Life is a (Circular) Journey - Diva Challenge #215

In 2009, I attended a retreat at the Portincula Center For Prayer in the St. Francis Woods in Frankfort, Illinois.  The center has beautiful grounds that feature many quiet and beautiful places for individual and group meditation.  One of those places is this lovely labyrinth.  This was the first time I had walked such a path.

The purpose of the retreat was to share the music of Hildegard von Bingen and other meditative music including some rounds, singing bowls and gongs.  I experienced emotional release and spiritual growth in many forms during my short stay there. 

For me, sacred music is a more potent form of prayer than the spoken word could ever be.
I have always thought there is something very circular in some forms of music.  Notice that circles are the backbone of many of the forms of music I experienced at the retreat.  African music has a very round, ringing sound to the harmony as well, and I find it quite lovely.  Mozart, Elgar and other composers have a quality of roundness if you stop to feel rather than intellectually listen.  Certain music touches your heart in an actual physical way, a fact that science is beginning to discover.

Prayer circles, drum circles, wagon circles, children's circle games, Mayan calendars - even eyes and navels - evoke protection and contemplation.  The labyrinth (and Mandelas AND Zendalas) all echo this circular meditation. 

When I walked the labyrinth in St. Francis woods, I was struck by how I was unable to discern how far along the path I was and how far I had yet to go.  Around I went, light crunching sounds of my feet on the very fine gravel path, and wondered.  Suddenly, there I was in the center.  I stopped to rest there.  It was not a physical rest, exactly - it wasn't a tiring walk - but a mental pause. Reluctantly, almost, I rose and began the second half of the journey.  Again, even though I had walked the circle before, I was unable to determine how far along I was.  I walked, I hummed some music we had learned, and then...  With the lightest little crunch, my foot lifted off the last step and it was over.  Just like that.  No real warning. 

For me, that walk, that lift of the foot, was a metaphor for our life on earth.  We walk, we ponder, we distract ourselves, we grieve, we celebrate, and then...a little lift and over.  Life IS a journey.  It is not a straight line path to some goal.  We must be present and mindful of the journey every step of the way.

Here is my response to the challenge.  I drew the simplest of labyrinth forms and added patterns.  I divided the form into quarters to represent the earth cycle, but did not take great pains to interpret any particular cycle or season.  I just tangled my way around the path.

*****NEWS!   I am now an official, fully tangelated, inspired and blessed CZT!  Yippee!!

 

 

CZT 19 was a wonderful experience.  I loved meeting Rick, Maria, Molly, their staff, and a few of my fellow online Tanglers.  The Taiwan contingency was so totally cute!  There were drawings for prizes, and they won quite a few of them - they were so excited, so thrilled just to be there, and SO talented.  It was inspiring just to be around them.  I met my online Diva participants, David Hunter and Suzanne Durville, and getting to know them was so sweet!  Hi to Nancy and Judy if you read this, and to all the wonderful and inspiring people I met there.  Sandy - I was moved and honored to see your work in person, and I'm so sorry that in all the hustle-bustle we didn't get to meet.  I left there entirely worn out but inspired to share my newfound knowledge with my friends at home.  I can't wait for whatever comes next!!

Diva 213 - Traced Strings and Breaking News

Only one challenge this week - I've been extra busy (see below...)

Our Diva set an interesting challenge this week, which was to trace some shapes onto the tile to use as our string, then tangle as you wish.  I had fun with this, and found some things lying around, as it were.  Here I have used a plastic letter opener and a wine pouring spout. 

I decided to use all three tiles, and here is how they turned out.  No masterpieces, but fun to put your thinking cap on with the crazy placement.  I must say, I really love the Star Map pattern in black and white below.  I have never used it before, but with shading I think it is really cool!  On the list for go-to drama!

This one was just plain fun.  No rhyme or reason.

I tried Narwhal for the first time, and definitely need more work on it.  It is a little tricky to draw because I think the first spacers need to be farther apart.  I like how it looks on this tan tile.

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BREAKING NEWS:

So...I haven't wanted to jinx myself by speaking too soon...but...I am off to PROVIDENCE, RI for CZT 19!!!!!  Watch for posts - I will have my ipad so I will try to record some of the good stuff - assuming they don't make it top secret!

Signing out for now, but be back soon!
Antonine

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

Diva Challenge 211, Square One Flux. New To Me "L", and a rerun of Zendala 100

Crazy week out there!  Everybody commenting on "too cold", "too hot" (we are actually hearing that here in Arizona), poor Laura's Artoo having some troubles again (best wishes to that little cutie for a speedy recovery), and a milestone Zendala challenge. I'm posting that entry here again even though I did a separate post a couple days ago just because it was a big deal for me.

It took a while to get to the "That's New To Me" challenge because I've been not only working so hard on my other entries, but also have been baking cookies, treated to parties with friends and getting ready for some upcoming travel.  I originally posted without this entry, but wanted to get it on-air early.  That said, here (as of April 1st) is my entry of new-to-me tangles.  I used LaMar (my new FAVE border!), Lokomotive and Lachrymose.  By the time I finished all the fill-in areas, I thought I might just as well have started with a black tile! 


It's a La-Loko-Lachry-Mos-Tive-Mar!

I really liked working on the Flux challenge, as I did see the recap in the Zentangle Newsletter, and the beautiful works by Maria and Rick are so inspiring.  They make it look effortless, but somehow mine never quite reach that kind of elegance.  Oh well, that's why they are the "originals"!

Diva Challenge 211 - Flux

The Square One: Purely Zentangle focus is Squid.  Mine looks more octopus like, but it was fun.  I added "Sucker" by Lizzie Mayne and a little ever so basic Knightsbridge.  This was fun!

Squid with Sucker and Knightsbridge

Here is my entry for the Zendala Challenge 100.  The image is a lit a little unevenly because I snapped it with my phone rather than scanning it, but I think it's OK.  If you read my previous post, you know I am just really learning to work with Zendalas.  I didn't have any more tiles, so I used a tan sketchbook for this one.  I'm pretty proud of myself, if I do say so.  I was surprised at how nicely it turned out.  It does take longer than a regular tile, and I think there is more planning to do, but once you get going, it's pretty relaxing and satisfying.  I like the egg shapes, and it looks like I added some of my favorite root beer jelly beans, too!

Zendala 100 - black and brown ink with chalk pencil and graphite shading.

Have a beautiful week as we move into our Holy Week and Passover celebrations.  Thank you for stopping by and know that I am always honored by your comments.

Antonine

The Bright Owl Zendala Dare 100!

I thought this was momentous enough to warrant a separate post.  For a couple of years now I have been marvelling at the beautiful work done by others on the round Zendala tiles.  I tried a few of the prestrung tiles, but never really connected with the form.  I somehow found them more restrictive than other tiles because I rarely use existing strings, but just let my pencil flow and see what I get.

Since I have been participating in various challenges, I have warmed up to the constraints of each one and viewed them as a growth opportunity.  Still, I resisted the Zendalas.  Then I started seeing some impossibly beautiful work by some tanglers - Lily Moon and Sandy Hsiao, you know who you are!  I decided it was time to rethink this Zendala thing.

I don't remember how I found the challenge on The Bright Owl blog, but it probably was someone's multiple challenge entries I found while checking out submissions to The Diva challenges.

I ran out of Zendala tiles (messed up so many over the last couple years), so I did this one in a tan sketchbook.  It took me a while, but I do like the outcome.  Thanks to you wonderful tanglers out in cyber Zentangle-land for the inspiration and push I needed to start these challenges.

Diva Challenge #210 Spiral String, SQ1 Mooka and That's New To Me #12 "O"

Today is my first wedding anniversary!  I had a first brief marriage that produced three beautiful daughters, but ended unhappily leaving me divorced and too occupied with parenthood and work to allow for much else.  Finally, at a time in my life when my girls were all grown and I had pulled back a bit on the career thing (no path forward, just treading water and being thankful for that), I met my wonderful husband and entered a new happy and delightful life.  Yay old age!

This week's theme of spirals and the circular layout I used on my TNTM tile reinforce the idea that life does turn all the time.  Never think "this is all there is - ho hum".  I am here to tell you that when you are ready for good things, they come to you.  Often you have to get through a bunch of bad stuff first, but press forward in good faith.  All the old sayings, particularly "what goes around, comes around", really are true.  You do reap what you sow, even if you have to spend a bit of time pulling weeds.  And on, and on...

Here is my tile for the Diva Challenge.  I kept it simple and used my tangle "Paris".  Sometimes I am grateful when my pen is running out of ink.  It gives me the ability to do soft little lines. It has a sort of shiny snakeskin look, I think.

 

 

Square One on Facebook focused on Mooka this week.  What beautiful things are all over facebook now!  I particularly like Michelle Beauchamp's entries.  She is truly the Queen of Mooka!  That said, here is my humble contribution.  I love drawing Mooka, even when my renditions don't turn out as graceful or inventive as some others I see.  It's just so much FUN!

Two "O" tangles were new to me.  I chose "Open Wide" by Linda Rea (what fun!) and "On Target" by Barbara Finwall.  I added a bit of Tipple.  Again, that almost over-with pen allowed me to blend the ink strokes with the pencil strokes.  I enjoyed this bit of new technique for me.

I have been watching for a new Zendala challenge, but didn't see one as of yesterday, so this is all I have this week.  It's enough!  I'm off to book club and then home to whip up a fancy little weeknight celebration dinner for Mr. Wonderful and me.

Thanks for stopping by and check out all the rest of the wonderful artwork by my fellow tanglers.  I love hearing from you, so please leave a comment. 

Antonine

Ah, St. Patrick's Day! - Diva Challenge #209 and more

So, here we are at St. Patrick's Day.  The wearing of the green.  Historically, this was a mid-Lenten feast day of the Church calendar that allowed consumption of meat, hence the corned beef and cabbage connection. Good Catholics were expected to go to church and pray, but a pint or two after Mass was lovely.  Today, it is the Irish American version of Mardi Gras - can't let those French types in New Orleans have all the fun, eh?

Now, I am not Irish, not even a tiny bit (unless someone back in Italy strayed from the fold somehow...), but as a born and bred Chicago girl, I know full well the major importance of this mini-Bacchanal that included multiple parades (sadly the infamous South Side one has been banned)with every politician in Chicago  marching along with the bagpipers, horses, costumed Irish dancing girls Chicago's famed Little People (hilarious - look them up sometime), beer, beer, green beer, and wearing green all day or there must be something wrong with you.  Don't think of wearing orange, as you could get beat up (for being a subversive Protestant supporter, don't you know).  Italians, you just wait a couple days and wear your red.  (St. Joseph's Day is an altogether different type of celebration involving fathers and every kind of yummy Italian pastry you can imagine.) But on St. Patrick's Day everyone is a little Irish (except maybe my dad, the eternal resistor).

Tonight we have our monthly Wine Club dinner in the Arizona "over-55" place where we live.  It's not specifically themed, but  I will be wearing my new green dress along with some saucy little St. Pat's tattoos my sister-in-law gave me.  No green beer but we will have fun anyway.

So today I meet the Diva's green challenge with something quick and fun.  A cross between Shamrocks (Sh'rocks) B'Twined on a trellis and the spring basket-like Cruze.  I added color with TomBow markers and a green metallic Gelly Roll pen.  Yep, I did green nails (they are green-er in real life) this week!

For the Square One: Purely Zentangle board, the focus tangle was OoF.  I bordered it with Akoya and punctured it with Black Pearlz.

Suzy Mosh's That's New To Me challenges.  I really had fun with the B challenge as I have been wanting to use Sandy Steen Bartholomew's Bollywood for a long time but never seemed to have the right vehicle.  When I looked at Helen Williams' Brax, I just started thinking of India and put them together. 

Week 11 Letter B - Brax and Bollywood

Week 10 Letter A - Akoya, Arcodos, Axlexa and Acrosstick

 I have begun a Zendala challenge.  This is something rather new for me (see my previous post), but I am going to try to continue.  This is a different skill and mindset, I think, and one I am anxious to develop further.

So, thanks for stopping by to see the results of my busy week.  All your comments are appreciated.  Happy St. Pat's!