Welcome, or welcome back, to my Stanford Pen Studio (SPS) series. If you haven’t seen my previous posts, I suggest you check them out to see the amazing work the SPS collective produces. This entry is spotlighting Lana le Roux who you can find on Instagram
SPS Series Posts: SPS Overview | Brandon Lodewyk | Carla Nel | Di Möhr | Hanna Farmer | Kseniia Nel | Lana Le Roux | Lisa Strachan | Val Myburgh | Yulia Glas | Zelna le Roux | Initial Wrap-Up
Lana is the fifth SPS artist I’ve commissioned a pen from. This particular commission is still in the works, but I know it’s going to be amazing.
Lana is a quintessential Renaissance woman. She is a chef, puts together beautiful catering spreads, paints stunning traditional art pieces, mixes custom resin blanks, paints pens, shares SPS administrative work, and is learning lathe work! And those are just the things I know about.
How did you learn about Stanford Pen Studio?
Dave and Di approached me and asked if I would like to join the team. Before that time, I didn’t realise that fountain pens were a “thing” and how big the fountain pen community is.
It’s still amazing to me how big our community is, and I know about fountain pens and have been to shows. I imagine it was a bit of a shock for Lana to find out how prevalent us pen people are.
How long did it take you to decide to work with them?
Not long at all. The prospect of working in such a creative space was so appealing, I just had to say absolutely yes.
I’m happy that Lana joined the SPS team, and even happier that she started painting pens. Because, really, how awesome is this layered style!?!
How do you feel about creating art on pens? And what was your first thought when you learned about it?
I love the idea of personalising a pen for a person, as I never thought of a pen as a “personality extension”. My first thought was, “how the hell am I going to do this?”
Despite any initial doubts, It’s clear that Lana figured out exactly how to “do this.” And she does it very well!
What do you consider the hardest part of working on pens?
I must say the small scale. My background is in catering, especially destination weddings, so bigger is better where I come from as that is how you make a visual impact. Now suddenly I must make the same visual impact on a teeny-weeny scale.
I can only imagine how difficult it must be to work in such a small scale.
Has pen work affected your non-pen art in any way?
No, not really.
I think Lana is the only person who doesn’t feel pen work has affected her non-pen work. But, I imagine that with as many different talents as she has, you have to learn to compartmentalize to some degree.
What is your favorite part of working with Stanford Pen Studio?
There are so many favorite parts. I must say the privilege of having a front-row seat when working with the art being created on fountain pens is first and foremost. My next favourite part is learning new steps in the process of creating bespoke fountain pens. Both Di and Dave have been generous with their time and knowledge to equip me with a skill set that I never imagined possible in my lifetime. My other favorite part is the challenge of mixing section material colours to match and compliment the artwork we receive from the artists.
How wonderful to have so many positives to your work! I’m a bit envious, to be honest.
Has your work on pens turned you into a pen person?
Yes, yes,yes! I have certainly developed a new appreciation for fountain pens. I would love to have a collection of them. And then in conjunction with fountain pens the next rabbit hole I am going down (as Di says) is the wonderful world of inks.
Lana, we welcome you to the deep fountain pen rabbit hole. Best of luck to you budget and bank account. LOL!
Unfortunately for us, at the time of writing, Lana doesn’t have any pens currently available. However, keep an eye on SPS’ website and Instagram feed to see what Lana paints next.
I appreciate Lana taking the time out of her insanely busy schedule to answer these questions. I am SO looking forward to getting my commission from her.
What do you think of Lana’s work? Do you own any of the pens she has helped create? If not, would you be interested in one? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
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