Monday, October 9, 2017

"It's a String Thing" #214 Tiles

This week we tangled tiles in tribute to Piet Mondrian by using a string inspired by one of his famous block style, primary colored paintings:  Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow, 1930.

We welcome two new participants, many Mondrian fans, and even a bit of Mondrian history.

Let's take a look ~

The first tile arrived from Sandra (Germany) and here on her blog ~
​a​fter a break that was a little bit longer than I expected before I finally had time and calm to tangle
​ again :-)
I liked your "Mondrian"-string a lot and Hollibaugh and Paradox are two of my favorite patterns, so I loved to tangle this tile!
The two bigger straps on the tile are drawn with a silver pen, but you just can't see it very good on the photograph...
Thank you for this wonderful challenge :-)
Many greetings from germany
 Tangled Tidbits -
*Hollibaugh and string lines morph
*wonderful shading - notice how Hollibaugh/sting lines are darker in the foreground and lighter as they recede


From Susan (United Kingdom) ~
Just my sort of challenge – lots of straight lines, and an opportunity for some colour.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*pops of color in all three tangles
*dots and dashes for Paradox



From Shriley Wohlsen (Queensland, Australia) ~
I’m submitting two tiles for this week’s challenge, first is the original no colour,
Second is a copy of the original but with Mondrian colours.
This week’s ‘It’s A String Thing’ # 214 Challenge.
A wonderful idea, Adele, and fun to tangle

Tangled Tidbits - 
*striped sections of Beeline and bold colorings
*Hollibaugh weaves through most every string section



From Lisette (Switzerland) ~
Herewith my contribution to Mondrian's IAST. I must admit that I like his early paintings better than those in "de Stijl". As I prefer pastels to primary colors and ogee to straight lines. But we are so fortunate with the Zentangle method; it offers abundant patterns for every taste. I'm really curious to see all the tiles next week.
Tangled Tidbits -
Yes, we are very fortunate.
*white on blue Paradox
*shaded Hollibaugh against a bright red background



From Margarete Gilge (Germany) and here on her blog ~
I have tried to combine the quiet and straight effect of a picture of Mondrian with the more technical tangle patterns and clear colors. This was a lot of fun again. I am already curious about the submissions of the other participants.
Thank you very much for your wonderful idea.
Best wishes from Germany

Tangled Tidbits -
*a wonderful combination indeed - complete with light, medium, and dark spaces of Hollibaugh
*striped and cross-hatched Beeline



From Hilary (Chicago) ~
I was well into this when it struck me that perhaps green speckled paper might not be the best choice for Mondrian inspired tangles. Oh well, it was still fun to do!
As usual, I always learn from your tips. You really have a gift for explaining, so thanks for that.
Tangled Tidbits -
*speckled paper and white dots add a glow to the tangles
*three Beeline filled spaces feature varied sizes, directions, highlights, and shading



From Tharina Etsebeth (Durban, South Africa) ~
Here is my entry for this week. It may not be the most original idea, but I loved doing this! The geometric string and tangles, as well as the primary colours just appealed to me (I am usually more drawn to organic shapes).
Thank you for hosting this challenge - the weekly post with all the amazing artwork never fails to inspire and is a great start to my week.
Tangled Tidbits -
*tangles colored in pretty primary colors
*lovely white space framed with various line widths


From Ragged Ray (United Kingdom) ~
Something a little different this week, something very geometric! I'm not a big fan of Mondrian's colour schemes – but I found a tile I previously coloured, that had some interesting vertical and horizontal marks on it. Once my tangling was done I quite like the effect, as if looking through a lead beaded window at a rainy day.
I kept the tangling itself very simple, just repeating those thick black lines that I first laid down as string lines. I angled my initial lines for Beeline, for a different look. Basic shading finished the job. And not a curved line in sight – other than the ones made by Paradox!
Tangled Tidbits -
*shining sparkle - note where sparkle is added to the tangles near the lighter spaces of the paper
*elegance in the uniformity of line weight shared between Paradox and Hollibaugh


From Ria Matheussen, CZT (Belgium) ~
Thank you for a very special challenge.
Mondriaan is very famous in Europe but unfortunately I didn't seen his work in reality. Maybe later?
Anyway, I enjoyed this challenge and send you warm regards from Belgium
Tangled Tidbits -
*Hollibaugh lines intersect and blend together
*single line of Beeline with fabulous aura



From Trish O'Leary, CZT 13 (Florida) ~
This was so much fun as I love Mondrian. The most difficult thing was not to grab a ruler (which I did not - yeh)
Tangled Tidbits -
*free floating Paradox along with vertical and horizontal Beeline
*touches of red highlight Hollibaugh


From Pat (Washington State) ~
Thanks for a great challenge Piet Mondrian style!
Tangled Tidbits -
*red, white, and blue Beeline
*string lines incorporated into Hollibaugh
Love the Tickled to Tangle frame magnet in the center of a burst of Paradox!


From Lin H., CZT (Florida) ~
Thanks for your latest challenge, Adele. I am one who enjoys linear patterns so this tile just flowed for me. I’m looking forward to seeing others’ results, too. Hope you’re having a great week.
Tangled Tidbits -
*alternating shaded spaces of Beeline adds to the dimensional feel of it
*lovely little rings added to the Hollibaugh string lines
Nice frame :)


From Gale Sherman (Tucson, Arizona) ~
After you sent ​the string featuring Piet Mondrian’s “Composition II in Red, Blue and Yellow, 1930” I was intrigued and did bit of research. I was surprised that he called that piece “static” and didn’t consider it a success. I’m very attracted to ​ his “Broadway Boogie Woogie, 1942” which is among his later works (​and ​​which he considered ​“more refined”) and apparently gave him more satisfaction. It is this painting which inspired my Hollibaugh. When I was sharing your challenge with my husband, he told me a story about about Mondrian and Alexander Calder which I didn’t know. And, of course, I had to check it out…

Calder (whose work I’ve always loved) went to visit Mondrian in his apartment in 1930. “I was very much moved by Mondrian’s studio, large, beautiful and irregular in shape as it was, with the walls painted white and divided by black lines and rectangles of bright colour, like his paintings. It was very lovely, with a cross-light (there were windows on both sides), and I thought at the time how fine it would be if everything there moved; though Mondrian himself did not approve of this idea at all.” (Calder “Mobiles,” 1937) Being in Mondrian’s apartment changed the direction of Calder’s art. He created abstract paintings for the next 3 weeks, switching to sculptural works and, within a year, created his first mobiles.
​ I was enthralled with Calder's mobiles which were shown in the Guggenheim in the late 50s or early 60s. They gently moved with the air from the open space surrounded by the spiral ramp. It was magical!

​I'm not pleased with my tile because my Tombows seem to be on their last legs with dull points and drying ink- which bled when I added a touch of water.​ Oh well, it is what it is. I did, however, love finding out about the relationship between these two artists. Thanks for such an interesting challenge.
 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you for that history lesson linking these two wonderful artists.
*blocks of color for Hollibaugh
*complimentary colored, tangled, and white spaces


A very warm welcome back to Anna Houston, CZT (British Columbia, Canada) ~
...I'm baaa-ack after a long absence. And even this one I nearly refrained from submitting as I didn't love it, and then there was that raspberry of course! However, here it is. A belated thank you for your Italy posts; I enjoyed reading them a lot. I also had you in my thoughts during Irma's rampage through your state.


Tangled Tidbits - 
*outlined spaces leave the string white
*tight lines of Paradox create wonderful curves



From VenaC (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) ~
Hello from the Emerald Isle. Got here on Thursday. Loved this challenge, but it was difficult to concentrate on three new patterns with all the talking that was going on. I wanted the primary colours to look smoother but didn't have thinners here to use for that.
 Tangled Tidbits -
Have a wonderful time away!
*string spaces broken down into smaller rectangles
*thick and thin Beeline and great movement created with Paradox



From Elena (Russia) ~
Thank you for the interesting assignment. We now have the most beautiful and colorful time. I made shadows colored, under the autumn mood.
 Tangled Tidbits ~
*fanciful Tipple added to Hollibaugh that features a whimsical play of light and dark line and spaces
*two directions for Beeline and Paradox


From Susie (St. Louis) ~
I broke the zentangle rules, I used a ruler!
Tangled Tidbits -
I hope you smiled when you wrote that :)
*two shades of red accent Beeline
*colors and white space give a nod to Mondrian's Composition II



From Ingrid (The Netherlands) ~
Here is my IAST tile # 214 for this week.
Yes, I succeeded in doing a tile this week!!!
I have to be honest. Because my hands are not so steady anymore to draw long lines without any wobblyness, I used a ruler to draw the lines of the big Paradox. The rest I drew freehand of course.
It was very nice playing with the string and tangles. It gave me some Zen moments. Grateful for this opportunity.

Tangled Tidbits -
Back-to-back ruler confessions :)
*Beeline framed by Paradox - a very pretty, elongated, thin Beeline
*wonderful depth created with layering and shading



From Priscilla DeConti, CZT (Kingston, New York) ~
This week's challenge used a couple of my favorite tangles. Paradox at first was a puzzle to me and then a CZT showed me how to and it has been a love ever since.
I also like playing with new pens and markers. This week I used prismacolor brush tip markers for the little bits of color that I added.
I also like the the work of Piet Mondrian and I believe that Zentangle fits right into his arena.
Thanks for a great and fun challenge this week.
Tangled Tidbits -
*red string lines and centers of Paradox - weighted lines and shading add depth
*pretty blue Beeline



A very warm welcome to Ulrike Daniel (Saxonia, Germany) ~
Hallo, Adele, here is my Tile for IAST 214. It is my first challenge! I learned Zen-Tangle in August 2017 and I love it!
Dear greatings from Saxonia, Germany!
Tangled Tidbits -
*perfs break up the black spaces of Hollibaugh - notice how the pattern travels from one string section to the next
*Paradox fills large and small string squares
Welcome to our IAST community and to our tangled map, Ulrike.  It is so exciting to be connected by all things Zentangle®!


From Gabriela Garcia (Alberta, Canada) and here on her blog ~
Thank you Adele for another great challenge, it was great fun as it pushed me out of my routine using soft curvy patterns. Normally I don't pick geometrical or angular patterns and I was surprise of how much I enjoyed creating this tile ;-) I tried to incorporate primary colors in honor of Piet Mondrian which was another thing out of my comfort zone and... I really liked it!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*stunning depth of shading and layering of tangles
*woven lines of Hollibaugh made prominent with shading


From Jody Genovese, CZT (New York) ~
This was such a fun tile. I have to tell you though the whole time I had the theme for the Brady Bunch in my head while I was working on it.
The division made me think of the opening of that show :o)
Either that or a bento box. I may draw another one with little sushi pieces in it!
So much fun, thank you as always!
Tangled Tidbits -
Your comments bring up happy images :)
*star burst of Paradox
*Hollibaugh pokes out from behind a squared screen - a clever and creative variation



From Vonnie Schneider (St. Paul, Minnesota) ~
Thanks for a fun tile this week! Mondrian is a favorite of mind and the grid gave me the opportunity to draw outside the box, pun intended!
 Tangled Tidbits -
Ever a lover of puns, I appreciate yours!
*Hollibaugh and Beeline cross over string spaces
*Paradox filled spaces take on wonderful shapes



A hearty welcome back to Juul (France) ~
This string and tangles were really a great fun !
Thank you very much!

Tangled Tidbits -
*swirling squares of Paradox
*curved Hollibaugh lines and a balanced mix of light and dark spaces



From Karen Herstowski (Atlanta, Georgia) ~
This one was a challenge. I tried something, whether it worked or not remains to be seen…..
It seemed to me that I wanted one of the patterns to be larger in scale. All the roughs I drew were just begging for more variety in size. I drew Paradox in a very large scale. Then, filled each wedge with an echo of the shape, much like the way we fill N’ zepple spaces. The results gave me the larger scale with a totally different look. I used Tombow watercolor markers to fill in the wedges and shadow - some of the red bled into the border. This was not the fault of the marker - it was the mixed media paper. Not the best for watercolor. Once again this was a real learning experience. Loved doing it. Thanks !!!
Tangled Tidbits -
...and the result is beautiful!
*thin Hollibaugh lines flow behind darkened string lines
*red rimmed tile reflects the red colored sections of Hollibaugh



From Sue Agnew (Tucson, Arizona) ~
I'm usually highly in favor of using official Zentangle tangles ... but these three are some that I've found problematic in the past. So it was a "growth week."
I always get confused in Paradox and halfway through forget which way to make my line (wide to narrow or narrow to wide) ... it's definitely a "turn your tile" tangle ... so much so I got dizzy! For some of the squares I used square paradoxes, and some of them I divided into two triangles and used triangular paradoxes.
I haven't ever really gotten into Beeline ... I think it's the drawing of diagonal lines that throws me ... they get weirder and weirder as I go from left to right. This time I reduced the pattern to individual diamond shapes and used them to outline the string lines. (While I was doing that I was reminded of a tangle called Hekzee, in which you draw some parallel rectangles and a few triangles and then magically you have a string of hex nuts ... check it out sometime ... I considered using it but decided it was veering too far out of the guidelines) (my kindergarten teacher).
Hollibaugh is another I've never mastered ... I understand the principle of "drawing behind" (and use it) but haven't been particularly in love with what I've done with it. This time I remembered another official tangle called Hurry, so I did "Hollibaugh in a Hurry" ... in practicing I discovered that making the spaces between the strips wider helped me keep track of what was a strip and what was a space. When I finished darkening the spaces I wished I hadn't because it seemed like too much dark, but honestly it was the only way to figure out the spaces from the strips.
And ... as you usually say, even just seeing it under the scanner I liked it better than I did holding it in my hand, and seeing it attached now I'm happier with it.
Tangled Tidbits - 
...and I can see why you are happy with it :)
*beautiful layering of Hollibaugh
*string lines of single Beeline complete with detail lines



From Aileen (Singapore)  ~
Thanks for the tricky challenge. Here's my ultra geometric contribution! Rainbows and raindrops in sunny Singapore
Tangled Tidbits - 
*Beeline and Cubine share similar shapes and shading
*pretty blue string lines


From Sharon Fite (California) ~
... I recognized the art, but not the artist's name. Thanks for this fun challenge!
Tangled Tidbits - 
*lovely mix of primary colors, white, and black
*horizontal Beeline ties all the colors together


From Marla Mendenhall (California) ~
Always a fan of Mondrian, especially his later work and the exploration of basic line structures and primary colors, not to mention its influence on Frank Lloyd Wright, a fave,and the windows of his Prairie style homes. Can't say I did it justice, but I followed the basic pattern and colors of his Composition II and kept it simple. As always, fun.

Tangled Tidbits - 
*beautifully tangled and primary colored tangles
*white squares at the intersections of the darkened string lines


From Ute Andresen (Germany) and here on her blog ~
thanks again for a nice challenge.
This week I wanted to try some colour - and then wanted to stop immediately...
But I haven’t tried on a piece of paper. It was an original tile. So I went on and was really surprised.
I think I prefer the classical Zentangle but I also like this orange thing.
Tangled Tidbits - 
It is fun to explore with color and tangles on occasion, isn't it?
*solid red/orange space reflected in Hollibaugh and Beeline
*beautiful highlights and shading throughout


From Talia (London, United Kingdom) ~

Tangled Tidbits - 
*deep, dark spaces and shading emphasize Beeline and Hollibaugh
*petite and colossal Beeline


A very warm welcome to Kelly B (Kansas) ~
...I enjoyed this challenge, and found it rather challenging. Thank you for doing this! I look forward to doing more string challenges with you. I find doing Challenges easier than making my own decisions about what to draw because there are so many choices!
Tangled Tidbits - 
Yes, that is so true and one of the great benefits of IAST.
*long lines of Beeline
*large and small swirls of Paradox all accented with Paradox
Welcome to our tangled map, Kelly.  I am so happy that you found us.


From Stephanie Jennifer, CZT 21 (Singapore) ~
Please see attached for my entry for IAST #214. Featuring Beeline and Hollibaugh
Tangled Tidbits - 
*fancy Hollibaugh curves flow from border to border
*bold Beeline background


From Anita A Westin (Dalarna, Sweden) and here on her blog ~
Here comes my entry! Done in a hurry I am afraid, but the idea with a Mondrian-string is so fun, I had to try it just to keep it in mind further on! Thank´s Adele for your endurance keeping up your wonderful challenges!



Tangled Tidbits - 
*lined shaded spaces of large Beeline
*bullet point string intersections and border corners


This is my tile ~
Tangling in color is not something I usually do, but in honor of Mondrian I tangled Paradox in primary colors and then added the same shade of pencil.  I filled in the usually all white spaces with black penned patterns and shading. It's a bit dark without the usual white spaces...

And now...

the tile for honors this week...

was sent in by...


Joke Leussenkamp (Eibergen, The Netherlands) ~
Its a long time ago einde i participated in your challenge!
But this time i could not resistentie since the Mondriaan museum is Just 22 km away from my hometown.
You can tell wich pattern is my favourit and i Just couldnot resist to draw some of his victory boogie woogie (a famous canvas of piet Mondriaan)
bring into the string.
Thanks for this wonderful challenge!!!

 Tangled Tidbits - 
*playful colorating of the string lines in Mondrian's style
*large field full of curved Hollibaugh layers
*four squares of rounded Paradox complete with soft shading and highlights
*Beeline darkened and shaded two different ways

Congratulations, Joke!
I have something coming in the mail for you.

Many thanks to everyone for sending in your inspiring work.

Special thanks to Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas for the lovely tangles that we used this week along with my string:   HollibaughBeeline, and Paradox.


Check back Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #215!






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