Jay Sweeney is a Sitka-based artist who stumbled upon woodturning later in his life. "It has been said that everyone has an inner artist inside them, but it took 50 years for me to discover mine. A chance invitation by a high school shop teacher to learn woodworking led me to discover that I had a talent and passion for creating art with wood."

Jay specializes in creating art from tiny pieces of wood from small trees and bushes – lilac, rhododendron, arborvitae, yew, and elderberry – that are not often seen. Each piece he creates is uniquely hand-crafted with the highest possible attention to detail and artisanship. All of the wood reflects its natural color; no stains are used in this process. The semi-gloss finish on Jay's art is achieved through 10 separate fine sandings, use of Danish oil, and a final polish made of wax and shellac.

This handmade fountain pen is crafted from Birdseye Maple, a lighter wood with ivory-like colors. It is plated with 24K gold.

Each pen comes with the decorative box pictured.

*Exact coloring and grain pattern may vary. Please allow 2-3 weeks lead time for hand-crafted pens.