Tuesday 18 September 2018

a little of what you fancy

I don't think I have too many art supplies.  If gathered together in one place they would fit in two drawers of my old bureau.  I've seen people with far more, and equally people who create magic with a ballpoint pen on scrap paper.  I resist the urge to buy every new pen that catches my eye.  I read copious reviews before trialing a new paper.  And often I come back to my old favourites again and again.  But sometimes I think perhaps I have more than enough - in the literal sense of the phrase.  I have more than I can hold in mind.  More than I can choose from.  Things get forgotten, which of course also allows for the thrill of rediscovery.  

And so it was this week.  The Diva challenged us to tangle with straight lines only.  I knew I wanted to draw bands of Shard, a tangle I rarely use despite it being a close cousin to Baton which is one of my favourites.  I almost grabbed a square tile, then I remembered my 3Zs!  A little box of precious triangles I treated myself to earlier this year!

Diva #368 - Shard / 3Z tile / pigment ink / graphite

I recently took myself a week long holiday at home.  Time spent with loved ones, away from normal activities, chores, hours spent on this computer.  We talked, we read, we ate cakes, we laughed, loved, listened to starlings singing from the fir tree, we slept late and long, and walked out on a grey day to a beautiful little churchyard.  And of course I wanted to tangle, but didn't want to be rooting through options.  So before I 'left' I packed up a little set.  3 tiles cut down from Zentangle Apprentice tiles, to something postcard shaped (roughly measuring 11 x 8 cm).  My trusty black Uni Pin 01, a turquoise Copic SP I very rarely reach for, a Zig Clean Color Brush in Haze blue and a pencil and stump.  And these are the tiles that came from that. 

Bran and Printemps / Shattuck, Bunzo, Clob, Beadlines, Printemps / Huggins, Antidots, Clob

To summarise - I like having choices, but not too many.  I like limitations too, but only if I know I can break free!

9 comments:

  1. Love your diva tile and the others are beautiful with the turquoise!

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  2. All of these are just beautiful.

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  3. I love that Diva tile. And .... like you I have more then enough :-)

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  4. Well I can't fault your logic . . . I wholeheartedly agree with the last two sentences of your post.

    Needless to say . . . I LOVE your 3 tiles.

    xxx

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  5. I'm not a minimalist myself and have tons of stuff I've forgotten about until I go searching. The joy of rediscovery is great. I don't use Shard much either but after seeing this I will have to give it a go, I think. I enjoyed looking at these, so thank you very much for sharing.

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  6. Those are all beauties ❤ I'm always trying to reign myself in from accumulating more art supplies. I was pretty good at it until l got bit by the mixed media bug. The saving grace is that since my neighborhood art store went out of business, it's a trek and don't do it often.

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  7. Lovely tiles! But the one for Diva´s challenge catches my eyes!

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  8. I agree that less is more. I'm trying to clear out things that don't bring me joy, and find that it makes life more enjoyable. I love the description of your staycation. All your tiles are simple and beautiful.

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