Challenge #57 - UMT v. 1 - Sanibel

I realize that my post for Diva's challenge is nearly last minute. It has been a full-moon sort of crazy week. It started last Sunday when I found out that a dear friend's 12 month old grandchild died suddenly in a choking accident. I struggled all week with the thoughts of losing a child - no matter what the circumstances or age of the child. Today I was able to finally sit down with my soul-brother (Shane's step-grandfather) and spend some time - sharing, crying, venting, and even laughing. It really did my heart good to see him. I hope I was a blessing to him, too.

Before I went to meet Tom, I wanted to create something tangible to remind him that I was thinking of his family. I had bought some "drawing cards" today on a whim so I started tangling using the grandchild's initials as my string. I was able to include several "S" patterns, including Sanibel, for Shane and several "T" patterns for Tom and Tita (Tom's beautiful lady and Shane's grandmother). It felt good to draw while holding this family in my heart. Inside, I included a poem by John O'Donahue. Fra. O'Donahue was an Irish Catholic Priest who died too soon but who left some of the most beautiful words behind to comfort and bless us. I share the poem below. I hope and pray that you who may read this will never, ever experience this kind of tragic loss. Yet, I hope that you will find blessing and peace in these words.

For a Parent on the Death of a Child

No one knows the wonder
Your child awoke in you,
Your heart a perfect cradle
To hold its presence.
Inside and outside became one
As new waves of love
Kept surprising your soul.

Now you sit bereft
Inside a nightmare,
Your eyes numbed
By the sight of a grave
No parent should ever see.

You will wear this absence
Like a secret locket,
Always wondering why
Such a new soul
Was taken home so soon.

Let the silent tears flow
And when your eyes clear
Perhaps you will glimpse
How your eternal child
Has become the unseen angel
Who parents your heart
And persuades the moon
To send new gifts ashore.

~ John O’Donohue ~

(To Bless the Space Between Us)

Challenge #56 Non Dom v2

Back in the Spring, Diva challenged us to use our non-dominant hand to create a tile or Zentangle inspired art piece.  Once again, we are challenged to create a complete tile using only our non-dominant hand. For me - it's my left hand.  I can actually write a little with my left hand.  It comes from years of self-preservation - my mother was a leftie and if I sat on the wrong side of her at dinner we'd clash elbows!  Anyway - drawing is a little trickier.  I found that despite my best efforts (that would be with brows furrowed and tongue sticking out) my hand would shoot off in odd directions spasmodically.  It was actually pretty funny.  Interestingly, I seemed to only be able to work from left to right.  When I use my right hand I am not that "linear."

I tend to tangle when I need to focus.  If I have to sit and listen, I find that tangling helps me focus and absorb what I am learning.  I discovered that tangling with my non-dominant hand interfered with my auditory processing.  I was listening to a lecture online this week and, as usual,  found my attention wandering. I figured that I'd work on the challenge to help me focus... uhm... yeah... not so much.  I had to stop so I could "tune back in" to the lecture.  I suppose it has to do with dominant hemisphericity.  Hmmm...that could be an interesting study someday.

Happy whole-brained tangling!

Challenge #54 Purple

I love purple... I wear purple a lot ("when I grow old I'm going to wear purple...") - it's a color that makes me happy.  I was delighted when Diva chose purple as this week's theme.  So much so that I created two offerings:

Background using Tombow Purple and
Marvy Le Plume Violet Watercolor Pens

Color added with Marvy Le Plume Violet

Happy Tangling!

Happy New Year - Challenge 53

New Year - new beginnings.  I don't believe in making resolutions.  I try to avoid setting myself up for failure whenever possible.  However, as some of you know, I am working on my dissertation towards completion of a doctoral degree in psychology.  So - my resolve is to get past the blocks I've encountered up until this point and make significant progress in the coming weeks and months.  Zentangle is and will be a very large part of this process!  Here is my homage to Diva's "Undine" - SO glad to be back!

Merry Christmas!

I love Diva's challenge - number 52 - wow... it's hard to believe we've been at this a year (although I joined the party kind of late).  Anyway - the challenge is to "give" Zentangle this year and I've already done that.  Unfortunately - I rarely remember to take pictures of what I give to others.  So I will just report out.

First of all, I  introduced a young friend to Zentangle the other night.  She, her mother, and I sat around their dining table and drew tangles for a couple of hours.  She loves to draw and was trying to convince her mother to run to the local hobby store as I left.

A very dear friend of mine has been incredibly hurt by someone she trusted.  It ended up costing her job and her self-esteem.  As I was sitting and holding her in my thoughts, I meditated with my tile and pen.  The result was her initial embellished with my favorite, comforting tangles.  I sent it to her with a card that was able to capture what I was feeling for her.

A few months ago I found a "slate" board - white board covered with black.  Using an etching tool, I created a Z I A which I then gave to a friend as a housewarming gift.  I had already given him my very first tile - done when he was going through a very tough time and another one when his little niece was born 3 months prematurely.  He's going to frame them as a grouping which makes me feel very happy.

I've posted in the past about the larger pieces I've done - the tree of life for my heart sister, Kat and the spiral for my son. It seems that I am most inspired by the transitions of life.  I am most grateful for this forum to share these various inspirations and transitions with a fantastic group of artists.

I wish you all peace in this world of uncertainty.  May your holidays - whatever and however you celebrate - be blessed.

See you in the new year!
Namaste and happy tangling!

#49 Red Thread Challenge

Happy Thanksgiving and Advent (starting tomorrow, of course) to all.

This week's challenge was so much fun.  I loved creating a tile using a red string.  The challenge comes from Cris Letournea.  More info about the "red thread promise" project can be found on her blog Tangled Up in Art.  I hope to send my tile and I can't wait to see the poster!  

My family (sans son who was working at his new job and was sorely missed!) had a great time together over the past 3 days.  Truly, we have so much for which to be thankful.  I would share more but I am exhausted after traveling and babysitting so I'll just leave it for now.  I hope to post some Advent musings in a few days.  For now, I hope you can find ways to give charitably this Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice/Yule season.  I would venture to guess that most of us could forego the malls and stores altogether this year (shop small and buy locally) giving thoughtful, heartfelt tokens of love and remembrance instead.  I hope you find ways to make this season meaningful for you and your loved ones no matter how or what you celebrate.  And, as always,

Happy Tangling!

I'm back! Challenge 48

After a few weeks' hiatus, I finally completed one of Diva's challenges to post!  Yea.  Actually, I did two.  Last Monday I was waiting for my friend while she completed some routine health exams.  I had drawn the tri-shapes string but had no resources with me to try out tangle patterns I'd never used.  So... the first one uses patterns I seem to use all of the time - Flux, Florz, Knightsbridge, Cadent, Purk, etc.

I came back home after a long weekend with my friends and helping my daughter's family move and
decided I would try the string again following Diva's challenge - use tangles I have not used before.  That was a pretty difficult task.  Even though I don't use a lot of them all of the time I have played with most that I have found in my books and on Linda Farmer's Tangle Patterns site.  I used a few that I will probably use more often and some - well - maybe I just need to practice a bit more!

In case you're interested - the tangles I used are: BB, Bilt, Bitten, Bumps, Demi, Florez, Gothic, Hepmee, Japonica, Popsicles, Punch, Unyuns, and Wisket.