Walk the Line

Another Challenge from the Diva: This is #14! This means we have been Challenged for a quarter of a year: the first Challenge was 12/20/2010, just at the Winter Solstice, and now the Spring Equinox has come.

This week's challenge is to create a Zentangle (or ZIA) using only straight lines! Pretty tricky for those of us who love lush curvy forms. I know I wasn't nearly as creative as some: I didn't create "tangleations" of traditionally round tangles, using straight lines.

But it's not a competition, it's a challenge. And I felt challenged, and had fun! Which is the point. In the future, I may try some of those tangleations. Another thing to add to the "someday, when I have time" pile! That pile just keeps getting higher!

I Swear, every line is as straight as I could make it : )

We know about the illusion of curve in Rick's Paradox, but I hadn't seen the illusion in Cadent, because I usually draw it with curvy lines. These were done straight, corner to corner, and they still look curved to me!

I LOVE spending time every week looking at what others have done with Laura's challenges. Soooo inspiring! This awesome Zentangle community inspires me in so many ways, and I'm so glad I'm here!

Last Class--Next Class

As I mentioned previously, we had a great time at last week's Zentangle 101 class!

Here's the mosaic of the first tile:

We didn't manage to photograph the second mosaic: folks were getting in a rush to to leave for other commitments.  Everyone was fascinated, even as we worked on the tiles, at how differently people interpreted!

Please check the Learn Zentangle tab for future classes. I'm still trying to juggle my "real job" with class schedules, but I'll get better at it! Also still working with Tech Support on online registration, but drop me an e-mail if you want to come to a class.

NON-Dominatrix

I have a friend who has told me for years that my voice could make me good money as a dominatrix on the phone.
This Challenge, however has nothing to do with that! The challenge is to create a Zentangle with our non-dominant hand. For me that's my left. I won't call it useless: the strength is good, and right now it's giving me less pain than the right, but as far as dexterity and fine-motor function . . .
(Isn't that some sort of oxymoron: dexterous left hand? Obviously the word was created by anti-leftists!)

My first attempt was, to my eye, even worse than expected:

So shaky and uncontrolled that, in order to comfort myself, I recreated it with my right hand:

just to prove that it still worked, I think.

My second attempt, I concentrated much harder on keeping my strokes steady & deliberate. I know others have mentioned their dominant hand trying to seize control of the pen. I didn't have this problem, because I was using it to clench the sketch pad! I kept telling myself to Relax and Breathe, but my right hand clutched the sketch pad in a death grip, and my left hand clutched the pen in the same fashion. I kept trying to relax my grip  on the pen,  but it would only work for seconds before tightening up again.

At any rate, I did finally complete a tile (really, without any hidden discarded tiles!) that I felt was as good as I was likely to get in the allotted time.

I can see this as something I should continue to attempt now and then, as a growth experience.

I notice that I didn't actually sign any of these : )  Freudian, no?

I have a LOT of things to post this week, so I'll try to spread them out a bit.

But be sure to check out Rick and Maria's post from Friday!  All 3 masks are just beautiful, but my favorite is the third one. I'll post more photos of that here later.

Am I Blue?

Well, not really. I was pretty blue on Friday, with concerns over my first class in the new studio space. But world events were certainly much bigger and far more devastating than Anything in my little world!!

So I send out prayers and healing energy to all those harmed in any way by natural disaster! And my little world will just have to continue to turn.

The Diva's Weekly Challenge #12 is "Something Blue," in honor of her Mom, Mom's birthday and her love of the color. This one was difficult for me. My first attempt was rather heavy-handed with the blue. I liked this second one better. But I think I'll post them both: there were things I really liked in the first tile! I just felt that I "lost it" in adding color.

OK, so the scanner toned it down some, but I still don't like what I did with Hollibaugh.

And the second, the scanner toned down too, so it's kind of dark:

I could probably adjust the settings, but I'm too tired.
;  )  [me with one eye closed]

Busy week last week and another coming up!

On the bright side, even though I had a smaller-than-expected-or-hoped-for class on Saturday, I did have a class, and everyone who did attend seemed to enjoy it and want more.

Tentative plan to repeat Zentangle 101 in a couple of weeks, then a "102--8 more tangles" in mid-April.

More on that soon!

In my downtime this week (if I really have any), I have a lot of work to do on my marketing.

Repeat after me:

It WILL be OK!

It WILL all work out!

This class WILL happen!

OK, so my tech support has not been able to get online registration and payment working: I can adapt, even at this late date! (see Learn Zentangle tab)

So the furniture isn't going to be here on time: there are options!

There will be a Zentangle 101 class at my studio space next Saturday! If you're in the Asheville area, come & bring a friend.

I'm so excited about sharing Zentangle with new friends!!

Monotangle?

So here again, is the Weekly Challenge from Laura Harms (I THINK I've been spelling it correctly, but I won't swear to it!)  :  )

This week, Laura challenges us to create a Zentangle tile Using Only One Tangle! Oh, what fun!

First, let me refer you to my tile for the first Challenge:  "Simplicity" That one used only Cadent in graduated sizes of pen.

So, of course, Cadent leaped immediately to mind, but that wouldn't have been challenging at all, since I was Done already.
I thought of  Flux, since I love to draw those swoopy, leafy shapes. But my first few attempts were disappointing. Then I thought of Betweed. I Really like the way this one looks in the long, narrow, ribbon-y format. Again, I was not happy! Too stilted.

Maggie, you're Overthinking again! It's Zentangle!!!

Once I added the third, slightly different area of Betweed, I was much happier!

So then I said, "While you're Flowing, instead of Thinking, draw a string and try Flux one more time.

Much Better!!

I'll have more this weekend. I've been very productive this week!