Roy's Challenge: Monotangle Phicops

3.5" tile

There are some tangles that I just do not resonate with and Phicops is one of them.  I find that if I put it in with other tangles I "can" make it work.  But I rarely choose it with so many ones that I love.  But I like the challenge of TRYING to use in different ways. Sometimes I re-discover that after all, it is a nice tangle.  

I remembered that some showed how to make Phicops into a kind of "pinecone" shape which seemed kind of interesting and a made a little sketch of it.  So I thought I'd use that for a starting point.  I think this could have been a nice tile IF I could have used other tangles with it.  But as is, I am not at all happy with it.  I don't think it's a good choice for a monotangle as there are just not enough variations.  But I will look at what others come up with and I will probably be surprised. 

Happy Birthday to Ben

4 x 6"  Paradox, Twile, Knightsbridge, Hollibaugh, Yew-dee, Tidings, Widgets, Tipple

It's time for my grandson Ben to have a 14th birthday!  I'll get to see him on May 11 in s.e. WI on our way north to our cabin.  So I will get to hand him this card myself!!!  

Double celebration of Mother's Day AND a birthday!

Ben is our fencer!  Great kid!!!!  

Diva's Zentangle 3.5"Challenge: Mother Earth

3.5" tile: Spawn, Tearce, Pendril, Pop Cloud, Aura-leah, Verdegogh, Mura, Auraknot

I know when the Diva started this challenge she moved into Zendala territory for her own entry for the "Earth Day" image.  But like her, Zendalas are not my thing.  I think for me it's too much repetition.  I much prefer the square format of the tile.

I remembered that "Spawn" was supposed to represent frog eggs so I started with a water, land, sky format.  After I was all finished I wished that I had drawn a ribbon with a bow around the "Mother Earth" image before I started.  I toyed with actually tying a "real" ribbon around the whole tile. In the end decided to play it more simple.  Happy Earth Day.   

Roy's Mono-tangle Challenge of the week: Onamato

Mono-tangle 3.5" square: Onamato

Green added for Earth Day today!

 

I am sort of getting the hang of the mono-tangle now after doing 5 or 6 of them.  Onamato has never been one of my favorite tangles but I enjoyed doing this one. (Too many "perfs" I think).

Getting over my VERY awful sinus cold finally...and the weather is clearing and in the 80s for the rest of the week.  PERFECT.  

We leave FL a week from Sunday and the weather to the north does NOT look inviting AT ALL.  If it were not for the Joyce Hicks workshop waiting for me (starting May 19) in Lac du Flambeau I would be whining and dragging my feet!

I probably will do some whining and dragging anyway! 

I mean the ice is not off the lake up north yet!!!  

Diva's Star Shape Zentangle Challenge

Funf, Spinstar, Star Fish, Starawn, Widgets

For the Diva's star challenge I wanted to try to use some of the tangles I already had that had "star quality".  I was amazed how many there were.  I was tempted to use "Fengle" for the main star shape...one of my favorites.  But then decided to use some that were more unfamiliar.  Afterward it just seemed liked the stars needed a pale blue watercolor sky (colbalt blue).  

Roy's Challenge: Mono-tangle Auraknot

Mono-tangle of Piza

Piza

I was taken by a new tangle called "Piza" recently and decided to try a mono-tangle using it.  I think it has a lot of possibilities.  

Ways to display your tangles

This is my coffee table...plate glass.


I have not even glued them down...just sandwiched them between the foam core and the glass. Easy to change the display! I think black foam core would be more dramatic.


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Another Diva Challenge

This challenge had to do with putting "squares within squares".
Jalousie is the outside tangle but I forgot to write down the other two.




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The Icosahedron becomes a 20 sided 3-dimentional object

You can tell, I didn't do a super duper job of matching up the sides...some gaps are in view.  It's not the easiest thing to get them matched up perfectly!  But I'll keep working on it...I may be able to line it up a little better.   Still you "get the idea". 

It's kind of funky!  If you are interested in downloading the patterns for this click here for the link.  It's the last two on the page, I think.

It would make a unique Christmas ornament!  

Or you can roll it like a dice to pick your next pattern!

Second half of the Icosahedron

Hurry, Auraknot, Hibred, Cadent, Crescent Moon, W2, Cubine, Printemps, Paradox, Diva Dance

Okay...this is the SECOND half of the Icosahedron that I started (scroll down to April 7 post).  This section I call "the classics"..probably the tangles that all tangles keep in their repertoires. The other section has the newer and more "unusual" tangles.   

One of my blog followers asked why one section seems to be missing.  That is because this is going to be cut out and folded up into a 3-dimentional object.  The shaded areas to the sides are the "glue-tabs".  Photo to follow.  

En Plein Air in Leesburg Florida!

10 x 11" on Arches, ink and wc

Landscape Moleskin notebook 5 x 8"

The "Fine Arts Gang" of Hawthorne Park en plein air on April 8
(me in blue and white striped shirt).  Eight of us gathered for a fun morning.

We all had a great morning painting.  Gorgeous Florida weather today.. 80-85 all morning.  Can't beat this!  

Zentangle on a Icosahedron

Spoolz, V's, Cyme, Eureka, Spawn, Tuxedo, Z-Trik, Zoya (v), Oakling (v), Knightsbridge Peek, Starawn, Mr. E

Roy's challenge (extra curricular one) is to make a 20 sided "thing-a-majiggy" with tangles on each side that you can toss to decide on which tangle to use. So you cut it out and take it together to make it 3-dimentional.   I think something like this comes in the Zentangle kit if you order one.

There are 10 sides to the top section (show above) and 10 sides for the bottom...yet to come.  I decided to ignore his instructions to do one side a week and to use some of the tangles I've picked up in the last 4-5 weeks rather than wait to get his assignment every week for 20 weeks!  

I did this in a few days.  It is not very big.  The triangles are about 2-1/4" on a side.  

Leave it to me to disregard instructions.  But in 20 weeks I would surely have LOST this!  And I am leaving to go north in about 5 weeks.  So it is fun anyway and I just won't submit it to Roy's challenge and call it instead...Ginny's "outside-the-triangle" project. 

En Plein Air at Cross Creek

Ink and WC sketch (double spread 8.5" x 11")

Great day at Cross Creek (Marjorie Rawlins home) in central Florida.  The author of The Yearling and many other books lived just about a hour and a half north of Leesburg where I lived.  This is true "cracker" country again.  Tours are given daily on the hour (check the website).  

This is our third visit.  We like to bring company here to get a flavor of what it was like "in the old days".  We also watched the movie "Cross Creek" a few nights ago to see how she is portrayed.  

Since I've been through the tour, Greg took my sister and brother through the tour while I did a sketch.  Unfortunately we had an overcast and 65 degree afternoon following some storms that came through here.  Ocala area was about 15 degrees cooler than Leesburg yesterday!!!  Go figure.  So I painted in gray skies.  

I continue to practice doing the sketch IN INK first.  No graphite.  Always a challenge for me.  Especially when doing architecture!  Now I want to practice putting some people into the paintings to add scale! Thought I'd try a "double page" spread too..since it is rather small sketchbook.  I need to get back and do the printing in it as well.  It needs to be dated and a bit written about the day.  Today we are off to an Art Tour (driving tour) around the area, a tour of the Mote-Morris House, some garage sales, and other events.  77 and sunny today.  Should be great.   

Roy's Challenge: the W-2 Monotangle

W-2 Monotangle

Diva Challenge for this Week

Mr. E, Tuxedo (2 versions), Tringle, Opus

The $1000 Commission? Hahaha.

Acrylic and Ink on Metal: 18" high
Tangles: Scallops, Auraknot,Striping, Koryl, Spot Lites, Dansk,
 Polrevo, Paushalov, Keeko, Laces (v) Knightsbridge, Loops (v)

This project came to me as a joke...a dare.  My friend, Guy, found it left over from the Rummage Sale at the park.  Rusty...and painted with metal paint in sort of strange pastel colors.  I wish I'd taken a photo of the "before".  What was I thinking? "I am sure you can do something with this for me?"  He grinned.  

Two coats of white gesso.  Then some acrylic paint.
Then...what else?  Zentangle.  

It has a hanger on the back so it can be hung on something.  I will spray coat it with clear acrylic spray.  

I don't think Guy and Diane follow my blog so when I get to book club Monday night...I'll present it to them as a commission with a fake bill for $1000.  Hahaha.

Nostalgic Look Back

Yupo half sheet with WC

Well I think this is the final version.  I have signed it.

She now has lovely floral shoes with slight shadows. The facial shadow is gone and I have just added some different shades of skin tones to infer her face.

Next I'll need to spray coat it several times with mat acrylic clear spray to fix the painting. And I need to come with a title.

Thanks to everyone who has given me support in finishing this one up.  It's been fun.

Now I am on to some sort of crafty stuff I need to finish up and then I'll have company for a few days.

Monday I hope to have a group of en plein air painters here.  Cross your fingers on the weather.

Final Touches on the Watercolor on Yupo

WC on Yupo Half Sheet

I think I am satisfied with the car shadow now.

  

I am not sure about the lady's face yet.  I have inferred a shadow on her face and that might be distracting.  Guess I have to let that sit awhile and see how it feels.  It would not be hard to start over again on the face.  On Yupo everything is removable.   And you can start right over again. 

I might also put a little color or shadow on her shoes.  Carol Ann says Yupo is about "shapes".  You don't need a lot of details.  In fact in most cases details are almost impossible anyway.  A fun painting all in all.