A New Piece



Completed ZIA

Tile in process

 This is a piece I'm designing to put in a friends show, it's 7.5 x 7.5". I like the way it's going and will add some little beads pods to the bottom. Used a heavy weight cold press bond for this piece and I'm not as please with the drawing surface as I thought I would be. I've been using a heavyweight white velumn bond paper for most of my work and I love the smooth surface. This has a little more tooth so it's just a matter of getting used to it.

I did a combination of Hollibaugh with Mooka edges and I like the result, a little Pearls, Betweed, Cadent, Flying Geese, Hybrid, Shattuck and some tangleations and it's almost there!

I scanned it in so I could look at the contrast and shadowing to see where I need to add a little oomph. Scanning the tile in helps me look at a piece more critically and see where I need to add some contrast or strenghten some lines. I find it a useful tool.

I started with a lovely plain square frame and that drove my creative parameters, a little more challenging than most pieces I create, usually the size is whatever I make it or aprox 3.5 Zentangle square size.

-- Okay, I modified my shadows and added some of my favorite little beaded seed pod beads. Viola, Completed ZIA, eet eez feenished! Don't you just love my accent?

Fabric Zentangle



White Cotton Sateen Zentangle

I created this fabric tile using a Sharpie 0.3mm pen on white cotton sateen fabric. I'm going to try scanning an image in from an original tangle drawing and imprinting that on fabric from my printer.

I want to find a way to display it that doesn't involve sewing.

Challenge #19 - More Morris




Inspired by William Morris wallpaper pattern

This weeks Diva challenge #19 was based on the light over dark technique of William Morris . I can't find my white pen so this was a labor intensive project. I started with white paper and applied black ink with a brush and my Sharpie 0.3 mm pen which does take quite a while but the results are dramatic. The process of switching the darks and lights and simplifying the pattern was challenging.

This was a much more planned tangling process than I usually use. It was not so much going with the flow, relaxing and smiling, but planning and thinking through the lights and darks once I established my basic pattern.

I really enjoy William Morris' patterns and I'm fascinated with his attention to detail and his textile patterning. I'm going to purchase a white pen this week and try again drawing with a white pen on black paper.

If you haven't tried this challenge yet you should give it a try. It does make me think out-of-the-box with my tangling process, and that's a good thing. I also love the fact that it isn't a contest but a forum allowing us to express our creativity and view all the talent in this community of tanglers!

-- Yippee, I just found my white gel pen! So I added embellishments to my original. What I always say is you can't have too many embellishments or auras...
Well, I don't always say that, but it's fun to coin phrases! Maybe I did go overboard a bit on the auras but it was fun.

Monday Tangling

Today is Monday, cool and rainy, and I have no commitments today, so, of course, I tangled. I tried out a few new patterns by Christina Vandervlist; Leau and Agua. I don't have the Agua completely down but it will be fun to play with it in the future. I look forward to adding them to my pattern repertoire.

I'm going to CZT training in less than 3 weeks and I will be teaching classes when I get back . Looking forward to the training and launching on this new adventure. Woo-hoo! I can hardly wait.

Meeting Rick and Maria should be wonderful and meeting all the people I've viewed online face-to-face will be a truly wonderful experience. What a great way to welcome in Spring!

Hopefully I'll be able to add "CZT" to my name. An Official Zentangle teacher, I hope!

Over the Moon

I was playing with a new star pattern by Cindy called Pinstwarp and this is what I came up with. I followed her pattern loosely (aka the stars aren't perfect) but I like the outcome. It looks like moon and stars to me. Crescent moons with faces are some of my favorite things to draw.

Challenge #18 - EGGZZZZellent

Version #2 of Egg Challenge

Version #1 Egg Challenge

Zenplosion Fold - Egg with Sepia Coloring
Version #3


The DIVA's challenge for this week - #18 - asks us to use the "Egg" as our muse. Hoppy Ether to yooooou!
I really enjoy the shape of the egg, it's lovely curves and the flow of the form is so soothing. It is the perfect little package for that delicious protein, a great facial mask and so many other things. Fragile but perfect, which makes it all the more special.

In my second version and I tried to play with the overlapping shapes and the positive and negative forms and spaces that are created. I incorporated a tiny version of Margaret Bremmer's Diamond Panes, Mooka, Tipple, Coaster, Hollibaugh, Knightsbridge, and a few tangelations... oh what fun it is to ride on an Easter Egg ...

This first version has a hint of purple (very royal). This is the mother egg sprouting little baby eggs. It actually resembles a bale of hay or ball of string in an Ovum shape. I'm Eggstatic about the egg shapes.

I also did a version using my tangle pattern Zenplosion Folds to nestle my little egg in sepia folds.

Leann, one of the challengers, showed some beautiful eggs she had decorated for this challenge and it sounded like a wonderful accompaniment to the challenge. I thought I'll just tangle a tile on an egg... Not as easy as it sounds. As I drew on the egg and turned it I noticed the section I had just completed had just smeared, micron pens don't work well on eggs. I'll have to try it again for Easter.

I did enjoy the Pysanky Ukranian Easter Egg site that Laura referenced with the description and meanings of each of the  symbols. So much to learn with this Zentangle stuff!

Zenplosion Folds Tangle Pattern

I went to the 212 Cake Eater's Group last Friday and saw some wonderful fabric art. One of the fabric artists presented some lovely felted pillows she created using old sweater pieces as her medium. The pillow centerpieces were these wonderful little textured birds, they were great. It made me want to cut up my old sweaters and try them, I don't sew. Lot's of fun creative stuff. I also got to see one of the pen's (in person) that Maria Thomas uses for the introduction to the Zentangle Mooka video. I'm sure she also used it to address my lovely CZT packet! It is sooo cool.  Seeing it on the video, I thought...  if only I had that pen, I too would be able to immediately do the wonderful letters that I've seen her create. Then, reality struck, Maria, who has been a calligrapher and artist for most of her adult life, yeah, it's just the pen... Not!

Anyway, the day began with fabric discussions and beautiful quilts and that fabulous pen, then I went to my friend Diane's home and she showed me a book she had gotten from her sister in-law. The book is 3-D Explosion: Simply FABULOUS Art Quilt Illusions - by Cara Gulati and had templates and patterns for this 3-D quilt. Cara has wonderful free patterns online for you enthusiasts at doodlepress.com. I was so impressed and inspired and I saw a lovely tangle coming to life...



Quilt patterns by Cara Gulati
for Doodle Press

I can't sew, as I've said, but I can tangle. The templates in the book were simple and beautiful. Then I looked online at Doodle Press and found these student 3-D Explosion quilts pictures for inspiration, talk about INSPIRING! Beautiful.

This tangle has a nice even flow with lovely curves. The folds are created with simple straight connector lines. I've been Mooka crazy all week, Mooka, Mooka, Mooka, I'm hooked. But  I have to say this tangle has got me now. It's Explosion Away!!!!! I've been working on it all evening, addicting also. This Zentangle stuff can be dangerous - beware - addictive tangle ahead!

The beauty of this tangle is that it can work as a tangle pattern, or a string to incorporate other tangles. It can be created in the scrolled "S" shape... or ribbon folds... or combine both.

Zenplosion Fold - S-Curve: The essence of the explosion effect is that all patterns start from one point and "explode" out. The idea of perspective and depth is a really important part of the impact of this tangle. It looks complicated but "One Stroke at a Time" and you've got it. Hope you have fun using this pattern. Please send me your links when you post your versions.

First I draw a simple light grid (lines crossed) in pencil to designate my reference center/point (start).

1. Draw a cursive scroll "S", I incorporated some light lines through the center of my "S" shape as a perspective/horizon point. I'm showing the pencil (perspective) lines a little darker here just for your drawing reference.
2. Connect the inside curve to with straight connector lines to form the folds, continue connecting points down your S-curve until folds appear. When I'm drawing these connector lines, I always reference the center point as my target when drawing the connector lines.
3. When drawing your fold make sure to turn your tile to get the correct orientation. Turning will make it easier to align your folds on the straight north/south line. Vary placement, size and orientation to form your composition. When overlapping folds the new lines go behind the previous fold creating depth. 

   

   S-Curve shown oriented on the same plane as your staring point

 Try to orient some of your folds rising up, some going downward, always beginning from the same reference point to create the "Explosion". Vary the size and orientation of each fold to add interest.

Shading: I like to add shading to increase the fold look. Just shade where you see the "material" overlapping, that's where your shadow is formed, if there is a fold there will usually be a shadow on the material behind it. Also, to give the tubular look of the folds I shade along the sides of the "cone shape" leaving the lighter highlight area in the center of the fold. Where you fold curves inward, you want to add shading to show its recessing. The curves and folds work with just the outlines but shading adds another dimension.

Zenplosion Fold - S-Curve sideways:  All the directions are the same just apply to the S-Curve with spirals drawn sideways.

S-Curve - "S" shown oriented on its side

Zenplosion Fold - Ribbon:  All the how to directions are the same just apply to the simplified ribbon curves. You can incorporate a spiral shape the ribbon shape for another variation.

Ribbon Curves Variation

Notebook Workup for Zenplosion Folds

For more How-To's, shading, and variations for Zenplosion  CLICK on My Tangle Patterns page...

Tangling without limits



"No tangle limitations here!" (thanks Kit!)

 These are just a few of my many tangles this week. What fun, even though they failed the 15 minute time frame. I especially enjoyed the top 2 because I was playing with the lovely tangle pattern I saw on Jane MacKugler's blog, the lovely flowery design. It's so sweet! She said it was inspired by a henna drum design a friend showed her. Very fun to draw, thanks Jane!

Challenge #17 - 15 Minutes of Fame

15 minute Zentangle - Version 1

Wow, Diva challenge #17 - to complete a tangle in 15 minutes, this challenge has been a tough one. Perfectionism rears its ugly head, either that, or I'm so flaky I can't focus on the time 15 minute criteria when I begin to tangle and get in the "zone". Here was my process: I looked at the time, I started to tangle, I lost track of time, or something else came up, so I forgot when I began.... I said, (to myself) of forget it! and finished the tangle in a certain time frame - not sure what that is???
I've tried doing a lot of tangles for this challenge (A LOT!!! -more than 6) but NONE of  my previous versions were successfully completed in the 15 minute time frame. I don't know the exact time for each tangle. This challenge seems so counter intuitive to the Zentangle process. Keeping track of time when your tangling, THAT'S WACKY! Question - doesn't that add stress? Answer - You bet!!!

So, once more I began, I set the timer on my computer, had to stop once (paused timer), restarted timer, and after 15 minutes this is what came out. I accomplished one more tangle in 15 minutes. What would we do without Mooka?

15 minute Zentangle - Version 2

I'm posting my original 15 minute tangles (2 versions)  but then I added some shading and another 20 minutes and finished my first version. It's not an official #17, but it's interesting to see the comparison. I must say that doing the 12 other tangles (unsuccessfully) for this challenge made the 15 minute final much easier to complete. I was much more used to the quality of time, thought, tangles that went quickly, etc. It's all a learning process so I will try this tangle a few more times this week.  I'm definitely not a fast learner when it comes to this weeks challenge.


NOT Challenge #17 final - this is version 1B, this version has shading and lines added,
Total time for this version 35-45 minutes



Flying Geese Arrive

I started this tile last night and finished it this morning. This weekend was beautiful, an opportunity to get outside and view the emerging garden, plants, and of course, weeds. Spring cleanup is so much fun there is the excitement of the warm weather and the anticipation as each plant peeks out after such a long, cold, snowy winter's nap. Welcome little shoots, I'm so happy to see you.

Flying geese are returning to the area and I welcome them with this tangle!

Flying geese, munchin, crescent moon, tipple, printemps.

Mooka, of course

Challenge #16 - Mooka

Oh what fun, a new Zentangle® pattern presented by Rick and Maria! Mooka is a great new pattern inspired by the Art Nouveau style of  Alphonse Maria Mucha. And this is Laura Harms' challenge this week #16 - can you believe it? My, how time flies!  

The Youtube video is great to watch and emulate the flow of this pattern as Maria draws and Rick gives his insights. Lovely pattern to add to my arsenal. I definitely will be doing a few of these this week, there are so many variations. I'm excited to see how all you fellow Zenthusiasts interpret this newest pattern.

My first version...

Version 2: Went for stylized version of Mooka, looks sort of brainy, huh? Lovely pattern, lot's of possibilities.

Version 3: Mooka mania continues...




Version 4

 

A Little Flowery Concoction

Went to a meeting of the "Cake Eaters" group at the 212 Art Center in Saline on Friday morning. It's a wonderful group of artists and craftspeople that meet once a week to share creative spirits. I met many artists from all media and backgrounds. Very exciting and inspirational.

I'm going to teach a few Zentangle classes at the 212 Art Center in Saline this spring and I'm so looking forward to the process.

This flower concoction was inspired by the Cake Eater's group and our warming temperatures with the hope, that soon, we may be able to walk outside without coats and mittens or snow flurries!

I started this tangle as a simple coloring book outline, let it sit for a day, then revisited it and saw the possibilities. By going back and adding lot's of contrast and depth it could be a nice piece. I incorporated little seeds everywhere that will, hopefully, bloom and develop into full grown tangles some day. Won't it make a mommy proud!

Fabric Zentangles Fun

I'm trying fabric as a media for some Zentangle squares. My friend Jeanne and I got together this week to tangle and I brought some cotton sateen fabric for our Zentangle canvas. I had seen Sande Lefaut's blog and she posted Zentangles she had done on fabric. She used cotton sateen and I'm fascinated with this process. After ironing freezer paper on the back side, I began tangling. Using my Sakura micron pen and some colored pencils (Xonex brand?), I played. When I drew on the fabric I couldn't get the high contrast blacks so I added the color.  

I usually scan in my completed tangles and modify the levels in Photoshop to bring out the blacks, but this time I left it as scanned. It's more muted than a paper version. I'm going to play with some quilting and incorporating it in a wall hanging. I might add some beads for color and accents. Definitely not the purist version of tangling but what fun to play!

I also tried a tangle on cotton muslin. I accidentally scorched the material when ironing (the heat on my iron is much too hot after one too many drops from the ironing board I guess). At first I freaked, but than I thought, hmmm.... This is pretty kool, I think I'll scorch it here, and here, and here... that formed the string for this tangle. Serendipity strikes! I just followed the burn impressions and really enjoyed using the shape template I'd created with my iron to guide my creation. I was going to toss the iron, but now I'll save it for future scorching projects!