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The Douglas Yeo "Le Monde Du Serpent"
Floaty (Float, Floating, Tilt) Pen

NOTE: The Douglas Yeo Le Monde du Serpent floaty pen is now out of stock. This page is maintained on my websitefor information only.

Le Monde du Serpent floaty pen

What is it?

On my website page devoted to my two Douglas Yeo Floaty Pens, I speak at length about the ubiquitous souvenir which is the Eskesen floaty pen. By visiting my page about my pens, you can get some information about the Eskesen company, how these whimsical pens are made, and details about my two pens which are available in both the "Classic" floaty style and the newer "Twist n' Click" style. Those pens are now sold out - over 1500 pens are now in circulation - but I designed a third pen that is still available.

When I was in the process of final production of my compact disc recording Le Monde Du Serpent which features my playing the ancient musical instrument, the serpent, I gave some thought to ways to market the disc. Since print advertising in journals and magazines have not proven, by experience, to be very cost effective, my attention naturally turned to having a special floaty pen created to celebrate the release of the album. The success of my first two pens was nothing short of stunning as they created interest among musicians as well as floaty pen collectors.

While on the subject of floaty pens, I should once again mention the fine work of Diana Andra who is most likely the world's leading authority on the floaty pen phenomenen. For comprehensive (and fun) information about floating pens, visit the website of Diana Andra whose company, Float About, is the leading source for learning about this hobby. On her website, you can learn about floating pens, their history and the people who collect them, read her periodic newsletter "Float About" which tells about pens and collectors, purchase pens and pen displays, and much more. Diana is THE source for the novice or die-hard floating pen collector. And a lovely person as well.


What is the Douglas Yeo "Le Monde du Serpent" Floaty Pen like?

Le Monde du Serpent Floaty Pen
The Douglas Yeo "Le Monde du Serpent" Classic Style floaty pen.

It was natural for me to turn once again to Nancy Nerenberg whose company, Float Art Design, designs and works with the Eskesen Company in Denmark to produce an authentic floating pen. Nancy had designed my first two floaty pens and we had gotten to know how to work together when it came to putting concepts into a concrete pen design.

A floating pen has many components, and perhaps the best way to explain my new "Le Monde du Serpent" pen is to talk through the actual design proof which the Eskesen Company made based on the design Nancy Nerenberg and I came up with.

The back (text) panel of the pen, shown below, contains several components. On the left side is the name of my new CD, "Le Monde du Serpent," in the excellent font designed by Wayne Wilcox who did the excellent design work for "Le Monde du Serpent." The middle of the text panel has a photo of me taken by Michael Lutsch - this photo was used on the "Le Monde du Serpent" tray card and shows me holding my c. 1810 serpent by Baudouin. The right side of the text panel gives my website URL and name. On either end of the text panel are the website address and phone number for Nancy Nerenberg's floaty pen design company, Float Art Design.

The front panel of the pen , shown below, contains many components, all of which can be seen on the Eskesen design image above. The background has two images of Gregorian chant; on the left is a bit of an "Alleluia" which begins very much like "Alleluia" which is the first track on my "Le Monde du Serpent" CD. On the right is the beginning of the chant, "Dies Irae" which is heard in Clifford Bevan's "Les Mots de Berlioz" and his "Variations on the Pesky Sarpent," both of which appear on "Le Monde du Serpent."

In the center of the text panel is the foreground image, consisting of the logo for Berlioz Historical Brass which provided valuable support for the entire "Le Monde du Serpent" recording project and which provided some fine historical brass players to perform on the album (including Ben Peck, buccin; Phil Humphries, serpent and ophicleide; Craig Kridel, serpent).

The "floater" is the part of the pen which passes behind the foreground image. As you can see above, the floater on this new pen consists of two images. The floater on the left consists of the names of all of the composers whose works appear on the CD. This was a way for me to thank all of them again for their contribution to the album, for without gifted composers and arrangers, there would have been no music to record. As the pen is tilted to the right, the composer's names disappear behind the Berlioz Historical Brass logo - as it were, their music is "filtered" through the work of BHB, and on the right side of the logo, three instruments which were used on the CD - serpent, ophicleide and buccin - appear.

The "Le Monde du Serpent" floaty pen has a black barrel and dispenses black ink. It was first made available to the public on December 3, 2003.


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