Diva Challenge #285, Joey Challenge #131 and a few Travelling Tangles

Diva Challenge #285: "Relax"

Laura poses a very interesting question and challenge:

Is our work different when we're just drawing for the sole purpose of relaxation.

The challenge is to relax...embrace the zen and not think so much. Do not plan. No worries or thoughts toward composition or what patterns go with what. No thoughts toward a finished piece you're thinking will be shared on social media. Excellent!

As is habit (especially on Mondays I don't have to work until 2), I'm up waaayyyy earlier than I need to be. Within 15 minutes I'm around the corner at my local cafe on my first pint of coffee, netbook open, wi-fi'd up, sketchbook out, along with my little sack of pens and pencils and a little box of tiles/ATC's ready to go where the challenges take me.

After I read the challenge, thought for about 5 minutes. I shut everything down, opened the sketchbook and started with my simple template and a string I drew with a blue Prismacolor pencil

I started with Crazy Huggins. I'd had a quick glimpse at Sue Clarks blog "Tangled Ink Art" this morning, where she'd been playing around beautifully with "Crazy H". I'd noodled around with it awhile back so that's where I started. I also worked in a new pattern I've been wanting to try called "Joki" by Kim Aarts-Bruins. I really enjoyed drawing this. Every stroke. I spent the entire morning in my comfort zone. I completed all of the line work (along with my coffee) then, as soon as I pondered shading, I got tense. So I stopped. I thought: "I'll stop and finish it later"...then that didn't seem to gel with the intent. So. I'm calling it finished...for now;-)

Joey Challenge #131
Finish My Tile Series: Buttercup

Joey started off with the angular Buttercup corner in a grid formation. I broke some off into the sea of Nipa.

Here are some recent Travelling Tangle fun:
This Autumn beauty traveled from Christel Fonke in Belgium:

Christel used a Gelli Plate technique that I'm not familiar with and I loved how this looked just on its own. After a lengthy stare down, a pint of coffee and a procrastinating  an inspirational journey through Zentangle Mosaic I decided to add a simple frame:

I created 5 tiles for the themed September Autumn Swap at the Travelling Tangles Project. When I posted them on the FB page I got a lot of wait list requests. I was also happy to see so many familiar "faces" from Diva and Joey challenges getting into the action. I committed to a LOT of exchanges so I'm really excited for the coming weeks to see what the the mailbox has in store. Stay tuned:-)

This is how Barb Magravanis finished the "Maisie" start I sent her:

I sent this to Anita Westin in Sweden. I started with Squib (heavily inpired by Michele Beauchamp):

Here's her fantastic finish:

I love the way she used the color to determine the string. That rolling paper bit is so clever. It reminds me of an antique map. I never would have seen that in a million years.
Check out my post from this past Saturday to see my It's a String Thing Challenge and yet more Travelling Tangles;-)

Thanks so much for visiting my blog. Your thoughtful and generous comments delight and inspire me!