Let's Get Straight to It!

None of this curvy stuff this week, dixit the Diva.  Straight line tangles only, thank you very much.
I drew this one in my lonesome Moleskine. I started with Swarm, which sometimes worked for me! (I think I have to think of it like Tripoli, in terms of keeping the spaces the same distance. I also have to TURN MY TILE.)Next I added what I seem to remember seeing as a squared version of Cadent, which, by the way, was named for "hound's tooth", and kinda sorta looked like this. Phroz, ING, Munchin, W2 with Hibred fill and some other fill that I don't know what to call.  All in all, different for me, so I'm really happy to have done the challenge!
Thanks for your visit! Have a straightforward week ;)

Chill-ax!

This week, the Diva was reflective on her practice and encouraged us to focus on the ZEN of Zentangle. I must confess, Zentangle for me, as I am not formally trained in art, is all about the method. When I teach my classes, I focus on the 8 steps of the method while we are making our tiles. So when I am alone, I tend to do the same. I never plan my work for the weekly challenges. What you see here is it! There was no initial sketch. I just try to go with the flow. Sometimes I flow more than others! (I find that the Diva's challenge lend themselves to this particularly well, in that they are the more open-ended of all the challenges I've seen. For me, when there are too many parameters, it's not as relaxing. But I realize that everyone is different, and admire the work that I see others doing.)

This challenge came at just the right time for me, too. In the past few months, much of my tangle time has been focused on creating lesson plans for new classes and teaching them. I'm looking forward to the next few months, when I'll be teaching fewer classes and focusing on drawing. I realize that it's when I'm drawing that I come up with ideas for classes. It always comes back to connecting with that inner creativity through the 8 steps, doesn't it?

Yesterday, while waiting to get supplies for Sunday's Zendala class, I pulled out my neglected little Moleskine and found a page where I had started Skye, in pencil. You may remember how much I struggled with that one!!! This week, I had learned Lollywimple, an easy, relaxing tangle, and Trelina, a more challenging one. I started adding Trelina to the incomplete pencil version of Skye, then had to stop. This morning, I took the time to go back and finish the page. Shading was particularly enjoyable. I'm relaxed and pleased.

May all your tangles be zen-ful. In joy, shade :)

Thanks for stopping by. Have a peaceful week!

Tripoli: Diva Challenge #284

Tripoli is one of my mac n' cheese tangles. It took me a while to "get it", but once I had, I was hooked. I love fitting the triangles together, with equally spaced auras, to make those wonderful hexagons. I love exploring with various sizes of triangles, just to see where Tripoli will go. For this tile, I added color, just to make those "petals" pop.

Can't wait to see everyone's take on Tripoli! I'm thinking my next Tripoli monotangle will be a sampler, showing all the different ways to work it.

Have a wonderful week! And thanks, as always, for your visit!

The Diva's Weekly Challenge #282: Spill It!

I always enjoy looking at tiles that have a stain for a string. There's just such a deep sense of optimism, economy and audacity in turning an "oops" into something beautiful. I have only done a few stained tiles, but I am going to try more. This week's Diva challenge was, you guessed it, to use a spill as the basis for our work. I was delighted, because only last week, I made a huge discovery. In our new garden, growing next to and around our butterfly bush, is nothing other than 

POKEWEED!!!!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved this plant and its magenta stems, leaves and berries. You can imagine how enticing it is to a child. Doesn't it look tasty and sweet? And yet it is highly poisonous--roots, stems, leaves, berries and all! Mothers warn their children to stay away, and look for those tell-tale stains on their hands and faces.

Armed with my latex gloves, I went and cut some pokeweed for the stain. I had soooooo much fun squishing the berries and rolling them around on my tile! Once the magical magenta was caught on paper, I started to draw. Of course, nothing else would do but Pokeroot, Pokeleaf and what I shall call Pokeflower, although I think it exists under another name!

Is it just me, or is that a cardinal flying over the Pokeweed?

Do you have pokeweed where you live? Have a great week! Thanks for visiting! 

Joey's Weekly Challenge #128

Villers #2. Joey gave us a "Finish My Tile" challenge this week that had one square of this tangle. I had fun with this one, and felt my creative juices, which have seemed a little dried up of late, starting to rise. I think it's due to the collaborative nature involved here. I was explaining it to my husband, who thought it was "so cool" that you finish someone else's artwork. I agree! 

Watercolor wash with white Signo Sandswirl

White Signo Yew-Dee with white charcoal and zenstone

Thanks, Joey! And thank YOU, reader, for stopping by!