Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Diva Challenge #312, Made by Joey #161 and Travelling Tangles

or Spill Your String

I love a good "spill" challenge and of course, my spill of choice is coffee...well, only in the name of art;-) I have a pile of coffee spill tiles I set up a couple of months ago. It was completely weird that I grabbed one of them when I got the email twing that the Diva was streaming live on Sunday night. I have very sketchy internet at home and wasn't expecting a stream on Easter Sunday. I grabbed a couple of tiles and a few pens and hoofed it around the corner to my cafe and caught Laura well into this weeks challenge. It took me a while to figure out what the challenge was as I couldn't see her stain on the video. It all happened very fast so I didn't get a chance to take a pic of the tile before I started drawing.
Coffee spill on watercolor
I did this one last week

I've been fortunate to be able to catch several of Laura's streams (including some of her Travelling Tangles finishes) and it only served to confirm something I've been trying establish in my work, that one only needs to master, say, 20 patterns. Patterns and variations that you can just draw from memory. The magic happens in the composition. It was this blog post by Margaret Bremner where she explores the super simple pattern "Echoism", that I try to come back to when I find myself going all ADD searching for inspiration.
I was inspired to issue myself a challenge. For the next two weeks, unless a challenge requires otherwise, I'm sticking to my top 20. Here's the list I made this morning whilst planning my Zentangle To Do list for my next two days off:

clearly, grid patterns aren't my thang;-)

Finish My Tile Alphabet Series: P
featuring: Pea-Fea
additionally: Pokeleaf, Phroz and Pixioze

Some of my recent Travelling Tangles finishes:

My finish

Andrea Karen Kine sent this "Sky" themed ATC
from Wooster, Ohio

My finish...

...to Andrea's 3Z start

My finish

This one was inspired by something I saw on The Diva's stream Saturday night where she was working on some of her Travelling Tangles. 

to Debra Huff's "Sky" inspired start

Sketchbook

This is my recently completed sketchbook page inspired by the Primer Studies exercises going on at the Facebook group Tangled and Journaled Too! There were severval Zentangle original patterns listed to be explored and "made your own". I don't own the Zentangle Primer so I follow along and interpret as best I can. There are additional patterns I've included that came on my radar last week that I wanted to keep handy.


Many thanks for stopping by! Your thoughtful and generous comments delight and inspire me;-)




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36 comments:

  1. Jeanette ClawsonApril 19, 2017 at 9:39 AM

    What a great collection of tangled fun!

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  2. AnonymousApril 19, 2017 at 10:40 AM

    The coffee stained tiles are masterful, and always so fun to see the finishes on the traveling tangles. Love the blue and purple sky start one. Great sketchbook page too! :)

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    1. Michele WynneApril 19, 2017 at 1:56 PM

      Many thanks Kate! The blue and purple one is my fave too;-)

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  3. Ragged RayApril 19, 2017 at 11:27 AM

    Okay - loads I want to say. But in brief - I love your second stain tile, it's incredibly beautiful to me. I picture a twiggy crown for a pagan goddess to dance beneath the stars.

    I love your sketchbook page - so crammed with life and movement and delight. I always see a familiar tangle and am reminded to use it!

    And your to-do list with tick boxed made me smile as I made one very similar today as I prepare for the next TTP swap!

    And I wholeheartedly agree with the overload of patterns. Sometimes now I just flick to a certain page in my sketchbook and just work with whatever is on that page. It limits the parameters from immense to manageable. But I like you're idea a lot too.

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    1. Michele WynneApril 19, 2017 at 2:04 PM

      Thanks so much Jem! I truly appreciate your kind words and wonderful descriptions;-) I love looking at other peoples sketchbooks...especially those that conjoin chaos and control. I frequently cripple myself with choices and indecision and need to reign myself in. A lot;-)

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  4. ria matheussenApril 19, 2017 at 11:52 AM

    It is always difficult to say which tile is the favorite of the week because everything you create looks great. Your travelingtiles are delightfull, but for me, the tile with coffee spilled on watercolour is so special and gorgeous, yes, that is my favorite.

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  5. UnknownApril 19, 2017 at 1:02 PM

    Michele! Your page is packed full of delightful Treasures! I love your coffee stained tiles... so creatively done! I always enjoy seeing everyone's sketchbook pages. I just started using a sketchbook, and can't believe how much my tangling has improved in such a short time. The key for me is letting go of perfectionism. Not being so invested in the outcome. Lol! I haven't done a travelling tangle yet, but it looks like so much fun! I am a compulsive list maker... I really like to tick off those boxes!! :)

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    1. Michele WynneApril 19, 2017 at 2:09 PM

      Many thanks Deanne! Sketchbooks are my favorite thing! I can get lost for hours in exploration. I agree that letting go of perfectionism is crucial to the Zen of tangling and creativity. Let me know if your ever up for a Travelling Tangle swap;-)

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    2. UnknownApril 22, 2017 at 11:24 AM

      Michele.... I would LOVE to do a Travelling Tangle Swap with you! But I will warn you... I have only been tangling for 2 1/2 years, so you may not get anything too fancy from me! I don't know any of the "rules" for the swap, so if you are still interested, send me an email and we can connect! Ooohhh.... Looking forward to creating with you! ;-)

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  6. JoeyApril 19, 2017 at 1:28 PM

    Beautiful coffee spill tiles, and all of the other challenges too! You never cease to amaze me Michele! I have been enjoying the Traveling Tangle swaps as well, good fun!

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    1. Michele WynneApril 19, 2017 at 2:11 PM

      Thank you Joey! I would love to do a Travelling Tangle swap with you if you're game;-)

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    2. JoeyApril 20, 2017 at 9:12 AM

      I happen to have 2 lonely tiles from the April sky theme swap that never found a home....send me an email and we'll swap addresses! ;o) Yah!

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    3. Michele WynneApril 20, 2017 at 9:21 AM

      Oh goody!!!

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  7. AnonymousApril 19, 2017 at 2:23 PM

    Gorgeous tiles, Michele. You continually use my happy (read that moody) colors. Great job!

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  8. Anne's tangle blogApril 19, 2017 at 11:06 PM

    The Diva tile is really gorgeous!!! Thank you Michelle, for your kind words on my blog.

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  9. BineApril 20, 2017 at 4:57 AM

    Wow, I'm flashed. All your tiles gorgeous, fascinating.... sorry, my English isn't good enough to describe on detail how I like your work. Thank you for sharing with us.
    Greetings from Germany
    Sabine

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    1. Michele WynneApril 20, 2017 at 9:35 AM

      Thank you so much Sabine! Your words are sweet and perfect;-)

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  10. cstocksApril 20, 2017 at 8:51 AM

    All of your splashy fun is gorgeous, but I really like your journal page. It has great flow and packed with beauty. c

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    1. Michele WynneApril 20, 2017 at 1:17 PM

      Thank you! Aren't journals the best? I spend hours looking at journals on Pinterest and You Tube 😋

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  11. Anita A Westin CZTApril 20, 2017 at 10:42 AM

    Diva´s challenge this week was designed for you! So much beautyful work!

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    1. Michele WynneApril 20, 2017 at 1:10 PM

      Haha... I thought the same thing 😉 Thank you so much Anita. I always appreciate your kind and encouraging words.

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  12. trudiApril 20, 2017 at 6:17 PM

    Gorgeous work all of it! I couldn't do a list of my favorite Tangles, they change ever week as I fall in love with different ones or how someone else interpreted them.

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    1. Michele WynneApril 21, 2017 at 9:32 AM

      Thanks Trudi! I can't really say that these are my "favorite" patterns, they're the ones I use the most because they're easy to remember when I need to pull the plug and just draw;-)

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  13. Susie NgApril 20, 2017 at 8:54 PM

    Absolutely fantastic tiles, Michele, and I admire your eagerness to do traveling tiles for which you have a knack for, and daring to do mega tiles. Both of those scare the living hell out of me. I also love the fact that you are so organized. Writing things down in one place, while I am constantly searching for my notes. I should take note. LOL. Keep going, Michele.

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    1. Michele WynneApril 21, 2017 at 9:43 AM

      Many thanks Susie! I'm not always this organized and ambitious. From time to time I must reign myself in when I get too scattered;-) Believe me, the Travelling Tangles are a scary challenge to everyone in the group, myself included.

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  14. Shelly BeauchApril 21, 2017 at 9:18 PM

    Michele, you have inspired me to get my journal out. Your page is magnificent!

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  15. Annette P.-L. April 22, 2017 at 5:33 AM

    And again so wonderful tiles with your unique style, dear Michele! Especially I do love your sketchbook page ... it´s fantastic!
    Hugs, Annette

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  16. jeanchaneyazApril 22, 2017 at 1:35 PM

    I truly enjoyed looking at each of your lovely pieces! I do find my eye being pulled by the one in blue.

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  17. Simone MenzelApril 23, 2017 at 7:50 AM

    Dear Michele, stunning tiles, very inspiring like everything you are posting. My absolute favorite is the second coffee string tile. But all the others are so great in your unique style. I wondered how you manage your very busy Zentangle life and it is interesting to see similar to do lists like mine😂 Lovely Sunday!!

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  18. Jennifer SparrowApril 30, 2017 at 8:15 AM

    When I read the Diva's challenge, I immediately thought of you, oh Queen of Coffee Stain Tangling. Your tiles exceeded my expectations!

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  19. Susan TheronApril 30, 2017 at 11:51 AM

    WOW for your Diva tiles!

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