Friday 8 March 2019

say hello, wave goodbye

Last week I said goodbye to the winter instalment of my seasonal Inklings project. When I started this I knew it would be challenging - while I have very few concerns with managing the colours of winter and autumn, spring and summer are not my natural palettes. To me spring is the time when colours return - tentatively, just a touch here and there, pale suggestions of colour slowly intensifying as the months creep by.  Tender greens and warmer blues, but especially yellows and pinks - my least comfortable colours. But what's the point in challenging yourself if you only stick with what is comfortable?!

The following three tiles allowed me to dip my toe into spring. Each has one foot still in winter, but a burst of colour breaking through.

My fellow tanglers inspire me each and every day, in small, large and sometimes unexpected ways. My first tile is testament to that. Among her many delights, Anica has recently been sharing some tiles where she mounts a Bijou of one colour in the middle of another coloured regular sized tile. She then tangles, seamlessly blending the two together. I wanted to give this a try. Elsewhere, in a conversation with Alice, mistress of colour, we were talking about whether yellow tissue paper is more reluctant to give up its colour, when used in the tissue dying technique. I did a couple of tests on scraps of watercolour paper and found by luck more than skill that it worked! A two inch square tinted yellow and pink just begged to be used in an an Anica style tile.  It's actually mounted on a white tile which I then mostly coloured grey, the same grey I used on my winter tiles. I don't think my integration of the two parts is even close to seamless, but the process was great fun and one I'll revisit.

A window onto spring -
Nik in the corners, and Krokus in the middle

Back in January I broke the rules when joining in with Annette's first invitation to enjoy a Zendala Moment.  A few weeks ago she shared a second installment and this time I transferred the string faithfully to a Zentangle original round tile.  As soon as I saw those squares with their petal shapes I knew I wanted them be cut through to show what lies beneath. Again a tile started to come together that showed the cusp where one season slides into the next. Seeing as I'd already started with yellow and pink I continued, with coloured pencil on my ribbons.  The thing I love most about tangling Zendalas is that glorious repetition, moving from one section to the next, little adjustments to one part repeated in the others.  This piece started very pale, wispy almost - I liked its delicacy but it began to feel uncharacteristic of my style.  I went back and darkened some of the auras, and suddenly I could recognise myself again.

Pretty in pink and yellow -
mostly just Baton, with a few Fescu

My last tile began in the dark depths of December. I was playing around with F2F (short for Fringe 2 Fringe) - a tangle unleashed from the brilliant mind and hand of Tomàs Padrós.  I had an idea of using F2F to form a kind of snowflake.  I confess that I started out with quite a few pencil lines to divide my space evenly.  And then I sort of stopped, put the barely started tile to one side and mostly forgot about it. Occasionally I picked it up and wondered whether to start it again. And then this week I did. I completed the middle section which now looks more like a papery spinner than a snowflake. I added some pink and yellow watercolour in the corners, and once dry added a little Printemps. It's a strange tile, but I've always liked strange things!

Ready for takeoff -

Last week I said I was a little wary about reconnecting with colour, but having spent the week dabbling with my two most feared colours I feel a little braver about the weeks and months ahead.

11 comments:

  1. Love all of these. Your mandala from Moments #2 really caught my eye. I may play some with your concept of it, if you don't mind. What fun to see your work and hear how you accomplished it. Your division of the seasons is inspiring.

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    1. Thank you Pat. Of course, you are more than welcome to play with anything of mine that takes your fancy. One of the things I love is that we pick up bits from each other and run with them.

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  2. They're all wonderful, Jem. There are a few kinds of pinks and yellows that I can work with but I know what you mean about them. An even more difficult color for me is orange but I have found some shades of orange that I don't mind so much in small amounts.

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    1. Thank you Linda. Yes, orange is the next colour that challenges me - but the more burnt oranges of autumn I'm happy with. Purples and reds need careful handling too - I think I'll tackle those in the summer months!

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  3. I love each and every one of your tiles, RR, but the Baton Zendala... Baton has never looked so beautiful in a tile! But I am equally astounded about your F2F tile. I am still trying to figure out whether it is a cheese grating spinner or a part of an industrial fan. Hi5 to you!

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    1. Thank you Susie. My Baton did come out unexpectedly tiny and tidy - once started it was hard to maintain but I like the finished effect!

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  4. Brilliant tangling, as always . . . you are very inspiring. Loving that middle Zendala. So pretty.

    Hugs, Sarn
    Tangles and Dangles

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    1. Thank you Sarn! I always forget about Zendalas, and yet really enjoy it when I do one!

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  5. Wonderful work! I really like your Zendala for Zendala Moments. Great interpretation of the string and the coloured ribbons are so lovely!

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