Laflor

Having fun with a tangle called Laflor. It turns into a beautiful flower and the garden scene was just the icing on the cake. I started with the tangle itself. This is such a beautiful tangle that I had to add color to it as well. After giving each tangle some leaves, I decided that adding some squares to the back ground would give it a little character. Then filling the background with a simple line finished it off.

What do you think about this tangle? I would love for you to link your doodles in the comments below!

Joey’s Weekly Challenge #124

This one was fun and very out of my comfort zone. I learned a new tangle called Gra-vee. All the while I had to use a circle string with a loop in the center. I decided to add color to this piece because I felt like it gave it more dimension.

If you want to check out the challenge presented, you can find it here

Looking In Through The Window Of The Soul

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Well, this is my interpretation of my soul.

There are beauty and color, but there is also structure and stability. There are depths of my soul that are untouched and hidden. I have fallen in love with my soul. My soul is music and my soul is poetry. My soul aches for mankind and my soul rejoices for our achievements.

My soul is complicated, yet simple.

I would love to see your own view of your soul. Please comment below.

How To Build a Zentangle Sampler

I just wanted to put a series on here of my zentangle art. In the first picture, I outlined the main string using Staedtler pen. I filled inside the swirls with a simple striped tangle. I did the same for the string itself.

Then I penciled in how I would like the outside to look and then filled it in with a pen. I love the Paisley pattern and it fits anywhere you want it to go. The beautiful thing about this pattern as a filler is that there is no right or wrong way to lay them out. You can make them all go the same direction, swirl them around something, or do a random pattern like I did below!

Afterward, I began to work on the fine details of the background. This was by far the most time-consuming part. I wanted to fill in every opening with a circle. Boy did it change the look of this string completely!

After completing the background details I moved back to the original string where I put in enough details to keep it alive. I had never tried this before, but I like the way it finally turned out. Without the extra details inside the string itself, it looked out of place in my opinion.

I would love to know what you think about this page and what your favorite part is in the comments below.

 

ZenFlowers

There is such beauty in the world around us. I loved this sorta ying and yang type drawing. I tried my best to create something that filled the page but could be looked at from any angle.

After I completed the drawing and was happy with how it turned out, I decided it needed just a little color. Once the color was added, I was in shock with how everything seemed to just pop. I used Staedtler fine liners and color pencils. What do you think about this drawing and what does it bring to mind once the color was added?

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Review

Here is a little doodle that I thought would be fun to try out my new Staedtler Triplus Fineliner pens with. My boyfriend found these on eBay and they arrived tonight. The colors are very vibrant and I am excited about doing more with colors.

These are the pens that he got for me. They are vibrant, and the tips are all 0.3mm so the lines are very fine. I definitely recommend these for drawing, coloring, and writing in your journals. They do not bleed through easily and the ink itself doesn’t skip.

Let’s just say that I have a lot more to test out but I am excited, to say the least. Stay tuned for more fun stuff to come!

 

Oh Yes I Did!

What is that? Why would you draw something like that? What inspired that?

All these questions when I proudly expose my creature design. I sit down to draw, I never know what is going to come of it. It’s one of the main reasons I do draw. So let’s answer some of these questions.

What is that?  Well, my friend, that is a little creature I call Auque. Named from the word aculeus meaning prickle or spine. Its design came to me when I started looking through zentangle patterns. Some patterns I can’t seem to fit in anywhere else, so I decided to take the elements I liked the most to create something new. Something that causes people to stop and inspect. What is wrong with that?

Why would you draw something like that? Why not? Who determines what is art if not the artist? Why wouldn’t an artist desire to bring something new, something unexpected into the world? I drew this, not knowing it would be drawn. I put my pen down on the paper and started drawing, not stopping until I felt the piece was complete.

What inspired that? As I stated above, I look at zentangle patterns daily. Some patterns I love and incorporate into my art, while others seem to not pull me in the right direction. It isn’t the full tangle that I liked, but different elements that helped Auque take shape.

I am proud of this. It is mine. And it’s okay if you don’t “get it,” because I do. So, look at it, really look at it. Appreciate the effort and detail that went into making it. That is all I ever want from my audience.

Stay crafty and stay awesome!

Paisley Piano

This piece was inspired by a video about a prosecutor that became a CZT, Certified Zentangle Teacher. The link to view the video can be found here.

Esther Piszczek describes how she was no longer happy with her job and how she found fulfillment through zentangling on pianos. I think we have all been in a position in our lives where the position we are in is no longer satisfying.

In my own life, I became tired by the steady and demanding requirements of motherhood. Since 2012, I have been through a divorce, found a new relationship, and now have two additional kids ages 1 and 2. My 7-year-old is my mini-me. She has traveled through all these changes with grace and she will always inspire me to be better. Often times, we just sit and draw together. I don’t want anyone to look at my life and say “poor girl,” because I am where I am today because of all the events of my past. I am happy, I am fulfilled.

Now I say all that to say this. When we find ourselves in a place where we feel we don’t belong, we begin to reach out for something more fulfilling. Art has been that fulfillment for me. Although I am very new to the art world, I have found that it brings a sense of calmness in my otherwise hectic day to day life. Once all the kids are in bed at night, I have a quiet time all to myself to focus on art.

Zentangle Journal

I just wanted to share my cover and the first page of my Zentangle Journal. I will share all my pages as we go and it just feels right to create something I love out of the word LOVE. I feel like it turned out great. Honestly, the book held up nicely and was very durable to twist and turn how I needed it to draw.

Having 2 kids under 2 in my house, I have found that escaping to my desk is not always feasible. With this book, I am able to take it into the living room with my kids running around and can draw. The things that I found that I LOVE about this book is the fact that I can use a sharpie and it doesn’t bleed through to the back. Which means, there are double the pages to draw on now. I am excited to see what else comes from this, but for now, I’m still loving this book. Well worth the money. If you would like to get your own, head over to http://www.zentangle.com and pick one up.

Have you purchased this Journal before? If you have, I would love to know how you decorated the cover of yours. Link your photo in the comments below!

My Zentangle Journal

Well, I got this journal in the mail and I am excited about the creativity that will be stored in here. There are two different types of journals you can get. One of them has strings on the pages and the other one, which is the one I got, is blank.

I also got the micron pen kit which included pens of different sizes. I’ve already implemented these in my other art. I have yet to use the graphite pencil and the blending stick, but I’m hoping to incorporate that soon.

I am always looking for new products on the market, so if you know of any you would like for me to look into, I would be happy to do that for you. The price for these things was a little more than I like to spend but the quality seems to match it at first glance. Now to see how long the pens last and how durable the journal is. But only time will tell.