Interwoven.
Everything in their lives was interwoven. No single thing could exist without the other. Each element fed the whole.
Crazy Huggins is a wonderful example of single elements combining to make a complete design. In this version, I used a fair amount of shading to add additional dimension to each decorated section. I also used a heavier line weight around the outside to define each section and a finer width pen for the decorative elements. All of these things together create a more graphic finished tile.
This tile uses a basic technique referred to as a Zenbutton. CZT Marguerite Samama is credited as the inventor of this technique. She was experimenting with methods for using Fragments in different ways when she discovered it.
You can watch an instructional video, created by Melinda Barlow, CZT, here , to see the basic technique.
I’ve been thinking about trying it for a few days. Yesterday, I sat down and went for it. For my first attempt, I’m very happy with the results. I will definitely add this to my tangle enhancing techniques!
This tile was done by Amanda. I absolutely love it. She decided to experiment with having both a light and a dark background on the same tile, and I think it worked really well. I love the way it shows off the white “ribbons” of tangles on top of the dark areas. I am also super impressed by the intertwining of all the elements!
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen and white, Sakura Gelly Roll pen. Black area colored with a Sakura Identi-Pen. Shading done with graphite pencil and white chalk pencil.
This wonderful tile was created by my daughter. She is my student and protégé! She is such an amazing artist and she loves to be my class tester. It never ceases to amaze me what she will do and whether she will change something because she likes her way better. I’m so proud of her and so happy we will both become CZTs at the same seminar!
She saw my similar tile and asked me to teach her how to do it. It’s always a great opportunity for me to have a “practice student!” And it’s so much fun to work together.
Choice.
She looked down at the floor and realized that there were so many choices, all woven together, that could make up the whole. While each one was different they were all part of the fabric of her life.
So far this year, I’ve done very few “regular” Zentangles. When I completed this one, and showed it to my daughter, she asked me, " Does it feel weird to do black and white now?" That was an interesting question because it was something that I was actually thinking about when I did it! And, the answer was, “Yes, it is a bit strange because I’ve been moving so far away from it lately.”
This is my own design, done in the Tints on Tan style. I wanted to finish out the week of beach-themed tiles with something original! After looking at pictures of sea horses, I realized their bodies are basically made up of a bumpy grid. Once I got that, the rest was easy!
I didn’t add any wave foam or sand dots because this one is actually meant to be under water.
This is the final, official tile for the Tints on Tan, beach series.
These tiles, combining colored pencil and tangling have been so much fun to do. Technically, these would be considered ZIAs (Zentangle Inspired Art) rather than standard Zentangles. However, if you like this type of thing, they can be just as “zen” and relaxing to do. I particularly like the subject matter because the ocean reminds of of summer and vacations, happy times and warm weather.
This is my second tile in the Tints on Tan series. I liked doing the starfish. It wasn’t too compilcated, and this time, I planned better and the water is going over the the ends of the arms!
Zentangle drawn on Kraft Stonehenge paper from Legion, using a black and brown, Micron pens. Color is from colored pencils.
Tangles: Flux Printemps Tipple
Tints on Tan is a set of classes created by CZTs Marty Deckle and Jenny Peruzzi. It was first presented at CanTangle in July of 2015. Recently, the kit has become available on Etsy, and there is now a Facebook group for this style of tangling.
I decided to do each shape from the beach set on it’s own tile, along with the full grouping. This is my first tile, the sea shell.
This is my first tile from the Delft Delights kit. I purchased my kit from AcadiaLaserCreations on Etsy. It was designed by Marguerite Samama , a CZT® from the Netherlands.
In addition to the instructions, the kit includes two Zendala-sized and one standard-sized Official Zentangle tiles. It does not include any pens or pencils, but a list is provided. I did not have the exact products listed, so I found the closest things I had in my supplies and used those.
This tile is from Project Pack 2, The Twelve Days of Zentangle. On day two, we are using two Zentangle tiles.
The first tile, which is black, has a hole cut in the center. Then tangling is done around the empty space. I added red metallic gel pen dots around the center frame and I used a grey metallic gel pen to fill in the spaces in the Flux. Metallic ink just doesn’t show up very well in photographs, unfortunately!
Giving thanks.
I have so many things to be thankful for this year, it would make a very long post to list them all. So I am going to tell you that I am grateful for my wonderful husband, beautiful daughters, and fabulous grandchildren. I am thankful for my good health and good life.
I also am very thankful that I discovered Eni Oken. She is a fabulous artist that shares herself, her talent and her knowledge with others. Over this year, learning from her has taken my art to a whole ’nother level, as they say. This tile is another one based on her Tan Treasure video lesson . I think this is my favorite of all the techniques I’ve learned so far!
This is a small, white, real pumpkin that I tangled on during October 2010.
It wasn’t easy to do because the squash was heavily coated in some kind of wax.
I used Pigma Micron pens, but they tended to stay wet a long time.
Also, the ink tended to bead up in spots so that when it dried, there were darker circles.
So, while this wasn’t a total loss, it was really frustrating to do.
Under the suns.
All three suns were out in the day. Somehow the river floated in the sky, crossing the mountains in the distance. It was as if it was a bridge across the earth, separating the sky from the fields below.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil.
Tangles: 2-N-5 Flux Fracas Meer Pinwheels Scena Shing Spoken Well
I heart.
The string for this tile started out as a heart. I then modified it a bit to fit in all of the random tangles for the day.
Zentangle drawn on Official Zentangle tile using a black, Micron pen.
Tangles: Afterglow Bamboo Bubbles Cadent Drupe Flux Poke-Root Quabog
Leaves.
Take a close look at the string used for this Zentangle. Do you see it? I traced around a leaf template to create the basic string. The Ennies at the bottom left was added because I felt it needed something there, so it‘s in addition to the leaves.
Zentangle drawn on olive card stock using a black, Micron pen.
Tangles: Courant Crescent Moon Cubine Ennies Flux Holey Huggins Isochor Tipple
In between.
The hedges peek around the garden patches. The tree has been trimmed into a sculptured beauty. We‘ve walked all along the wall and the lizards are beginning to sun themselves. Summer is almost here.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen.
Tangles: Archer Emingle Flux Hamsix Isochor Vermal Xircus
Textiles.
This tile makes me feel like I‘m peeking into my sewing room and seeing fabrics and trims ready and waiting on my cutting table.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Bristol Vellum using a black Micron pen.
Tangles: Beeline Courant Flooka Flux Patena Ruflz Sez
A hint of Spring.
I wanted to play with the watercolor concept again, but using a more spring-like color palette. I think one of the hardest things to learn for this technique, is to do a little at a time, and to know when to stop.
Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Coloring was done with Tombow, Zig and Distress markers. Accents were done with Distress and Stablo markers.
Hanging around.
This is an interesting tile because it‘s pretty weird, in some ways, even for a Zentangle. The string I drew had lots of loops. My thinking was that it would be fun to experiment with. It actually turned out to be kind of difficult to use with the random tangles I had for this day. But, I just went for it and I think it turned out OK in the end!