Challenge #141 - Duotangle - Fengle & Quandry

Duotangle; Fengle & Quandry
A little line work, pointillism and it's done!

Challenge #114 - "You with the Stars in your Eyes" - Stars Version 2

Third final scan version with shading and highlights...
It eeze complete!

The Diva's challenge this week revisits Stars. Laura said she was inspired this time by Rosemary Clooney's "Hey There You With the Stars in Your Eyes" video on Youtube.

I'm teaching a Beyond Basic's course on Thursday night, so this was the perfect opportunity to scan my work process and demonstrate the power of shading, contrast, and line work to enhance Zentangle inspired work. I scanned each phase: basic tangle outlines, added blacks for contrast, and then the final piece with shading, line work and highlights. I tend to bounce a round a bit when I'm working; I lay down my structure (string) then tangle part, shade a little, go to next, come back, turn, view, add more contrast, highlights, line work, this was a little different. I had to keep myself from going onto the next "phase", challenging, but interesting to have a different focus.

I chose to "enhance" the star string by using it as a separator for my sections, There is a lot going on and the white helps to give some breathing space so each tangle can speak.  I used Mooka as a background texture and then filled the inner spaces with Shattuck, Fengle, Web, Printemps, Betweed as the center "medallion, and a teeny, tiny Paradox. A few Auras and highlights, and it's done. Very fun, thanks Laura!

I did go back and look at my past challenge solutions for the first star challenge, #4, which was in January of 2011, check it out. My style has changed, which is a good thing. It's nice to know we're always growing, learning, and changing and  focus varies as the years pass. I had just begun tangling that previous summer, my how time flies!

First scan with just the basic string
and tangle outlines

Second scan with "blacks" added
for initial contrast

Challenge #63 - New Official Zentangle Tangle "Fengle"

The Diva's challenge for this week is #63. Laura asks us to use the new official tangle "Fengle". The official instructions came out in the Zentangle newsletter this weekend and I had a feeling that might be our challenge when I saw this wonderful new tangle. And, as always, Laura never dissappoints. So Fengle it is!

I was at a party this weekend and my friend Jeanne (fellow CZT) was telling me that she has a couple of Zentangle pieces exhibited at our local libray.  She used Fengle. How timely was that little snippet? I can hardly wait to check out the show this weekend.  There was a hint about the emerging tangle that was presented at the last CZT training so it's fun to be able to try it. Rick and Maria named it but had not deconstructed it yet. And now it is official. Yippee.

When Mooka came out Laura presented it as one of our challenges and I was smitteen! I Mookaed my brains out for a couple of weeks. I wonder if Fengle will take the same path... hmmmm.

My first version was influenced by a video link my sister Nancy sent me. She titled the email Zentangles in the Sand. The artist is Andres Amador. He does huge installations on beaches at low tide. He creates fabulous Zentangle looking patterns (tangles) that dissappear with the outgoing tide. It's fascinating, check him out! It makes me feel a little silly when I say I don't have enough time for the weekly challenge!

So, after checking out his web page, I found my Fengle feeling like a sand casting with lot's of decorative stones (pearls) to aura the edges of this fun new tangle. I think it stands up on it's own, so I did a single Fengle. I like it and I need more practice.


Second version, I'm officially hooked on Fengle!
ZIA - 8.5 x 11