Challenges

I wanted to start practicing this zentangle-inspired-art form and I decided to try some of the challenges that are posted by I am the diva.  Better late than never, right?  I started right from the beginning and I will work my way through them...either to the end (100 right now) or until I feel like I am getting better at drawing them!

I have been using some cheap coloured card stock that I got at the dollar store once upon a time and some very-fine tipped Sharpies.  They may not be the best quality materials, but they certainly work for practicing!

The first Diva Challenge was called Simplicity and I came up with the following two ideas:

 

The second Diva Challenge was called Two Pencil String and I came up with:

The third Diva Challenge, Eyes Wide Shut, was drawing the string with eyes closed, and I ended up with:

 The fourth Diva Challenge, Starry Eyed Surprise, and mine turned out like this:

The fifth Diva Challenge, Orbs, ended up like this.  Not my favourite...didn't turn out how I wanted, but that is what practicing is all about.  If I get a better one done, I will post it later.

That's all the ones I have done for now.  I am going to the I am the diva site now to get the next few.  They are lots of fun and are small enough that I feel like I am actually accomplishing something!

In the meantime, here are a couple of rocks I've finished:

Now, back to doodling!

After Christmas

Christmas is over!  Back to work.

I have been busy painting rocks and I wanted show off a sampler today.

I can't remember the names of the patterns and I just discovered how difficult it is to search and find the patterns if you don't know the name.  So I have guessed the closest one for now and if you know the real name, please comment below.

I tried to match the patterns to the different layers of the earth.  I chose light blue and feathers for air, then green and the pattern is kinda scrawlz and fescu, then brown and yellow sorta barberpole-ish, next is stripes in dark blue to represent a water layer, then finally peas in a pod in tan colour to represent all the unseen things under the earth.  You can also see the natural rock layer just beyond the feather pattern.

The "strings" on this piece are actually the different levels of the rock itself.  The picture below is shiny and shows the levels a little bit clearer.  It also shows how shiny the finish is :)

Well, off to do some more painting.

Christmas Family Give-Aways

We went for a family Christmas dinner today and as a little gift for each of them, I did a Mooka-inspired design on a rock with the word "family" written on it.  During the tutorial for drawing Mooka, one of the instructors says its kinda like a family.  It must have stuck in my mind, because days later when I came to practice it...I thought it looked enough like a family that I could embellish it and come up with something.  The continuous line is the unity of family.  The three shoots represent the parents and a child, however I am part of a "blended family" (if people still use that term) and I still feel it represents us well.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy seeing it.  It was fun and simple to draw and turned out quite colourful for an addition to their gardens.

A First for Everything

This is a double first for me.  First time to blog and first time showing a "zentangle" aka doodling back in my day.

My "thing" is art using rocks.  I live in a very rocky coastline area and my supply is endless. Most recently, I started painting on rocks.  I was browsing the internet to check out what was being done and I kept coming across these great, intricate artsy designs.  You guessed it, Zentagles!  I decided to integrate some tangles into my painting.

I spent several days checking out the patterns on tanglepatterns.com before I had the nerve to take pen to paper (or paint to rock as it were).  But now, here I am.  Influenced by the zentangle community.  Posting on a blog.  Sharing some of my rocks.

This first rock uses "knyt".  When I first saw it, I thought it would be perfect for my mother since she is a huge knitter!  So, with Christmas right around the corner...knyt on my computer screen...brush in hand and rock in place...its a knyt rock for mom this year!

I added a couple Zingers and a couple of my own little bugs...because it is going to be a garden rock...and a tiny elephant.  She has been collecting elephants all my life and my husband said the rock had to include one!  This should add some year-round colour to her garden!

I hope she likes it.