Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Shut-eye string

Zentangle weekly challenge number three: draw the pencil string with your eyes shut! This was very interesting. I 'stringed'* two tiles, and thought I was making big hand movements, but when I opened my eyes the string was rather tight and didn't look very interesting. But I persevered.

This is the first tile I did. I really like how it's off-center and sort of bundled or compact with lots of white space.

Frankly, it was so interesting I had to do another.









Below is the second one. I thought it needed the bubbles on the right to balance it. The shading doesn't show up very well.

I like this method! I'm a bit of a control freak when it comes to my art, but I also recognize that often the best work happens when I don't really know what's going on. So anything like this that takes control out of my hands is probably a good thing. :-)

I'm looking forward to using this method again, but right now... MY ELDEST DAUGHTER IS GETTING MARRIED ON SATURDAY AND THINGS ARE A LITTLE BUSY AROUND HERE!!!


* There. We now have a new Zentangle-inspired verb: "to string".  In context: "I stringed the tabletop and then tangled it with a Sharpie."
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20 comments:

  1. RobbieJanuary 5, 2011 at 11:45 AM

    Let's hope you put your pencil down long enough to enjoy the wedding! Love the idea of the 'two pencils'. I still have to try this!

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  2. AnonymousJanuary 5, 2011 at 1:00 PM

    Hope the wedding is as lovely as can be!!
    it's fun to let go and fill in a random string isn't it!

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 5, 2011 at 1:38 PM

    I particularly love the first one! Great job...it's just so lovely how the patterns appear to be sitting one over the other and how the paradox fan is sitting in a nest :D

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  4. Sandra StraitJanuary 5, 2011 at 2:47 PM

    Congrats to your daughter!

    Your zens are amazing! I think it really is a great step when we let go, and let it flow! These challenges are fantastic for helping us all do that.

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  5. stARTJanuary 5, 2011 at 3:36 PM

    Great stuff - particularly the dimensional qualities of the first tile. I can practically FEEL the weight of the bundle pictured...

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  6. Sue ClarkJanuary 5, 2011 at 5:07 PM

    Love them both! It really is hard to let go and not control the string. I had the same issues, but what a great challenge for all of us! Congrats to your daughter! Hope you enjoy every moment of the wedding & festivities.

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  7. JoniJanuary 5, 2011 at 6:24 PM

    Beautiful tiles, it's amazing you found time to do them with wedding preparations flying all around you. Perhaps you needed a break, and what better way than to do a zentangle! These challenges are so much fun, taking a fresh look at things.

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  8. LeslieRahyeJanuary 5, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    Love the tangles--so beautiful! Thanks for the grammar lesson too...always looking for new words! :D

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  9. PhineJanuary 5, 2011 at 9:26 PM

    WOW – love both of them!
    Perhaps the 'horn of plenty' a little more ;-) . Your Striping is gorgeous.

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  10. Kit @ DreamscribeJanuary 5, 2011 at 9:46 PM

    It's totally fascinating to me that so many of these eyes wide shut (love the shut-eye title of this post, btw!) are producing strings that are quite tightly wound and smaller than the tile. I know we're all trying not to veer off the edge of the tile (I did!).... but these small 'seemingly' awkward spaces are being filled so beautifully and inventively. Like these two!! I ♥ them. These challenges are pushing all our boundaries, aren't they?!

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  11. Margaret Bremner, ArtistJanuary 5, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    Thanks all! I prefer the first tile to the second too. Next to try: a shut-eye double-pencil string tile! (That would probably be way too tight to tangle. Hmm, sounds like a stressed-out day: "Too Tight to Tangle".

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  12. IldikoJanuary 6, 2011 at 12:19 AM

    your shut eye strings were filled deliciously! i love the first one most,the depth and balanced contrast is very eyechatching !so i keep looking at it...

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  13. Lois Heinani StokesJanuary 6, 2011 at 2:36 PM

    Whispering ~ There are no limits

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  14. Terri StegmillerJanuary 6, 2011 at 4:27 PM

    they are both fabulous. I really like how you shadowed the two dot lines in the first one.

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  15. ptrish40January 6, 2011 at 5:33 PM

    Very cool! Love them both - but the first one really grabs my attention - it makes me think of a fancy delicate cookie fit for a State Dinner!

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  16. i am the divaJanuary 7, 2011 at 7:57 PM

    love them both!! have a great time this weekend!!

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  17. Tinkered ArtJanuary 7, 2011 at 9:48 PM

    Love them both but partial to the first one. Love the circles going into the striped cylinder and "squirting" out the dots!

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  18. revbyrdJanuary 8, 2011 at 10:59 PM

    I love your work. The first one especially realy pops off the page.
    As I type this, it is late Sat. evening, so I assume your daughter's wedding went well and was beautiful. I hope you are geting some rest and that you enjoyed the day.

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  19. UnknownJanuary 9, 2011 at 11:09 AM

    I love both tangles! The first is hanging by two strings and I love the shading below the strings. The second is pure fun!

    Enjoy your daughter's wedding!

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  20. Chari-LynnJanuary 9, 2011 at 12:51 PM

    Both tiles are beautiful! I really like the first one.

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