Interview with quillpen artist Kelsi Dick of the Brilliant Quill

 

Quillpens normally conjure up associations with scholars in monasteries and old white-wigged gentlemen scratching out the Declaration of Independence. However, they were once, and can still be, both practical materials for ordinary writers and objects of craftspersonship and style. Kelsi Dick, artist with The Brilliant Quill (www.thebrilliantquill.com) discusses her work as a modern-day quill pen designer: the making of the pens, what got her interested, the potential art of ordinary objects, the business aspect of marketing a craft.

1. Why/how did you choose feathered pens as your artistic media? I read that you’re more of a crafts person than a fine arts person…any insight into that?
I saw one of those cheap, mass-produced ostrich feather “quills” online and thought, I can do better than that!  I’m always looking for crafty gift ideas, and nice writing utensils are a pretty safe bet for a large range of people.  So I adopted it into my repertoire of gifts to make, and once I’d made a few, I enjoyed it so much I just kept going.

I think I am more of a crafts person because I am so in love with art that is functional.  I can appreciate paintings on the wall, but I don’t want to make that kind of art myself.  I love to see people use what I make.  It’s a shame that often, just because something is useful, people think there’s no point in making it beautiful.  The “crafts” seem to embrace this idea more than the “arts.”

2. What was the first pen you designed like? Do you feel your style has changed over the years?
Well, it was hand-dyed, which I have learned not to do these days.  The professional dyers get much nicer results.  It was very simple, just a silver vine pattern on lavender.  I’ve learned a lot about construction and technique since then, but I still sometimes return to simple vine patterns.  I’m not sure my style has changed, but the way I work definitely has.
 
3. Where can you find the feathers? Are they for sale in craft shops?
I’ll sometimes buy feathers from craft shops if I’m in a time crunch, but they’re usually not in good condition–often in a pack of 10 I can only use 2 or 3 because the rest are so torn up or bent.  I usually order online.  I just lost my usual supplier, so I’m trying out some new ones–so far I really like ostrich.com.

For anyone looking to do feather crafts, I would strongly recommend against using found feathers, or feathers from pet or domestic birds.  Feathers have to go through a special process to be sanitized, and it’s not the kind of thing you can do at home for cheap–just washing them is not enough.  Protect yourself and your customers by buying already-sanitized feathers.

 
4. Do you have advice for anyone else who would like to start a small business marketing homemade crafts/art pieces? What has it been like merging the artistic and business elements of your work?
Don’t put out a lot of money to start with.  It’s going to be a long time before your business is profitable–previously I sold jewelry, and it took me about two years to move beyond just breaking even.  With quills, I’m back at the “mostly breaking even” stage, and finally looking at moving into “profitable” again in the coming year.  There are lots of ways to advertise and market your items for free, especially now in the internet age.  Do put forth the $10 to get yourself a domain name–it’s worth it to have a short web address that people will remember when you walk away.  Print your own business cards if you can, using an image of your best work.

Being the artsy type, I am not a natural in the business world.  It’s strange to start putting price tags and deadlines on my hobby, but it’s really rewarding when I have business successes, because that allows me to do more with that hobby and try things I couldn’t afford to try previously.  It is very difficult pricing my work, though.  I think a lot of artists struggle with that–finding the line between what people will pay and what you feel you’ve put into it.
 

5. How are various types of feathers different, in terms of appearance or what you can do with them?
Turkey feathers are pretty ideal for making quills–they are tight-packed (therefore easy to paint on), they take dye well, and they have a thick shaft so I don’t have to pad them very much to make them comfortable to hold and write with.
Duck feathers also take dye and paint fairly well, but they’re very slim, which means the shaft needs to be wrapped several times to make a comfortable grip.  They make smaller, very delicate-looking quills, which can be a very nice effect.
Specialty feathers like pheasant, peacock, and ostrich are usually hard–if not impossible–to paint on, and they need to be dyed by a professional.  Even without the paint, though, they can still produce some very colorful, exotic-looking quills.
 
6. What interests you about Renaissance Faires and fantasy? (I love Renfaires also and have been twice with various friends, to regular renfaires and a Celtic medieval harvest festival…always have admired the dedication of people who create all the handmade items and do the research into clothing, food, jewelry, etc. Very striking and detailed…also I love the appreciation for learning and the arts that started again during the Renaissance.)  What kinds of penmanship-related or other art did people create then, and did that inspire you?

I love costumes and pretending to be someone else, so it’s no surprise these kinds of things appeal to me.  Also, there is a lot of focus both in historical and fantasy fairs on functional but artistic items–hair pins, armor, books, clothing, and so on.  The artisans at Renaissance faires really have a knack for making everyday objects into art.

Historically, there are tons of different penmanship-related items people have created as art–everything from the stylus to the desk blotter.  I think there are some really wonderful quill and pen stands you can find in books and museums, I’d love to put my quills in them!  Probably the most inspiring design-wise is the illumination that monks and other artists put into the texts of the time (using quills!)

Interestingly, from what I’ve read, actual quill pens were rarely decorative at all–in fact, they often stripped the feather part entirely and just used the shaft for writing.  Since they had to cut new points frequently, they didn’t last long, and decorating them would have been a waste (what a pity!).

Thanks for talking with Synchronized Chaos, we wish you all the best with your artistic pursuits!

Kelsi Dick’s art is available here: www.thebrilliantquill.com – she may be contacted through the site and many full-color images are available.