Guest Blogger: Henrike Bratz
Lisbon Fragment & Diva Dance
Henrike introduced us to her pattern Lisbon Fragment, inspired by tiles she'd encountered during her trip to Lisbon.
I chose a tile I'd made quite a while ago using art tissue transfer coloring thinking it would make a nice host to diva dance and capture the tile aspect of Henrike's inspiration. I'm using the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners I recently purchased. It didn't take me long to discover that these pens are water soluble and bleed...but that's ok. I'm now seeking ways to embrace that:
Using a straw, I added a few drops of water...
...and let it bleed
I had a lot of fun with this tile.
Guest Blogger: Trudi Taylor
Trudi challenges us with a string she created using her variation of the pattern "Tropicana" as a string. The challenge is meant to be a vehicle for dimension and shading. I had so much fun with this one too! I had absolutely no plan as this was so far out of my comfort zone. I'd chosen an ATC I'd made a long time ago using tissue paper transfer coloring. It was in a weird combination of orange (a color I really don't use) and blue, then the murkiness that ensues when one combines complementary colors. I'd be lost without my colored pencils;-)
My most recent Eco-printed paper creation
I was looking up the pattern "Venetian" on Pinterest for one of the "92 Days" prompts and was inspired by all of the gorgeous Venice Carnival masks that appeared. Prior to that I had started this piece on the mirror imprint of this:
I'd used the green Staedtler pen to outline all of the green leaves and added a few big Mookas and after that I was stuck and put it aside. Later, I saw the mask! I wish I'd taken a picture of it at that point, but it was really a hot mess, with all the lines converging, sort of, into a...mess.
As I started playing around with the mask idea, I was sure I was going to abandon it. I watered down the the center of the splaying leaves and the bleeding created a very cool transparent effect. Anyhoo...this turned out to be my favorite piece to date. Lesson learned: Give a Hot Mess a Chance!
As I started playing around with the mask idea, I was sure I was going to abandon it. I watered down the the center of the splaying leaves and the bleeding created a very cool transparent effect. Anyhoo...this turned out to be my favorite piece to date. Lesson learned: Give a Hot Mess a Chance!
This is a swap I'm finishing up for the Tangled and Journaled Too! group, the masterminds behind my "92 Days" sketchbook series...which I'm totally behind on again. The parameters were to use any of the "92 Days" prompts as a theme, as many or as few as you liked. I had a lot of fun with the "Text" prompt and used it a couple of times in my journal. I had found an old and sadly dilapidated book of poetry on the bookshelf at the cafe I draw at in the morning.
kittypic of the week
For anyone interested in how the art tissue paper transfer technique works, here's the link to Susan Rink Olsen's tutorial.
Thanks so much for stopping by. Your thoughtful and generous comments delight and inspire me;-)
I think you were so busy that even your cat is exhausted :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the Diva tile Michelle and what a great idea to make that bleeding.
Thank you Annemarie! Yes I believe you are right about the cat (and me)😉
DeleteYou are in a crazily inspired place at the moment - each tile more awesome than the last. Your 'let it bleed' technique is incredible - I have to try that! Your Joey tile is great! And you've taken the eco-dye tile in a whole new direction this week. Wow. I've not tangled much of late due to a knee injury which is affecting everything I do - but browsing images and inspiration such as yours keeps my spark glowing!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jem! In spite of being down with a nasty cold this past week, the only thing I've been doing is art;-) The idea to turn that eco piece into a mask came to me as I was waking from a nap. True story. I'm sorry to hear about your knee. I hope you're healing well.
DeleteI just bought some tissue paper so I can try the tissue paper transfer color technique. I have to look up how to do it because I have never seen it demonstrated. Your water droplet "gems" are very effective and elegant. Very nice work here. PS: I think I feel like your cat looks. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Suzanne! I just posted the link below the kittypic to the tissue transfer technique that got me on that craze. I tear strips off the sheets and lay them down diagonally across the sheet of wet watercolor paper and then wet it again. I re-use the strips until I've coaxed every last bit of color out of them. I like how muted and subtle the colors get with each re-use.
DeleteLoved, loved, loved the water drops! I tried the tissue thing and it didn't work out do you have to use a special tissue paper? Your completion of my Tropicana variation in Joey's Challenge was so good, I knew you'd do a great Tangle there! After looking at all your work I'm going to have to rest like the cat.
ReplyDeleteThanks Trudi! I loved your challenge😍 I used Spectra Art Tissue. It's what Sue recommend in her tutorial. You need a tissue that bleeds color and most gift wrapping tissue does not.
DeleteI do agree about giving a mess a chance. Sometimes I have to have a little inward battle not to just give up on something. Of course, sometimes it continues to be a mess but every now and then it is really worth the effort. As always, I am blown away by your colouring techniques. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret! I figure once something is deemed a mess, I've got nothing to lose by trying to re-invent it. Yes, a little more time perhaps but like you, I've had more pleasant surprises than not. There's much to be learned from those that cannot be saved too;-)
DeleteSuch a perfect attitude toward bleeding colors. Many would just drop it into the trash, and look how you used it to your advantage to create a gorgeous tile! My cat, who looks a lot like yours, can fall asleep in the oddest places. Sometimes it's hard to find him. The one that makes me laugh though is when he decides that our dog's huge bed should be his. And, the dog does know who's boss and leaves him alone :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jean! Being a creature of habit, experimentation doesn't always come easy. It usually takes a "happy accident" to push me into new territory. Aimee has 4 sleeping spots where she can be found 99% of the time, but every now and then she'll get inside a cupboard or a a slightly open drawer in the closet;-)
DeleteAs usual, fantastic tanglework on beautiful backgrounds. I'm always curious to see surprising pics of your georgeous cat but this week my favorite pic is not the one from Aimee but the one for Joey: love it!!! (and it was not an easy string)
ReplyDeleteThank you Ria! That Joey piece was one of the most challenging yet. I'm glad it spoke to you and I appreciate your kind words;-)
DeleteHey, Michele ~ your Diva challenge tile is beautiful. I love how you made use of the bleeding (I AM a nurse as it happens!). And that border is great.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Roseanne!
DeleteYour Diva dancing in Lisbon is so beautiful! And thank´s for sharing your way to embrace the bleeding! So inspiring!
ReplyDeleteThank you Anita!
DeleteAwesome and geourgous, all yourtiles, but the diva and the colors are amazing. I love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Carmela!!
DeleteAnother week of great work. I like the tile and the gems/water drops. I think you nailed Lisbon fragment. I am still working on it. I liked Suzanne Fluhr's description of it as looking. deceptively simple.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Donald! Suzanne is right;-)
DeleteGorgeous tiles! And kitty too :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Betsy!
DeleteYour spot in your brain for tangle tile ideas is undoubtedly a lot bigger than mine. And you most successfully execute them!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Susie! Mainly, I just try to not have any expectations and not everything ends up in the blog;-)
DeleteAwesome drop of water on tipple tangle !
ReplyDelete