Saturday, April 11, 2015

Diva 212, ABC, SQ1 - Working Hard?


For the past few weeks, I have been working really hard on my Tangling.  I've done multiple challenges, put a lot of thought and planning into each design - light/dark balance, composition and flow, Zendala complexities, practicing dewdrops (coolest thing ever!) and more.

As I went back through my old tiles, I expected to see quite a dramatic improvement over the past couple years.  As it happens, though, the very first tiles were indeed kind of clunky and lacking in sophistication.  But after a few months, I saw some things that surprised me.  I was tangling on my own after having taken one little intro workshop.  I followed tanglepatterns.com for new patterns and just went with it.  I didn't try to imitate anyone else, didn't agonize over rules or standards, didn't judge.  I just tangled, and by gosh, I did some pretty awesome tiles just by letting them flow.

Now, I feel like I must be overthinking all of this.  I look at the blank tile with a bit of dread - akin to stagefright.  My grandmother used to comment about singers - "She used to sing so beautifully until she took singing lessons!"  I recently started some very rudimentary yoga workouts.  One of the best things the instructor has said is "Less determination and more observation."  I know most people doing yoga can do more than I can.  So what?  I can do more now than I did six weeks ago.  Six weeks from now, I'll be doing still more.  It will happen without pushing myself.  Yoga has no "no pain, no gain" philosophy.  You just "do".  I think that's how I should approach Zentangle, too.

So this week, I just took a step back and did tiles however I felt like it.  The Diva challenge was to use Fanz.  I did them plain and simple in a big fat section of the tile and then added two other patterns  I like.  Here it is for better or worse.  Like the overtrained singer, it may take a while to get the easy flow back.


The Square One: Purely Zentangle page has exploded into about ten separate focus pages now.  I'm overwhelmed!  Really!  It's fun to see everyone's beautiful work, but I certainly can't keep up with each one of them.  I did a tile here for the basic page with the original rules.  In this case, the focus was Man-O-Man.  I have tried this one before, but it doesn't seem to blend well with other tangles in general.  I like it, though.  Here, I thought I would do a few rounds on the tile with different embellishments, etc.  But when I finished the first one, my pen took off on its own (as it should) and this is what I got.  I'm happy with this!


There was another challenge out there for patterns starting with A, B, and C.  I'm so hinky right now, I don't even know whose challenge this was, so sorry, I won't be linking up with the website.  I fell in love instantly with the new 'Brella pattern, and added Allium and Cabana.  I felt like adding red, so I did.  No masterpiece, but I loved doing this tile.

Thank you for visiting my page and for all your comments.  I treasure them all!

Namaste

12 comments:

  1. I know the feeling. I find I like my early simple tiles better. Maybe I'll take a page out of your book... Get back to my yoga and simplify.

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    1. I know! See my reply to Lezli's post below - I think we need a Throwback Thursday challenge!

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  2. I love all of your work this week and you have some great words of wisdom for us too. I took a look at some of mine that I had done before I got immersed in all of the challenges and I also find I like some of my simpler ones better as well. Perhaps we all need to rethink what we are doing and just let ourselves "zone out" again and relax. Great work Antonine and great advice.

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    1. Yep, Lezli, maybe we need to have a "NO-CHALLENGE" challenge. Just tangle what comes to you and post it. Perhaps the only limitation should be a particular size or whatever. Maybe we should have a throwback Thursday challenge - Huh! I may have something there!

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  3. I know exactly what you mean about there being so much out there to keep up with that you are almost stymied on what to do next. Wayne and I have kept things pretty simple and just followed the diva's challenges, but this week I will try the ABC one because it gave me a choice of what I wanted to try rather than limiting me to what someone else wanted me to try. I will probably post it next week. It was for Diane Clancy and her friend from Denmark Zandiepants of you want to link. I am pretty much a novice with Zentangle...Wayne is the expert, I don't know about shading but he walks me through it all, so I don't have a lot of expectations for myself, but I want you to know I have always loved looking at your creations. Your work is beautiful...and many of the people who link to the diva's challenge are really very supportive and non-judgemental so I feel very safe posting for that. I am glad you have decided to relax and enjoy the moment. I've heard yoga is like that..."just do". My daughter is a physical therapist and she always says. "just keep moving mom". Keep up the great attitude!

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    1. OMG Lynell, you are so nice! First, thank you for letting me know about the ABC thing. I can't believe (well maybe I can) I lost the link for that, so this is great! As for your work, I head straight to yours and Wayne's links on the Diva challenge each week. Everything you post is a very original and interesting take on the challenge, and Wayne's, of course, takes it all to another level! Yes, I agree the Diva challenge is the mother of all challenges, and the group of posters is amazing! I am really enjoying the Square One pages on Facebook, and the amount of support there is also incredible. Now that they have expanded beyond the strict guidelines of traditional Zentangle, you and Wayne might like that outlet. Thank you so much for your kind words about my work. I feel like my pen doesn't do what my mind wants sometimes, so that is good to hear.

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  4. I loved reading your self-obervations. It's a fine line for me between too little and too much thinking. Plus, I tend to over-do the details and sometimes turn a clean, simple tangle into a muddy mess! My muse needs to be a bit more willing to just stop!

    I love your work, you're on my list of favorite tanglers. I just started tangling in December and find that, most days, I can't wait to take my favorite Signo .28 pen in hand ;^)

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    1. Thank you so much - I'm honored! I really like your work and haven't seen a bit of mud! I especially liked your Flux entry. It looked like an orchid corsage. Beautiful! You certainly don't come across like a beginner at all! I predict you will be a star in no time!

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  5. I'm pleased (for you) that you have done all this thinking. I think that we must try to keep as close as we can (and want) yo the original Zentangle philosophy. Sometimes challenges make us want to do better then others and that's the moment our ego has stepped in. I myself always post my first try at a challenge and I don't look at other entries before mine is finished. I also comment all entries (however sometimes that takes a lot of time), because otherwise I might only comment the ones I like most and I don't want that.
    Let's never forget 'it's about the process and not about the result'!!!
    (hope my English is really telling want I want to say)

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    1. Thank you, Anne! I like your approach to the challenges. I try to do the same. Sometimes a website won't let me comment for some unknown reason, but I try to comment on as many as I can. We all need encouragement. I agree about "ego" stepping in. Meditation, which is part of Zentangle, involves letting go of ego. That's the real benefit. Thank you for your very thoughtful comments on my post. I'm so glad people actually read it!

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  6. Dear Antonine, It's quite interesting that you have said what you did, about stepping back and relaxing the effort. In trying so hard to work the patterns, I've created another job for myself! In a recent review of earlier efforts, I found I like some of the work I did first, if only because I drew designs. I didn't know they all had names! "They" say once you know the name of something you can exert power over it. I think for some of this stuff, the reverse is true. Good for you for trying to get back to 'square one!"
    I like your Man-o-man piece, with the precise line work it's very powerful. Let me know when you start that Throwback Thursday! Have a brilliant day! c

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  7. Dear Antonie!! I thought I had already commented and told you how lovely your A-B-C is!! I have so enjoyed looking at it in the linky!! :) Your colors and tangles are so beautiful together!! The red gives it so much punch!!!! Thank you so very much for joining us!! I hope you will join us again!

    Your Diva is totally amazing!!! WOW - all those details in Fanz - you inspire me :) And I *totally* understand about keeping it fresh ... now I think I am supposed to be doing well as opposed to wow, I did a tile!! :) :)

    ~ Diane Clancy
    http://www.dianeclancy.com/blog/2015/04/my-diane-caroliens-a-b-c-challenge-entry
    http://www.dianeclancy.com/blog/2015/04/my-diva-umt-fanz-challenge-entry

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