Diva Challenge #327, Made by Joey #176 and other stuff...

Diva Challenge #327

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.

Made by Joey Challenge #127

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!

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;-)

Diva Challenge #310, IAST#190 and Travelling Tangles

Diva Challenge #310

Use My Tangle Monday

featuring: "Frunky" by  Katharina Konigsbauer-Kolb

The first Monday of the month is a challenge to use a pattern submitted to the Diva by fellow CZT's and followers. Frunky is delightful! I've been having some fun with it in conjunction with the current Travelling Tangles swaps I'm getting ready to send out this week. The theme of this months swap is "Look to the Sky". Over the weekend I created a set of tiles using layered art tissue colors representing a sunset. Then I did another one 'cuz it was so much fun. I have many tiles;-)

I started off with patterns like Printemps, Sandswirl and Popcloud. On Monday when the challenge appeared I was excited to play around with "Frunky" with its cloud like qualities. Then I picked one to complete for the challenge. That was a challenge in itself as now I can relate to the difficulties my swap partners may have finishing one of my tiles. I usually don't use a lot of color in my line work, so once the blue cloud area was done, what next? I went to Margaret Bremner's blog "The Enthusiastic Artist" and looked at how she goes from color to color and breaks up the space. I decided to draw in a light stacked string, chose the dominant color for each section (shaded with colored pencil then a warm grey Tombow brush pen to deepen the shadow) and tied it all together with black line work here and there.

IAST Challenge #190

featuring: "Nouvart", "Windfarm" and "Box Spirals"

I was a bit late out of the gate for last week's "It's a String Thing" challenge. After all the Mac 'n Cheese comfort zone drawing, I was resistant to the constraints of this challenge and almost took a pass. As usual, once I get over myself, some very interesting things happen. Below is my first attempt. At first, I hated it. I put it out of sight and the next day, hated it less. Then suddenly I had the urge to try it on a Renaissance tile (also way out of my comfort zone) and pretty much zipped right through it. That's the one I ended up submitting at the 11th hour, but the more I look at the first one the more I like it. 

IAST #190

I'm into a new round of Travelling Tangles so there will be a lot to share. I'll be doing another post later in the week to include Joey's challenge, IAST #191 and more Travelling Tangles, so please stay tuned;-)

My finish...

...to Heidi Whitney's start

another finish...

...to another Heidi;-)

Heidi is an Art Tissue addict too;-) Here's a link to Susan Rink Olsen's Tissue Paper Transfer tutorial on her Facebook page Suzen Art.

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

Aimee loves hair ties

Diva Challenge#293, Joey Challenge #139 & Travelling Tangles

Diva Challenge #293

Pattern focus: Keeko

I was quite inspired by this week's challenge to use Keeko as I'm always happy when a challenge reminds of things I've forgotten. I've enjoyed using Keeko in the past because it's so easy and relaxing to draw, truly a Zen pattern and I forget what a great fill it is.

I pulled out one of my tiles colored with art tissue paper and let it set the string. The finished tile is a bit disjointed but I like it;-)

Made by Joey Challenge #139

Finish My tile Series: Mooka 

Joey provided a lightly arching frame with Mooka emerging from one corner. In addition to adapting this to an ATC, I tweaked my Mooka a little, a variation I habitually use with Mooka, which is to resolve the bottom all to the same point rather than create a series of corners. I guess what I end up with is a variation of Flux.

I finished one Travelling Tangle this week:

This came from Margaret Blank in the UK:

There were so many possibilities with Margaret's start. After a lengthy stare-down and many rotations, I could see some options for the string. I almost always lay in pencil string if the sender hasn't provided one. Following Veezy's curves, I started with a few arching string lines and then the Barberpoles. This laid the groundwork for a graphic corner and organics spilling out of the top.

In my weekend post I shared some pictures of my Travelling Tangles album. Working on it always makes me happy.


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

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Diva Challenge #292, Made by Joey #138 and More Travelling Tangles...

Diva Challenge #292

Use My Tangle: "Eaxy"

The first Monday of the month is a Use My Tangle challenge, where The Diva chooses a pattern submitted by one of her many fans and followers. This is Nadine Roller's pattern "Eaxy", an easy pattern using X's. Easy in theory, but in practice?...well, I can't remember when a pattern vexed me so. I suspect most of you reading this feel my pain.

It's been an unsettling week and I've been trying really hard to get my Zen. I've found windows here and there but mostly my focus has been scattered. I practiced "Eaxy". A lot. I got frustrated. Took breaks. Practiced some more. Started an ATC. Got frustrated. Tossed it. Noodled around on Pinterest. A lot. Checked out other submissions. I was not alone.

Then two things happened within minutes of each other. I came across a gorgeous (is there any other kind?) Lily Moon tile and read Jennifer Sparrow's blog post. Jennifer posted of picture of a garden path and I immediately thought of cobblestones which always makes me think of 'Nzeppel. 

'Nzepple Eaxy! That was the solution to my frustration of the shabby cross-overs that I couldn't clean up. So, many thanks Lily and Jennifer!

Joey Challenge #138

Finish my Tile: Twile

Joey started us off this week with a ring filled with Twile in the center of a tile. I had some left over ATC's from the current Travelling Tangles swap...

... and in keeping with my personal challenge of adapting the Joey challenges to ATC's, I took a little artistic license with this.

Earlier in the week, I finished the last of my Travelling Tangles backlog to make way for new round starting to trickle in.
Here are two recent finishes to a tile and ATC sent by Sue Olsen.

I love these! They're so cool just on their own.

Sue is the inspiration behind my latest coloring technique obsession-tissue paper. Check out Sue's tutorial here. Sue recently posted some additional tissue paper play here where she overlays the white tissue for a really interesting effect. This is next on my To Do list. Thanks Sue!

A while back, I sent Margaret Bremner one of the first ATC's from my tissue paper trial run.

This is so freakin' awesome!

Margaret applied torn paper (orange) to the ATC and continued to work her magic. 

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club"-Jack London

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

Diva Challenge #284, Made by Joey #130 and a few Travelling Tangles

Diva Challenge #284

Tripoli Monotangle

aaaaahhhh....uuuurrrggghh! Tripoli. I do love Tripoli. I love it when done by the capable hands of others. I don't know why such a simple pattern vexes me so. It all starts off well, but for me it goes off-the-rails quickly. That's why I kept this one small. It worked;-) I made a ton of ATC's using this awesome coloring technique by Susan Rink Olsen, and used the colors as a suggestion of a string. I've been collecting triangle fragment fills in my sketchbook and intend to have another go at this. someday.

Made by Joey #130 

Finish my Tile: Tipple corners

Joey started this weeks tile:

I'm back to the ATC's this week.

I got overly ambitious with my Traveling Tangle commitments so I've gotta get caught up. I was so happy to see some Diva regulars over at The Travelling Tangles Project this week, so I was anxious to get some exchanges going.
Anyhoo...first up was this gorgeous bundle of fun from Anne Marks in Australia. She sent me a lovely laminated bookmark. I love this idea. I'm gonna steal it;-)

Here's how I finished it. I had to ponder this for quite a while before I had the courage to take my pen to it. I see this a lot in the comments over at the TTP. Fear of ruining someone else's art. I went through a stack of my favorite tiles until I found something I thought would compliment Anne's line work. This was inspired by a piece I'd done several months ago, prompted by another Aussie, Helen Williams at A Little Lime. I love how this turned out. We can be our own inspiration!

This next beauty graced my mailbox a few days ago from Toby Schwartz in Illinois. The prompt was an Autumn inspired piece. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to open my mailbox the day I received this:

Here's my finish. This was such a joy to complete. I love Sandswirl. I could draw it forever.

If you're not yet tired of looking at my Travelling Tangles, check out my post from this weekend. It includes my collaborations with the amazing Margaret Bremner and the lovely Simone Menzel. My String Challenge entry is there too.

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