Octopus — Gaia’s Grove — Ink Review #263
Octopus Celestial Glitter- Gaia's Grove
Ink Review # 263
Description
Part of a new series of six shimmer inks by Octopus.
Gaia’s Grove is a lovely gloden-sepia ink with average wetness and lovely lubrication. The ink shows a green sheen under certain lights, likely caused by the shimmer particles.
It worked best with Pilot Kakuno and Kaweco. I had some skipping issues with the fude, flex and BB nibs.
After being left in the Kakuno for three weeks, the ink took a minute or two of fiddling before it started writing again.
Shimmer and sheen in the Kakuno section and feed after three weeks.
Chroma
Writing Samples
Photos only.
Translations from language are provided for reference only and may differ from published versions.
Rhodia
“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.” — Kahlil Gibran, male Lebanese-American poet, 1883–1931.
Close-up
Iroful
“I will plant my hands in the garden. I will grow, I know, I know, I know.” — Forough Farrokhzad, female Iranian poet, 1934–1967.
Close-up
Midori
“Remember the earth whose skin you are:” — Joy Harjo, female Muscogee American poet, born 1951.
Close-up
Tomoe River 68 gsm
Note: Tomoe River used here is 68 gsm, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews.
“In the afterlife of cedars, nothing is ever dead.”
— Robin Wall Kimmerer, American botanist and writer, born 1953.
Close-up
Hammermill 20 lb
“When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope.”— Wangari Maathai, female Kenyan environmentalist, 1940–2011
Closeup
Close-up
Comparison
Col-O-ring swatches. Scans are approximate.
Water Test
Artwork
Wild, Wild Wagon
Inktober52, 2026 — Prompt No. 30: Wagon.
Way before the station wagon, Cat & Mouse joined a Wild West adventure.
Octopus Celestial Gaia’s Grove, Tintenlabor Monte Rosa, Ostrich Green Robinia, Jinchen Sea Colour, Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.
Shimmer close-up
Miniature
Inktober52, 2026 — Prompt No. 3: Simple.
Sometimes the simple things are hidden in an embrace.
Tintenlabor Monte Rosa, Octopus Gaia's Grove, Jacques Herbin Bistro Parisien. Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.
Panache
Partly inspired by the film Molière and its men's costumes. Cat and Mouse in their own rather loose interpretation of the period.
Jacques Herbin Fontaine, Bistro Parisien, and Passage des Panoramas Octopus Gaia’s Grove Tintenlabor Monte Rosa Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook
Ink Characteristics
Closing
This is a lovely golden ink by Octopus. I won’t let it stay in a pen for a long time, though. In ink washes, the shimmer can stick to the facing page.
However, my experience was marred, as the ink sample went bad in one of my fountain pens and turned into sludge. The vial had an offensive scent. This is the first time something like this has happens to me.
It may have been cross-contamination in the sample vial or the original bottle may have gone bad. I've written to Octopus, and as soon as I get an answer, I'll update this blog. You can observe the sludge on the fountain pen feed and on the paper towel. Yuck.
No fountain pens were harmed in preparing this review. 😉
Feel free to share your experience, feedback, or any other comments. The more the merrier. 😊
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