I Am the Diva Challenge #247, "UMT: African Artist" by Tina-Akua Hunziker, CZT

I Am the Diva Challenge #247,  "UMT: African Artist" by Tina-Akua Hunziker, CZT

I went with my first impulse to spiral out from the center and it proved to be fun and adventurous.  I love it when I release the muse and let her take over.  There are no second thoughts anywhere in this very Un-Zendala Zendala.  I just named it "Pulse".  Why not.

I am the Diva weekly challenge #246: Guest post from Dilip Patel, Monotangle Trees

I am the Diva weekly challenge #246:  Guest post from Dilip Patel, monotangle trees.  

I used Rixty on a Zendala tile.

I am the Diva Weekly Challenge #245: "Back to Basics, Hollibaugh"

Weekly Challenge #245:  "Back to Basics - Hollibaugh".  Or - My brain on Hollibaugh; The maze at the Overlook; Los Angeles freeway design; Before the prefrontal cortex;  The ghostly remains of my used brain;  Calcified ampersand.

Ah yes, to be 70 and make art like I did at 7;  been waitin for this.

OK tanglers, I know it ain't an official Hollibaugh.  My brain just gets bored with them and I've always sorta like the squirmy wormy version.  Got some Nzeppel in here too.  And maybe, on a stretch, a little Indyrella.

I Am the Diva Weekly Challenge #244: "Tripoli Triptastic"

I have never had much luck with Tripoli.  With Laura's guidance and another look at the step out, I think I get it.  Of course, I have to let it run to organic blobalicious because that's who I am.  I think it looks like something, but I have no idea yet, what.

I used the blue pen and yellow pencil because they were there.  Good enough for me.

I Am the Diva Challenge #242 - Gourdgeous

I just had fun and went for it with no preconceived anything.  And, I accomplished my goal to tangle Gourdgeously with joy and peace and thoughtless purpose - or some such.

The big moustache. hehe.

I am the Diva Weekly Challenge #239 - "Munchin Play"

Like Laura, I've not embraced black tiles. Then I saw the Zentangle blog post and watched Molly's video and was blown away.  I actually found and bought the black tile tool kit at a local craft store the same day.  I am enjoying my black tile adventure and am incorporating colored pencils.  Lots of fun.  Can I achieve the beautifully subtle nuances Maria has shown?  Mmmmmm, not so much.

Enjoy 

Weekly Challenge #238: "UMT - Tri-bee by Beate Winkler, CZT"

Weekly Challenge #238: "UMT - Tri-bee by Beate Winkler, CZT"

Well...  I was intrigued by this pattern because I like - love patterns that can grow and develop organically and randomly.  Thought I might practice a bit and as I did I found myself being Auraknaughty (like the spelling), so I followed that knaughty path and this is what happened.  Had fun outlining in my most favorite Sakura brown (red dirt earth) pen.  Quite pleased, me.  Lots of potential with UMT - Tri-bee.

Weekly Challenge #236: "Tangle Unexpected"
This week's challenge is really quite fun, and i'm excited to see how you all approach it! 

The challenge for this week is to tangle on something unexpected.  Something you wouldn't ordinarily tangle on. 

Easier to show the source than try to explain;  A selfie sort of - me reflected in the rain drops on an aspen leaf on a sidewalk.  Image cropped to Zentangle tile size, then manipulated in Photoshop to find the edges and reduce the opacity and color, then printed and tangled.

Interesting challenge, this.  I was tempted just to color or fill in what was already there rather than consider it a string.  I had to release a little my preconceived notions of how this was going to go and what the outcome would be.  I love tangling - one learns so much about one's self.

Happy days!

Weekly Challenge #235: "String Theory: Stripes"

Thanks once again to Laura for a wonderful way to stimulate my creative self.  Much fun.

This week's challenge is to take your pencil and draw stripes across your tile or paper to create your string.   Simple as that. 

And now, as The Diva herself said:

AND NOW!!

Weekly Challenge #233: "New Official Tangle - Zenith"

Just a few of the thoughts I had before, during and after:

• Neat new pattern "Zenith" - easy peasy, it will be so beautiful as a Zendala.
• Whoops, what did the step out say - "Even though the strokes on this tangle are simple, we encourage you to tangle it a few times. "
• Run away, run away!!
• There are no mistakes - keep going, it will be beautiful.
• Wipe out!
• Lakota Tribal Wisdom - "When you find yourself riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount"
• Really DuHdley, you can draw a 3rd abnormal form of Arukas;  it will be beautiful.

So here it is folks, my commitment to keep going, there are no mistakes, to the meditation practice and the beautiful art form of Zentangle, and (shudder) to sharing.

Be happy, be well

Weekly Challenge #231 Guest Post by Sharla Hicks, CZT

Weekly Challenge #231 Guest Post by Sharla Hicks, CZT

Whew!  I thought this was going to be easy, since I love to tangle with loose, flowing, organic, undulating, unpredictable patterns.  But then, alas, I over thought it, planned for the glory and the admiration of my fellow Tanglers and put pen to paper and created - well, let's just say what I created did not live up to my expectations, nor did I spend much time in a Zen-tangling state of mind.  So I got a huge dose of humility and was reminded that Zentangle and Zentangle Inspired Art are not about the finished product, but the journey, the peace, the wonderful camaraderie with fellow tanglers.

So, I present three images:

I felt this first image suited this challenge;  I created it starting last Fall working an hour or two here and there into the Spring.  When I studied Simon Bishoff's tutorial on sharpening your line drawing skills ( http://tanglepatterns.com/2014/09/sharpen-your-line-drawing-skills-with-six-lessons-from-simone-bischoff.html ), I fell in love with the braid instructions.  And in that tutorial I was led to the art of Justine Ashbee via an article about her at http://www.emptykingdom.com/featured/justine-ashbee-2/ .  Thus began this drawing.  It is on 18"x24" watercolor paper.  I drew all the undulating lines and other patterns (got bored undulating), then because it was Fall, I decided to paint with watercolors in Fall colors.  I probably used every color I have in the end.  I used watercolors, Micron pens and Gelly Roll pens.  Learned a lot and had a lot of fun.

I have a question for all y'all fellow tanglers.  I have searched for the name of the braid pattern present by Simone Bischoff in her tutorial and never found it.  Does anyone know if that pattern has an official name?  

Second image: My first response to this challenge on a Zendala tile.  I started with one of my favorite patterns, Punzle and slipped up and in a bit of Chainging by accidentally leaving off the Punzle pieces (duh),  then the undulations of the braid like pattern from Simoe Bischoff, followed by probably my all time fave, Diva Dance and many embellishments.  I love to Tipple my way through and around, here and there.  Took me 24 hours to begin to like this tile. 

Third Image:  And today on a Zendala tile, with a little humility and less of a plan, I still couldn't tear myself away from Punzle, but I did begin to explore for the first time IndyRella and SharlaRella, YAY!.   I will be exploring them both more.  I do kinda like the black ribbon I worked through and I can't help but add little filler sections to the curves, kinda Aquafleur like.

Weekly Challenge #230 - Guest Blogger Erin Olson, CZT

Weekly Challenge #230 - Guest Blogger Erin Olson, CZT

"Let’s all be ZenDivaDala"

Thanks Erin, for the great challenge this week.

And here is my entry.

Just finished - I think I've finished, but with pen in hand, you never know - another ZIA Junk.

This week's I Am the Diva Weekly Challenge #229 is from Guest Blogger Sandy Hunter, CZT.  Sandy has challenged us to embrace the white space in a Zentangle.  I submit an Aquafleur ala Helen Williams and BTL Joos - with lots of white space Zendala - tada.

And...  I'm just too much of a ham not to share the following - It has white space, I reckon.  Done on 9.5" x 12" dry media paper.  I'm doing a series of "junk tangles", if you will.  The color and grunginess comes from in-camera theatrics.

Weekly Challenge #228: GUEST BLOGGER Cari Sultanik, CZT

Weekly Challenge #228: GUEST BLOGGER Cari Sultanik, CZT

This week's I Am The Diva Challenge is to choose tangles that feel organic to me.  I love this challenge because I favor organic patterns that grow in all directions and morph into other things and provide a freedom that more structured patterns don't.

My first tangle is my first ever on a Zendala tile.  It features Flux (both Maria Thomas' and Rick Robert's versions).  Rick's version morphed into Show Girl while Bunzo anchored the whole thing and Zinger and Fescu provided a little whimZy.

My second tangle is one I created a couple weeks ago, so I didn't want to use it as my primary tile because it doesn't show what developed while thinking about this weeks challenge.  But, it definitely shows how much I like organic, freely developed patterns.  This one features both Maria's and Rick's versions of Flux, a really free floating Aquafleur and Showgirl.  I was experimenting with Sakura Pentouch pens in my quest to find a white pen I like.  The orange comes from a Sakura IDentipen.  The shading comes from a Zenstone.  The ZIA is on a 6x6 Strathmore Artist's Tile.

Weekly Challenge #227 GUEST BLOGGER Lee Darter, CZT
From I am the Diva

What a great challenge.  I have never drawn Cack and today is the first time I believe I've even seen Tropicana.  I was torn over which pattern to use for the third and settled on Florz because I thought it would make a great webby background.  I think I see me playing around with Tropicana a lot.  Enjoy.

Thank you so much Katie for the simply delicious challenge #226 to keep it simple.  As I stumbled into my "" Studio this morning kicking photography things I had to have, Origami things I had to have, Gelli Print things I had to have and all other sorts of stumbling blocks out of my way so I could sit in the peace and relative physical safety of my Zentangle place, I must have spent 15 minutes complicating the challenge by trying to think of what patterns I could tangle to keep it simple.

Ultimately, I am very pleased with the result.  I think, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, this is a Tangleation of Fengle with Mooka tendrils and internal auras

Thanks Jen , for the fun weekly challenge #225 - You challenged us to use color and maybe use fewer rather than more.  I got away with four Pigma Micron colors if you don't count the black pattern colors and the brown chop.  I used Helen William's  freeform version of Aquafleur and added a little Helen Williamsesque heart just because I wanted to.  My favorite pattern in the world is Diva Dance (as I understand from the Diva herself) and having drawn from the outside in, I guess this one is Roll and Rock - or some such.  And oh - I most always use my Zentangle Kit box as the background for my pictures - seems like the right thing to do.

too much fun

Thank you, thank you for the fun challenge and for the opportunity to play, muse, meditate, get lost in the adventure and have fun.

I was going through my huge stack of Zentangle tiles today (which I highly recommend for the morale boost it is) and discovered several (OK - Many) tiles I've done over the last year, since tangling came into my life that I thought fit nicely into this challenge.  I think this one, from this last February is particularly suited to this challenge, especially since I generally don't feel my Auraknot tangles look very good.  So with no explanation as to colors, pens or method, I hope you enjoy this submission.

I am the Diva - Weekly Challenge #223 to use "The official tangle Umble" in a Zentangle

I am the Diva - Weekly Challenge #223 to use "The official tangle Umble" in a Zentangle

I had umbelievable intentions as I st_umbled over and umbled along in my perumbulatory naivete to the point of believing my umble tangle was headed toward an umbcertain future, an umbulatory accident and perhaps and umbtimely demise.  But as I continued to discover and be amazed, if I just let those pens keep on umbling along and get lost in the ZEN of the whole dang thing...  Well, in my umble opinion, my umble attempt at "Umble" as/or in a tangle is quite viewable.

Got a little help with the photographic umbleance from my sketch pad cover with the ink blots on it too.  And I'll take it where I can get it.

Weekly Challenge #222 "Colours of the Rainbow!" from I am the Diva.   My Mookaesque colours of the rainbow.

Yay, another week and another challenge.  I'm having fun.  Here's my response to this weeks Challenge #210, to use a spiral in the string, from I Am the Diva.  Oh so much fun.

I have decided to participate in the Zentangle Weekly Challenge.  So, here is my first challenge post to Weekly Challenge # 209: "Saint Patty's".  I used a pattern I just discovered today on Linda Farmer's TanglePatterns web site, called Meringue by Kelley Kelly, The Path Untangled and the Helen Williams, A Little Lime free form version of Aquafleur.

Lots of fun for my first challenge and I hope you will like it.

Tuesday's Tangle

For you Tanglers out there, this is sort of a marriage between Aguafleur and Phicops growing out of a ribbon and sprouting a bed of Poke Leaves that are exuding a foam of Nzeppel all contained by the rest of the ribbon. Better than thinking about taxes yo.

Well, I reckon it has become time for me to start posting my Zentangle creations to a blog.  Not yet sure why, but it is a way of participating in the Zentangle community.  So, here goes - Zentangle One.

Cubine, Poke Root, PinBawl