" Pinwheels for Peace" - String Theory Challenge #87

September 21 is Peace Day.......the International Day of Peace.   The Diva's information about this year's Pinwheels for Peace is found here.

My ZIA is very plain and simple. Almost looks bare.... like maybe I forgot to finish tangling.  But it IS completed.... and hopefully reflects my sentiments.... and thoughts for someday being wittness to "world peace".... (which reminds me of the movie Miss Congeniality with Sandra Bullock. Remember the Miss Rhode Island contestant? All she wanted was "world peace", too.)

Plain and simple:  Peace

ZIA - Bristol Vellum 5"x5" - Sakura Micron Black #01; graphite shading

Happy tangling.....
... and thank you for visiting and sharing your comments.

Explore the Peace Wheel.

 

" Break Free " - Weekly Challenge #86

The Diva has challenged us to "Break Free" this week! 

What a liberating idea.......

ZIA - 4"x6" Bristol Vellum; Sakura Microns Black 01, Sepia 01; chalk pastels; graphite shading.

Happy tangling...
... and thank you for visiting.

 

" Copada "-UMT - Weekly Challenge #85

The first Monday of the month is reserved for a "home made tangle"** from a randomly chosen Zentangle  aficionado.  This week we are working with a tangle called "Copada", created by Margaret Bremmer, CZT.

Margaret was in my CZT Class (class #3), and I so regret that I did not get to meet her at that time.  Margaret is a fabulous artist.   Hope you will visit her website. 

Here is my version of  a ZIA using "Copada".


ZIA - Bristol 6"x8"; Sakura Micron Black #01; graphite shading.

Thank you for another interesting challenge, Laura!

Happy tangling....
...and thank you for visiting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"home made tangle"**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ps:  Congratulations, Susan, for completing your 2nd Closer to Free Ride today for the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven in CT, USA.  We are so very proud of you.  Love you, Mom & Dad.
 

" String Theory-Blind Sighted " - Challenge # 84

Close your eyes - draw a string - now tangle within.  The Diva explains her rationale here. 

I love this kind of challenge.   Used some new tangles from TanglePatterns.com, and a couple of not-so-new tangles.  Thanks for a delightful challenge.

Pencil string drawn with eyes closed!    

ZIA - Bristol 4" x 5"; Sakura Micron Black #01, #005; PrismaColor Premier Pencils; graphite shading
 



Tangle patterns:  Tripoli, Scroll Feather, Angel Fish, Zixts variation.

 

Happy tangling....

..... and thank you for visiting.

 

" Mooka - Assunta Duo" - Weekly Challenge #83

Love these duo-tangle-challenges!  This week, Mooka and Assunta are front and center, dancing around tiles and ZIA's. 

Mooka needs practice (practice, practice) - but once your brain remembers how to swoosh the lines up/around/and back, it's really quite fun.  Assunta, on the other hand, requires a bit of concentration when plotting the grid.... then, connecting the grid-path is mesmerizing.
 

Art Journal page 5"x7" - Sakura Microns: Black #01, Sepia #01; Prismacolor pencils; pastel chalks; graphite shading

Great selection of tangles for this Duo-Tangle Challenge from the Diva.

Happy tangling...
... and thank you for visiting.

" Brayd " - UMT - Weekly Challenge # 82

This week, the star tangle pattern is "Brayd" (instructions here), created by the very talented  Shelly Beauch, CZT.  I have not used this pattern extensively, and now that I've had a chance to study it a bit more by drawing it and viewing the fabulous Zentangles and ZIA's submitted for this challenge, (scroll down to Mr. Linky on the Diva's site), I think I'll be drawing it more.  It's so fun!  With lots of design possibilities........

While I was pumping gas into my car yesterday, I noticed an interesting design on one of the (many) 'CAUTION-HAZARDOUS-FLAMMABLE' warning stickers pasted to the front of the pump.  So, for my string on this ZIA, I penciled my interpretation of that design.

ZIA - Bristol 5" square; Sakura Microns black # 01 & #005; graphite shading.

Thank you Shelly and Laura.

Happy tangling...
..... and thank you for visiting.

ps:  Happy Birthday to my l-o-o-o-n-g time (since kindergarten!) friends, Joyce and Fran.

" Relay for Life Zendala " - Challenge #81

The Diva has recruited guest challenge host Erin Olson, CZT for this week's challenge.

Erin has provided the zendala template - and I just cannot believe the variety of beautifully creative interpretations that have been submitted so far!  I'm a bit embarrassed to post mine after viewing those other works of art. 

I thought a zendala needed to be very precise..... I mean, the tangle patterns needed to be drawn to fit specifically within the lines/string of the template.  This challenge has, perhaps, proven me wrong.  If you have not yet viewed the zendalas in this challenge, I hope you will take a minute to do so..... here  (then scroll down to Mr. Linky's list).

I used a 3.5" template, and perhaps it was too small for my drawing style.  It was frustrating to run out of space within a string segment and not be able to freely draw a tangle.  It was very tight!  My next attempt may be a larger template.  Or, drawing outside the lines is another option.  We'll see.  I'm not completely convinced that I want to attempt another zendala until I understand the ground-rules.  (Darn Type-A personality!!!)

Zendala - Bristol 4"; Sakura Micron Black #01, #005; graphite shading

Thanks, Erin, for a challenging challenge!!

Happy tangling....
... and thank you for visiting.

" Mi2 (Me Too) " - Challenge #80

It's hard to believe that this is the Diva's 80th Weekly Challenge devoted to the art of Zentangle!!

The focus of this challenge is a tangle called "Mi2 (Me Too)",  which was created by Mimi Lempart, CZT.   Instructions for drawing this tangle are found here.

I really like to draw this pattern...although, at first, it was very challenging.  It's one of those patterns that is hard to wrap your head around - but oh, so gratifying when you finally "get it".

Traditional Zentangle - Sakura Micron Black #01; graphite shading.



Check out the Diva's challenge tile.  It's awesome.

Happy tangling...
.....and thank you for stopping by.

ps:  Happy Birthday to my little brother, Chuck!  love you lots.

" Citius, Altius, Fortius " - Challenge #79

As the 2012 Summer Olympic Games are preparing for the July 27 opening ceremony in London, England - this challenge honors the Olympic motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius" ~ Swifter, Higher, Stronger. The iconic symbol for the Games is the five intertwining rings - and at least one of the (ring's) colors appears in every national flag of the participating countries.

While the Diva is in Philadelphia at a medical conference for Moebius Syndrome with her family this week, the guest-challenge-leader is Rho Densmore, CZT. Rho's olympic challenge post can be found here.

To me, the Olympics symbolizes years of work and sacrifice - as the athletes practice to perfect their chosen sport. First the practice, then the celebration! The Olympic celebration!!

"The most important thing is not to win but to take part!" Pierre de Coubertin

ZIA - 5" square Bristol - Sakura Micron Black #01, pastel chalks, PrismaColor pencils, graphite for shading

To all those fabulous Olympians who will strive harder than they have ever done before - good luck and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Happy tangling...
.....and thank you for stopping by.

ps:  Happy Anniversary Chuckie & Ero...... love you!!

" Auraknot " - Weekly Challenge #78

Back at Camp Zentangle, Rick and Maria have been busy creating this fabulous new tangle, and they are demonstrating the tangle in a great new YouTube video.   They challenged us to: (1) name the new tangle, and (2) deconstruct it and write the step-out instructions.  The Diva has more information about Auraknot on her award-winning website.

This is definitely a fun tangle with lots of possibilities and variations.  But it does require a good amount of focus and consistency..... with regards to direction when rotating the tile.  But, somehow, the result is an intricate, complicated-looking design that sorta resembles a Celtic knot. 


Traditional Zentangle - Sakura Micron Black #01



Traditional Zentangle - Sakura Micron Black #01 and graphite shading.

Thank you Rick and Maria... and Molly and Sue & Nancy.

Happy tangling.....
... and thanks for visiting.

ps: this entry is a dedicated to and a celebration of two birthdays that need to be acknowledged, as they happened since my last post... Happy Birthday, Susan ~ Happy Birthday, Christopher... love you very much.