Diva Challenge #269, Made by Joey #114 and a Swap-in-Progress

Diva Challenge #269

"Ellish"

I've been a bit obsessed with "Ellish" lately so I was pleasantly surprised to see it appear as this weeks Diva Challenge.

Made by Joey #114

Roman Numeral Series: XIV

patterns: Cadent, Bunzo, Shattuck, Barberpole, Papyrus and Cheesecloth

Here's another cluster of patterns I managed to cram into the confines of an ATC . Papyrus and Cheesecloth are both new to me and I really love them. There are no step outs available but Joey sketched them out. They're basically just cross-hatching.

Big Skye/Little Skye #1
with Wud and Caviar

for the Zentangle Artists Trading Card Swap group on Facebook

This is the first of my latest series of swap ATC's starring "Skye" by Margaret Bremner.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your thoughtful and generous comments inspire and delight me.

Challenges

I am the Diva Challenge #268

a bit o' black

This week we're to amp up the dramatic by adding more black. What a brilliant concept! I am constantly needing to remind myself of certain basic certainties~"Contrast equals interest". When  I was in grad school one of my art teachers used to say this all the time. 

This particular tile was a half formed study piece I started a couple of weeks ago in preparation for a swap I'm working on for the Facebook group Zentangle Artist Trading Card Swap. The rules are to use only black ink and graphite on a standard white tile with a small pop of color. We're also to use one of our initials as the string and to use patterns that start with that initial. I wasn't too crazy about this one and set it aside after only just creating the line work. I resurrected it as a practice piece for this challenge fully intending to create one I was happier with...then I changed my mind. Though it's not balanced as well as I'd like (I should have left Munchin alone), it's a perfect representation of how I teach myself technique. One of the techniques I'm exploring for this swap is to utilize graphite in the drawing rather than just as shading..."Graphite is the New Black" as they say at Zentangle HQ (which is why the above tile ended up in the reject pile).

Made by Joey #113

Roman Numeral String series: XIII

Patterns: Chemystery, Cruffle, Verdigogh, Ipso and Garlic Cloves

And sticking with my theme for Joey's challenges...yet another cluster of patterns on color in color:-P There's waaaay too much going on here, but that's how I roll.

Just for fun

Patterns: The Fab, Artoo, Fubu, Caviar, Tipple

I started a new sketchbook this week. I was very excited to use Margaret Bremner's new pattern "Skye", so this is the very first page of the book. I love this pattern and I've decided it must be the star of my forthcoming series of ATC's.

The latest swap requires us to use a biggified pattern as a string, use that same pattern again within the string, plus two more patterns. These are to be ATC sized and the use of color is fine. Goody!

So for this swap I'm going blue...completely inspired by Margaret's amazing work-Blue Skye.

It's a String Thing #144

Skye & Antidots

Finally, my Skye practice paid off!  I was delighted to see Skye featured in this weeks IAST challenge.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Your thoughtful and generous comments inspire and delight me!

Diva #267, MBJ #112, Square One: Batumber and IAST#144

Diva Challenge #267

DuoTangle: Drupe & Pokeroot

The challenge is to use only two patterns and as many variations (tangleations) of said 2 patterns as one can reasonably incorporate. This is my attempt at morphing patterns. I'm trying to teach myself some new tricks. I used a watercolor tile I made a few months ago for a St. Patrick's Day challenge somewhere. It's not in my normal color palette and it got a little murky in the shading zone but... it is what it is;-)

 

Made by Joey Challenge #112

Roman Numeral String Series: XII

A Monotangle of Knightsbridge

I'm not super thrilled with this one, but I like it more than I did last night. I probably shouldn't have tried to work on challenges while trying to finish season 4 of "Game of Thrones". I'm a little ADD;-)

Square One:Purely Zentangle Facebook Group

Pattern of the week: Batumber

Adele Bruno's "It's a String Thing" Challenge #144

patterns: 4MOM and Hollyhock

Adele created a cursive M string for this belated Mother's Day themed challenge. I tweaked the string a tiny bit and used a handmade "Renaissance" tile.  "Hollyhock" was recently published on Tangle Patterns. I love it!


Thanks so much for stopping by. Your thoughtful and generous comments inspire and delight me;-)

Diva #266, MBJ #111, Square One:Ruutz & #IAST 143

Diva Challenge #266

Use My Tangle-Crux by Henrike Bratz

It's UMT Monday at the Diva's Weekly Challenge, where she uses patterns submitted by other CZT's and Zentangle enthusiasts. I'm trying to embrace grid patterns in an effort to gain a bit more control over my precision. This is not easy for me. I look at the work of others out there and I'm amazed at the steady hands. I marvel at the composition and contrast that can be achieved by really taking ones time to execute precise and  deliberate strokes. I've done it and I can do it and I enjoy doing it but, it is so far out of my comfort zone. Clearly, I didn't do it here. I fell back on my "wonky grid net".

Made by Joey #111

Roman Numeral String Series: XI

patterns: Zippa, Susa. Vache 1 and Shons

Joey's challenge was a challenge this week. She gave us 4 patterns. Zippa (bottom right corner) and Susa (at the top) are two patterns by Neil Burley. I love his work. His patterns are so architectural and lovely, but many of them are extremely high focus, which I find to be the best kind of challenge. The biggest challenge was getting these patterns to work within the small segments of the string. I bring my own challenge to this by using an ATC rather than a standard tile size AND though it's not required, I use all of the patterns;-p  I used a previously made watercolor ATC in Springy pinks and peach tones and started the initial line work with a traditional calligraphy pen and brown ink (very reddish). Shons is the middle pattern. It wasn't until I was finished and started turning the tile around that I realized it reminded me of some tribal art I saw recently at the museum here.

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Square One: Purely Zentangle-Eni Oken's "Ruutz"

with "Mak-Rah-Mee" and a little Tipple fade out.

I've been meaning to try this pattern ever since Eni introduced on her Facebook group Shading Zentangle. This is right up my organic alley. Actually as I look at this now (and I realize the scan doesn't really do the shading justice) I could go in and deepen the shadows more. Lately, many Facebook posters have been utilizing graphite technique from a new instructional book called 14 Shades of Grey. I've not seen the book and I can only guess that it references the variation of graphite lead weight. I believe Zentangle HQ recently coined the phrase "Graphite is the New Black". I love it because it really does add a whole new layer to traditional black and white tiles. 

It's a String Thing Challenge #143

patterns: Sandswirl, Swarm, 'nzeppel and Tipple

Tan tile using a black Rapidograph technical pen, sepia and brown microns,

graphite, white Prismacolor pencil and white gel pen

This week Adele provided a string inspired by the entry to an art gallery building where she lives (It's also the header on her blog). I loved the Art Deco style lines of the string so I decided to embrace the string rather than make it disappear. These patterns are all known faves for me so this was kind of a no brainer. Though not terribly creative, it was thoroughly Zen.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Your thoughtful and generous comments delight and inspire me.