June 2025

This month subscription boxes went out a few days later than targeted. That's because I was on a roadtrip with my mom. It was beautiful and inspiring and I'll be making up the delay by creating some new palettes based on a few of my favorite things. 

Rusty & faded traincars, many colors of lichen on the Oregon Trail, the Columbia River Gorge, Painted Hills. 

Back to business though, here's what's in this month's subscription boxes: 

Did someone say 'business'? Strictly Business fountain pen ink is here for all of your everyday needs. Is it black? Is it blue-black? We'll let you decide. What we do know is this rich dark color is like the professional version of a favorite ballpoint pen stolen from the office supply closet. 

The trees are growing! Cypress fountain pen ink is the deep green-blue of trees in the Cypress family (Cupressaceae). It also reminds me of Juniper berries. (Junipers are in the family too. This was soooo close to being named Juniper.)

What's more magical than the Mer-Cat? This is a sparkly aquamarine fountain pen ink. 

Mystery Ink? No, it's Persephone. 
Ignore the previoius idea for this ink's name. She has been renamed to Persephone. And I was so exicted to get it out to you that I sent it, yes, without a label. That's because you're getting it before it's available to anyone else and the label art is still in production. (Did you know all our label art is hand-drawn by the Push/Pull Crew with 0% AI?)
Persephone is something I've wanted to do for a long time - a black ink that bleeds. I'm guessing every inkmaker has their white whale and this has been mine. Failed experiments have resulted in Revenge of the Vampire and Black Cherry, now standard colors. 
Persephone is a fountain pen ink with an extremely finely ground red pigment. When put on paper it looks mostly black with a little sparkle. But if you let the ink dry completely and then put water on it, it bleeds. 

This Skintones watercolor set is proof that if you come in and ask for something enough that we will make it. 
We were able to source some gorgeous natural pigments and they created beautiful human shades. If you're a portrait artist, this is a must have. Mix with primary colors to create complex shadows and highlights. Also great for the many browns of botanical and animal paintings. 

There are always so many things that I could include as the special items in the Deluxe boxes. This month I wanted to send you a message that I needed to remind myself. I hope for you that your anger turns into action, that your frustrations lead to creative solutions, and that you find joy in your community. 

With Gratitude, 

Maxx FG
​Direction & Co-Founder