Farmer, Artist, Chemist, Pen Maker

Artisan Abigail Markov wears many hats, and her artisanal fountain pens have captured the pen public's imagination.

- BY SUZANNE C. LEE

Fewer females than males turn pens—a fact and a tragedy—but not because their skills are lesser or their art less worthy of praise. Rather, it’s a matter of initial exposure and access. When given the same opportunities, women at the lathe are capable of awe-inspiring work.

Abigail Markov is a particularly poignant example of this: it is impossible to view her work and fail to admire her sheer talent and brilliant craft. Her technical proficiency and mastery of the form speak for themselves. All gender questions aside, Markov is an eclectic craftperson who works with a seemingly endless amount of materials and mediums. She is a true artist, ever experimental and fluent in all types of art media.

Markov was on the move for much of her life; indeed, until late adulthood, she often transferred from one place to another, predominantly in Massachusetts and Texas. Now, a mother of three children, she makes her home in rural Central Florida, where she also works. In addition, she sustains The Tabula Rasa Farm, a project she and her late husband began and that she maintains to this day. Alongside animals like geese, ducks, and chickens, a garden flourishes: tomatoes, cucumbers, various kinds of beans, and hot peppers anchor other experimental crops. Nevertheless, much of her time is occupied with her artistic creations and her now-grown children, whom she adores. She's also a proud alum of ArtCan, a London-based nonprofit arts organization.