An interview series featuring notable people within the pen, art, and design worlds. Kathy Zadrozny and Donovan Beeson are the dynamic duo behind 16 Sparrows. Their partnership led them to create the Letter Writers Alliance in 2007, out of their passion for the art of letter writing. Since then, their organization has been constantly expanding as they increase traffic to the post office.

Please tell us about yourself and what you do.

We are a group for letter lovers, both new and old, with the mission to encourage mail art and letter writing. In this era of instantaneous communication, a handwritten letter is a rare and wondrous item and the Letter Writers Alliance is dedicated to preserving it. We offer membership to the L.W.A., which makes you privy to exclusive letter writing items and tools. We also host monthly letter socials that are open to all, which turns the solitary act of letter writing into a social event. By offering the use of typewriters and free stationery at these socials we hope we can get other people excited about letter writing. With this combination of online presence and in-person gatherings we strive to give people the tools to maintain the art of letter writing. At this moment we have over 3700 members and we continue to grow every day.

Here are our favorite customer images selected from our Facebook Page or the web for the month of March.

Picture from Shaylynn:

Like a pristine crystal, the J. Herbin Frosted Glass Dip Pen shimmers in the sunlight. Shaylynn beautifully captures the scene as gentle streams of J. Herbin ink flow down the delicate spiral tip.

Mechanical pencils. These fixtures in our writing arsenal have become so familiar that they seem almost commonplace to the average person. But to those who adore these technical treasures, they are anything but ordinary. I’m speaking to the ones who can’t stop tinkering, can’t stop tearing apart, and can't stop (attempting) to put back together whatever is in their hands. These are the masses of gear heads to whom just the simple whisper of “mechanical” and “pencil” will cause a frenzy of excitement. Now I have two new words to introduce you: Kuru Toga.

New products are in!

Noodler’s Konrad Flex fountain pen is ideal for both beginner and advanced fountain pen users. Its flexible nib allows you to produce a variety of line widths controlled by the pressure applied from your hand. Laying down standard lines to broader, wetter lines, the fountain pen is also fitted with a state-of-the-art piston that allows you to try a plethora of bottled ink colors. The pen is customizable with an ebonite feed that makes it easy for you to heat-set different type nibs onto your pen! With beautiful designs and an affordable price, Noodler’s Konrad Flex fountain pen is a keeper.

Jeffrey Phillips is a freelance illustrator currently residing in Melbourne, Australia. You can check out his portfolio here. You can see more of his works, sketches and process on Instagram.

How did you become an artist?

Oddly enough, being an illustrator was literally the last thing I thought I would end up as. I was always reasonably talented at drawing growing up, but never considered it could be more than a hobby. Math and science were always the priority! So after graduation I enrolled in Engineering and, later, Finance.