In this month’s edition of Oprah magazine, swimwear designer Malia Mills lists small sketch pads as an essential tool to the trade and specifically mentions the Rhodia pad she picked up while in Paris. Dear Malia: Rhodia is available at shops like Art Brown and Fountain Pen Hospital not far from your NYC studio.

Though I’ve had one or two of these kneadable erasers (aka: putty rubbers) lying around for what seems like forever, it’s only recently that I’ve begun to fall in love with them. Slightly reminiscent of the Silly Putty of our childhood, this slightly sticky, moldable eraser works by absorbing graphite, charcoal, pastel, etc., and does not leave crumbly bits when used.

Have you ever tried one of these?

These erasers are often used in subtractive drawing techniques- a brief tutorial can be found here:

Has this ever happened to you? Definitely not cool. I usually wash tissues and money. I find it amusing when I pull out an intact tissue from the dryer when I know that one sneeze would normally rip it apart, but washing a tablet would make me very sad.

“Washed my  notebook with my clothes this weekend. Grrr. Not one of the chores I was hoping to cross off my list.”  Image courtesy of joel_wallace on Instagram

As many of you know, Google Reader has been one of the most popular content aggregators and as of July 1st, it is going away. Having tried other readers in the past, I always went back to Google- but now I have no choice but to find another place to peruse the several hundred blogs I currently subscribe to. To prepare for the transition, I’ve exported my feeds via Google Takeout and temporarily set up shop with Feedly which seems to have a pretty spiffy magazine style interface that’s able to simplified if desired.

Have you decided which service you will be using? Remember that you always have the option to subscribe to Rhodia Drive via e-mail by entering your address in the “Subscribe to Rhodia Drive” box on the homepage of rhodiadrive.com. 

A few helpful articles for your transition:

Google Reader Is Shutting Down; Here Are the Best Alternatives on Lifehacker

As Google Reader is killed off, Flipboard, Feedly and others step up with RSS alternatives on The Next Web

Once a month, I will do a post on any special sales or promotions we know our retailers are doing on Rhodia products.

This month, European Paper Company and Quiver Pen Holders are offering Rhodia specials for Father’s Day, graduations and just presents to self for fine writing.

European Paper Company is featuring Rhodia Academic Year (August 2013-July 2014) planners.  They are also offering a 15% discount on Rhodia pencils.  The code is goRhodia. They will also be having an interesting traveling Rhodia notebook promotion coming up later this month.  Here’s a link to their site.

Just in time for Father’s Day, Quiver Pen Holders is featuring a hand-made leather pen holder with a large Rhodia Webnotebook.  The stitching in the pen holder perfectly matches Rhodia’s orange. It looks pretty striking with a black Webbie.  Be sure to enter coupon code Dad2013 at checkout for your 20% discount.  See them all here.

Happy Shopping!

These are our 20 winners from our Clairefontaine Crok Book giveaway – did you win? Stay tuned for more Summer Giveaways – including my SPECIAL Anniversary Contest here on Rhodia Drive!

range
Caitlin Livingston
Jennie S. from Sunderland
Michele S. from Ridgefield Park
StanF from Toronto
Johnny Gamber
Sarah LG.
C Tyler From Beaverton
Sarah from Chicago
Elliot M. from Herndon
Karan A. from Buffalo Grove
KAH
Fehim
Gordon Huang
JoniB from Phoenix
Rhonda Pena
xtica
Melissa K. from Tulsa
Seth Barber
Bodah

“you’re right and I’m wrong Forgive Me ?? Bell-An Tablets.” This being the inscription my friend Hannah discovered inside this early 20th century book written by a Professor George W. Conklin of Hamilton University.

Professor Conklin wrote a number of interesting books around the turn of the century including such titles as:

• Conklin’s Vest-Pocket Argument Settler
• Conklin’s Vest-Pocket Book of Civil And Business Law
• Words: As They Look
• The Little Gold Mine. Conklin’s Handy Manual Of The Mechanical Arts And House Plans
• And last but not least: Conklin’s Handy Manual of Useful Information and World’s Atlas, which according to an article in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle dated February 2nd, 1889, “It is of pocket size but holds in its four hundred to five hundred pages much political, commercial, mechanical and even professional knowledge. Fifty of the pages are maps. Even the autograph album fiend is provided against by an assortment of verses therefor.” 

I was wondering about that inscription… was it a true dedication/apology? Or was it a jingle ala Burma-Shave?

I did manage to find out that Bell-Ans Tablets were an early brand of (sodium bicarbonate) antacid made Bell-ans which started as Bell Co. in 1897 and was still in operation as late as 1985

Top Image courtesy of Hannah Burke

If I may, if like to share a little something with you about art that might make it more accessible to you. Children are able to create art without fear. Put any variety of art supplies in front of the average child and they will have a blast. Put those same supplies in front of the average adult and your likely to hear something like, “No thank you, I don’t draw because I’m not an artist.”

Here’s a few things that might help you warm up to the idea of making art. I am a professional artist- meaning that I earn income through the sale of my art, but I can’t draw. Drawing, as in the ability to reproduce what the eye sees, is a learned skill. Some people might be born with a bit of an edge in the art department, but most people who want to draw, learn how and then spend a ginormous amount of time practicing that skill. Children create fearlessly until the age of 12 or so, then they start trying to draw the world around them and if they aren’t receiving additional drawing lessons, will often give up art in favor of another activity.

This means that most adults draw at the level of a twelve year old unless they decide to take lessons. OR….. And this is the biggie, they learn to be OK with the quality of their expressions and do it anyway. This was my path. I wanted to make art and so I did. I didn’t let anyone tell me that I couldn’t and so I just would go to the art store and buy whatever I wanted and would play with it in a way that made me happy. I did this over and over again, primarily creating round patterned designs known as mandalas. This was the form I enjoyed creating, and so it didn’t matter to me whether or not I could draw a person or a tree. I believe the act of artistic expression is freeing and accessible to anyone of any skill level that wants to do it.

If the time comes when you want to increase the quality of your abilities, seek out the assistance of a qualified teacher. But until then, your doodles are nothing to be ashamed of because they aren’t for anyone else but you to enjoy unless you wish to share them. Art is freeing and therapeutic and can sometimes be very helpful in expressing what words cannot.

Need encouragement? Check out the books “Trust the Process” by Shaun McNiff or “Kick-Ass Creativity” by Mary-Beth Maziarz.

As a long time doodler, I’ve mostly preferred the use of pens and markers but more recently, I’ve started to enjoy working with pencils for both writing and drawing. I like smooth, dark leads and working with grades B, 2B and 4B. I haven’t chosen a favorite brand, so my pencil case includes Rhodia, Staedtler, California Palomino, and the Palomino Blackwing. I also have mechanical pencils filled with .07 2B leads and recently purchased a drafting pencil from our friends at JetPens. Some day I’d like to try the Tombow Mono 100 and the Blackwing 602 but I can’t find anyone who sells them individually.

What are your favorite pencils? Do you use them for writing, drawing, or both?

Seeing this image of an Olympus XZ-1 made me think of  a video  I recently watched. It talked about how the sales of point and shoot cameras are down 46% over last year because smart phone cameras are “good enough” for the every day pictures that most people take and also for their ability to be immediately shared. Interestingly, sales of the more expensive DSLR cameras are on the rise.

A short while back, I needed to reevaluate my own camera options- primarily for taking high quality pictures of my art. I didn’t want to spend the money on a DSLR because it would be too expensive and too bulky. I opted instead for a small higher end point and shoot camera made by Sony, the RX100 which boasts a 1.8 lens (at its widest setting) and a huge 20MP 1″ CMOS sensor. I also love this combination for its ability to shoot in available light without a flash.

Did you know that I used to work in a camera store? From 1986-96, it was all film, all the time.

Image courtesy of heymatthew on Instagram: “Today’s daily carry options. Rhodia dot pad, Lamy Safari and Olympus XZ-1.”

The other day I was Googling around trying to see if I could find a some place where I could buy a single 602 Palomino Blackwing pencil (I just wanted to try one) and ended up finding the coolest site: Hand-Eye Supply  - and they also happen to be an Exaclair retailer. This Portland, OR company has both an online store and a retail location and unfortunately, now I want to buy EVERYTHING they carry.

Like this Red Clouds Collective round suede pencil case (Made in Portland, OR) 

or this Orox Leather CO. measuring tape (also made in Portland, OR)

or these sweet Klein Tools canvas zippered bags… (they come in orange!)

But the item I love the most? This Italian made USAG tool box. I want to carry my art supplies in it!

New to Hand-Eye Supply? Go check ‘em out and while you’re there, grab a few Rhodia’s for the road.

Their retail shop is located at:

HAND-EYE SUPPLY
23 NW 4TH AVE
PORTLAND, OR 97209
TEL: 503-575-9769

*All images courtesy of Hand-Eye Supply

Handy sizes and ultra-flexible, colorful covers make the Clairefontaine’s Crok’ Books a unique tool for personal sketches, notes and drawings.

• Stapled sketch notebooks (on the side or on top for larger formats)
• 24 sheets (48 pages) of 90g white acid-free paper sketch paper
• 270g cover with embossed logo (assorted colors)
• 4 available sizes: 6 3⁄4 x 8 3⁄4″, 8 x 12,” 12 x 17,” and the landscape sketch notebook 6 3⁄4 x 4 1⁄4″

Would you like to try one? We are giving away 20 of the 6 3⁄4 x 8 3⁄4″ Crok’ Books!

The contest will be remain open until midnight EST on Sunday June 9th. The winners will be chosen at random and announced on the blog on Thursday June 11th. One entry per household please. If you are viewing this post via e-mail or on a mobile device, you may need to visit Rhodia Drive directly to see the entry form.

Help us to get the word out?  Please feel free to Tweet, blog or share this post via Facebook.

59-year-old Andrew Silton spent 30 years working in asset management, picking stocks and managing an investment strategy for a state pension system. That’s pretty stressful work. Mr. Silton has doodled through many of his meetings, filling at least 75 spiral bound notebooks with 600 drawings.

“I look at the eyes in some of my pictures and they look frightened and troubled,” said Mr. Silton. Looking back on his career, he realized that doodling was a form of solace in meetings.  Doodling is often considered a by-product of boredom, but research shows that doodling can help the doodler retain information.

Mr. Silton’s doodles give him instant recall of who was in the room and what they were talking about, even though he avoided drawing anything with even a slight resemblance to someone there.  “If I realized that a drawing started to resemble someone in a meeting, I’d quickly put long hair or sunglasses on him or turn him into a fish or something.”

Do you doodle?  Does it help you focus or relax? What do your doodles look like?

My first Rhodia experience was a pair of small gridded No. 11′s that I purchased at Dick Blick. I bought them after reading that one of my favorite jewelry designers kept one in his back pocket at all times. Mine lived in my purse. A few years later, I’d explore additional Rhodia/Clairefontaine options once I’d started writing with a fountain pen and discovered that all paper wasn’t so friendly with water based fountain pen inks.

What do you remember about your first Rhodia experience?

The image above is courtesy of writetomeoften.com. Be sure to visit the blog whose author loves books, cats, stationery, pens, fountain pens, inks, sufi tradition, myths, religions, occult and everything!

PS: Keep your eyes on the blog – another big giveaway this week!

Image courtesy of jensdecember on Instagram

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May and commemorates all men and women who have died in military service for the United States. This holiday weekend is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season – though this year it didn’t feel very summery when temperatures dropped freakishly low with snow fall reported in New Hampshire, Vermont, Upstate New York and northwest Maine.

Here in northeast Pennsylvania, I witnessed a 40 degree difference within only a few days- from almost 90 down to 50! Did the weather affect your plans for the long holiday weekend?

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Let’s go outside the box on this one. If we were to give you 50 of any one Rhodia paper product, which would you choose and what would you do with them? One rule: you can’t keep any of them for yourself.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Image courtesy of Bgigliot on Instagram

I love to discover new and interesting magazines, and I’d never heard of “The Gentlewoman” until I came across this image on Instagram. “The Gentlewoman is a fabulous publication for modern women of style and purpose. It offers a fresh and intelligent perspective on fashion that is focused on personal style – the way women actually look, think and dress. Featuring ambitious journalism and photography of the highest quality, The Gentlewoman celebrates inspirational women through the distinctive combination of glamour, personality and warmth in its collectable biannual magazine.” 

There was a time when I probably had a dozen magazines coming to the house each month, but now I only subscribe to one: Elle Decor because I love cutting it apart and using the images in my Inspiration Journal and also for creating Vision Boards. Occasionally I will splurge at the bookstore and grab things like Yoga Journal, Writer’s Digest, Art News…

What are your favorite magazines? Do you read any via an e-reader? I also read MacWorld on my iPad via my local library and the Zinio app.

Image courtesy of Annemarie Arends – follow annemariearends on Instagram

Are you familiar with the concept of “Morning Pages” from Julia Cameron’s popular book The Artist’s Way?

From Julia’s website: “Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*– they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page…and then do three more pages tomorrow.”

DOING “MORNING PAGES” FROM “THE ARTIST’S WAY” LED ME TO GET DIVORCED, LOSE 40 POUNDS AND REVITALIZE MY CAREER at xoJane

Morning Pages – The Artist’s Way at Healthy Crush

5 Reasons Why You Should Start Writing Morning Pages – Right Now! at Tumble Design

Basic Tool: Morning Pages from Julia Cameron on Vimeo.

Image above courtesy of vindicarblack on Instagram.

Hannah W. recently sent us an e-mail asking if we were aware of any good quality sticky notes – she was hoping that there might have been a Rhodia option that she’d somehow overlooked but unfortunately, we do not currently sell any Rhodia Post-It style stickies.

Do you have anything you can suggest or any comments on her question? I’ve always found most sticky notes to not be very ink friendly – and I’m wondering if it has something to do with the glue…