Turning pens into works of art

"I do these all by myself," Sevan Denham told people stopping by his booth, gesturing toward a table full of pens made from woods of various colors. "I even have deer antlers." He pointed to a pen whose surface looked like smooth marble.

On the last weekend of November Denham was among the crafters whose work was showcased at the Greater Cincinnati Winterfair at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington.

It all began in 2003 after his retirement from American Airlines. An old friend, John Horn, showed him some pens he had turned on a lathe. Horn then taught Denham how to make them.

Was it a difficult skill to learn?

"No," he answered, but admitted that the hardest challenge was "to learn how to be patient."

Denham lives on a small farm in Burlington. His land provides him with a variety of wood such as black walnut, maple and sycamore. He even uses tobacco sticks, the long poles used to hang curing tobacco, for his pens.

But his favorite wood comes from thousands of miles away – olive wood from Bethlehem. He explained that some olive trees have been authenticated to be 2,000 to 3,000 years old. It is against the law there to cut down live olive trees, but they are allowed to be pruned every three to five years.

He shared that of all the olive wood pens he crafted, he had never seen any two pens that looked alike. "75 percent of the pens I sell are olive wood," he said.

His other favorite choices are the trees that grow near the equator. One of them is cocobolo from Central America. He said that it is among the most beautiful woods he works with as its grain mimics the colors of the sunset.

For each of his customers, Denham prepares a paper explaining about the wood used for their pen. "I like the fact that I can make something and people would like it and appreciate it."

Denham works out of his garage and can create 10 pens in about six hours. "It's something that I enjoy doing," he said. "It's also a good therapy for me."

Last year Denham lost his wife of 49 years. He found that working with his pens has helped him through this difficult time. "She was a very special lady," he recalled.

Denham is a member of Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen. "I have done woodworking all my life, in one way or another," he said. Denham can be reached at www.penswow.com or at 859-446-1211.

His next craft show is this Saturday on Dec. 6 at Christ United Methodist Church at 1440 Boone Aire Road in Burlington, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.