of endless writing intertwined with ample amounts of imagination. Journal pages held open by an adorable Bookbee or an Esterbrook nib, which allows a colorful stamp to meet the page’s surface and leave behind vibrant memories. Welcome to Esterbrook’s world indeed.
Text and images provided by Vanessa Langton.