Starry Messenger

Another piece for my art swap has been completed and will be delivered soon.  I am excited as I really like this Zentangle and Mandala inspired piece.  I call this one Starry Messenger as it carries with it some inspiration from Galileo's  Sidereus Nuncius.  (Click the link to learn more.)  

In an effort to keep the piece from getting too busy, I started with a very simple Bales in the background.  I needed something simple to get me started and I wanted all the same pattern to keep the design from being too fractured.  I knew I could go back and add ornamentation later.  I did go back at the very end and add a bit to make it interesting but not too busy.

For the stars I chose patterns that remind me of fabric.  My friend who I made this for has a love of design and fabric so I wanted to bring that to the fore. After I got the biggest parts done, I did the centers in Gneiss. I chose Gneiss as it reminds me of a compass center and as Galileo was a source of inspiration I thought it fitting. 

I experimented with varying patterns in Starry Messenger and it was a lot of fun.  The top right star grew out of Purk.  I think I may use that again.  It was fun to do and the first time that I made a "3D" pattern.  The variations on Bales Ragz, and Huggins are ones that I will remember in the future.  

Sanibelle and NonDom Hand

Things have been busy around here.  I got last week's challenge done but then was not able to get it up loaded in time. No matter, I shall subject you to it this week as well as the current challenge. Muahhahahahah!

Last week was a reappearance of a challenge from last year.  The challenge, and a real BIG challenge for me, was to use your non dominant hand to draw your tile.  I am a righty and a quite dominate righty at that.  Not only do I write with my right hand, but when I think about it, I approach most things from the right when at all possible.  My left hand is a great helper, and I would miss it if it were gone, but it is just a helper in this relationship.  To start, I checked out some patterns that would lend themselves to a "messy" line.  I get fussy about my drawings, so I needed tangles that would be OK (to me) if the lines were wobbly.  I ended up choosing Purk, Ragz, Beaded, Scoodle, Arc Flower, Spaanders, and Umble (at least I think that it's called Umble).  I did not try to shade it with my left hand or really, to fill in any spaces.  I thought about using my right for that but then decided that I'd go whole left and keep it that way.

Now for this weeks challenge : Sanibelle.  I really like this tangle.  I have used it several times and always enjoy the outcome.  My shell shapes are irregular and small and I always think that I am going to be frustrated with the final product, but I always like it.  I set Sanibelle up in a very regular way so it ends up reminding me of wallpaper or ornate fabric.  This is also really nice in a mandala.  When I have used it in my regular way, the pattern works in each section to create a nice flow.

For the string, I wanted a bumpy look to mimic Sanibelle.  I ended up changing it a bit as I went but it's still there.  I started with Sanibelle in the middle as I wanted it to dominate the other patterns.  After that I added Footlites (My first try at this pattern.), Shimono next and then finished the top with the lines.  I was trying to add a little illusion there but it didn't really work.  No matter, it seems to relate to footlites so I'll keep it.  :)

Sepia Zendala

Last year, I did an art exchange with some on-line friends.  It was a lot of fun.  I was just getting into Zentangle and made tiles for each of the people that I sent stuff too.  In return, they sent things that they made back to me.  One sent a knittted hat and beautiful jewlery that she made, another sent the most adorable knitted cupcakes (which my 5 year old promptly claimed for himself.)  Since I enjoyed it so much, I proposed to do it again this year. 

I had four takers interested in doing a "creative swap" with me.  As I only had four takers, I figured that I could really have fun and make some larger zentangle inspired pieces.  My skills are better than they were a year ago (I hope.) and I saw this as a chance to give back something beautiful to friends who had sent me such wonderful things.

Mandalas and Zendalas have really been inspiring to me as of late.  I created one for an auction at my son's school and wanted to keep going.  Once again, I started with mandala design that I traced out on to watercolor paper.  My geometry skills are at a solid F so I have to rely on a shape created by someone else.  Wanting to keep with the Indian feel of the mandala, I chose to draw in sepia.  I used the micron speia pens in a 01, 05 and 1 sizes.  I did most of the drawing with the 01 and used the others for fill in and where I wanted a thicker line.

Mostly done here. Just needs some shading and a few highlights.

It took me about 3 weeks to get it all done.  In that time though, there were days when I didn't work on it at all and other days that I drew most of the day.  I finally got it all finished this morning and I am soo pleased with the finished product.  I am tempted to keep it and hang it on my own wall. 



All shaded

 As I was working, I was afraid that the many different patterns would make it too busy.  Often I want to fill in each section with something different.  Once I started shading though, the different sections started to pop out and pull back into their own spaces giving them enough seperation that I think it works.

The final size is roughly 7" and will be framed in a 12X12 frame with a 8X8" opening.