Diva Challenge#305, Joey Challenge #154 and more...

Diva Challenge #305

DuoTangle: Marasu and Molygon

This weeks challenge is to use only 2 patterns, or a Duotangle in Zen speak. A duotangle can include multiple variations of each of the two tangles but I kept this one relatively simple. I  had a couple of watercolor zendalas I'd created for this month's traveling tangle swap and then forgot to sign up.

Anyhoo...I LOVE Marasu. Molygon is one of those patterns that challenge me much in the way that Tripoli does. It starts off okay but goes off-the-rails quickly. I kept a tight leash on it here, but I'm hoping to have another go at it.

Made by Joey #154

Finish My Tile Alphabet Series: I

featuring: Icanthis

Additionally: Ilana

Continuing on with my Bijou series for these challenges.


Here's a Travelling Tangle I just finished:

My finish to this...

...inspiring start sent to me by Anne Marks in Victoria, Australia

Sketchbook study:

Strings

These were the strings I started with

I started this page quite a while ago and just finished it. I've been following along with the Facebook group Zentangle: Tangled and Journaled Too, while they work through The Zentangle Primer. I don't have the book so I just look to what the others are doing and put my spin on it. I really love the back-to-basics, but the intense study of really just a handful of patterns, elevates the exercises to something even more inspiring when you push yourself to explore these patterns in depth.

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

It's a String Thing Challenge #185 and Travelling Tangles

IAST #185

Wibble, Flec and Edgar

Adele's challenge this week was to use a few ribbon patterns, including 2 new patterns by regular IAST contributors.

Here's the line work

I thought I'd include it since I actually remembered to take a picture of it;-) I decided to keep this pretty simple. I did employ Maria's technique of using a coat of clear nail polish on the background. It does deepen the color ever-so-slightly.

I finished 2 lovely starters from Kate Ahrens of the 1 Art Lady Kate, Tangles and More blog. Kate, thanks for taking me up on my offer to swap;-)

A while back I offered several tiles up for swap here on the blog and Kate was one of the few brave souls who took me up on the offer. Who wouldn't be thrilled to open up the mailbox and find this:

For those of you who are unfamiliar with The Travelling Tangles Project, check out the group Facebook page. There's some amazing stuff happening there and lurking is encouraged;-)

Kate and I arranged our exchange independently of the group. The value of exchanging art is incredible. It's a wonderful personal connection to each other and as scary as it may be, it knocks you out of your comfort zone to develop your art in ways you probably could never do on your own. Anyhoo...jus' sayin'...

My finish...

...To Kate's start

I wish the photographs could do justice to the rich intensity of Kate's backgrounds.

I went a little crazy😁

Kate's start

My finish...

...to this start by Anne Marks

traveling from Victoria, Australia

My finish...

...to this lovely start by Susanna Redaelli

traveling all the way from Milan, Italy

I finally got around to this...

...hand marbled tile from Sandy Kelly Jones

Many of my Travelling Tangle ZenPals have sent along hand colored tiles to play with. I'm hoarding a little stack of them. Sandy sent me this ages ago and I just now found it's greater purpose.

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

Diva Challenge #304, Made by Joey #153

Diva Challenge #304

"Waybop"

More Waybop! It's a good thing I like this pattern so much. I've had a lot of fun with Waybop this week and though I could have posted any one of the other pieces I've done, I was happy to give it another go.

Made by Joey Challenge #153

Finish My Tile Alphabet Series: H

featuring: Hollibaugh

additionally: Hypnotic and Hearts Divided

I'm creating a Bijou series with Joey's challenges. These are headers for my pattern library so I'm adapting her strings/starts by using the featured pattern as part of the letter in black and then using additional patterns in the background in brown. I could not not Hollibaugh the H;-)

I finished a couple of Travelling Tangles this week:

Anne Marks sent me this super cool watercolor start all the way from Australia

After a lengthy stare-down...my finish

This was a challenge because I don't have many colored pens. Anne's line work was done with a fine pink pen ( I'm guessing a .005, maybe a .01 Micron?). I decided to use a dip pen and red ink and just let-er-rip. After penciling in a string that followed the watercolor marks, I honestly did not know what each next stroke was going to be. After a little initial anxiety, I have to say this was one of the most fun pieces I've worked on because everything from the colors to the artwork was quite out of my comfort zone.

Heidi Whitney sent me this

My finish

This one challenged me because the paper is much darker than either photo implies, thus there was very little contrast between the paper and the line work. Maybe it's my old eyes but I could not see what I  was doing. I started by going in deep and dark. I love Niuroda so I kept going with it. I'm really pleased with how this evolved. Waaaay out of my comfort zone, but that's where the magic happens;-)

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

It's a String Thing #184 and Other Artsy Stuff

IAST#184:  Waybop

Hearty Waybop

 I'm more than a little obsessed with Waybop. I was excited to see the step outs published on Monday at pretty much the exact moment I was looking for a way to complete a Travelling Tangle I was working on. I was able to explore it immediately.
I then went to work on this:

Waybop too!

dip pen and ink on a watercolor tile

Zentangle HQ also published a hearty version which I explored next, resulting in the featured tile above, so I was ahead of the game (yaaay!) when Adele's IAST challenge appeared;-)

I have to give myself props for not only doing hearts after Valentines day, but for doing hearts at all;-)

Exploring new patterns in my sketchbook

I've been setting up these pages in my journal so I can immediately introduce new patterns into my repertoire and then have them on hand when I'm out-and-about and needing inspiration.

This is my current working page

Neuron and Flowerly are currently featured on Square One: Purely Zentangle. I was inspired by the  tile Ragged Ray submitted, hence my interpretation of her Neuron in the left corner (it's cut off in the pic but I will note the source if I'm directly inspired by someone else's work).

A Travelling Tangle:

I finished this Back to Basics tile from Anne Marks

Anne's starter

Anne and I are both working through exercises from the Zentangle Primer, prompted by the Facebook group Tangled and Journaled Too! I don't have the book, so I just follow along with posts by others and see if I can figure it out. It's fun to get back to basics.

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

Diva Challenge #303, Joey Challenge #152 and Travelling Tangles

Diva Challenge #303

Valentangles

This weeks Diva challenge is to create a Zentangle valentine and then give it to someone. This was truly a challenge. I am one of those Valentine's Day curmudgeons. Always have been, whether in or out of a relationship. Just not a Hearts and Flowers kind of gal.

I somewhat dread this time of year when all of the challenges out there revolve around said hearts and flowers. So, shortly after reading the challenge, amidst heavy sighs and procrastination, I was checking out Sandra Strait's Monday links at Art Imitates Doodles and opened the link to "Sweetheart Slide". I was intrigued. It was elegant and simple and made me think of calligraphy (something I'm always working on).

It wasn't as simple as it looked, but after a few clumsy attempts, I pulled out a watercolor ATC and went for it. It made more sense as I kept going, but it's easy to get lost and does require focus. By this morning I'd completed 3 and then gave them away to a few of my cafe peeps. Challenge complete!

So many thanks to the Diva for chipping away at my cold, black heart;-)

Made by Joey Challenge #152

Finish my Tile Alphabet series: G

featuring: "Gnarly"

additionally: "Geos"

Another Bijou alphabet header for my pattern binder. This one's my favorite so far;-)

Here's a recent collaboration for The Travelling Tangles Project:

My finish to Susanna Redaelli's fun start

Susanna sent me this

The extra room in a 4" apprentice tile is quite freeing.
I was in an adventurous mood choosing to try some new patterns. I started with "Vo", a new pattern by 6 year old Vincent Roller. How cool is that:-)
This morning, I saw Waybop featured on the Zentangle Newsletter just as I was pondering what to put in the middle. It was risky, going in after practicing it just once. Not too bad;-)

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

Diva Challenge #302, Joey Challenge #151 and some Travelling Tangles

Diva Challenge #302

Use My Tangle: Hamadox by Diana Schreur

I had a leftover hand painted zendala from a swap I participated in last year, I rarely work with colored pen in my initial line work and now I know why;-P
I'm not too crazy about the actual Hamadox center but I love everything else about it.

A Travelling Tangle Project

Beth Bentz sent me the paint spattered tile a while back

Hamadox seemed to want another chance

Additionally: "Elle" and "Beadlines"

Beth's wonderful start

Made by Joey #151

Finish my Tile Alphabet Series: F

featuring Festune

additionally: Flez and Fat X

I'm adapting Joey's prompts for this series into Bijoux for my pattern library, so I've tweaked the font for consistency.

I've got a few Travelling Tangles to share:

This is my finish to Heidi Whitney's start

Heidi introduced me to a new pattern of  hers called "Cypresses"
inspired by Van Gogh

My finish to another tile started by Heidi Whitney

This one had an interesting journey. The tonal paper is a bit out of my comfort zone, but I'm always up for a good challenge;-) After laying in the initial line work and adding a bit of shading with my new-ish brush pens, I felt done and took a picture of it:

I was not happy. It was lacking contrast, so I went in a little heavier on some lines and added more highlights...then the border...

...and it felt done. I took another picture and it still felt off. Funny how the distance of looking at something in a photograph changes ones perspective. So. To finish it off (finally) I shaded and highlighted the border and softened some edges with the lightest grey brushpen. Done? or Over done?

This was Heidi's start

This is what I sent to Heidi

I  love how she finished this one!

and this one!

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