rip... trip... strip... stripe... oh, yes... Stripes!

A tile created for soul sister, Susan and her man, Keith... with love.

This is (for a change) a purely pictoral blog post,
for The Diva's Weekly Challenge, 

Number 24 : “String Theory version II: Stripes”

Still tangling my way through
my love affair with life!

Pen Dancing Lightly : drawing in Time

This week I was challenged (by Laura Harms a.k.a. "I am the Diva") to "do a Tile or Zentangle inspired piece within fifteen minutes.  Dots, Border, String, Tangles and Shading - all in fifteen minutes."

This may sound a little daunting... especially to those of us with a tendency toward careful, exact drawing techniques, but here's a tip for you.

I've discovered a fun way to approach Laura's 'challenges.' I just picture her, way up there in Saskatoon, thumbing her nose at me, and saying, "I dare ya!" And, if it's a particularly daunting challenge, I also check out her local weather... which is often a bit of a giggle (for me). Et voila! There I am in a playful mindset. Ready to dance my pens across the paper to the tune she has set for the week.

Before I go on... for those of you who like musical accompaniment to my blog posts (Hi Shelly!), here's the song I've chosen for this particular pen dance. ♪♫♫♪♫

For fifteen minute drawings: you can play this song four times
(and still have 36 seconds left over for a final shading touch
...and don't forget to write your initials on your artwork)

What fun this challenge turned out to be!
I so love playing these mini drawing games each week (thank you, Laura ♥).
First, here is what I accomplished, blank paper (tile) to end product, in fifteen minutes:

(Click images to embiggen)
Shattuck, Flux, Mooka, Jonqal, Paradox, and others

Process: I set the timer on my watch (without looking at it as I drew) and, on my first attempt (just) made it from start to finish in the time limit.  I admit to drawing a smaller string than usual (no edge to edge work for this one!!), and to shading it with my finger rather than taking the time with a paper stump... but I didn't 'rush' this drawing.

Technique: I drew at an easy but continual pace, using my current fave tangle patterns, and used faster variants for some of them as I drew.  I drew Jonqal with stripes instead of solid shading; and I drew big fat tendrils for my Mooka furls.

Bonus: There was a happy 'chewy centre' with this challenge, too. Quite serendipitous. I went to get the kitchen timer today to photograph the tile I'd drawn Monday night. Yes, it's a Panda timer. 1, 2, 3, "Awww!" But, see if you notice what I did...

Yep! 

It's white and stationary — a Chancy State of Existence in this household, as my ever-moving partner will tell you. (Of course, stationery is fair game too, but that goes with saying... doesn't it?!) So, of course, it was just begging to be tangled! And, of course, I did (and used some great new tangles on this one – click through on the links in the caption to find the instructions for each).

(Click image to embiggen)
Flux, Donna Hornsby's Keenees, Sue Jacob's Ace,
Cristine Letourneau's Esses, and Laura Harms' Artoo

I think that the message for this week is all about Participating in Life, and Making Time to do so.  So I strongly encourage everyone ("all humans eligible," as one blogger commented!) to go and check out Laura's weekly "I dare ya!" games.

Here's the place to start dancing the fun!

Also, check out Shelly's poem "Today" (and her fifteen minute tile, too — wow!).

You can do this.
Take the Time...
Make the Time to be the Living Embodiment of your Dreams.

This can be a scary path to dance, I acknowledge that, certainly.

Although, as Willian Shedd wrote, "A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for." But, with great respect for William's wisdom, let me propose an alternate view for you to consider: much as it may seem safe to stay 'in the harbour' or 'on the sidelines,' a spectator, there is no safety in living your life without thought and awareness.

Following on from there... I'm reading a book at the moment by one of my favourite authors (and poets), Oriah House: The Call. I would like to share with you two of her poems (knowing that you'll likely go looking for the rest!). [Note: these are only excerpts... click on the titles to read the full poems. And find Oriah's books on Amazon (or Book Depository for free shipping).]

In The Call Oriah writes:

I have heard it all my life,
A voice calling a name I recognized as my own.

Sometimes it comes as a soft-bellied whisper.
Sometimes it holds an edge of urgency.

But always it says: Wake up my love. You are walking asleep.
There's no safety in that!

.....read more.

And a natural segue to that prompting (just right for this week's post) 
in The Dance Oriah writes:

I have sent you my invitation,
the note inscribed on the palm of my hand by the fire of living.
Don’t jump up and shout, “Yes, this is what I want! Let’s do it!”
Just stand up quietly and dance with me

.....read more.

---

I'm sending love today to a dear friend,
who loves Ronan's song too (and introduced me to it).
Hugs to you, girlfriend! ♥

I Hope You Dance 
[Ronan Keating]

...and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,

I hope you dance (Time is a wheel in constant motion always)

I hope you dance (rolling us along.)

I hope you dance (Tell me, who wants to look back on their years and wonder)

I hope you dance (where those years have gone?)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,

Dance! 

Less than rhapsodic in blue

It's true, I was less than rhapped with my effort this week for Laura's weekly challenge (which is why I'm only posting it now, although I finished it days ago). But, in the interest of learning a more Zen attitude to my artwork, I've decided to post it anyway.

This piece is in the back of my journal. The fact that I started it there shows how confident I was not feeling about this artistic challenge!  Perhaps, next time I'm not feeling confident, I should start at the front of my art journal anyway [soft smile].

"Blue By You" (click to enlarge).

I am listening to music as I write today (as I usually do).  This week Norah Jones is singing "The Grass is Blue" and I am thinking, as she sings, of the backwards world we're living in these days.

Last night I watched the earth become sea in Japan.  It seems not that long ago I was sitting waiting and watching the waters rise — touching base with friends and family in Queensland, Australia.  And of course, in Christchurch, New Zealand (just across the pond from Tasmania), the earth beneath their feet betrayed them.  Norah sings in agreement from my speakers:

"Rivers flow backwards,
Valleys are high.
Mountains are level,
Truth is a lie."

"How much can a heart
and a troubled mind take?
Where is that fine line
before it all breaks?"

No wonder some of us are feeling blue... even those of us who have only seen these events unfold from the comfort and safety of our living rooms.  My heart caught in my throat last night as I saw the tidal waves washing across the land and realised there were people in there too. I had to stop watching the coverage — instead sending out email messages to those I knew in the area and waiting to hear back from them.

So what do we do with these feelings of sadness — at times overwhelming?  We do what we can, from a practical standpoint, and then –I believe– we make the time to stop, reflect on the impermanence of life in general, and then ask ourselves:

"What am I doing with this life of mine?"

"Am I making the world a better place, for my part in it?"

And these are questions, of course, that we should continue to ask ourselves... ever changing, growing, and becoming the Best we can be.  While recognising (and this is vitally important) that – on some days – our Best may seem more or less than we usually 'expect' from ourselves, and that's okay too.

So, if all I am able to do on this day is bring joy to one person by showing them their previously untapped artistic creativity, I will do it with Passion... with Love... and with Heart & Soul.

And, contrary to the lyrics of the song, I will always know in my heart that – even when it is beauty restricted to a 3.5" square canvas – Truth will always be Truth. So I will follow my heart, be True to my Self and live that Truth without compromise... for as long as I have to live it.

What does tragedy remind us?  What does all this death and destruction have to tell us?  Paradoxically, it tells us about Life.  It reminds us that we are safe and that Life is precious and full of meaning. Reminded of Living True, I photographed these trees at the meditation Centre I was at this time last week.

(Click to enlarge.)

I found myself looking up often during the course.  The trees grew so strong and tall in that beautiful place (another place of truth: of Dhamma).  I didn't speak for the duration of the course (that was easy).  I also didn't draw (that was very hard!).  But when I returned, I remembered watching the sunrise touch the tree tops early one morning at the Centre, and almost feeling the push of those trees to reach back to the sun.

"Tall and True" (click to enlarge).

Stand Tall and Live True!

Live with Courage and Zeal and Compassion!

_________________
 
In other news, the Australian Calligraphy Society's book, WordsWork, is now available from John Neal Books.  (The artists are published alphabetically, but I like to think my ZIA calligraphy is on page one three times over – page 111. [smiles])