Challenge #116 - Blind Sighted

#116 Knightsbridge, Mooka Leaves, Schway, Betweed, Tipple,
Aura Knot / Celtic Knot , Beadz, and Quabog

Laura Harms Diva challenge for this week, #116 is revisiting the blind string challenge. It, on the one hand, makes it easier since we have no control over the "string" creation, we just close our eyes and scribble, or let it flow. On the other hand it puts those of us who need to control in a tail spin. I'm a go with the flow gal on this, didn't really like the initial blind string outcome. When I close my eyes my string is verrrry small, so when I opened my eyes and saw how small it had come out I closed my eyes and added one more loop. Not cheating, right?

Fun challenge, I don't think I'll use this string again, but it was an enjoyable process. I let the string "guide me" not hold me hostage.

I used the new tangle Schway by Rick Roberts, my version is a tangelation, but it holds true to the basics of the tangle.

#116 - Blind string overlay

I then added Knightsbridge, Mooka Leaves (my tangelation), Betweed, Tipple, Aura Knot / Celtic Knot  (sort of - focus on the knot/snarl!),
Beadz, and Quabog.

I'm working on a new "chop" for my signature. I really love MT's new circular signature initials which inspired me to try something different.

A lot going on in this ZIA, but as always, I enjoyed the process. I am going to try to incorporate tangles that are new to me in my work. I love using my comfort tangles which Maria calls "mac 'n cheese" tangles (thanks Maria) but I also want to stretch myself, so I'm committing to getting out of my comfort zone.

I'm also showing my second version of last week's Earth / Amanda challenge. I tried to have it done by Saturday evening but life got in the way. The ZIA I posted last week used color and was more representational/illustrative, so I decided to go back and use my basic string for the Earth Day challenge and Zentangle Inspire / tangle it in black and white (Purist that I am)!

Earth/ Amanda Day - Challenge #115 Version 2 - Zentanglized (Black and White)
Munchin, Leaves, Florz, Hybrid, Beadz, Tipple, Auras,
Sea and Mountain (mine), Stars, and some waves

Challenge #104 - UMT with tangle WHYZ

Version 1 - Hi-C, Dansk, Inapod, Printemps,
Rain, WHYZ, and Zedbra

Version 2 - WHYZ, Quabog, Voga, Buttons and thread
with some Mooka curves

The Diva's challenge this week is a UMT challenge and features Janee MacKugler, CZT's tangle WHYZ.  Check out her blog instructions. I was so excited to see her featured on this week's Diva challenge. She was one of my fellow classmates at the CZT #6 training in May of 2010. I had corresponded with and "met" her online via the Diva's challenge before I went to the training in Whitinsville, it was so great to meet her in person. We all bonded and had such a wonderful time with Rick and Maria at the last training held in Oakhurst in Whitinsville. We laughed and shared such wonderful creative energy at that training. It was a once in a lifetime experience!

I found WHYZ a little challenging. I'm not very good with structured tangles but this one lends itself beautifully to tangelations. I just let it flow and kept reminding myself that there are no mistakes in the Zentangle process, and let the process guide me. 

My first version of WHYZ I kept all my "twists" going in the same direction and tried to "pop" the triangles with black and highlights. A little dark but I like the overall effect. I used Hi-C, Rainz, Inapod, Printemps, Tipple, WHYZ, and Zedbra. I enjoy the openess and the ruffle edging created by Inapod.

On my second version I concentrated on Janee's triangles and using the "Y's" to create diamond patterns. I love this concept and it was fun to see what happened. WHYZ is such a structured elegant pattern so I tried to offset it with the more organic tangles and make it all flow together. Not totally successful, but it was a fun exercise. I used buttons, thread, Voga, some Mookaisms, Quabog, and some Zingers. I hope Janee doesn't mind my divergences on her pattern. It was so much fun to play with!

Challenge #107 - New Official Tangle: Quandary and Tangleations Play

ZIA - Quandary Version 2 - Let it flow!
Quandary and tangleations, Shattuck, Float Fest
with Quabogs, and some Tipple

Rick and Maria released a new tangle in their newsletter this week. The tangle is called Quandary and Maria it's based on "6's and uses rice shaped sections. Check out all the wonderful tangleations of this new addition on Laura's Diva challenge. It's really a fun and versatile tangle. The CZT's at the training #10 got the first look at this tangle. I was at CZT training #6 and we got to learn Tripoli from Maria and Rick even before it was officially announced, how fun to be part of the "in" crowd!

My first version (below) shows a monotangle with a few variations and morphing added. My rice shapes seem to become more leaf like (to me). The pointed edges seem to be my rice shape, I added a swirly background and let the stamens flow!

Quandary, free form play with larger micron pen

I then played with a little more free form version of Quandary I've included my three variations and tangleations. Quandary still works using more free form shapes. I used a larger micron pen to give more of a free form brush stroke look. The bottom version has a Japanese calligraphy feel to it, I auraed the Quandary shapes and these wonderful triangles emerged. I enjoy the grey stroke using a soft lead HB pencil and adding some graduated shading to the top left version. The little fishies just emerged.

After playing with free form versions and rereading Maria's description, I did another tile. I had missed the forming triangles part in her description originally. Concentrating on forming triangle shapes and building on that, made my second version of Quandary flow much more easily. I really like my version #2. Oh what fun to play with Quandary!

Quandary Version 1 -
Monotangle morphed

Weekly Challenge #23: "String Theory"

This weeks Diva's challenge gives us all the same string and tells us to go for it! I'm going to try this a couple more of these. I love the fact that we're all starting from the same place or string and then going in our own directions. The variety and creativity that ensues is AMAZING. I really enjoy seeing the variety developed from one string by all you amazingly creative sources. What fun the weekly challenge is!

I'm still influenced by the Whitinsville seminar so I'm working on some tangles we looked at with Rick and Maria and just playing with new tangles. Printemps, Knightsbridge, Quabog, Vega, some Tipple, and my tangle Cross View.

This ZIA has more of a drawing quality to it... I love playing with the variety of line qualities (thick and  thin) and working with the shading on the organic shapes that are created. The challenge for me with shading is the not to muddy the image and to make sure there is enough contrast between the darks and lights.

One of the things Maria kept telling us was to pick up our tiles and look at them from a distance and turn them. The Zentangle process does make it easy to immerse ourselves and not see the big picture. It's sort of the point of a meditative process but we all need to look at the big picture to see the full impact in our Zentangles or our lives.

My second version has Purk, Betweed, Diamond Panes, Hybrid, Keeko, a Printempish tangle and other "stuff". Technical, huh?