Friday, October 28, 2011

Punzel

The tangle Chainging slipped under my radar until the recent posting "Strength, Courage, Hope" on the Zentangle blog. In that post, Maria showed a variation on Chainging which has developed into the new tangle Punzel. You can find step-outs for both tangles here. And that new tangle developed into this week's Zentangle challenge from our lovely Diva. I'm happy to have discoverd both these tangles. Here are my attempts for this week.

Tangles: Assunta, Punzel, Tripoli
Tangles: Crescent Moon, Punzel, Tipple

This weekend I'm off to buy some special Ozzie blend coffee at Leven's in Saskatoon. They're generously sponsoring a fundraiser called I'm Supporting Ozzie to help the Harms family (that's our Diva+3) to attend the 2012 Moebius Syndrome Conference in Philadelphia.
Here's Ozzie with his coffee:


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

First tiles

Today I want to share a few people's first ever Zentangle tiles.

Veronica was in one of my classes this summer.
She wasn't quite finished when I took the group
mosaic photo, so I took one of her tile alone. Lovely
shading around the loop and the other side of Tidings.
Tangles: Gingham, Meer, 'Nzeppel, Strircles, Tidings
Fiona lives in another city and ordered a kit. Fiona e-mailed
soon after saying, "I'm in love!" She created this tile
entirely from the DVD and directions in the kit.
Tangles: Flux, Keeko, Msst, Pokeroot, Shattuck and...
Bales and Florz combined!
How cool is that?
There are a few things I find interesting about Gertrude's tile.
There's the 3D effect with Knightsbridge and Static. Mostly I love
what she did with Hollibaugh: divided the section into three
subsections. Perhaps she got creative with a too-thick band
of Hollibaugh? In any case, wonderful!

And, while we're on the subject of 'firsts', I just received the first entry for the draw I'm having for my blog's first anniversary! Check out my anniversary post if you want to join in.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Zentangle workshops in Alberta


RED DEER

In early August I gave a Zentangle workshop in Red Deer AB, a seven hour drive away. The delightful group were members of the Red Deer Lettering Arts Guild, so they were well accustomed to using their fine motor skills!

The host was already a Zentangle fan and had created a golf hat. Some others were familiar with Zentangle and one had already tangled a Muskoka chair!












Two had to leave early so there were only three for the second half. Here are tiles 3 and 4 that they created.


Tangles for tile 3 (top row): Daggerly, Hibred, Hurry, Munchin, Purslane, Yincut
Tangles for tile 4 (bottom row): Caviar, Cubine, Gneiss, Paradox, Printemps, Rain
They asked about Lacing at the end and some added it.

HIGH RIVER

In mid-October I drove back to the same area and gave a workshop just outside High River, a slightly longer drive away. It was a larger group, many of whom are weavers and/or spinners. Here they are hard at fun on tile number three just after a wonderful pot-luck lunch.






Here's a photo of everyone's the first tile:

Tangles: Hollibaugh, Knightsbridge, Munchin, Tipple

These trips were a great opportunity to get out into the country for a while and I got to see the Rocky Mountains again since I-don't-know-when. I'd forgotten how they often look like a mirage on the horizon.


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Prairie


Where I live the sky is enormous. I love it! I've had occasion to drive to the neighboring province twice recently. More on that soon. At one point the sky was quite stuffed with big, puffy clouds (more than in the photo) and I thought of my tangle Dust Bunny. It inspired me to do a prairie landscape Zentangle tile. Above is a photo of the real thing...

... and here it is, tangled!

Tangles: Caviar, Dust Bunny, Hibred, Sanibelle and stippling




Tangled on the inside

It can be interesting and fun to use a basic tangle as your string and fill it with other tangles. I tried this with Paradox a year ago. (Seriously?! I can't believe it's been that long!) This week's Zentangle challenge is to do just that.

I'm such a detail junkie that I generally start any tangle quite small, but I really like it when the tangle starts larger and I can stuff more stuff into it! I'm rather pleased with both my efforts.

Here is Tripoli filled with Crescent Moon and Tipple:



Here's a variation on Assunta filled with Yincut and Black Pearls (and droplets) and some dots:


As with any of these challenges, I want to do more! Thanks again Laura!

If you missed my 1st anniversary post, check out the DRAW and maybe send me a tile.

Monday, October 17, 2011

I've been here for a year!


"Montgolfier" © 2010 Margaret Bremner
6" square on archival mat board; ink & colored pencil
(Montgolfier is French for 'hot air balloon'; having been
developed by the Montgolfier brothers.)
Tangles: Caviar, Chartz, Crescent Moon, Flux,
'Nzeppel, Opus, Paradox, Purslane, Tipple

October 17 is the first anniversary of my blogdom! 

Bloggitude? Bloggeration? Blogiciousness? ... well, not boredom. I follow. I have followers. I post and comment and reply. I scan, upload, label, proofread and italicize. It's a whole world I barely knew existed 13 months ago. I launched this adventure following a day-long Zentangle workshop planned by myself and Laura Harms, known to many of us as the Diva. In the past year this blog has had more than 117,000 visits!!!

"High Winds" ©
--> 2010 Margaret Bremner5" x 7" on archival mat board; ink and acrylic wash
Tangles: Flux, Krli-q, Msst, Skaylz



It's been quite a delight! I so enjoy and appreciate everyone's comments and compliments. It's inspiring and fun to see what other people are up to via their blogs. It's gratifying to have been inspiring and helpful in return. What a wonderful, supportive bunch you are!

"Behind the Eight Ball" © 2010 Margaret Bremner
6" square on archival mat board; ink and colored pencil
(There's an '8' on the ball, if you look closely.)
Tangles: Bales, Barnacle, Caviar, Coaster, Crescent Moon, D'Uni,
Florz, Gingham, Keeko, Lotus Pods, 'Nzeppel, Paradox, Rain, Shattuck, Unyun



I like the Hobbit custom of giving presents on your own birthday. But I also like getting things. :-) So, I'm going to have a DRAW (pun intended) and give away some of my art. Nothing will be framed - too tricky to mail glass. I will give away 12 pieces, one for each month in blogland, everything you see on today's post.

"Tumble" © 2009 Margaret Bremner
6" square on archival mat board; ink and acrylic wash
Tangles: Cadent, Flux, Msst, Munchin, Paradox, Tri-dots
"Dragon" © 2009 Margaret Bremner
6" square on archival mat board; ink and acrylic washes
Tangles: Cadent, Chartz, Flux, Hibred, Sez, Shattuck (of sorts), Tipple

What's the catch you ask? Here's what I want in return: I would love to have a collection of zentangle tiles by other people - real, actual, original art, zentangle tiles. If you want to participate, here's what you can do:
  • Send me one Zentangle tile.  A classic zentangle: black ink only on a 9 cm (3.5 inch) square, white or off-white paper tile with pencil shading. No letters or words or objects. Just tangles.
  • On the back write your name, mailing address and e-mail address. If you have a preference for any of the artwork, write that on the back too. If I DRAW your name I'll do my best to send you what you like, first DRAWn, first gifted.
  • Only one entry per person.
  • The deadline for receipt of your tile is November 18, 2011. 

"Oasis" © 2010 Margaret Bremner
6" x 8" on archival mat board; ink, acrylic, colored pencil
Tangles: Cadent, D'Uni, Flukes, Flux, Hibred, Munchin (of sorts),
Pearlz
, Wud variation, scales, circles, etc.
"Interconnection" © 2009 Margaret Bremner
6" square on archival mat board; ink and acrylic wash
Tangles: Caviar, Chartz, Florz, Flux, Hollibaugh,
Msst, Munchin, Opus, Paradox, Shattuck, Tipple
"Passing Through" © 2010 Margaret Bremner
6" square on cream archival mat board; ink and colored pencil
Tangles: Flux, Ladybugs on a Vine, Pepper (of sorts), Rain, Snookums, Striping

On November 19, I'll put everyone's names (but not your tiles) in my salad bowl, 
close my eyes and start DRAWing.

Send your tile to:
318 Avenue V, North
Saskatoon SK  S7L 3E8
Canada
"Paradoxical" © 2010 Margaret Bremner
8" square on archival paper; ink and pencil
Tangles: Betweed, Coaster, Flux, Hibred, Munchin, Paradox,
Wud variation, stripes and circles
untitled © 2010 Margaret Bremner
6" square on archival paper, ink and colored pencil
Tangles: Beadlines, Caviar, Coaster, Drupe,
Finery, Florz, Parabola, Rain
"Nessie" © 2009 Margaret Bremner
5" x 12" on archival mat board (doesn't look it, but it is white); ink and acrylic wash
Tangles: Chartz, Beelight variation, Flux, Hibred, Munchin, Paradox, Shattuck, Skaylz, Tipple
"A Box of Sunlight" © 2010 Margaret Bremner
6" square on archival mat board, ink and colored pencil
Tangles: Bales, Beadlines, Caviar, Coaster, Lotus Pods,
Perfs, Puf, Shattuck, Tipple, Unyun, Wud variation

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Sunflower

For this weeek's Zentangle challenge (43) it was suggested that we use the logo of South Africa's bone marrow registry, the  Sunflower Fund, as a template. They have a special day on October 12. I thought I would get time to try another tile using yellow, but this week's just been too hectic!

Tangles: Finery and Lotus Pods

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

More 2-pencil strings

Recently I got out my stuck-together-pencils again and did a few Zentangle tiles with two-pencil strings. You can read other posts on this topic by clicking the "two-pencil string" label in the 'Labels' box down on the left. I find these often end up being more intricate than usual, probably because there are many more sections to work with.

Tangles: Black Pearls, Caviar, Chebucto, Cubine,
Finery, Flux, Hibred, Hurry, Msst, Perfs, stripes and dots

Tangles: Caviar, Chartz, Circfleur, Daggerly, Gneiss,
Keenees, Krli-q, Lotus Pods, Sanibelle, Striping
Tangles: Caviar, D'Uni, Hibred, Jonqal, Knase, Prestwood,
Rain, Shattuck, Striping, Xyp, plus auras.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Know any artists age 18-25?


The Arts and Healing Network is offering awards to young artists! 

These awards are designed to encourage young artists who promote the healing of society in some way through their art work.

Nominees must meet the following requirements
  1. Be between 18 to 25 years of age
  2. Have an active internet presence (web site, blog, and/or flickr stream, etc.)
  3. Be doing work that combines creative arts with healing/transformation/social change.   The award ranges from $2,500 to $10,000.  Winners will also be featured on the web site of the Arts and Healing Network at www.artheals.org

To nominate a young artist, simply fill out the form online at the following address:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2011_AHNAwardNominations

To learn more about the AHN Award, please visit:
http://www.artheals.org/projects/ahn_award.html

ONLINE NOMINATIONS MUST BE MADE BY OCTOBER 25, 2011.
If you have any questions, please contact ahn@artheals.org

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Just for a change

When I come across an interesting piece of paper I tend to keep it. For something in the future. Sometime. Tidying up the studio the other day I came across a lovely small piece of paper with gold and silver flecks. I cut it down to a 9 cm. square and tangled it.

Tangles: Assunta, Black Pearls, Casella, Chebucto,
Flux, Miranda, Paradox, Phuds, Tripo

There are other interesting papers in my drawers, some with designs printed on them. (I have one - and only one - major scrapbook project I began a few years ago and must get back to. Sometime in the future.)  I located some of that paper and had a go.
Tangles: Bales, Cadex, Coaster, Kuginuki, Paradox,
Prestwood, Spinners, Tripoli, Zapateado
Tangles: Finery, Knase, Knightsbridge,
Krli-q, Phuds, Striping, Zapateado

Then I pulled out a pale sheet of hand-marbled paper. I love marbled paper. I didn't draw a pencil string, rather let the lines of the marbling show me where to begin or end a tangle. Some bits spread beyond the border.
Tangles: Braze, Caviar, Crescent Moon, Flux, Gewgle,
Hollibaugh, Jonqal, Lotus Pods, Miranda, Paradox, Phuds, Tipple

For the next one I used sepia ink on what is sometimes called 'straw paper'. It's a paper with bits of dried grassy stuff in it and is rather pretty. However, it's also rather flimsy and the grassy stuff was occasionally bumpy.
Tangles: Bateek, Black Pearls, Crescent Moon,
Jonqal, Paradox, Prestwood, Tipple

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Zentangle tiles that ended up being Something

One of the lovely things about Zentangle is that it isn't supposed to BE anything. Even more, it's SUPPOSED to NOT be a something. You don't try to draw a geranium or a cocker spaniel that ends up looking nothing like the picture in your head. Zentangle is simply a lot of beautiful patterns playing harmoniously together. Zentangle-inspired art (ZIA) is another story; it can be Something if you want. Once in a while I've been working on a zentangle tile that leans heavily in the direction of Being Something, and I often let it take me there.  Here are a few of them, which really, correctly, are ZIAs.

A LANDSCAPE:
Tangles: Coaster, Dust Bunny, Flux, Mooka, Riverstones, Sanibelle

TWO WOMEN:
Tangles: Aura, Crescent Moon, Flux, Krli-qs, Munchin, Striping

 ANOTHER LANDSCAPE, this one less obvious:
I call this tile 'Fuji' because it reminds me of Fujiyama in Japan.
Tangles: Caviar, Florez, Keeko, Lilypads, Screen,
Shattuck, Tidings, Tipple and dots

A FLYING FISH
This was ZIA right from the get-go because I began in color.
Tangles: Crescent Moon, Hibred, Msst, Paradox, Printemps,
Shattuck, Striping, Tidings, Tipple