PenInHand: August, 2015

Lambrou Pens LK1 Serenity 2015: A stunning artist's proof pen in gold trim

by Jim Mamoulides, August 9, 2015

Lambrou Pens LK1 Serenity with gold plate trim, open

The idea for the Lambrou Pens LK1 Serenity was born from the work done on the LR7 Moonlight. The original concept for a follow up pen was to have a pair of wolves rendered in sterling silver, with one wolf howling at the Moon and a second wolf nearby. Andreas Lambrou describes the process this way, "During the development of the LR7 Moonlight, we thought of a composition with 'wolves howling at the moon'. The wolves howl to communicate with one another, yet the idea appeared interesting enough, to depict with one of our new designs." During the development discussions, and because of Andreas Lambrou's experience with making painted Maki-e art pens, the idea came forward to do a painted scene of a moonlit night with wolves howling at the moon.

Panorama shot of the LK1 Serenity with gold plate trim

Andreas Lambrou continues, "I admire Ryan Krusac's paintings on his own pens, and asked him if he would paint the new design for us, a moonlight scene and two wolves. He agreed, I gave him a Mythos prototype pen model 5.8 ins. long, with gold plated clip and trim, which Paul Rossi made some time ago. Ryan painted the design and he reduced the barrel diameter where the cap goes over, so that when the pen is closed, there is no interference with the painting thickness underneath. The resulting painting was exquisite. We named the new pen the LB6 Serenity series, as the LB Collection encompasses a diverse range of acrylic pens with Sailor, inlay work by Paul, and maki-e art pens. This artist proof was snapped up by one of our regular private customers."

Lambrou Pens LK1 Serenity with gold plate trim, closed

The new LK1 Serenity benefits from the craft and art of Paul Rossi and Ryan Krusac. Andreas Lambrou describes the reaction to the pen, "We exhibited the composition at several pen shows, and received very positive comments. So much so, that after talking with Ryan and Paul, we decided to make the Serenity the first series design of a new art pen collection under the Lambrou Krusac LK banner."

Lambrou Pens LK1 Serenity with gold plate trim, nib detail

The team discussed making the same size Mythos pen as the LR art pens, a very large pen that tops out at 6.0 inches long with the cap on. There would be only minor design changes. Paul would make the pen with a reduced barrel diameter, where the cap goes over, and a complementing sterling silver textured clip featuring clouds and rocks that compliment Ryan's artwork. Paul also fashioned sterling silver trim pieces. The resulting composition is breath taking and can be seen in our article, Lambrou Pens LK1 Serenity: Lambrou Pens announces its newest art pen. The resultant LB6 series is limited to 10 art pens.

Lambrou Pens LK1 Serenity with gold plate trim closed with box and certificate

Identification guide and features:

The Lambrou Pens LK1 Serenity 2015 Limited Edition is based on a Lambrou Pens Mythos fountain pen that is 6.0 inches long. The Ryan Krusac painting and its thickness require a special Mythos form. Paul Rossi hand crafts the pen and the clip. He makes a groove just below the barrel threads so the paint overspill goes into this groove, rather than the barrel threads, which would be difficult to clean. Paul also reduces the barrel girth where the cap screws over, to account for the paint thickness. This allows the cap to fit onto the barrel without interfering with the painted artwork. Ryan Krusac uses acrylic paints and then protects the painted artwork with numerous coats of acrylic lacquer. Therefore, the LK1 Serenity art pens can be used and enjoyed by their owners on a daily basis for many years.

• Space blue diffusion bonded acrylic cap and barrel handcrafted by Paul Rossi
• Ryan Krusac hand painted cap and barrel showing a scene of a pair of wolves, with one wolf howling at the Moon and a second wolf nearby
• Heavy gold plated hand crafted sterling silver clip, cap band and trim
• 18 karat gold G-370 two-tone rhodium plated nib marked with Classic Pens logo over "CLASSIC" over "18K 750"
• Barrel signed by the artist
• Medium nib
• About 6 inches long capped
• Cartridge / converter using international type cartridges
• Retail price is $7,450
• This is an artist's proof and there may or may not be other pens made

The pen shown in this article is a one-off artist's proof. The standard pens are made with sterling silver trim, and the clip is handcrafted to match the background of the scene on the cap. You can see the standard pen model Lambrou Pens LK1 Serenity: Lambrou Pens announces its newest art pen.