Zoning in and out

This week's Diva Challenge is to push ourselves to do what is not comfortable for us.

Everyone has their own rhythm, and in practicing the art of Zentangle®, it's usually pretty clear what we personally connect to, and what we don't.

I had a black tile that I had started months ago. I never finished it for the very reason that I don't feel very comfortable with the white on black. I figured this would be my challenge: to finish the tile using at least one tangle that is outside my rhythm.

This tile was started by shaving some of the Zenstone onto the tile, then rubbing it with my finger to create a ghostly glow, which I loved. The white Jellyroll was a bit skippy over it, so I tried the Micron but I really couldn't see it against the soapstone. That's when I quit and laid it aside months ago.

Yesterday I picked up the white again to move forward through the 'discomfort'. I did some Huggins, and filled in some N'Zeppel that was there from before, and added some Hollibaugh strings. (I actually was having fun with my discomfort!) I love shading, and I could have used pencil over the white, but again, that was too comfortable. I used a grey Fabrico in small doses. (I like big doses of shade) I also remembered that going back in with the Micron after the white could tame a few blobs I left with the white Jellyroll. Funny thing, by the time I was halfway through, I was out of the discomfort zone, and simply in the zone of the Zentangle process. Cuz that's how it often works!

Thanks, Laura, for another awesome challenge.

More Tangled Jewelry

I found these great wooden bangles perfect for tangling.

It was a little weird to draw on a small round surface. I told the little perfectionist in me to go take a nap, that we had it covered, the project didn't require her input, and wiggly lines would be tons of fun. The Micron (I used .01) glides really nicely on the smooth surface. I used a regular pencil for shading, but then played with a furniture touch up marker I found in the hardware store. I used that on the smaller one, and on the larger one I played with water color pencil for a more subtle shade.

I'm not sure what to use to finish them. Because they are bracelets, I wanted to use something natural and non allergenic. I did get advice from a friend who is knowledgeable about these things, but the product she recommended, I would have to get online, and haven't gotten that far. I did, however, wonder about coconut oil. I rubbed some on, and it really looked nice. (photo taken before the coconut) I don't figure that will really seal it, but it sure looked great and smelled great too!

If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear! Thanks for visiting.

Beading Zentangle Style

For the most part, the art of bead weaving involves a lot of structure and pattern. In order for a beaded piece to stay together, the building blocks must fit together to make it work. That pretty much pertains to the beads themselves, but when it comes to the color of a project, the same holds true from a design perspective. So not only is the actual physical bead important, but the color of the bead in a particular position in that structure also matters. Sounds like fun, huh? Well, thank goodness there are people who write patterns to guide us in this part of the process.

I beaded for a long time without knowing how to read a peyote stitch chart. It seemed like it would be too mathmatical and predictable. Although once I did, I really enjoyed watching the pattern come alive in my beads. Here is an example of a peyote band created with a color chart that I followed:

I had the idea to make a very skinny peyote stitch wrap (one that would go round my wrist 3X) using the chevron pattern you see here. However, I forgot to bring my chart pattern home so I could follow it and end up with the pattern you see.

Well, well. What to do? I was really wanting to get started on it, so I decided to approach it like piece of Zentangle® art. I knew if I winged it without my written pattern, sometimes I would get the pattern right, and sometimes I wouldn't. That would just have to be ok. If one of my chevrons didn't pan out, I shrugged a "Watt-eva" and moved on. What came out was really fun for me... I love it. I love its random, yet structured nature.

Fengle in a Quandary (or vice versa)

Woo hoo! Finally got to sit down with a Diva challenge! I sort of got lost in this one. I love Fengle. Quandary can make me a little crazy, but I found if I go really slow and deliberate, that helps alot. I also feel more comfortable making the 'rice' shapes solid rather than open. But the open ones lend themselves to great tangleations.

I started another tile this morning during my quiet breakfast at Panera. It was on a tan tile, which I was excited to use. However, one of the other customers stopped by to ask about it. After a lovely 30-minute conversation about art and other things, I gave him my unfinished tile, so alas, no second tile for the post!

Thanks, Laura Harms, for always being there to present the challenge. It's often my go-to resource when I need a quick Zentangle fix.

Framing Play

A while back The Diva and Maria Thomas did some posting about borders. I messed around a little and found myself knee deep in Knightbridge. I just couldn't stop with the coloring in. It's that way sometimes.. what I do with a Zentangle tile often reflects something about me in that certain time and space. Not exactly sure what was going on right then:)

Here is another, more spacious play on a more spacious day... obviously a very different attitude!