zentangled

I made this weird little zentangle last month and entered into a local craft shop contest

it won third place and a ten dollar gift card

the competition was mostly high school kids

so no wonder I came in third

we all know high school was made for doodling

:)

but what to do with it now?

.... make a puzzle .....

a twenty five piece puzzle

in its own origami box

each piece a lovely thing in its own right

(I've listed this on etsy .... need a cool gift to give?)

cleaning up

(the rubbermaid solution)

about a week and a half ago I had to pack up my art cupboard for a flooring project

I could have unpacked everything DAYS AGO

.... and the last couple of days I've been at loose ends ...

.... wondering why I'm borderline depressed .....

argh!

I hate that feeling of impending doldrums

could it be that I miss my art supplies?

I haven't been inspired to create anything

so there has been no rush to clean up

(the cupboard is nearly bare)

"never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow"

-Mark Twain

(that wasn't so hard)

well, it must be that "day after tomorrow," Mr. Twain

this is my cupboard

isn't it cool?

it was a wedding gift from very good friends

I like to imagine how they must have known I would need my own space

all I need is a lock on it :)

I painted it myself

I know that's anathema to paint on vintage stuff

much less clean it up

but I did both

leaving my mark I guess

***

and now I have rediscovered some things that have given me new inspiration:

(shells and rocks awaiting a zentangle tattoo)

(rubber for carving my own stamps)

(my alphabet inchie project - only about 12 more to go)

moleskine

before my trip I got a moleskine journal book

this one is the small pocket sized one with plain paper

I have a problem with sketchbooks and journals

I have so many of them that only have the first 4 or 5 pages are sketched

... the rest is blank ...

I remember hearing as a mantra in drawing class:

"draw something every single day"

and then there's the "morning pages" (Julia Cameron: The Artist's Way):

"write 3 pages every morning"

what is my problem?

here is the one and only drawing I've done in 3 weeks:

I drew it on the plane over there

filled with thoughts and dreams of swimming with the sea turtles

(I did see one from atop a cliff - if the turtles don't feel like finding me and swimming with me - that's o.k. - I don't want to be demanding - it is their ocean home after all)

and as for filling up this journal

... whether it be words or art ...

I am not going to be kicking myself about someone else's so called mantra

the words

this story needs words

I've taken the words from each blog post

they were pretty good

and

 "in the moment"

I drew a zentangle all around them

it looks a little bit like a coral reef

or a tide pool

I was freaking out at the beginning

I thought I was ruining the simplicity of it

... but, the key is to just keep going ...

it (the art) has to grow

the cover of my sketchbook has this reminder:

"do not fear mistakes,

there are none."

-miles davis

personally, the only thing I think this applies to

... is art ...

and coming from Miles Davis

I think that's what he was talking about.

this whole disaster could be qualified as a series of mistakes

very very bad mistakes.

intentional?

maybe.

something to fear?

maybe.

"I have learned over the years

that when one's mind is made up,

this diminishes fear;

knowing what must be done

does away with fear."

-rosa parks

what must be done?

(so a disaster like this one doesn't happen again)

I think we know the answer(s) to that.

inspiration from a blogger friend

Patty (her blog is Magpie's Nest) was showing us her zentangle atc's last week.

She said she was doodling her way through the Olympics.

I was inspired to do the same!

I used Inchie Arts black inchie squares and my silver Signo gel pen.

The linework is kind of broad, but oh so smooth :)

Thank you Patty for the inspiration!

the stash is put to work

The stash (see previous post) doesn't really need any enhancing or beautifying - it's treasure in its own right - but what lovely canvases and embellishments they make!

zentangle rock and shell fragment

***

puzzle piece with a beach glass bird's wing

Beach Weather?

pen and ink mermaids of my own imagination on beach worn clam shells

I hope you're having a beautiful beachy kind of July ;)

Our beach weather disappeared, but I'm sure it will be back soon!

(fyi: these lovely ladies are in my etsy shop)

Shells

Linda and Rosie's challenge over at the Awfully Big Art Adventure (monthly challenge) is to use shells in your art. I've been in the mood for zentangling. It's very calming to me. I zentangled rocks at Easter time (to make Easter eggs) so I thought, "Why not zentangle on shells?"

Any shells we find here in the Puget Sound are pretty broken up and worn down, so the shells I've got are bits and pieces. But they're nice and smooth - perfect for a sharpie :)

I hope you like these - better yet - I hope you give it a try too!

zeggtangles

I used egg shaped river rocks to make these zentangle eggs (zeggtangles). I used a sharpie regular and a sharpie ultra fine point. Milliande's site has a zendala egg page with some great examples. She's the one who put out that really great zendala youTube video in an earlier post.

Crazy About Zentangles

I've been a little zentangle crazy the last few days. Making a zentangle is a nice break from inks, paints, gesso, sandpaper, stamps, cut up papers ... all you need is white paper and fine tip sharpie. Plus I found this great video that gave me a lot of new pattern ideas.

It's All There in Black and White

"2 Minutes a Day"

I'm calling this zentangle "2 minutes a day" because that's how much daylight we are gaining now - yay!

Lost Orca

This one is from my "7 Lost Orca" series. I'm posting it again because there has been a sighting of 2 new orca calves (L112 and J44) in Puget Sound. There is a suspected loss of a 31 year old male however. He is L57 or "Faith." The calves aren't given a regular name until they've survived a year. I found a fabulous blog (Orcinus) that keeps up with our local orca news.

T on 2 - 2/17

white tea and zen

I have a little quiet time today after a busy 4-day weekend for the kids. I love to do a zentangle to unwind, so I'll be having my white tea, a white chocolate from my stash and my blank zentangle paper with a brand new sharpie. 

It's week 4 on the disintegration project now. I'm so bad with numbers I don't know if it means 4 weeks are over with or we're coming into the 4th week now (calendar math) .... but the pages are having a little zen experience of their own: becoming one with the leaves. 

leaf zen

... these are branches from the maple tree that shelters the disintegration project. I'm noticing the leaf buds emerging. You can't tell from the picture, but the leaf buds are as red as the autumn leaves are on this tree. I wonder why?

 ... and here's a little grape hyacinth poking it's head up out of the earth. I haven't seen the snowdrops come up yet, so this little guy is the winner of this year's race for spring.

No progress on the knitting - argh - my back is giving me fits and sitting and knitting doesn't help. Oh well. 

I WILL be starting a second blog - ooglebloops and J&Z commented on that earlier. I must be "daft" as Larry would say (see lumilyon). But, hey - it's been a year of red wagon (in March) and I think I get bored or something. I'll keep y'all posted on the progress of that .... 

Enjoy your Tuesday - and maybe even try a zentangle - just for fun :)