Summer Start

Well, it's officially summer at last.  One season closer to my favourite! I admit to preferring the damp, dark days of Fall.  On the other hand, the different lights of summer are fun - the bold, sharp blast of mercilessly exposing noon-time sun; the soft, clear, luninous early morning; the dusky, mysterious twilight; the liquid velvet of  night.... One wonderfully intriguing, ever changing aspect of Zentangle is the way you choose to finish each design.  Favourite tangles are often completely different in appearance when shaded in a new way.  Or sometimes you can change it up altogether!  In today's tile I chose not to shade ANY of the tangles.  Instead, I applied shadows to the ribbon dancing through the middle of the tile.  It's different from what I usually do.  Shading the tangles is something I particularly enjoy when tangling.  Somehow, today the ribbon demanded that particular type of attention.  It wasn't until I was done, however, that I suddenly noticed the random swirls I had made with a double pencil for the ribbon had actually been my initial, "C"!  What a happy surprise!

Happy Tuesday!

Sunday ATCs

I seem to have ATCs on the brain since my lovely Italian surprise (thank you, Black Pumpkin!  I don't think you have any idea what you may have started here - heheheee!).  These cards are a mere 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches large; filling them with a string that isn't too intricate for the dainty size, then tangling them in a way that remains visible and pleasing... it takes a bit of consideration to end up with something that suits the constrained space and also pleases aesthetically.  At any rate, I was a bit worn out today so I spoiled myself with an art break and made two new ATCs to trade (Black Pumpkin and Phine, let me know if you like any of the ones posted yet - I know I'll be making more so don't worry if you haven't seen "the one" just yet..!).  I tinted one with pencil crayons and the other with a black pencil crayon.  It's interesting to see the completely different feel that colour or shade gives to a piece.  I really can't decide if I prefer them either way; both techniques have something special to offer.  I'm also really excited because it's only one more week before I take my CZT training.  After that I'll be planning Zentangle classes, etc., I hope (accreditation is NOT a guarantee, but I'll do my best to make the cut!) and I hope to have permission to cross-link to the official Zentangle sites and definitions, etc.  I'm so pumped!  Do you think my little ATCs capture any of that?

Happy Sunday!

Copic Shading

Today's post is actually a small postcard I made specifically to play around with some Copic markers for shading.  I'd heard so much about these markers and their uses and decided that I would reward myself for keeping my cool in the face of extreme provocation recently.  I was able to pop into a local scrapbooking shop and found the markers - what a display!  It's practically overwhelming!  I chose a series of deepening greys as I thought they'd complement the Zentangles nicely.  Well, home I went and got out my Pigma Microns and blank postcards... I think I love the way these markers work!  I found I could get clear, crisp shading right into tight details and corners and with the graduated shades of grey I could choose to make the shadow as defined or nebulous as I thought suited my artwork.  Where have these been all my life?  I can't believe I had to be 47 to discover Copic Markers! I definitely have to make up for lost time here, so I think I'll be inflicting more examples on you soon.  What do you think of this tangle?  Don't the Copics make a pretty shading in it?

Happy Thursday!

Four Elements

Another ZIA for you (Amy, this is a recently-coined short form for Zentangle Inspired Art; I like it as it's so much faster to type!*G*).  After yesterday's post I was feeling really grounded and positive and happy with how things were going.  Then work happened. *sigh*  I needed to find my feet again and my play journal drawings seemed to help.  The early works seem so free when seen after a gap of some months.  I like the patterns and linework.  Even the lack of shading is somehow appealing to me.  Looking backward seems to be soothing.  Hmmmm.... every night I pray - not a traditional prayer, perhaps, but more of a thought conversation.  Invariably when I begin to "talk" about the present stresses, asking for guidance / tolerance / forgiveness, I find myself led by the hand, back to the things of real worth - family, friends, relationships, the absolute wealth of gifts we all overlook every day.  I've called this ZIA "Four Elements" as it seems to embody four precious gifts - Air, Fire, Earth, Water.  I've always been drawn to water and I'm never happier than when I'm near it.  The earth and its many forms is an ongoing fascination - clay, metal, stone... it's endless.  Fire is an atavistic connection to my very soul and I've felt the need to "touch" it as long as I've had a memory.  Air is not only essential, but invigorating or soothing, compelling or repelling and always, always changing.  With these gifts we are able to survive and thrive.  Without them we cannot continue.  And yet, these four elements have been present for aeons prior to us and will exist long after.  Maybe looking back is what provides the perspective to appreciate the now.  Maybe the real appeal of my early tangling efforts is the challenge they represented and how far I've travelled since beginning the struggle to master this new expression of my art.  Maybe it's knowing that the journey has begun and promises to last... I hope you like this drawing, and I hope you enjoy your own journey.

Happy Thursday!



Life's a Frill !

I started to say "thrill", then had a second look at the image I am posting today and realized that Life Is A FRILL (*wink*). 

I had a fabulous day today - my buddy owns the best bead shop in the world and I spent the day teaching interesting, fun people to do Viking Knit with fine wire; a day of good company, surrounded by beads and creativity - yahoo!  Another buddy was sweet to note my loss of voice in the morning and managed to restore it in time for the first class.  She then had me over this evening for tea and doctoring (Ruth is not only a gifted artist but a Homeopathic Practitioner as well - check her out at http://www.schedulewellnessnow.com/) and I think I may actually be able to get to the office in the AM.  Don't I have the best of friends?

We did some Zentangling this evening as well and I'm going to post a drawing I finished last fall.  It's not in my regular Zentangle journal, it's in a little square orange journal Ruth gifted to me last Christmas and I reserve for my "experimentation".  If I'm not sure of a new technique or how something will work, I like to test it out privately and see how it works for me before adding it to a known repertoire or body of work.  I had just begun to loosen up with my Zentangle patterns and shading.  I'm pretty happy with the tactile / textile effect of the patterns and the looping (again! - no giggles, Shelly!) string.  What do you think of the balance?

Happy Sunday!

The Evening That Wasn't

Well, I drove out to my friend's (gorgeous!) bead store to teach a class tonight, only to discover my students couldn't get there!  Between weather, babysitters, etc., it just wasn't meant to be...*sigh*.  I was really looking forward to this one.

Possibly it's just as well as I'm beginning to think I'm fighting a stomach bug (the kind that leaves you feeling like your tummy is bruised - funny, I don't recall being kicked by a mule last week....).

Anyhow, I'm off to bed early to fight it off and so I'll upload a pic of a tangle I finished some time ago.  I did this one as a study in different line widths, etc.  It was very intimidating when I started - those heavy lines were something else and how on earth could a tangle stand up to that kind of weight? - but it was surprising fun to do.  Once again, add the shading and bingo!  It came right to life.

Or so I think.  Do you?

Happy Wednesday!