Art Pennom

Hi and welcome to ScapeFu!

My name is Art Pennom. I write and curate this site that is focused on the art and science of aquascaping.

Thank you! for coming over from the UK Aquatic Plant Society (UKAPS).  I’m a member there as well. It’s a special place dedicated to expanding the aquascaping hobby. Like me, many UKAPS members are passionate about their aquascaping so I’m glad you found me through them.

Now that you’re here, please allow me to give you the lowdown on what you can find here at ScapeFu.

Why should you care about ScapeFu?

First, I realize there is too much information on the Internet and your time is very valuable and, usually, short. I’m very cognizant and respectful of that. This is how I feel too. So, I built ScapeFu to be as valuable and concise as it can be for those that have a passion for aquascaping. My goal is to give you something of value whether you’re a complete beginner or seasoned aquascaper and to do it in an efficient and easy to digest way. That’s my promise to you.

Second, this site is written and patiently curated by someone just like you. I too am learning about aquascaping and the planted aquarium hobby. I have a thirst for understanding aquascaping as an art form and sharing what I learn (sometimes, just the questions I have) with you. We will learn together. Grow in the hobby, together. It’s comforting to know that you don’t have all the answers and it’s OK to question and probe. I hope you find ScapeFu insightful, thought-provoking and useful as you progress in the aquascaping hobby.

Lastly, unlike a forum where nuggets of valuable information are sometimes buried deep within lengthy threads, ScapeFu puts it out there in plain sight so that it’s easy to find. I don’t presume to say that you will find everything I write here of tremendous value, however, I can promise you that I try to write and produce content that will be valuable and worth your time.

Navigating around ScapeFu

I’ve tried to make the information on ScapeFu as easy to find as possible. The main navigation bar at the top of this page and below the logo is where the major parts of the site can be found. Use it to move around at a high level.

The About page is where you can find information on me and ScapeFu. I encourage you to give it a read if you care to know more about my background and how I got to this point in the hobby.

The Podcast page is self-explanatory. I produce the ScapeFu Podcast where I talk about all things aquascaping. I try to bring on guests to tell us about their interest in the hobby. All topics are designed around what I think you will find interesting and valuable.

Aquascape Analysis is what I may be known for. I take a critical look at some of the most beautiful aquascapes you’ve ever seen in your life. It’s not a critic. It’s an analytic view searching for why and how the aquascaper built the aquascape like they did. I use centuries old techniques like the golden ratio to try and learn from aquascapes and see if they comply with traditional standards for great artwork. I love doing these but they take a lot of work. I try to put out at least two to three a month.

Aquascape Masters is a collection of my articles on some of aquascaping’s best. Everyone needs inspiration, mentors and people whose work is something to aspire to. I bring them to you and tell you about how they reached the heights of aquascaping. It’s a great honor and privilege for me.

The Resources page is simply a collection of things I think you will find useful because I did. I won’t list anything in this area unless I feel you will derive value from it and it’s worth your time. Some things, like the books, have an affiliate link where Amazon gives me a few pennies if you purchase it from my link. You don’t pay any more for the item. This is how I pay for keeping ScapeFu on the air. However, I promise you that I will never compromise my commitment to only link to valuable resources. The few pennies are not worth losing your trust.

Finally, the Aquascaping Gallery page is a lovingly curated photo gallery organized by type of layout. Yes, you can find many of these photos elsewhere, but I present them to you in a way that you can learn from them. It’s important to learn to look at aquascapes by their layouts so that you can see if the aquascaper executed the style. This will be invaluable when you put your aquascape together. I hope you enjoy and learn from it. It takes a lot of work. It will grow over time.

Find more on ScapeFu

Although the main navigation at the top of the page is the best way to get around ScapeFu, you can also find information via the sidebar on the right. The top of the sidebar contains a subscription section so that you can get updates delivered to your email. I highly suggest you subscribe. I promise you will not be spammed.

Underneath that is the recent posts, followed by recent comments from readers. A section of some of the latest additions to the Aquascaping Gallery is there and then a Categories list. I try to categorize all of my content and tag it so that you can immediately go find all the content related to that category or tag. Click on a category and see.

Lastly, I present a search box and the Archive links using months. The search box allows you to search for anything and see what I may have written about it. Of course, the Archive links are to my posts written in those particular months.

Finally, keeping in touch

In keeping with my promise to make things easy for you, I have several ways for you to keep in touch. The first is to subscribe via the email subscription mentioned above. It’s on the top of the right sidebar. It’s probably the easiest “set it and forget it” solution.

In the bottom right of the page, you will find button links to my Twitter page (@Scapefu). I’d love to chat over Twitter with you. If you’re a Twitter user, please shoot me a follow.

Next to the Twitter is a link to my Facebook page if you’re a Facebook(er) and a link to my RSS feed. If you don’t know what RSS is, please just subscribe via email as I said above. If you do know what it is, please add my feed to your RSS reader for automatic deliveries.

If you’ve taken the time to read all the way down here, I THANK YOU! I’m honored and excited to make a new friend. Please do keep in touch and, while you’re down here, why don’t you leave me a little comment below and let me know you were here.

All the best,

Art