It’s that time of year when the Anna’s Hummingbirds appear outside my kitchen window. My friend from previous years has yet to appear but a vividly colored cock checked out my camellia tree a few minutes ago. His jewel tones are stunning and have inspired me to find inks that mimic his brilliant head feathers.
Click the image to see the variety of colors a mature Anna’s can sport.
Anna’s Hummingbird at Rest
For the darker tones:
- Noodler’s Saguaro Wine
- Noodler’s Burgundy
- Sailor Grenade
- Diamine Claret
- Diamine Syrah
- Diamine Deep Magenta
For the lighter tones:
- Noodler’s Shah’s Rose
- Pelikian Edelstein Tournaline
- Iroshizuku Tsutsuji
- Noodler’s Baystate Cranberry
- Caran d’Ache Sunset
- Diamine Amaranth
- Platinum Cyclamen Pink
Only four of these are in my collection limited to a bottle of Claret and small samples of Tsutsuji, Cyclamen Pink, and Deep Magenta. The samples were written with a J. Herbin glass dip pen on a Quattro pad. All four inks are in the right range.
Pink Fountain Pen Inks
It was a challenge to find suitable colors, but turned into a good exercise in color matching. Of those on hand, Tsutsuji and Cyclamen Pink hit the spirit best. Deep Magenta and Claret are a bit too blue. One day the perfect color will come along, but for now flashes of that vibrant pink whizzing past my window will suffice.
Just for the fun of it, find an item you really enjoy for its color and match an ink to it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But it should make you happy. Isn’t that what pens and inks are all about?
An Anna’s Hummingbird in My Camellia Tree
Photo courtesy of Tessa R. Maurer.
