Zentangle a Nametag

I'be been asked to design the artist's name tags for the reception at the Presbyterian church in Lac du Flambeau, WI on August 16.

This is my first attempt at it but I am not sure I like the "chains" on the sides for some reason. So I may try this again. Something about "chains" is just psychologically not right for this!

The little red dot is the pin in the paper.

I kind of like a spot of color actually and I may go back (there are only about 15 artists) and color one little spot of color on the name tag!

It is about the size of a Zentangle (3.5" square) and I did discover that when you photo copy them, the shading disappears. Blah! So I am going to have to back and shade each one.

Happy Birthday Deb Ward

Deb will laugh when she sees this.

She hinted after I posted yesterday that HER birthday is September 2.

So I took the hint.

My friend Durinda read yesterday's blog and decided that I should be doing these cards on commission! And what would I charge?

Hahaha.

Hard to think of charging for something that is so much fun!

(And Deb...the card is going in the mail in August. Watch for it.

Zentangle Birthday Cards

These are nice quality card stock and I decided to keep the 3.5" square size and I drew funky numbers first.

So the one on the left is my hubby's Aunt Cordelia who will be 98. Hopefully you can kind of find the 9-8 on the cover? I doubt she's ever seen one of these so I printed directions on the inside for finding the "hidden numbers".

Then our grandson will turn 11 next week too so there are two funky "ones" on the one on the right...one tipped slightly. Both have some very lightly shaded color pencil added. I also hid his name and "happy birthday" in the design and inside the card I asked him to see if he could find them.

Sure is more personal and fun to get one of these than some $4.00 generic goofy Hallmark card. Just another thing to do with Zentangles!

I found an old wallpaper book at a garage sale on Friday and I am thinking I'll use it as a background for a Zentangle now too. Also a really cool find...a set of alphabet stamps (50 cents). These are going for big bucks on eBay!

Participate in a Webinar? Who Me?

Kind of looks like serious business here, doesn't it? That's my iPad in front of me and I am tucked into a quiet corner in the Minocqua Public Library (WI) using their WiFI connection which is free and faster than mine at home.

Here I am adjusting the earphones at the start of the program. 4 pm EST and 3 pm CST (me the latter) in Wisconsin.

Here is one of the first slides up.

The Webinar was titled "Untangling Zentangle" and hosted by Australian Artist, Kass Hall.

I first heard about this when my Florida friend Cynthia alerted me to it and I registered (free) and thought I'd give it a try.

First I had to download an app called "GoToMeeting" in order to set up my iPad for this event. (Also free.) I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to SEE Kass talking (just hear her live from Australia). And I heard the presenter who introduced her and then collected questions participants typed in and read them to Kass. I think some Webinars are set up for visuals and for interactive talking. But this one was a short one (one hour) and so they stuck to a power point presentation and Cass's narration and discussion.

When there was a slide up that I wanted to keep I simple took a photo of my iPad screen! There was enough time to do that.

Like all art forms, there are rules but they are made to broken.

She has just written a book called Zentangle Untangled which you can buy at Amazon.com. Kind of cool to be listening to Cass from Australia while I sat in WI! I think I will get her book. Looks great. There will be another webinar on August 29 on Journals. Another technology adventure for me!

Tangled

When you look at patterns, think about patterns (and designs) and repeats motifs ...they seem to pop up just about everywhere. Ever noticed that? All Zentangle lovers report this if you read their blogs...they find new patterns in old cathedral walls in Europe, in the hotel carpets in Quebec and everywhere in nature.

I picked up a new book to start called The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson...a friend loaned it to me months ago and I am just now getting started on it.

It is about, wouldn't you know, a woman who runs an embroidery business and she is immersed the patterns for shawls and dresses. Embedded within the first story is a second story about a 16th century woman ALSO involved in patterns in Turkish rugs and fine dresses. (Who lived in Cornwall where my husband's ancestor's hail from!). Serendipity. I love it.

This painting called "Tangled" is a re-do of a wc I did many years ago when I was practicing poured painting and negative cut outs. It is is similar to one I did last week and I probably painted both of them int he same time period. It is very relaxing trying to figure out where to make a ribbon or string appear a second time, if at all.

The character in my books says, "embroidery is an improbably hobby for someone as disordered as me, but it's the very precision of it that attracts me, the illusion of control it offers. When engaged in stitching a new pattern, I can't think about anything else....the calming exactitude of the discipline." Just so. Like Zen.

Parallel Universe

I have been somewhat fascinated by many of the "universe" science shows on TV lately. And I am a fan of fantasy and science fiction literature.

The idea of a "parallel" universe is one that always touches a chord of resonance with me. What if. Just what if.

This painting explores that in whimsical fashion. A world beyond which we cannot know or see but "might" be there...maybe even duplicating our world in some other way? The dictionary says one meaning of parallel is • occurring or existing at the same time

So I have peeked behind the lush orchard fruits and leaves in sort of an Alice- through-the-looking-glass way.

My apples in sunshine watercolor was pleasant enough but to me but it lacked punch, surprise, or a story....things I love in a painting. I'd like people to "look twice" and then maybe even come closer to see "whatever is going on here?"

It always seems to me when I add a Zentangle approach in black and white to an otherwise colorful painting...an air of mystery, surprise, fantasy begins to unravel the subject matter.

So I call this painting "Parallel Universe". 11 x 15, Arches cold press wc with ink and graphite.

Resolving a problem area

This is a close up of the upper left corner that I was mulling over earlier today.

If you scroll down to the one I posted earlier today you'll see this area is blank and I am fussing over it.

I decided to extend the frame up to the top, place one more "interesting" tangle on the top of the frame and add the chord there which shows up later in other places in the painting.

Here is the bottom left corner just showing a close up of the interesting texture choice in that area.

The final painting (at least for now).

"Trying to Keep the Memories Together"

I have, as you know, selected a few old watercolors that went into the "oh-boy-this-isn't-going-anywhere" file box. Often they have some actually interesting subject matter but I have not been able for some reason to "compose" the painting.

Excellent chance to play with Zentangles!

Using the Zentangle patterns as illusions to old fabrics I have put them together with a painting of our old oil lamp here at the north woods. I know I did this a number of years ago because my husband's glasses on the table are old plastic frames! And the old copper bell was his mother's "ring-you-to-lunch" bell here which we now use in Florida for that purpose (up here we need a louder bell and I use my old retirement school bell for that now!). So anyway I had been, I remember, practicing painting lace in this painting after taking a class at Dillman's. Arleta Peche...the QUEEN of painting lace. Oh MY!

So I got that far and fizzled out. So I have renamed the painting "Trying to Keep Old Memories Together" and am having a lot of fun with the tangles.

My last part of this is to use the negative space in the left hand corner more creatively without over-burdening the painting.

One idea I have is to extend the tangled picture frame that you can just see in the left bottom side of the painting into the left corner coming up under the pink checked cloth and having some gentle and not too distracting tangle in that part of the frame. The painting already touches the mat in 3 places so I don't want to go up too far. Any suggestions?

Arches 140# cold press. 11 x 15 watercolor, ink, graphite.

En plein air Thursdays

Thursdays we have a small north woods Wisconsin group at gets together at various locations to en plein air paint.

I got out my long un-used acrylics yesterday to see if I could remember ANYTHING about using them.

It does "come back" a little but I definitely need to work on this more. I have been priming my canvas with GOLD paint lately and it works out kind neat. This canvas was being re-used and actually had some pinks and other colors and I was painting over this and ended up liking having the multiple colors behind my sketch!!! I used to use "orange" as a primer and I do like that as well...but try gold once and see what happens. Nice and shimmery.

The restaurant was the building just behind me and we ate up on the second floor after painting with a lovely view of Lake Minocqua!

Experimentation

A few of my older paintings from my "chair" series turned up in the painting box the other day and I held them out for "experimentation".

Obviously not all paintings call out to have Zentangles in them!

I do think sometimes you can "surprise" a viewer with adding them. I tangled the lampshade and the flower basket. Then I needed something to tie the painting to the sides. I am not sure if the tangled strip adds or detracts. I decided not to use one tangle all the way across thinking the strip too large for that kind of commitment. I also thought of adding some color to the Zentangle strip but have not decided yet. I could pick up some of floor tile colors in it. The fact that it is black and white lends itself to keeping it from over taking the painting. And there are already repeated patterns in the watercolor itself in the cushions and on the floor and the lampshade. 11 x 15" 140# Arches cold press.

Zentangle-Inspired Art

Just an experiment.

I took an old watercolor that I did years ago and re-invented it. Then cropped it.

Just a fun little wild mix. I wanted to see how the ink Zentangles might look ON TOP of a watercolor. It's a little harder to manage as the ink soaks in differently than on a smooth unpainted surface.

And on some parts I did the "shading" with watercolor and not pencil as you would do with a black/white/gray piece of art work.

I think you can enlarge this image by clicking on it. The idea of having a center of interest is somewhat "lost" on this painting but I could get that back by using gouache and softening out the painting edges.

The original wc was about 15 x 22" and on cold pressed 140# arches. This cropped image then is about 12 x 15 I think. The original painting was done as a "poured" painting first and then negatively painting to define sort of "ribbons" criss crossing. Then I did some wc patterns on a few of the ribbons which I left in the painting. I like this effect as the softer wc patterns lay down in the background nicely.

WHAT to do with a Zentangle?

A few more posts on this topic of Zentangle.

One of the things that seems appropriate if you are going to spend time on these little "works of art" is WHAT do people do with them?

I am still exploring the possibilities.

This particular one, my "love" Zentangle, I am going to give to a friend. I found a little plexiglass frame at WalMart ($1.00) and it seems like the perfect setting for something that could sit on your desk or dresser and remind you of a special friend or a special thought. Below the art work I have a quote from the friend and on the back I put a second tangle and a note about WHAT Zentangles are and signed my name and dated it. Since the back is clear too...you have the option of adding more art work or a poem or a photo or whatever.

Certainly you could tangle someone's initials for them. I have found a dozen or more ideas of what people have done with theirs from lampshades to book marks, from coasters to decorating clothing, from pillows to quilts, from journal covers to greeting cards, and the list is going on! Suzanne Mc Neill's Zentangles are so beautiful...she combines her Zentangles into her watercolor paintings! Click here to see some of her work.

Zentangled out....

Well, here are the last 3 Zentangles for a little while. I am heading into a wc project right now so I want to post these before I tuck them on the shelf.

I warned you these were addictive, didn't I?

Hahaha.

They are all on white paper but I see that my lighting was different when I took photos of them.

All 3.5" square Canson cold press WC paper using .01-.03 permanent pens.

The first two were done with a "string" as a perimeter..that is a light pencil line drawn randomly around the edge of the cards. Then filled in rather randomly as I chose different patterns to practice. For those of you who are not "tanglers"...there is a whole set of "vocabulary" that is used...I am new to it too. Each of the patterns has a funky name so that people who want to know how to do one can go to tangle.com and find it and see the directions on how to do it. Some of the designs are copyright but openly shared. I guess if I invent one and post it I can claim it. Not that this interests me.

This last one, just for variety I actually drew lightly the letters to a word and then tangled the letters to see how that might work.

My friend, Kendra, says these would make dynamic coasters! If they were maybe glued to cork backing and then coated heavy with a clear protective covering. Interesting idea!!! Pretty neat gift for someone!

I guess I should probably sign these somehow. Seems like some folks just design in their initials somewhere. I'll have to think about this. Remember you can go to zentangle.com to read about how these got started and to find out about the materials, books, and how these are used. I am looking for a Zentangle instructor who might come and do a workshop for my Leesburg FL Fine Arts group this winter. There is a list of instructors online. So I'll see what I can find.

Weather here in northern WI has dropped 20 degrees today after a storm went through last night. The midwest (south of us) has been like 104 for days on days and is suffering a drought. We are about 3-4" ahead in rain up here near Lake Superior. So green here. I sure hope they get some rain in the midwest or the crops are going to be ruined! I hear that the cows have stopped giving milk!!!

What is a Zentangle?

Gosh, Ginny is off again on another path.

No...just a little interlude...

What happens when you do a little "special" kind of doodling...is called a Zentangle.

If you go to the web site to learn about them you will discover that they are: "a way of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. Fun. Relaxing. It increases focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction and increases your sense of personal well-being." Sounds a little Zen-like wouldn't you say?

These are two of my first tries at this strangely addictive activity.

The "characteristics" of a Zentangle are that they are 3.5" square. And, in the same vein as walking a labyrinth, there is some "structure" to the patterns suggested for the creation. How you put the patterns together is completely up to you and I see on the website that people are always creating more and sending them in! Lots of sharing of ideas!

After a few practices you can pretty much work right on the paper with the pen without drawing anything first other than maybe a perimeter or frame and maybe a little bit of outline to where you might start and stop.

I think if you click on the image it will enlarge.

I am always the last one to find out about things, so probably all of my blogger friends have tried these out already and are laughing at me for suddenly discovering them.

There is an official website (of course) and you can click here to find out more specific details. There are "kits" you can buy for $50 but for most of us, we can browse the website and the blog and go to the archives and read and see what others are doing with these. In the kit special handmade paper is sold but I have found Canson cold pressed wc paper to work well and even Yupo paper has some interesting properties. One of my sketch books has 95# paper with a nice smooth surface. You can experiment. They suggest a black permanent marker fairly fine like about .01 and a soft pencil for shading. That is really all that you need to get started.

I have not had time to go farther that this but on their blog they list a ton of people who do Zentangles and post what they do. I signed up for the newsletter when my friend, Cynthia Vose suggested it is fun. It only comes once a month. And often includes a new tangle to try out. Soon you have a little folder where you keep the various patterns most of which have funky names.

Come to find out there are "certified" Zentangle instructors, workshops (of course) and get togethers. Zentangle parties even! Who knew! So when you are "between paintings" or just need a boost of creativity look into your Zentangle folder and see what might look fun to do. The activity is complicated enough to hold your attention but mindless enough to keep you from thinking about anything else. Thus, empty mind but focused creativity.

Thursday means en plein air!

I've had some good improvement suggestions for this little sketch from other painters already.

10 x 12" on Arches rough.

Joan thinks the straight line across the bottom needs softening and blending out...too straight an edge in a fairly soft edged painting. Good point. Will do.

I also think I need a few more really dark darks near the center of interest behind the flowers. In the reference the dark area is off to the left and not where I want it so I am going to "invent" a doorway behind the flowers and make that really dark. Also maybe a little more definition on the flower pots just to the front of the table sitting on the seat.

The setting is JJ's nursery in Woodruff, Wisconsin just north of Minocqua.

We started out in full sun and then it clouded over and got cooler and then the sun came back out about the time we headed off for lunch! A very fun day and a good turnout of at least a dozen artists! It helps not to have to drive so far!!

En Plein Air today

The group was blessed with partially clear skies with skudding clouds. So off we went to Lake of the Falls near Mercer.

This little sketch is "Tent in Woods by the Lake". 10 x 12 on Arches rough 140#.

We had over 3" of rain the night before so the 10" falls were AMAZING and beautiful. But I decided on calmer waters to paint..dragging a razor blade through my dry painted water to get some ripples of the current.

I was so taken with the rushing falls that I walked quite a bit before settling down by the lake to paint the tenters across the lake. I am loving my "Brenda's bag" but did find I forgot a "liner" brush. Otherwise things were pretty good in the bag!

It warmed nicely and I threw off my sweater and put up the umbrella. Wouldn't go anywhere without that!!

Florie has been busy with our "image" as painters! Now we have signs announcing who we are!! And hats that are coming soon with our "Northwoods Outdoor Artist" imprinted on them! How fancy are we!!!?

Thank you Florie!!!

Drawing Class continues

Yesterday was a pleasant interlude into thinking about sketching and drawing in graphite. The class was given by David Kapszukiewicz ( and you can go to his website by clicking here.)

It was a big group..maybe about 18 of us? I forgot to count and fun to see a lot of my north woods artist friends again!

So many talented people. This little drawing was small about 10 x 12 or so.

Here is Joan Stephens sketches. Isn't she amazing?

Joan and I and a "gang" of others plan to try out some en plein sketches this morning over by Mercer Lake. A great way to celebrate the first day of summer!! And to break in my "Brenda's Bag" sketching bag!

Big storm here yesterday and a ton of rain but it looks like it breaking up this morning and we "might" get some sunshine. Knock on wood. More on that later!!!

Garden Gate Watercolor

One thing about small paintings...they don't take too long to complete. (10 x 11) At least I think this is complete. It is not signed yet.

I did decide to put in the bricks after all but tried to be very subtle so they would not get too busy. I faded off the edges in order to highlight the gate and interior but now as I look at it...I don't like the flat straight edge that is leading right out of the left side of the painting. It is the top of the fence, of course, but I think I need to make that more varied in shape for more interest while keeping it very light and fading.

Then I cropped the photo just so I could see what it might look like just as the gate. But I think I like having the little sign which says "Tea Room" as it makes it more of a "story" painting that way.

It would be fun to "over mat" this in a square frame. I think I have a white frame that would like light and nice.

In the first painting there is a sky it just didn't photo very well..very light with lots of white clouds so as not to be too busy up there either.

After I did my exercise DVD, the rain stopped mid-morning and Greg and I went down to sit in the adirondack chairs on the pier and watch the loon for a little while before lunch. (Just one loon, as the other is sitting on a nest!) And we saw an eagle which is very common on this lake. We watched the clouds "skud" away. Beautiful. Then Greg headed off to friend Ron to bring him a tee shirt we got for him while traveling and I headed to the studio for awhile.

If I am going to enter 3 paintings in the Manito Art Show...I need to get that entry blank done and out like NOW. I have 5 paintings lined up in the studio so Greg is going to held VOTE on which ones. The framing can come later...the show is July 19-22 so there is time for that later.

Rainy Days and Mondays....

When you see this photo larger you can actually see the whole tree branch in the raindrop. Imagine if I had a "real" camera with a real lens!

Behind blurred is the canoe and the deck and our lake...rain, rain, rain. Thunder and darkness today. I snuck down between showers but had to run back up the hill path in a shower that caught me again!

What to do? After a load of laundry and scraping the paint off the bathroom windows...head right to the studio!!!

It was SO dark at 10 am this morning that it looked light night outside the studio windows!!!

Yikes.

But the coffee was hot and Greg was off doing some chores out on the porch or up in the loft...(trying to cross some things off his honey-do list). Yeah!

So I pulled up that photo again of the Mount Dora Tea Room (FL) that I had on my iPad from April. I turned on some soft music and opened the studio window so I could hear the rain coming down gently. Very cozy.

I have been fooling around and having a ton of fun with collage and with acrylic and with fractured watercolor that I haven't really done what I would call a "pure" transparent watercolor in a long long time.

I was inspired by the wc exhibit in Kenosha, WI last month! As Marlene said...it was so beautiful that it took your breath away! So anyway...I thought in prep for the en plein air ahead I'd stick to the 10 x 20 format and use the Arches rough that I cut out for my sketchbook. I LOVE rough paper and haven't used it in ages. Gosh it felt good to use it again and watch the lovely colors drop into the textures and swirl around.

The brick entryway has wonderful and interesting bricks in it and I will need to think carefully about how much detail I want to put into that. Lots of different ways to show that. And I do not want to get SO fussy that I lose the simplicity of the scene.

Obviously the center of interest IS the archway and the light and shadows around it.

So now I am taking a break...time for lunch. I'll have some time to step away from it. The storm has shifted off and we are getting a little sunshine now at lunch time and the temps have moved up so I think I can take off my flannel shirt and substitute that with a tee! We'll have lunch on the screen porch and make our menu plans for the week. We both have some errands to run in Minocqua this afternoon and I will stop at Curves and work out before we head back to the cabin!

Making your own Watercolor Sketchbook

Happily taking Brenda Swenson's idea today, I decided that instead of ordering a really expensive sketchbook with unknown quality of paper..I would do as she does and design my own.

If you check out her blog you'll find a step by step of how she does it. I did a "take off" on that.

I used the size she suggested which is 10 x 12. That way you can get 6 pages out of a 30 x 22 sheet of your favorite watercolor paper. This time I used Arches 140# rough.

The cover and back are just some old mat board cut slightly larger than the pages. The cover was decorated by glueing on a piece of colorful wrapping paper. (I used YES glue.) You could also paint on a cover, or collage, or anything creative. I am into keeping this very simple.

Brenda uses 18 pages in her journals. In this trial I am just using 6 pages and instead of taking it out to be spiral bound...I am just using bull dog clips.

Here is the way it looks with the cover removed and just the back board under the pages. So this is the way it would look when I am working with it en plein air.

My thought is that I will use the pages and then remove them as they are done. Later, if I want to chose some to be spiral bound I could do that. OR I could just keep finished them in a folder or a zip lock bag, or I could 3 hole punch them and put them into a notebook for reference and keep them in chronological order.

I'll should get a chance to try all this out Thursday morning. IF we don't blow away tonight.

A HUGE storm is headed into northern WI and should hit us tonight. We have had a lot of really scary storms up here lately. This one could produce high winds and hail. This is especially nasty when you live in a forest. We almost always lose power as the trees come down on the lines and we have to pray that no tree will damage a building either! I thought I'd post this tonight as I might not have a chance for awhile. Wish us luck!