Monday, November 20, 2017

"It's a String Thing" #219 Tiles

We are back!

Two weeks flew by, didn't it?  The geometric string along with some "hypnotic" tangles made for some brilliant results.

Let's take a look~

From Sandra (Germany) and here on her blog ~
thank you for this nice challenge! I loved the string and it reminds me a bit of the paintings from Piet Mondrian ;-)
I also liked the patterns you chose and so I had a lot of fun with this tile.
Many greetings from germany
and best regards
 Tangled Tidbits -
*Facets shaded at points and Vortex at the middle
*Tortuca centered Vortex


From Ilse Lukken (The Netherlands) and here on her blog ~
Voilà: my entry! Just what I needed today, all those angles ;-)

Tangled Tidbits - 
*Vortex shaded to the outside edges with a dark center space
*pretty rows of Tortuca


From Lori Byerly (Washington State) and here on her website ~
I so enjoyed the mix of curve and angle in this week's challenge. Thanks for all you do.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*one large and lovely Vortex - rounded tips and shading add dimension
*string line becomes an elegant feature of the tangles



From Miriam Gresnigt, (Twente) (The Netherlands) and here on Instagram ~
Here's my tile for this week's challenge.
You took me out of my comfort zone with these square grid patterns. I have not done them very much.
Thanks for the challenge and opportunity to think outside my comfort tangles.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*sparkled Vortex
*wonderful weighted lines, dots, stripes


From Jody Genovese, CZT (New York) ~
Do you remember me? :o) It feels like forever since I have sent you a tile. I have had the busiest couple of months.
I think things are a little slower so hopefully I am back on track. I have looked every week at the beautiful work even though I have not had the chance to participate.
I’ve missed it. I know we had extra time, but I have it done and wanted to send it in.
Hope you and your family are doing well. All is good in freezing cold NY! Sending hugs your way.
We have missed you!
Tangled Tidbits -
*two part Vortex 'tranzends' the tangles below
*weighted lines, and shades of gray emphasize Tortuca


From Susie (St. Louis, Missouri) ~
I decided to do 2 tiles this week. I’m not happy with the string, but I’m not happy with the other tile either. I sure wish there was a teacher in my area, I need help in where to place the tangles so they go together instead of just filling in the string. Any teachers in St. Louis out there?
 Tangled Tidbits -
I hope there is a CZT near you offering classes.  You are doing great!  One of the many wonderful things about IAST is that we can learn from each other's styles and techniques.
*multi-sparkled Facets
*beautiful Vortex center
*great use of white space
*soft shading


From Lin H., CZT (Florida) ~
Thanks for your challenge this week, Adele. Vortex and Facets were two new tangle patterns for me and I love them both. I’ve always like Tortuca, too. I had to think about how to fill your string for a bit but once I got started, the tangles just seemed to flow onto the tile.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty balance of black, brown, white space
*Vortex shaded centers add depth
(Nice frame!)


From Tonia C (Rhode Island) ~
Tangled Tidbits -
*'x' repeats in Facet and Vortex
*weighted outer curve of Tortuga


From Susan Theron (Velddrif, South Africa) ~
Tangled Tidbits -
*large Vortex swirls through string sections
*added horizontal lines create a fascinating variation of Facet


From Sharyn Penna, CZT (Massachusetts) ~
A huge, heartfelt thank you for your giving honors to my tile last week ... your prompts often offer a strong sense inner peace and healing ... and after viewing all the tiles you posted, I believe I was not alone in the calm. Every tile was stunning!
This week’s prompt was captivating in an almost hypnotic way. I’m looking forward to seeing all the interpretations.
Until then, may you find calm in the holiday preparations. Please know, your name will be thought of many times by many tanglers as we give thanks and celebrate family! Happy Thanksgiving ... Cheers and love 
...as I will be thinking of all of you, thank you, Sharyn.
Tangled Tidbits - 
*Facet lines run from center Vortex, distinguished by shading - glorious!
Notice how the frame magnets top two of those sections
*little pops of weighted lined Tortuga 


From Jonesy (St. Louis, Missouri) ~
Here's my submission for challenge 219. I'm not feeling well this week, but I can always find some solace in my art, no matter the final outcome. Have a great week!
Tangled Tidbits - 
*beautifully shaded tangles
*delightful degrees of light and dark - white on black, white on gray, black on white


A very warm welcome to Susan Cuss (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada) ~
This is my first zentangle, so I'm not sure if I did everything correctly. I think I made Vortex a little too curly, but the idea was to connect one Vortex to the next. I really liked Tortuca, too. I added a bit of watercolour after I finished the tangle. This was fun! Thanks.
Tangled Tidbits - 
How exciting to see your first tangles!
*tight spirals of Tortuga, large and smaller
*light, free floating Vortex 

Welcome to our Tangled Map. We are happy you joined our IAST community, Susan.



From Priscilla DeConti, CZT 28 (Kingston, New York) and here on FB ~
That's what I get for not reading the whole email and skimming highlights. I was going to apologize for being so late and if I could not get in this week it would be ok.
I now see that I am early...
Here is my take and I added my rendition of 4 corner corolla...In any case if I don't do another this is my entry.
Tangled Tidbits -
*shading distinguishes the outer edge of Vortex and the points of Facet
*pretty added tangle


From Karen Buse (California) ~
It was a week of "doing for others" which felt good but was exhausting. Friday was my day to chill out and I spent several hours on this challenge which really helped to recharge my batteries. Aaaah, the magic of Zentangle.
 Tangled Tidbits -
It is rejuvenating, isn't it?
*shading along each Tortuga spiral
*filled in line space of Facet and Vortex create beautiful variations


From Dani (Indonesia) and here on her blog ~
I'm glad to be able to join this challenge. Because you gave long time to draw. I love the part, when you choose what patterns to draw. Like it or not, I have to love it. And now I know more patterns by joining your challenge. Thank you.
Tangled Tidbits -
I am so happy to know that, Dani.
*Vortex and Facet play from the same grid
*Tortuga integrated into both tangles - very creative!


From Hilary (Chicago) ~
I wanted to try two different versions of this and they ended up being side by side because I liked the paper. I turned the string upside down on one of these, not sure which one.I really enjoyed this week's challenge; each of the patterns was fun to do.
Thanks again for everything, and I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Tangled Tidbits -
...and the best to you and yours, too!
*Facet variation flows horizontally and vertically on wonderful colors
*smaller Vortex has fewer lines, larger Vortex features many


A very warm welcome to Susan (Nashville, Tennessee) ~
This is my first challenge...

Tangled Tidbits -
It is an honor to host your first submission.
*background grid is shared by tangles and string spaces
*blue centers emphasize Vortex
Welcome to our IAST community and to our Tangled Map, Susan!


From Laurel Davis, CZT (New York) ~
I really liked all these tangles, but putting them together on the string was a challenge!
Tangled Tidbits -
*striking Facet variation with black triangles
*outlined white center of Vortex pushes all of the other tangles up and outward
Love that backdrop!


From Verena (Germany) ~
This tangle was not easy to manage.
Looking forward. Best regards

Tangled Tidbits -
*beautifully detailed tile
*large and smaller Tortuga in contrasting light and dark
*off center middles of Vortex - wonderful variation!


From Miriam G (Port Hueneme, California) ~
Am so glad we had two weeks on this one, as the first attempt just wasn't sitting well with me. Something about that string kept drawing me back, and when I sat down with it again it just screamed 'perspective', so I had a little fun with it!
I know... I kind of 'bent' the Tortuga rules, but by the time I realized it, I was locked in! (So maybe the little bends are another tangle pattern, just not sure of what it might be)
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and to all the fellow IAST Enthusiasts.
Tangled Tidbits -
You had a lot of fun with this!
*fabulous perspective on a Facet vanishing point 
*grand use of thick and thin lines, depth of shading 


From Vonnie (St. Paul, Minnesota) ~
Interesting challenge! I was appreciative for the extra time, as I had a few minute here and there to work on this tile. The patchwork look to it reflects it too!
Tangled Tidbits -
*off centered middle spaces of Vortex (just like Verena - how fun!)
*Facet variation features shaded centers like Vortex


From Karen Herstowski (Atlanta, Georgia) ~
Thanks for giving us extra time on this wonderful project. This is a great combination! I used some Fall/Thanksgiving colors to give it a warm appeal but kind of messed up the shadow angle - still love it - mistakes and all!!
Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Tangled Tidbits -
We call those creative opportunities and they are all beautiful :)
*multi-lined Facet with beautiful sparkle - fine lines repeat around it
*Tortuca grid shared with white and colored spaces


From Felicity Strohfeldt (South Africa) and here on her blog ~
I loved this challenge, but my attention was divided, and I first attempted an angular version according to the string. Think this gave me quite some practice time, but the end- result was too stiff and cold. I softened the string and started again. Made my life difficult with the white auras, and almost put in a black background. Pleased I held back on that one. Vortex by Sandra Strait challenged me for a while, but the rounded effect bouncing out worked well. Tortuca by Maria Thomas became ribbons in hollibaugh style on a shaded background, much softer than black and I had fun with Facets by Nancy Pinke and their variations give and Africany feel to the artwork. The challenge was stimulating and the journey insightful. Loved it.
Hope you are well and I wish you and all participants a wonderful week ahead.
Tangled Tidbits -
That is a happy tangling tale, thank you Felicity.
*string as negative space and shading defines the string spaces
*sparkled Vortex, Tortuga in Hollibaugh fashion, Tortuca tipped Facet - yum!


From Aileen (Singapore) and here on her blog ~
Tangled Tidbits -
*festive red pen and shading
*pleasing mix of curves and angles in the tangles



From Ria Mathuessen, CZT (Belgium) ~
Thank you for this special challenge.
For me, it was a bit coming out of my comfortzone, I have never used those tangles but I'm glad I know them now, especially Facets is a very nice, pleasant tangle.
As you can see, I have used a black tile and worked with my new white Sakurapen and finished with a bit coloured charcoal.
I enjoyed, discovering those (for unknown) tangles in this special string, thank you very much Adele,
Kind regards from Belgium
Tangled Tidbits -
*glowing tangles, bright highlights
*Tortuca centered Vortex



From Margarete Gilge (Germany) and here on her blog ~
thank you for another wonderful challenge with very interesting patterns! On my blog you will find two more tiles under the link
Best wishes from Germany 

Tangled Tidbits -
*beautiful variations of all three tangles
*sensational striped and sparkled Vortex


From Ulrike Daniel (Germany) and here on Flickr ~
Dear Adele, thank you for another interesting challenge. I like your strings and tangles you selected.
I wish you a lot of good ideas for following challenges!
Tangled Tidbits -
I like that wish :)
*soft shading carries through all three tangles
*Tortuca shines in various sizes


From VenaC (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) ~
I had a hard time getting to grips with trying to use the string with these tangles. I did one last week but did facets incorrectly. I didn't look properly and did the second row sideways. That caused a problem when I got to the corners. So, back to the drawing board. I got facets right this time but I did use a ruler for all the main lines. I did, however, lose the string. I am not so fond of the end result, but at this stage, it is what it is.
Tangled Tidbits -
It helps to keep in mind that finished tiles are very much the sum of all the lines, not any one in particular.  By some magic they all come together to create something beautiful - just like yours.
*highlights and shading add dimension to Facet
*light and dark surrounding spaces of Tortuca accent the tangle


From Sharon Fite (California) ~
I love Facets, and Vortex and Tortuca were new to me. Mostly, the string was the big challenge. So linear! When I'm stumped, I turn to color. In this case it's watercolor. I wanted to keep the string fairly intact and use all the tangles. So I think I did that. As always, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's interpretation. Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!
Tangled Tidbits -
*alternating light and dark rows of Facet yield even greater dimension
*Vortex sections share connecting lines


From Jane Glotzer (Boulder, Colorado) ~
Well...I hope you are sitting down--:) It has certainly been quite a while since I participated in your wonderful weekly challenge! I have missed birthdays, anniversaries, sad passings, national tragedies, multiple hurricanes, and cannie corns...but I have been faithfully following along weekly...and not that I haven't been tempted, oh so many times, by so many of your string and pattern choices, but, for whatever reason, now was finally the time, so here I am--:)
My #219 is on a tile I had previously watercolored ...started with Vortex in the middle (seemed obvious, but what the heck...) then did some of the Facets on the bottom...elongated singular Facet along the side and then the other Vortex square in the corner popped out to me so I filled that in...more Facets up top and then I threw in a touch of Tortuca in the interior corners...shaded with graphite pencil and then added a touch of purple colored pencil just to blend in a little.
I must admit, I felt a little rusty...I have been doing a lot of commissioned public mosaic art (a memorial bench at an elementary school; concrete bollards at a playground in Lakewood, CO) and drawing art (I'm actually about to start a big painted piano public art project with Zentangle designs, in Fort Collins, CO, if anyone's in the neighborhood) but I don't normally do many traditional Zentangle tiles. IAST always pushed me to do and try things I would not do on my own and I find that hugely valuable! In the end, I like the balance of the lines, space and color, with just the smallest touch of black on my #219.
Thanks, as always, for everything you do!
Tangled Tidbits -
Welcome back! It is good to know you are always with us in one way or another. You will have to send photos of your incredible projects when you can.
*lovely light lined Facet in varying sizes
*Vortex lines reach from one to another (like Sharon's above)

From Joke Luessenkamp (The Netherlands) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*beautiful tranzending
*creative variations of Vortex

From Talia Maynard (London, United Kingdom) ~
...I enjoyed this one. I'm usually more of a fan of the more organic tangles, but I do love the grid based ones too. I particularly found Tortuca relaxing to draw - all those little spirals.
Tangled Tidbits -
*and what a lovely variation of Tortuca that is
*deep dark center of Vortex and a striped one, too!


And now...

the tile for honors this week...

was sent in by...


Lily (Hungary) and is also here on on her FB page ~

Lily wrote:
... after a difficult month and a long break - here is my entry to your weekly challenge.
Best regards and Zenhug


 Tangled Tidbits -
*stunning depth in highlight and shading
*black and colorful spaces all share white dots
*Tortuca peeks out from the centers of Vortex
*single file Tortuca string lines

Congratulations, Lily!


Many thanks to everyone for sending in your precious tiles.  You inspire all of us and help build this wonderfully supportive IAST community.

Kudos to the artists behind our featured tangles:

Vortex by Sandra Strait

Tortuca by Maria Thomas

Facets by Nancy Pinke, CZT


Check back Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #220!




1 comment:

  1. Congratulations everyone for beautiful tiles! And thank you very much dear Adele, I'm honored! ❤️️

    ReplyDelete