The Diva has a guest challenger this week, CZT Amy Broady. Her challenge
is to "make your tangled work shine! Or gleam. Or glint. ... include a METALLIC feature in your tangled art this week. It could be bold or subtle, a major feature, or a finishing touch."
When I first read that challenge I thought, "Well, this could take me for quite a ride!" I often add little doodads to my artwork, and shiny things... well!
The first thing I found was a dark copper-y spiral. I have no idea where it came from, but I liked it and popped it into my box of nifty things that could be useful in art projects. :)
I liked the shape and traced it a few times onto a Zentangle Renaissance tile, then drew the tangles, intending to put the metal spiral in one of the empty spaces. When I finished, I liked it better without the metal! It sat on my desk while I started another tile with some buttons. At some point I glanced at this tile and the metal spiral had jiggled into place at the bottom and I really liked it! It got glued.
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| Tangles: Crescent Moon, Ennies, Pearlz, Tipple and Auras |
Three buttons, also from my box of nifty things. They are actually more gold colored. As they sat angled on the paper I was struck by the shadows cast by the strong sunlight, so I traced some of the shadows as well as the flat round form of the larger button.
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Tangles: Cubine (with a front), Knightsbridge, Tipple,
elements of Crescent Moon, and Auras |
Next out of the box of nifty things were three aluminum spirals. I switched to a black tile and used a black metallic pen - which is really more of a dark gray. I used a Very Pale Gray pencil to add the highlights, and a black Glaze pen on the star points to bring up the black. It's not my favorite.
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| Tangles: Arukas, and a spiral. |
In amongst some other things I found a single butterfly sticker on holographic paper. Metal-
like at least. And I got to use some colored pens which I wanted to do. I also used some metallic and glitter pens - which don't show up well - as well as colored pencils and a pink wash.
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Tangles: Dust Bunny, Floo, Flux, Knightsbridge, Knightspeak,
Opus, Paizel, Sanibelle, Tipple, and Tweety. |
Not metallic, but still shiny - some gems. Now before you get all impressed, let me say that the gems are actually (fake) gems, a peel-and-stick scrapbook item, not me drawing super-duper jewels. I just stuck it down and worked out from there.
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| Tangles: 'dillo, Florz, Pearlz, Tipple |
This was LOTS OF FUN Amy! Thanks for the challenge.
Very shiny! That last tile has a really great "pop" to it. And I actually like the black and gray tile you posted -- it has a good sort of expressionist/noir look to it.
ReplyDeleteYou have a point Thomas. Perhaps I wasn't partial to the black tile because expressionist/noir is not really "what I do". :)
DeleteI like all your tiles! But I think my favorite is the last one. Very subdued. You do such nice work that it's really hard to say any one of them is a favorite though. I learn so much from just looking at your work. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love the spiral and button tile!!! This was such a great challenge!
ReplyDeleteall 5 tiles are beautiful. My favorite is the second one with the buttoms; there is so much depth in this work
ReplyDeleteLove being the first to comment! I love that you take us through your "thinking" process as this unravels into several marvelous marvelous tiles! I have a few days ahead of me where I can take a few hours to let my mind wander a bit and this seems like the perfect place to start with "shine" and "glitter". Thanks for getting me refocused on this. Are you watching this blog too?
ReplyDeletehttp://think.enioken.com/zonked-wow/
Although she is not following the Diva I do like how she evolves so beautifully and her shading is to die for too.
Just amazingly beautiful. I needed a little "oooh" this morning. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWow! Lots of great tiles! I love how you incorporated the doodads! I am really drawn to the one with the buttons. Love the cast shadows of the buttons I guess.
ReplyDeleteoooh SO many wonderful examples! Loved the way you tied everything (the shiny bits play so nicely with the tangles) together! And I REALLY love that shading on the last tile. Looks like a brooch sitting on the tile...I can even tell there's a hinged pin on the back lifting it up on one side!
ReplyDeleteThanks Betsy! That's partly why I showed it at an angle. It seems to appear even more 3D than when it's flat on.
DeleteI think the worst thing about metallic and sparkle pens is the fact that they rarely show up well on photos and certainly not when scanned, which is a shame because we sound so needy when we say, it looks better in real life. But it does and that's all there is to it. Each of your pieces is different to the others and I am impressed by the range of styles you have used. lovely work, all of it.
ReplyDeleteIt really is disappointing how they don't photograph well, isn't it?
DeleteSilly as this may sound, Margaret, but your work makes me want to weep. I seem to do that when I see something exceptional or hear a beautiful piece of music. This is how your art affects me. Thank you for sharing your art.
ReplyDeleteOh my! Thank you so much Lindy. I don't think it's silly at all, I'm just so touched that my art has that effect!
DeleteMight your elusive tangle be Tweety by Sandra Strait http://lifeimitatesdoodles.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/my-tangle-pattern-tweety.html??
ReplyDeleteI think my favourite is the first one, mind you it's hard to choose as each has such character. Your shading on the two Renaissance is a dream....... I could sit & look at these for hours.
YES! It is! Thank you so much. I've updated the information.
DeleteYour tiles look so warm and cozy! I love them all :-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, I love how your submerged yourself into this shiny challenge. Love the variety and special character of each piece. I love how you honor each one of your embellishments and let them guide the look of each piece. Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI knew I could really get into this challenge, and I did. :)
DeleteOh, so hard to choose a favorite! As usual, you take a challenge and shake the living [whatever]�� out of it! The two Renaissance tiles are so glowing, and Arukas is one of my favorites, working so well with the spirals (sounds like a yoga instruction)! The butterfly garden is so super pretty and the gem one pops up so nicely off the Florz. If pressed, I would say the button one is the most original and also so very Margaret - my fave of the bunch! Love them all!
ReplyDeleteThanks Antonine! I had a lot of fun with this challenge (as you can probably guess)!
DeleteSuch beautiful work here as always. I love the way you shade your renaissance pieces. I keep coming back to look at all of this. That last piece has so much amazing dimension, I just want to reach in and grab those pearls;-)
ReplyDeletewow, the tiles are all so beautiful and the different ideas to let them shine are so creative! very inspiering!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing display of Zentangle art all drawn around bits and pieces. You are so talented. I think my favourite is the spiral tile, closely followed by the Arukas one, but really they are all fabulous.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun you allowed yourself this week, Margaret! I love how you incorporated beautiful found objects into your tangles. I have not thought of that and now am on a hunt :) Thanks for the great ideas!
ReplyDeleteI don't feel at all compelled to choose a favorite. There's no reason not to savor (savour) and enjoy each one. All are inspired (and lovely) in their own way.
ReplyDelete