Arkansas art teacher turns pen-making hobby into full-time career

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A former Arkansas art teacher turned his hobby of pen-making into a full-time passion and career.

Shawn Newton, president of the Arkansas Pen Club, showed off his limited-edition pen, The Cossatat, this past weekend during the 40th anniversary of the Arkansas Pen Show.

"We wanted to have a pen that celebrates Arkansas, in addition to our 40th anniversary pen show," Newton said. "The colors in the pen blanks brought to mind not only the 'Arkansas abalone' of the mussels, but also swirling rapids so we named the pen after the Cossatot River, known worldwide to be a premier whitewater canoeing and kayaking destination."

The ten pens, crafted by Newton, have cast cap bands, clips, and river rock cap finials, a news release said. The barrels, crafted from blanks made by Darrell Davis with D Squared Arts, are said to be reminiscent of the greens, blues, and browns in the shells of the fresh-water mussels found throughout the Natural State.

The weekend's pen show featured 25 vendors and 20 workshops targeting a "range of pen enthusiasts from those new to the hobby to experienced collectors and enthusiasts." Classes included: Using fountain pen inks in watercolor art; beginning and advanced fountain pen repair; guided journaling; an introduction to turning metal pens on a lathe; and a penmanship class in Copperplate.

Pen-curious people are encouraged to attend the Arkansas Pen Club meetings every second Thursday at Corky's Ribs & BBQ on Westhaven Drive in Little Rock.