Wednesday 25 June 2014

come again

Things took a different turn over at the Diva's place this week - where guest Sharla Hicks asked us to Redux / Remix / Revisit one or two of our frequently used tangles.

I varied the size and direction of Flux
and had Tipple pooling and dripping
down.  I tried to shade with watercolour
and stippled with a coloured pen.
One of the things I like about Zentangle is its mindlessness - no, that's not quite right, its mindfree nature.  The fact I can sit and let the pen make strokes and see where they take me.  But sometimes it's good to make it a more mindful activity.  To really worship the form and honour it and see if it's willing to grace us with even more beauty and pleasure.

I tried to make Tipple textural by having
it wrap the columns and I let Flux tumble
free.  I tried to shade more heavily than
I would usually.
To choose which tangles to redux I went back to some of the first ones I learned and those I use often but tend to be lazy with - using them over and over in the same ways I originally learned them.  The two culprits I chose were Flux and Tipple.  Flux I always have as meandering vine with even sized leaves on each side.  Only once or twice have I drawn it as a fixed clump.  And Tipple is always a helpful little filler, but never much of a star in its own right.

I altered Flux and drew it as a freehand
grid 'wrapping' a solid.  I tried to alter the
size of Tipple to create dark and light
but lost focus a bit!
In addition I wanted to try to give more thought to shading, and to the layout of my tangles on the tile - I always tend to stick to the square border and fill it - but often admire the tiles of those who deviate from this.

I spent a long time playing in my sketchbook and then produced three tiles (click on any image to enlarge) over two days - each to some degree succeeding in doing something new.  It was a great challenge, and has opened a new way of exploring tangles.  I know I'll do this again.


10 comments:

  1. well done - these are beautiful and you have done so much with them

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  2. Wow.... I love all three... but my love is the first one... color, and simplicity of the tangle... and I am one that loves things filled to the capacity... LOL... go figure... but I love them all.. Love, Light and Peace..Bonnie .

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  3. Wow, what a treat for my eyes. All three so very different and yet so beautiful. I love your shading, especially in the purple one.

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  4. Great line work! I like how you used stippling to shade your purple piece.

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  5. You really delved into the spirit of this challenge. I learned so much reading your entry and seeing what you did. I also considered revisiting Tipple for this challenge but chickened out, so I am all the more impressed by what you did. And I LOVE that Flux on the second tile!!!!

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  6. Great use of Flux. Like the shading. Your free hand grid reminds me of Helen Williams' tangle Twirl.

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  7. Three beautiful studies, each one a total success. Your text is very well written and so informative. This is an A+ post. Thanks.

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  8. These tiles are great. The first two remind me of the Greek empire, and the third one...flux as a border around a grid... absolutely outside of the box, and it's wonderful! I love the way you aura'ed inside each leaf.

    Well done! aka HeidiSue http://www.pinterest.com/pin/289989663479338215/

    Flux was my "go to" pattern too, and I'm tickled to see your treatment of my "first love" :)

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  9. These are beautiful , but I myself prefer the second one :)

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  10. You are just SOOO clever! I love these tiles - all of them are great but the second one is just yummy and utterly delicious. Axxx

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