And so to 2nd July 2013 - I'd been teaching myself to tangle from a book. This was Day 5, tile 5. I had a handful of tangles at my disposal, a basic pen, pencil and some tiles cut from thin white card stock. But I could see something I liked in the way these strange shapes started to rise up from the paper as I drew.
Things I would have thought then -
- that Printemps is harder to draw than you'd expect
- that I didn't really 'get' Isochor
- that I didn't really believe in all the 'talk' about certain pens, tiles etc
- that shading seemed a bit like putting a load of graphite over something that looked neat until you did
- that I couldn't imagine this Zentangle holding my attention for more than a few weeks
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| Then and now - the evolution of a tile [click to enlarge] |
Fast forward to now. The same tangles, a similar string. And a world of difference. And the differences mainly come about from confidence, commitment and community.
What I know now -
- that Printemps is still a challenge, and Isochor is a odd one!
- that better materials do help - not least because they make you value yourself and your art
- that shading makes the ink lines come to life
- that nearly three years later I tangle almost every week, and can't imagine ever stopping
Both pieces are great. When I first started I'd never have been able to leave so much empty space, even now it's hard;-) I love the depth you've achieved. Your current piece is really stunning!
ReplyDeleteLook at the difference in your tiles, wonderful. I had to laugh at your comments, I have had much the same thoughts. I still struggle with Printemps and I also didn't understand Isochor although I love it now,
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to discover the improvement! What a journey!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to look back sometimes and appreciate what became of us.
ReplyDeleteAs I look through the entries for this week's Challenge, what I think I'm seeing is more about approach than mere skills development. (There is an improvement in people's skills, of course...) It's the confidence and pleasure and achievement and appreciation of a job well done. I feel these show all those things.
ReplyDeletewonderful growth. I like how you expanded on the original string and first tangles to make it new and fresh.
ReplyDeleteI am so enjoying looking at the progress people have made. I love the new tile and think it looks a bit like an abstract drawing of an angel!
ReplyDeleteSo great to see your evolution of style!
ReplyDeleteLove seeing the progress through everyone's art this week. Your string shapes are very interesting. I'm not sure on isochor either it is a strange one. But i love printemps I don't find them hard.:)
ReplyDeleteYour new tile is so full of life with the shading and the highlighting. Isn't it amazing how far we have all come in our journeys? I love your thought processes then vs now. It's fun to see how people think through things. Thank you so much for sharing!
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