The Diva's Weekly Challenge #60 - DuoTangle

The Diva's Challenge this week is to create a "DuoTangle" using "Cirquital" and "Munchin" - Both tangles are Official Zentangle patterns. The tile (above) is my response to the challenge that I drew by hand this evening.

Earlier today, I was playing around with the "Scribbler" program on the web and wanted to see how it would turn out if I tried to draw the tangles from the challenge. I wish I had a pen stylus for my computer, I did this with a mouse, but it was fun, and I think it created an interesting drawing.

Happy 17th Birthday Matthew!

Yesterday was Matthew's 17th Birthday! I'm telling you, I don't know where the time is going! I sure wish it would slow down a little bit! This was taken just before we went out to dinner. Was a school night, so we kept it simple... out for his traditional Pizza dinner to Politos, then home for the night. By the way, that's a clock radio for his room, and so that when he goes away to college, he MIGHT get up in time to make it to morning classes.  :)

Abstract Nonrepresentational Acrylic Painting - Work In progress

Here is what my latest painting looks like after I did a little more work on it last night. I added some more white flakes to the bottom, and toned down some of the "raw" colors by mixing the sienna and umber with some of the unbleached titanium acrylic paint. I think I want to tone down some of the white flakes at the bottom, not sure if it needs anything else after that or not.

Scribbler

I followed a link (I am sorry, I forgot where I got the link from to give credit) to a really cool scribble program on the web. The cool thing is that it lets you save your drawings to your computer if you want to keep them. I was having a blast with this this morning! You should take a look and do a little scribbling. :) Here is the link: http://www.zefrank.com/scribbler/scribblertoo/

The Diva's Weekly Challenge #59: Mardi Gras Themed Zentangle Tile

This week, the Diva's Challenge for our Zentangle Tile was to use the theme of Mardi Gras. I wanted to stick with a basic zentangle, so this is what I came up with. I think the colors, beads and patterns I used pretty much accomplishes the festive Mardi Gras feel. I'll probably go back to this later and add some shading. (Image replaced with shading added).

Fractured no more...

Well, you'll never guess... lol... but the "Fractured" painting I showed you last week bit the dust, and has morphed into this. I am not done with it yet, it needs some work at the bottom for sure, and I plan to add some texture... :)

Here is the finished painting:

 I'll try to get a better photo of it tomorrow when the sun is out. I added some black at the bottom and some liquitex white flakes and black lava to this... I also did some "splatter" work on this.

The Diva's Weekly Challenge #58: Use the Four Diamonds Logo

This week's Diva Challenge by guest CZT, Diana Hirsch, is to use the Four Diamonds Logo as a string for your Zentangle. This is what I did...

I really like the way it came out. To learn all about the 4 Diamonds Logo and Charity fund, please read the Diva's Challenge.

This is the set of markers I used on this tile:

Fractured & Paint-Blot Diptych

I've got two projects that I have been working on off and on in little bits of stolen time in-between designing ads and all the other stuff that a person has to do, like sleep. The first one is what I am for the time being calling "Fractured", unless it totally morphs into something else by the time I am done with it. As you can tell, this little painting (16 x 20) is taking my sketchbook playground to a canvas board. I do like the way it is coming out... but I did have fits with the tape this time, actually it was probably my impatience, and I probably pulled the tape off too soon, because I got loads of ragged lines with the black paint... but I think it will be ok, just have to fix the shapes. I'm not sure where to go with this next... I think I am going to let it sit for a while.

Secondly, I am working on another "Paint-Blot", this time on two 12 x 12 inch canvases. Which, now, thanks to Lynne Taetzsch over at artbylt.com, I know is called a "Diptych" (link to wikipedia). By the way, Lynne is working on some fabulous black and white Diptych paintings right now. If you have not been over to her web site or blog you should really take a look at her work... her name in this post is linked to her blog for your convenience. The other link goes to her page for today, where shows her most recent pair, and they are my favorite of the series (so far). Lynne is a fabulous artist, and I greatly admire her work, she's also a very nice person and has been very friendly. Lynne's blog is very educational, and she shares her processes and experience most generously.

I've started to work with some graphite and metallic paints on the paint-blot diptych. So far... so good... we will have to wait and see where it goes from here, and how much time I will have to work on it in the days to come, the graphic design work is getting really busy again, and I have to get back to it now.... Have a great weekend!  :)

Yet Another Sketchbook - Acrylic Painting

I am really having fun with these sketchbook/journal acrylic paintings. I did another one last night, and I really like the way it came out... I think I am going to have to take this to the next level and start working on canvases or watercolor block.

Another Sketchbook - Acrylic Painting

This time I used red, blue, yellow and black acrylic paint. Had some paper pull up with the tape this time, but I don't mind, it gave it character and even some texture. I think I am going to have to switch over to some better paper or even a canvas pretty soon.... but I am having fun experimenting and playing in my sketchbook/journal.

Sketchbook - Acrylic Painting

 Black frame is computer generated. 5.5 x 8.5 (Inches) Painting

Here is another painting I did in my sketchbook last night. I used tape to mask off different areas, painted with different colors in each area, then took the tape off and masked again, covered all open areas with black, then took the tape off again... did a little bit of marker drawing to tighten up a few areas.... and this is what I got... I love it! :)

The Diva's Weekly Challenge #57: Learn and Use "Sanibelle" tangle by Tricia Faraone

 3.5 x 3.5 Tile - Bristol Vellum Paper

Last week's challenge from the Diva was so much fun, I had to check it out again to see what was up for this week. The challenge is to use the tangle Sanibelle by Tricia Faraone. I've added Tricia to my blog list for future reference. Sanibelle was an easy tangle to draw (pattern far-right on my tile), I enjoyed using the pattern, I will be using it again. :)

A Chance of Flurries - Painting with Acrylics

 Black frame is computer generated. 5.5 x 8.5 (Inches) Painting

This is a little painting I did in my sketchbook today that became "A Chance of Flurries". I really like the way it came out. I used Acrylic Paint and Liquitex - White Flakes to create the snow.

Sketchbook - Fingerpainting

I have to say, I had so much fun with this! I was working on the "paint-blots", I got some paint on my fingers... next thing I knew... I HAD to get MORE paint on my fingers... one thing lead to another... and this is what happened... my first finger-painting in about 30 years! I remember painting with my fingers when I was in junior high school... We were working on a set for a school play, and I was painting trees.... I remember my hands were pure green when I left that day, my brother was so mad, because he had to pick me up and drive me home, and he made me keep my hands away from the windows because he didn't want any one to see my green hands... I love it... going to do more!

Another Paint-Blot

Here is another paint-blot I did in my sketchbook today. I really like the way this came out. These are just too much fun. :)

2-2-12 Colored Zentangle tile

I was looking at the Zentangle Inspired Art by Shelly Beauch titled: Burnt Sienna at her blog, and desided to get out a set of Faber Castell - (MANGA Karoiro Set) of India Ink Markers I purchased on my birthday last November, and hadn't broken in yet. All six of the colors used on this tile come in this package. I really like the way this came out. I used the gray marker to create the shading. The finished tile reminded me of African Art... most specifically a pair of wooden masks my Mom had hanging on the wall in one of our houses when I was a kid... I wonder what ever happened to those masks, probably long gone by now... isn't it weird how some things trigger memories like that?

Playtime 2

Well, it's not a good idea to use watercolors with a lot of water in a sketchbook that is made of thin paper... I live and learn, what can I say! The paper stuck on one side and pulled up a layer, I think the only thing that saved me from getting a big hole in the paper was that I had painted on the other side of the paper with acrylic paint. I was however kinda thrilled with the effect it made on the page... so I am not unhappy with it, and it was fun playing, which is something I needed to do. Going to go to bed early tonight, I've got a busy day and weekend coming up.

Lunch - Playtime

I was in the mood to play, but I wanted something really quick that I could do on my lunch break, then it hit me, do a "paint-blot" ... I don't have any ink, so I used acrylic paint in my sketchbook instead of ink. I put paint on one side of the paper, then closed the book, opened it up, quick dry with the heat-gun, and then added more paint blots, repeat with some black lava and some white flakes, and here we have a quick lunch time fun session! I'm gonna try this again later with some watercolors. :)

Zentangle Tile

I needed a little get-away from work this evening, so I turned on some music and did a zentangle tile. I used a few patterns that are new to me in this, Koolapopper by Molossus (click name to see pattern) I also used Beadline by Margaret Bremner and Bubbles by Suzanne McNeill (that I found instructions on how to create at http://tanglepatterns.com)

Mixed Media Painting WkInProg On-Going

Another publication is due at the printer this week, so I have not had a lot of time to myself, but I did take a little a few moments last night to work on this painting again. ( got through a couple of Frank Sinatra songs before my cell phone started ringing and my boss wanted to know if I had gotten his email requests.) I used some china markers and some paint pens... not sure about the white... might have to dull that down a bit... but at least I haven't painted over the whole thing again like I did last time. I'll try to find a couple minutes to play tonight, but isn't looking promising. Back to the grind-stone. :)