Playing with pens

This is the grand total of the art I did this week.

Spikkles, gel pen on black paper, approx. 70 x 70 mm.

Basically I bought some more gel pens and wanted to play with them. Wonky is the word.

Nutty
(I think I need some more Art Every Day Month :D)

A swirling zentangle and a beautiful fly

I finally got my grotty hands on a white pen that will write on black. I've been wanting to get one for some time, but when you have small children, shopping can sometimes be happenstance and I haven't happened to be in the right place to purchase one until yesterday.

This isn't what I bought it for, I have some other plans in the zentangle zone, but I played with it for a while to get a feel for it and test what it could do. This is what I ended up with.

Swirling, white gel pen on black card, approx. 60 x 60 mm.

It's seems to be moving and staring at it too long can boggle your eyes.

It was fun and I have plans...::cackles madly while rubbing hands together eagerly::

This evening, Hubby discovered that there were a lot of ladybirds on our continental parsley plant which is currently flowering (we let it go to seed so we can collect some for next year, it was a great performer). While I adore ladybirds and was quite happy to see them, something else a little less expected also caught my eye.

It appears that I could only get a really clear shot of its butt, but since that was the prettiest part of the fly, I don't mind too much.

And here is a ladybird that I found just too posed to resist :D

I hope you're all having some goodly arty times. I did some Christmas shooping today, so this is all I have to share. Hopefully more tomorrow.

Nutty
(considering a shower)

Wind sculpted trees

More Art Every Day Month :D

These were done in the last hour or so of the day today. The rest of the day was spent being mother and napping to catch up the sleep I was missing from last night when Izzy was sick (she's okay now, touch wood).

But anyways, I was really happy with 'Wind', particularly how the image managed to move due to the patterns I used in the bark and leaves. So I thought I would try again. I wasn't aiming for wind this time, but other impressions.

Survivor, pen on fineliner paper, approx. 200 x 150 mm.

Survivor was first, and I'm not sure it does as well as it could, though it definitely has a feeling. Not one hundred percent sure what feeling. Perhaps when I look at it fresh tomorrow it will make more sense. I find staring at a piece for too long, when working, distorts my impression and I have to leave it awhile and come back to assess it correctly.

Stunted, pen on fineliner paper, approx. 140 x 100 mm.

I was really happy with the pattern I developed for the bark of this one. I'm finding that I'm getting better at translating the feeling in my head to the paper. Not always successful, but my hit rate is improving, and this one worked for the bark at least.

This is one of those trees you'll find struggling for life at the top of a cliff, half beaten to death, but managing to still survive. Their twisted forms are fascinating and I hope to explore them more. nature loves to sculpt.

Both of these started as zentangles. I'm not sure they still qualify, but I'm going to call them that anyway.

Aaah, art. I feel so much better once I've created something. It can turn a bad day into a good one the moment a piece is completed.

Nutty
(thank you so much for all your wonderful comments on my art, they mean so much to me, you feed my brush, my pen, and my inspiration)

AEDM - Day 5 and Drawing Lab Challenge #5

Hmm, a convergence of fives :D

Today's art was just as scarce as my previous two, except the one doodle I managed to start and poke at for the previous two days has now been completed.

Wind, pen on fineliner paper, approx. 200 x 100 mm.

Back in 2006, Hubby and I went on the best holiday we had ever had (well, that I've ever had anyway :D). We took a driving holiday in Western Australia, a wildflower paradise. Anyways, while travelling up the coast towards Geraldton, we passed some wind sculpted trees - Wikipedia has a piccy. They've stuck in my mind ever since. And they were a major influence on my brain when I drew this. Not quite as bent, and a touch more active, I'm really happy with the movement in this doodle.

Maybe I'll get something other than a doodle done tomorrow ::crosses fingers::

And...

Time to bend your brain...

This is the fifth challenge post for the Drawing Lab Challenge. Grab your copy of 'Drawing lab for mixed media artists: 52 creative exercises to make drawing fun' and join us as we tackle the book together. Details of the challenge and joining can be found here.

This week the challenge is...

Lab 19 (Page 58).

This one should have some interesting results.

Have at it!

Nutty
(let's see if I can let go of control)

Art Every Day Month - Day 3

Didn't have a very good day today. Izzy was teething and unsettled so I had to attend to her, so KJ got bored and destructive, I got angry and frustrated...it wasn't a good time.

So there wasn't much art done. The only thing I managed was a doodle at the last minute in front of the TV as I was determined to have at least something to post.

Sunflower Doodle, pen on fineliner paper, approx. 110 x 140 mm.

I actually attempted to use this as the meditative exercise zentangles are supposed to be. It kinda worked, though I have to say, the best thing to make me feel better is to have accomplished a finished piece of art. It's nothing fancy, but it is finished. I think this design would look better with more than one flower and bigger.

Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day.

Nutty
(suspecting that the Lurgy has rallied and launched another attack)

Drawing Lab Challenge - #4 Results and fifth week catch up

Okay, I flunked badly this week. Left it to the last minute and that minute was smothered by the children and the pile of necessary things that need to be done.

But! This week is Catch Up Week. This is the time to have a go at any of the exercises you missed from the last four weeks (Labs listed here). Or to grab an idea generated by those exercises and beat it into reality. Or to finish up a piece already started that you know just needs that little bit more work to make it a masterpiece. And don't forget the extra exercises tagged on to each of those Labs, have a go at them. And if I start another sentence with a conjunction the proofreader in my brain is going to keel over and die.

Regarding Challenge #4, how did you go? I've seen White Violet Art's amazing doodle and she appears to have the process working smoothly. I'm finding that I'm having difficulty letting go fo the 'preconceived idea' method of drawing. I'm so used to having an ultimate design in my head, that it feels like I'm driving the car but have no idea where I'm going. A rather uneasy feeling for a control freak like me :D Anyone else get that feeling?

I'll keep trying, because I think it is a valuable skill to learn and it is part of my aim to free up my artwork (which is working really nicely at the moment :D Many thanks to all of you for your influences :D).

In the absence of any of my artwork to show you (though I'm planning on some more experimental stuff in the near future), here be three videos showing various aspects of doodling/zentangling.

The first one shows us how to start a zentangle, the second is how to draw a zendala (basically a zentangle in a circle, a cool idea I might try), and the last one is pure doodle...by a guy who obviously has a lot of drawing skill to back him up (he has a series of videos you might like to look up if you like this one).

So onto Catch Up Week. Do any of you have any plans on works you might like to do?

Nutty
(up far too late again)