Spiral Out, Keep Going

The lovely Diva is back!  While Genevieve did a bang-up job standing in for her, it's lovely to hear that Artoo is improving, Chewie loves the summer and all is becoming well with the world once more.  Laura must have really enjoyed her short time away, because she's come up with the most wonderful challenge for this week!  Of late several challenges have centred around a provided string - "string theory", as it were.  The challenge this week is to design a Zentangle with a spiral string as the required structure.  Well, this one I just GOTTA love!  Spirals have been appearing in my life as long as I can remember and in so many different ways - physical, mental, emotional, spiritual...you name it, there's gonna be a spiral in there somewhere!  I was raised as a dancer and the spiral is an integral part of folk and classic styles of dancing around the world - from the fabulous Farandole to a dashing Broadsword or exquisitely executed Waltz.  When I was in therapy, learning how to overcome profound clinical depression and later the dissolution of my marriage, the spiral was a recurring theme, descriptive of my state of mind as I would get "stuck" in my attempts to make progress.  My artwork has always included spirals, both overt and disguised, hidden or as a central element.  Spirals encourage reflection on the importance and attainment of balance.  There is a geometric logarithm that when applied results in the "Golden Spiral" - an important element of Sacred Geometry.  Many a prayer and/or meditation has been made whilst walking a spiral maze.  The spiral pops up in the most ancient of cultures - as ornamentation of the body by way of tattoos and scarification, by ornamentation in all manner of metals and other adornments, either printed upon fabric or an integral, woven component of the actual weave itself.  Even mysterious designs etched upon the barren, rocky plains of Central America display spirals, visible only from the air!  I love the way Spirals get me thinking, and wondering, and lead ever onward to more and yet more interesting pieces of information or personal enlightenment.  I decided to play with intent for this tile and drew a spiral to start.  To ground it I chose to use a chain, then filled it from the centre outward (keeping going - geddit? Hehehehee.....) with orbs, from tiny TIPPLE, though my own tangleation of SEZ to PRINTEMPS, tumbling from the open end of the spiral and spinning right off the tile.... And yet, I wanted more...  So FEDR made an appearance to symbolize the growth that I find the ultimate lesson of the Spiral.  I hope you enjoy it:

Happy Monday!