Not well - again
I spent today at home drawing. My normal Tuesday involves being at school teaching but I've been unwell again. Same problem as a few weeks ago - asthma - but bad enough to require antibiotics to clear up the chest infection which has now arrived. Blah!
I hate, hate, hate being sick. My mind often goes to the worst case - has the cancer returned as a secondary? I'm 9 years and counting post diagnosis of breast cancer. The fear of recurrence hasn't left me yet.
I'd be interested to hear if the fear does go away.
Diva challenge #261
It was a relief for this week's Diva challenge to be so absorbing and time consuming. How great is it to be unwell and to have this marvellous activity to keep you going? One day I hope to train as a CZT and then take this art form to sick kids in hospital. I may have blogged about that before but if I say it aloud often enough it may come true.
My first stack includes Official Zentangle Tangles, Tangles from Tanglepatterns.com, a lovely Tangle called Mel Mel from Adele Bruno and at least one from my new eBook from Sandy Bartholemew. I used all sorts of different pens as well as my Zen stone. My Zen Stone doesn't get used much because I'm hopeless at using Renaissance and Black tiles which are what Zen Stones are intended for.
My second tile draws inspiration from Jennifer Sparrow's piece. Jennifer is first on the list for this week's challenge. From Jennifer I got the idea to use bright colours and that I don't need to place all the tiles evenly on top of each other.
The Tangles are all commonly used ones. This is, however, the first time in a long, long time that I've used Paradox and the first time that I've used it as a border. I used squares as the base rather than triangles, alternating clockwise and anticlockwise.
The whole tile is meant to represent a colour swatch, being held together with a brass ring.
Zentangle Mosaic App and my continuing exploration of Mooka
A couple of weeks ago I decided to get confident drawing Mooka. I showed a few of my Tiles in my blog. Thanks for the positive feedback.
I continued to explore Mooka over the weekend but this time I took inspiration from the many Mooka examples on the Zentangle Mosaic app. It was interesting to view the many styles of Mooka that artists have developed.
I can see a difference in my drawing. The bulbous bits at the end form more naturally now and without me having to think so hard to shape them. Maybe my natural Mooka has arrived?
Here are some tiles from the weekend. You can see I've also been trying out Zen Gems (again). One day I will master them.
If you drop by for a visit, leave a comment and say hello.
Miss L
It's Easter so this week's IAST string looks like an Easter Egg.
Of the 3 Tangles, I found Warped Egg really hard to draw. It looks great on the step out but I couldn't get the guidelines to look right when I tried it in my sketch pad. I decided not to even try getting this Tangle to fit into a string. What I did instead was cover a black tile with Warped Egg, cut the egg shape out a of normal Zentangle Tile and stuck the black tile behind it.
This is another case of making lemonade out of lemons.
Happy and safe Easter.
Miss L
This week's Diva challenge.
It's a lovely thing to have a couple of hours to sit and draw mid-week. I've been sitting at my desk. Arthur the kitten is asleep on the spare bed but ready for pats whenever I feel inclined. Music is playing in the background. Autumn has arrived so the evening is cool evenings while the during day we had a perfect, still, blue, moderately warm day.
My first tile used string 077.
I tried to do something fancy with the middle section of this next tile. It was a bad, bad fail so I cut it out and filled the space with some patterned paper.
The final tile is influenced by one of the tiles I looked at on the Diva's site this evening. Can't recall whose tile though.
Zentangle in the mail
Last week I got a few nice things in the mail. I got some Sakura Gelly roll pens in lovely metallics and some in black. I also replenished my stock of Sakura 01 pens and Zentangle Tiles. Best of all was my new tile mobile.
You might have seen it on the Zentangle website? I've got it hanging above my desk in the study, which is the place where I do most of my drawing.
Not content to fill it with tiles I've created in the past, I set about madly creating new ones. My past tiles are all neatly stored in folders and .... and .... there are all these new Tangles I've been meaning to try and.... and ... I've been learning so much lately ..... You get the idea.
The product description says it holds 12 tiles. However, the gripper thingys are strong and will hold two tiles, giving the mobile a capacity of 24 tiles. For the moment mine is holding mostly blank tiles but not for long.
Zentangle on my Phone and iPad
Have you downloaded the Zentangle Mosaic App? Zentangle HQ told us about it in their latest newsletter.
The App is easy to use and is filled with lots of lovely artworks to look at. It works on both my iPhone and iPad, although I don't think it has been designed for iPads? Anyhow, it works on both my devices and I prefer to use the larger screen of my iPad.
I must admit to feeling a bit down about my own drawing skills when viewing the marvellous work on the App. However, at this early stage I think most of the tiles have been submitted by CZTs who one would think have better than average Zentangle drawing skills.
Today I tried uploading my own tiles. This was surprisingly easy to do.
My verdict of this new App? Five stars.
Zentangle in Colour
We've all seen lots and lots of colouring in books for adults. You've probably seen a few Zentangle ones or ones the use the Zentangle name.
I always think I'll enjoy colouring in but I find I'd rather create my own work than use someone else's. Is that just me?
I came across one recently called 'Tangled Treasures" by Jane Monk. This is the first adult colouring in book that I have stuck with and enjoyed using. I've been using it to get ideas for combining Tangles and for new ways to draw some old favourites.
Here's one of my pages.
If you drop by, say hi in the comments.
Have a great week.
Miss L
Here are my tiles for IAST #136 featuring 3-loops-6, Tripoli, W2 and Poke Root.
I used Derwent watercolour pencils for the colour plus some Sakura Microns for the intense colour.
I hope people like them.
Miss L
A quick post this morning before school.
This week's Diva challenge was to include a touch of Irish - green, shamrocks, whatever we felt drawn to.
My first tile uses the Tangles Shattuck, Golven, Hibred and Fang. The colours are from my Derwent watercolour pencil set.
My second tile is a multicoloured play with Narwal. I'm in the process of teaching myself some of the new tangles from last year and this one has been top of my to-learn list for a while. I've also been working on using colour. Eni Oken's ebook on 3D colour has been an excellent resource.
Have a great week.
Miss L
This weekend I have playing around with an old Tangle that many people use - Mooka.
This is a Tangle that I've seen used confidently and creatively in so many of the blogs I follow as well as in the various Zentangle books that I own. However, I'm not confident in using it myself.
So, instead of learning a new Tangle or practicing some of the Tangles I've learnt in challenges (I and the Diva and It's a string thing) I thought I'd concentrate on this one.
The instructions on Tanglepatterns.com come with both a step out and a short video by Rick and Maria. I highly recommend watching their videos. For one, the videos show you the Tangles as they are being draw. And two, you get to listen to both Rick and Maria. Listening to them is a Zen experience in itself.
And don't you feel warm and fuzzy seeing their great love for each other? This even comes across in their photos.
Anyway ....
I watched the video, looked at the step out and paid close attention to their examples. Here's what I came up. The composition of each tile is based on examples provided by Rick and Maria.
The first tile is really, really simple. Nothing fancy. Just getting the lines and spaces in the right places.
The next tile is about tile number 4. It took me a few goes to get the overlapping working as well as the rounded ends looking consistent. I've added 4Fun and a touch of Zinger.
Another tile, this time a more open version with a touch of Tipple.
And finally, something completely different. This tile was created using one continuous line. I did take my pen off to adjust the tile but I put it back where I left off. For some reason, this image reminds me of Crusty the Clown from the Simpsons. I don't watch or like the Simpsons but their images have pervaded Western culture. So, here's Mooka Crusty.
Have a great week. Comments are most welcome.
Miss L
This week's Diva challenge invited us to use the Tangle Rautyflex. I don't think this is one I will use again. My preference is to choose Tangles that are organic or free-flowing and this one is neither. Plus I still can't 'see' the Tangle. I spent some time working on it last night and it ended up being my husband who explained the step-outs to me.
What I should do is add to my list of Tangles that I want to practice when I next work with Shelly Beauchamp later this year. What I should also do is let Shelly know that I'm planning on seeing her again ......
Anyway, here's my first tile. I added Heartstrings, Catkin and Tipple. The tile is meant to look like a door into a garden. That was not my intention when I started but that's the direction it moved in once I added Heartstrings.
I created my second tile this afternoon. I used 'Nzeppel inside Rautyflex, then added 'Dillo and Ansu with a hint of Knightbridge.
'Nzeppel in real life
Here's a photo I took on the weekend of a rock shelf near Husskison, Jervis Bay. Don't you think it looks like 'Nzeppel?
When it a cold not a cold?
Last week in my blog I mentioned that my cold had come back. Well, turns out that it wasn't a cold, it was asthma that had gotten out of control.
I was diagnosed with asthma nearly 20 years ago. It's something I live with and manage without much thought. Bad times for it is spring but not this year. No, this time it was during an extended heat wave (which shows no sign of ending!). At least I could fight this without much effort and with fairly quick results. The quick results were a blessing as the Husband and I did a very, very Canberra thing which was to "go down the coast" for the weekend.
Husskison again
The Husband and I stayed at the same beach shack that Moo and I discovered earlier this year. The weather was hot but not too hot, the water was clean, clear and inviting, and the beaches were endless.
Here's me showing how happy I am to be back at the beach.
Weekends away are not just about the food, the beach, the sand, the peace but about finding cute critters. Or is that just me? Here's a little Eastern Water Dragon just sitting in the sun. This one was only about 15cm long. They can get much bigger - up to 80cm.
Have a great week, wherever you are.
Miss L
This week's IAST challenge features Tangles that are all new to me, which is completely normal for my experience with IAST challenges and why I like to do them.
I have gone out of my usual style and process with this challenge. For a start, I decided to practice the tangles first before I attempted the challenge. Here's my practice page.
Once I drew Sati in the biggest circular space, it reminded me of the patterns I've seen on Moroccan and Turkish ceramics. This lead me to turn the string upside down and make the circle into a vase. When I practiced Tamisolo it reminded me of the way some of my succulents are growing.
Here's my tile and my inspirations. The tile looks so much better in my head but I am feeling pleased that I experimented and tried a new approach.
Thanks for visiting.
Miss L
This week it continues to be hot, hot, hot in Canberra. We keep having days into the mid 30s - very unpleasant trying to teach in non-airconditioned rooms with hot and sweaty kids. At home it is not much better. We do have air-con but the heat still takes it out of you.
Making things worse for me is that my cold has returned. I had it a couple of weeks ago. Started in the head and then went to the chest. This time round it has started in the chest and is moving on up. Erghh!!!!
At least I have a lovely weekend planned. The Husband and I are going to Huskisson for the weekend. He's taking the Monday off and I don't work Mondays so we get a bit of extra time on the beach. We're staying at the place that Moo and I discovered in January.
This week's Diva challenge caught me not feeling good health wise or head wise. Not a great combination. I struggled to come up with ideas of my own then struggled to put those ideas on paper into a form that was presentable. And now the photos don't pick up the sparkle. Mmmmm.
The frustrating thing is that the idea of this week's challenge suits me so well. I do like shiny objects. I do get distracted easily. I do chase after new ideas and things to do.
Anyway .....
Here's the tile I created last night after several failures. The paper does have sparkles on the white parts and the blue squares in Bales were made with glitter pens.
This afternoon, feeling worse physically than yesterday but clearer head-wise, I settled down to complete another tile. In this tile I tried out a new Tangle - Sati - and combined it with an old favourite - Cadent. I used glitter pens and a metallic coloured pencil.
Have a good week.
And thanks for all the comments.
Miss L
This week I have submitted a tile in the 'It's a string thing' challenge (see link on my home page).
It's been a while since I submitted one. This week I decided that it was time for no more excuses and to just get on with it and try.
The Tangles this week are Fife, Yincut and Flukes. Flukes is one the first Tangles I learnt, so it was OK. I struggle with Fife - my tile just gets too busy and messy for my liking. Other Tanglers seem to manage this one but not me. Yincut is one I went through a period of using but haven't used for ages.
It took me a few goes to get something that I was willing to share. Here it is.
The string this week was hard.
How do other people manage with strings that have lots of small components? I don't use them except in challenges, and even then I will often skip a challenge where I don't like the string or will not use all sections.
Your thoughts?
Have a great week.
Miss L
This week's Diva challenge involved two Tangles that I've never seen or used. I struggled to get these Tangles to talk to each other on my tiles. The images I had in my head just did not want to appear on the page. I kept having to look at the step-outs for both and had to resist looking at what other people created before I finished my own versions of the challenge.
Here's what I came up with.
Jigsaw ZIAs
Over the weekend I finished my first ever A3 ZIA. I'm happy with it, particularly with how I limited myself to two colours - black and brown - and did not try and use every Tangle that I know.
Here's a link to it.
Arthur
Readers of my blog may remember that I have a kitten named Arthur. I haven't put any recent photos up of him because I don't want my blog to be about him or the other animals in our family. But, today he is getting in the way as I type this so maybe it is time to put a new photo of him.
Arthur continues to be happy, cuddly, playful, adorable and full of mischief. He and Luna (the older cat) can chase each other for hours.
What I'm doing this week
- Struggling with the heat. Canberra is having a week of 35 degree + days. Trying to teach teenagers in these conditions is impossible. My students are being pretty good about it all, considering.
- Re-reading Harry Potter. I never get tired of this series and I continue to be surprised at just how much I love the books. I'm in the early chapters of book 6.
- Re-watching The Good Wife on DVD while watching the current series on live TV.
- Watching some trash TV and yelling at it - I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here is on and I am hooked. Who needs to think when it's this hot anyway?
Have a good week.
Miss L
If you've been visiting my blog lately you'll know that I've been experimenting with using jigsaw pieces as strings.
Thanks for all the supportive comments about this. Your comments encourage me to keep exploring. While I don't consider myself to be an artist, I do think I'm getting the hang of this Zentangle art form.
I'm using the jigsaw ZIAs to learn new Tangles (Inapod, Kloorz, Meander and Palvero) and to play with shading in colour.
Here's another simpler jigsaw ZIA where I've played with strings inside the puzzle pieces and kept to a two colour palette.
From Little Things Big Things Grow
From Little Things Big Things Grow is the title of a very well known song in Australia by Paul Kelly. In my blog is applies to my first A3 ZIA.
Here's the initial jigsaw string.
Now for some Tangles.
And some more Tangles.
And now it's done.
Details about using jigsaw pieces for strings and where to find the pieces on the net can be found elsewhere on my blog. Just follow this link.
Send me a comment with a link to your jigsaw ZIA and I'll include it here. Let's see what other creative minds make of this.
Miss L
I love, love, love this week's Diva challenge. The Diva has challenged us to revisit early tiles and then create a new one with same Tangles, same string, same design but a more experienced person holding the pen.
I have not looked at my early work for a long time. It was a pleasant trip down memory lane.
My Zentangle Journey started on 18th October 2014 with the arrival of my first Zentangle book - the book Pattern Play by Cris Letourneau and Sonya Yencer . I wrote about this book not long after I started this blog.
My first months of Tangling were in a visual diary. It wasn't until a few months later that I started using offical Zentangle tiles. Before I spent more money on this art form I felt that I needed to wait until I was more confident that this was not going to be yet another passing interest (I have collected quite a few of those over the years - hello scrapbooking and hello Djembe drumming).
I remember opening that first Zentangle book and being gobsmacked by the images. I wanted to be able to create designs just like those in the book.
Here's my first ever tile, dutifully dated, titled and admired. Then there's the tile I created this evening.
What a difference a year (and a bit) makes. My enjoyment of this art form increases all the time.
An unexpected addition to my enjoyment of this art form comes from blogging about it. Blogging taps into my life long love of writing, my new found ability to draw and my new found connection to an online community.
Thank you Amazon.com for recommending the Pattern Play book when I purchased other drawing books.
ZIA jigsaw strings
I've been spending lots of time creating more ZIAs with jigsaw pieces. Below is just one. The shoe lace idea comes from a tile in Beckah Krahula's 500 Tangled Artworks.
Watch this space for progress pictures of my new A3 jigsaw ZIA.
Happy Tangling
Miss L
A bit more information
Thanks so, so much for the positive feedback that I've been getting about my jigsaw ZIAs. Your feedback encourages me to keep experimenting and pushing my boundaries.
I visit the blogs of the people who comment and I feel flattered that these people who draw so well think that my work is interesting.
A couple of people have asked me about my jigsaw ZIAs and how I draw the jigsaw pieces.
I have copied several jigsaw templates from the web into a word document. I play around with the number of pieces and the overall size. I then lighten the image so that it is really faint. Then I print it onto good quality paper, usually an artist's acrylic with 300gsm.
The faint lines allow me to choose when to darken the pieces or leave them indistinct.
For the ZIA above, I made the lines especially faint. You can see them - just - in the white space. The 3 pieces for the corner I printed onto normal A4 paper, cut them out and traced them where I wanted to place them.
I found plenty of jigsaw templates online. My preference has been to use fairly simple pieces as the point is the Tangle not the complexity of the jigsaw elements.
I hope this helps. Send me a link to your jigsaw ZIA and I'll work out a way to incorporate the links into my blog. Maybe I'll set up a jigsaw ZIA gallery with links to your work and new examples of mine? The possibilities are endless.
Cheers
Miss L
This week's Diva challenge is asks us to Tangle for Valentine's Day.
A confession - I don't like Tangling hearts, I don't go crazy over Valentine's Day and I haven't been thrilled by the love-theme Tangle challenges on the web lately.
I show my love for my husband every day of the year, not just once a year or on birthdays. Plus, this year I'm simply not in a Valentine mood.
However, I set myself a goal of completing Diva challenges every week so I have had a go at this one.
Here's the tile I'm most happy with. It features Tipple, Heartstrings, a little Hollibaugh and some swirly lines. And lots of pink.
What's your Tangling style?
As I was trying to get inspired for this challenge I had a wander through the other contributors to the challenge. One of the artists whose blog I regularly visit is Shelly Beauch. Here's a link: shellybeauch
I spent a couple of days with Shelly last year learning to Tangle, so of course I keep revisiting her blog. I really like the way Shelly links her Tangles and how she draws Mooka.
Have a look at this little bit of one her recent tiles.
I love how Shelly draws Mooka and add combines it with swirly lines. I thought I'd give it a try and apply that technique to this week's Diva challenge.
Here's where I got to before I tossed it aside and started again.
The tile was going OK until I tried to mimic Shelly's Mooka. That got me thinking about my personal drawing style. I don't what that is yet, however, I'm interested to hear what other people have to say about their own drawing style and how it has developed.
I did complete a tile last night where I relaxed and went with what I was comfortable with. However, I did keep within the Valentangle theme, which was enough of a stretch, for one night at least.
Here's the tile. I created the tile at the top of this post this afternoon - a much better time to draw than after 9pm on a school night.
Have a great week and please leave a comment.
Miss L
