From Sea to Shining Sea

I had a tough time wrapping my head around the latest Diva Challenge. Just getting started seemed so ridiculously tiring. It might be the humidity, it might be the long and varied laundry list of to-dos. 

I needed some mental centering. I needed to focus on the can-dos. I needed to get my head screwed on right. Count my blessings. Pray. 

So, I did what I do when I need meditation and clarity: I sewed. It's all very methodical and the hum of the machine is reassuring. It's productive, too, an added bonus. I felt good about what I accomplished there so I could move along...and back to the drawing board.

I've seen some of the other responses and I know this is true-to-myself off-base. I started with beads, for the theme was Beads of Courage, but there the similarities depart. 

From the Mountains to the Sea

I think what I was trying to convey is that no matter who we are or where we are, we are connected because we are human. The beads on a string became birds on phone lines. I was going to have one "bird" singled out, but that did not support my claim, that we are not alone. Our challenges are divided by our numbers and our joys are multiplied. 

All that in a four-inch square? Huh!

I'm keeping up my zinchies! I rely on them to try out some new patterns along the way. I need to go back and identify these. Mostly done on a waffle box scabbied from the recycling bin. 

The oddball there is a pattern I call, "Confetti." I have used this doodle for years. I must do a larger work with it as it has a unique attribute--it creates its own shading. Has anyone seen this elsewhere as a tangle/pattern, if so please advise?! It morphed into buildings in the Diva art. 

The last four are for this week's IAST, which reminds me of a Piet Mondrian, if he would have ever used curved lines. It's much more abstract and minimalist than the representational piece I did above.

Neurons

Thanks for stopping by and for all your kindnesses. I can't wait to see what you all have been doing. It feels good creating, doesn't it? 

Embracing the...Gratitude

This week's Zentangle challenges could not have come from more polar opposites, but I've already begun to appreciate from whence they came and to wither they may goest.
The Diva lined up guest posts this month to concentrate on her family; much better time spent than managing the likes of all us tangly people. This week's really threw me for a loop and at first I was going to pass on it, but then I thought why should this one get the better of me? Elisa Murphy created the challenge to use our non-dominant hand to complete the task, or as she referred to it as, "Embrace the Yuck." While I'm not quite feeling the love yet, I did get a feel for why I really don't use my left hand and perhaps I should give it a better chance.

Diva Challenge 194

I used the random string generator at Tanglepatterns.com and it selected 098, which was a good start and Nipa had to naturally go in as it's already pretty jiggy. I won't get rich off the likes of this, but it was a good lesson in creativity. It's not terrible yucky. (segue to: that's what we call some Chinese food, instead of teriyaki...even though we really, really like it.).
OK!
The other challenge, IAST 67 used string 070 and just drawing that out was giving me fits (yes, I could just print the template, but where's the fun in that?). I had pondered the contents in my sleep so I was good to go this morning. And here enters unconditional love. I have surrounded myself--the "c"--with my significant other and my two children.

Thanks for Three People

It's not the prettiest exhibition of true love ever created, but what it represents to me goes beyond gratitude and so much joy, it brings me to tears. (and a segue to yesterday's post...)
With many thanks to you for taking the time to view my work and for the occasional comment. I appreciate you telling me what you like (or don't) so that I can add it to my body of knowledge.

Breast Cancer Awareness Zentangle

The Diva Challenge this week was to honor the memory of the Diva's grandmother or others affected by breast cancer. The aura of Breast Cancer has hung around me since I was in college. I've had a couple scares and been through some surgeries that, thankfully, only found benign masses. One, the size of a golf ball, was particularly scary, painful and full of anxiety for way too long. My mom and my daughter have had similar situations.
But that compares none to having cancer of any sort. It doesn't run in my family (although, there are a host of other choices that afflict us: diabetes, heart conditions, MS...), but I've had to become vigilant because of my particular medical history. And I can't eat chocolate. But, I digress.
My siren call is: I avoid mammograms and I believe they are onerous. Every time, I have to also have ultrasounds and believe everyone should skip the mammos and go straight to this method. They are less painful and more reliable. And cheaper, about ten percent of the 'cost' of mammos here in the States. (And while I'm at it, a big kudos to the folks at John C Lincoln for fabulous care and talents!)
OK, that's my story. Now, here's my drawing (I just happened to be at Arizona Art Supply yesterday and I was able to pick up some pink Sakura pens. Woohoo! An excuse to buy more art stuff! I don't get there often, but I like to support the local, independent art community):

I was going with a floral theme initially as I believe I'd rather have flowers now than when I'm gone, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. It kind of got lost while I was doodling, but the thought is still there.
Everybody should be mindful of the potential for breast cancer, men as well as women. And everybody should have a boobie buddy. Isn't that more fun, anyway?

Blind Faith

The Diva Challenge this week was to draw the string with eyes shut tight. My first was not one that I really liked, but I posted it on my Flickr feed for full disclosure. It lacks contrast and some of the patterns are kind of squished into the small spaces. So I tried again and I'm much happier with my official response:

This one has contrast, movement, flow, space and a bunch of favorite tangle patterns: crescent moon, nipa, sez, cadent, facet and fassett with holibaugh ribbons following the string. I didn't use all the teenie spaces the string created and I think that worked out just fine.
Thanks so much for the kind comments that have been bestowed upon me and for taking the time to view my work. Be sure to check out all the tangly people at the Diva Challenge, each and every week. This week in particular the responses are sure to be very different as everyone is starting from a different vantage point. It's definitely a method I'll try again.

Challenges with a Common Thread

So I'm a good week behind the curve for MadebyJoey. Last week the challenge was out for a five-pointed star and here is what developed there. Next time I'll let all the tangles describe the symbol rather than laying down outlines. At least I think that would be an improvement there.
The patterns I used included Knight's Bridge, Hollibaugh, Crescent Moon, Gingham, Static and N'Zeppel.

Then I moved on to an alphatangle challenge from Beez in the Belfry. The challenge was loosely defined as using a name as a string and only official Zentangle tangles to fill it. I chose a variety of patterns that matched up letter by letter for "TISH," a nickname that I acquired in college. Now, there's a story! Ha! For now, I'll save that for another day. And I have another variation floating in the grey matter for an alphatangle, but that, too, will have to wait.

I got the patterns and descriptions from those lovely people over at TanglePatterns.com. They are in order: Tipple, Tripoli, Tagh, Izorus, Isochor, Sez, Shattuck, Hibred, Hollibaugh and Huggins.

Lastly, I did the tangle tango with the Diva. Her challenge this week was to utilize a tartan plaid. I have a different source for the pattern and have practiced drawing it; the fun part this time was going to be what else to do? I went over to Random.org to generate some numbers and matched them up to the list that Linda Farmer has of official tangles back over at Tangle Patterns.

I drew in order: Locar, Rixty, Drupe (by Sandy Stein Bartholomew over at the Belfry), Nipa and MacDee by Anneke Van Dam. I have it as Kilt from Suzanne McNeill's Zentangle 8, that's where I found it, but I'm not one to challenge originality as I'm new to all this.

 

 

So when I put them all together I realized that there's a common thread running through these three drawings: they each have fabric patterns in them. No surprise, really, as if I'm not at my desk, there's a sewing machine waiting for me. Or three.

 

I could be busy with all these challenges all day, but I best get back to work lest I continue on the path of starving artist.