Zentangle Inspired Number Eight

"Zentangle Inspired Number Eight"

Day 53

Today is Day 53 and I felt like doodling .... so today's sketch is titled "It's A Doodle Day"!

Call me a fool, but I have also started another challenge ... this is a fun challenge.  Over a period of 29 days (beginning 2/1/2012) each party draws one face, posts it to their blog, which is linked to the originating blog, Ayala Art.  What is really cool is that when you go to Ayala Art's blog you will find a list of all the talented artists who are participating in this fun challenge & you are able to click on their name(s) and be linked to their blog where their drawing is posted!

Since I have the "75 Day Sketch Challenge" being posted in this blog, all of my "29 Faces" drawings are being posting on my other blog, HummingBelles.blogspot.com, so you can also hop over there!

"Twin Horned Toad Lizards"

I have illustrated zentangle inspired salmon, flounder, crawdads, and geckos ... last week my husband asked me to create a zentangle inspired drawing featuring Horned Toad Lizards, when he was a young lad he had one as a pet and he really likes them! Well, I will tell you, this was one of the hardest drawings I have ever done! It took over two days of sketching before I finally came up with a shape that he was happy with and wow, was he ever particular! I am happy to say, we are still married!

So here you go .... Jim's "Twin Horned Toad Lizards"

Happy Day!

Karen Anne

Great times camping result in latest drawing!

This latest drawing is titled "Rosa's Flounder". We were down at the Pacific Coast in a campsite on Whalen Island the past few days and had great weather and a wonderful time. On Monday morning the camp host, Rosa, came by and showed me her catch of the day, a beautiful flounder, which inspired this drawing. The best part, however, was when she offered to filet the fish and give it to us for dinner! Cooked up in butter with pepper, season salt and garlic powder it proved to be the best tasting fish I have ever eaten! I remarked that it tasted a bit like delicate shrimp and Rosa said it was probably because flounder feed on sand shrimp. Guess I'll have to get a fishing license for my next trip to Whalen Island!

"Rosa's Flounder" 

 We spent time in the Trask River Campground in Tillamook County on Friday and Saturday and actually caught three crawdads!  We gave them back to the river the next day because three wasn't enough to cook up, boy were they happy to get back into the river!  Here are a few photos from the Trask River Campsite ....

After two days at Trask River we headed on over to Whalen Island, another Tillamook County Campground, where I set up my portable art studio and began work on "Rosa's Flounder".  Here are some of those photos ...

Another great discovery was an easy way to get hot water for washing dishes!  I took along an old roaster, filled it with water and dish soap, heated it up on the campstove and had hot water for washing!  Yes!  An added benefit is the lid keeps out bugs and pine needles.  Then I use a 5 gallon water dispenser to rinse the dishes, really makes cleaning up a breeze!

And, if you ever want the BEST camp stove that heats up water in a jiffy ... get yourself a Stansport!  It is almost as good as my domesticated restaurant gas stove at home!

We have found another Tillamook County camp ground we want to check out, it is called Kilchis River Campground.  If the weather holds up, maybe we can get over there sometime in early September, who knows, maybe we'll catch some crawdads over there???
Would be nice to catch enough for a small spiced crawdad feast with melted garlic butter!

Happy camping!
Karen Anne

"Stand Up To Cancer Rose"

I just learned that someone special and very dear to my heart has been diagnosed with breast cancer.   I know what it is like to be given that diagnosis.  I wanted to do something, prayer is foremost, but I felt a need to pick up my pen and create something meaningful.  The result is this zentangle that I have titled "Stand Up To Cancer Rose".

I originally designed this drawing in Zentangle format size of 3.5" x 3.5" but wanted it to be available in the ACEO format size of 2.5" x 3.5" as well.  So I digitally altered it in PhotoShop.  Following are both versions....

Zentangle Tile size 3.5" x 3.5"

 

ACEO size 2.5" x 3.5" 

Continually praying for a cure so that no more victims need suffer from this disease.

Karen Anne

"No Name Zentangle Design"

I haven't done any art work in the past two weeks and really felt the need to create a new piece. I didn't have any particular subject in mind but I realized I had to create something. What better to fill that creative urgency than to sit down and mellow out with a zentangle design! I have titled this piece "No Name Zentangle" because I wasn't thinking of anything in particular but it made me feel good and regenerated my "Inspiration GPS".

This piece is now available in 8.5" x 11" and in the ACEO format size of 2.5"x3.5" in my Etsy Shop.

"No Name Zentangle"

 

Wishing you a day filled with creativity and inspiration!

"Zentangle Tiles"

In the past several months I have completed many drawings using Zentangle Techniques.  It didn't hit me until this weekend that I have not completed one true Zentangle Tile ... that being a picture that is pure design and patterns, there is no up or down, it has no subject matter that is discernible and is created purely to please the creator and the viewer.  A Zentangle Tile has a universal size of 3.5 inches by 3.5 inches. 

I had hit an artistic block this past week and my "Inspiration GPS" just wasn't working ... I think I needed to charge its batteries.  That being the case I decided why not try some of these Zentangle Tiles?!  I proceeded to cut myself up a small stack of 3.5x3.5 squares and settled back, relaxed and enjoyed creating the following four Zentangle Tiles.  These will be listed in my Etsy Shop shortly, but I wanted to share them with you first.

Since Zentangle Tiles do not have a subject matter I was having trouble with giving the pieces titles ... I finally decided to just give them numbers as I progress.  So here they are:

Zentangle Tile #1

 

Zentangle Tile #2

Zentangle Tile #3

Zentangle Tile #4

Best of all, after finishing these 4 little drawings, I found I had recharged my "Inspiration GPS"!   I now have several new ideas I can't wait to get started on tomorrow!

Moral of this little story:  If you are having trouble recharging your "Inspiration GPS" ... try recharging with a few Zentangle Tiles!

Happy Day!
Karen Anne aka IrelandBrady

I Could Use a Little Help ...

Hi!  I just completed a new zentangle type illustration that I'd like to list in My Etsy Shop but I am having a bit of a problem with the title.  You see this picture seems to have two sets of feelings, one is on the negative side and the other is positive.  I figure I'll present this problem to you and see what the majority feel and go with that title.  The following are the two titles .....

Negative title:  "Nearly Invisible" You know that feeling you get when no one seems to respond to you or even notice that you are there; like when you are in a store and the clerk(s) notice all the other customers but don't seem to see that you are standing right in front of their face.  I'm sure most of us have experienced a form of feeling "Nearly Invisible" at one time or another in their life; not a fun feeling.

Positive title:  "Absorbing Inspiration"  An overwhelming feeling that can strike at the most unexpected time and suddenly creative ideas just seem to be popping in and out, then one idea leads to another and that one leads to another and on and on and on.  I hope everyone experiences times like these, they are intensely exciting and inspiring!

Perhaps, however, you are seeing something entirely different?  If that is so, please feel free to share your feelings and the title you feel best describes this drawing.

Here's a thought, maybe I should list it twice, one listing using "Nearly Invisible" and the other using "Absorbing Inspiration"?  I do look forward to your input and help.

May you always have

Love to Share,

Health to Spare,

And Friends who Care!

Karen Anne aka IrelandBrady


PS  With the aid of all my dear friends I finally came up with a title that reflects the theme of this illustration - "The Art of Becoming One's Being".  Thank you all for your generous input!

"Five New ACEO's!"

I just love ACEO's!  When you have a little bit of time you can create a little piece of art.  An ACEO creation can be created just about anywhere, snuggling up on the couch, sitting in a car, camping, in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep, filling in time at a local art show .... they have to be an artist's best friend when one has only a bit of time and not enough energy to work on something larger.

That said, I have been squeezing in little ACEO's here and there for the past week and finally got them photographed and ready to list in my Etsy Shop later on this week.  In the meantime, I thought I'd take out a bit of time to share them with my friends.

"A Floral Knot"

"A Knot of Shamrocks"

"Three Tortoises" (already listed in my Etsy Shop)

"Mushroom"

"Mushrooms and Fern"

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and letting me share my artwork with you.

Karen Anne aka IrelandBrady

Two more Zentangle Valentine's!

As Valentine Day rapidly approaches people search out a special card for that someone special. With an ACEO Valentine you can give a card that is also an art piece which can be framed and viewed with loving remembrance of that special day on which it was given. These Valentines are titled "Me + You = Us!" and "You + Me = We!". After all, Valentine's Day is really a celebration of a couples' love for each other. 

Happy Valentine Day to all the couples out there!

Karen Anne

An ACEO Zentangle Valentine "One True Love"

Valentine is quickly approaching and I decided to try my hand at an ACEO Valentine. It seems we meet many people in our live but there is only one who is really extra special in your life, so out of all the loves in one's life I present the "One True Love".

I was lucky enough to meet my "One True Love" and marry him 43 years this coming February 17th. We would have gotten married on Valentine's Day, but it fell on a Wednesday that week, in 1968, so we opted for Saturday the 17th ... figured people would show up for the wedding that way!

Please keep in mind that, because the drawing has been scanned to the computer, the image is considerably larger than the actual art piece. Therefore, you can not realize the delicacy of the line work and fine detail of the image as a result.

"One True Love"

A happy Valentine Day to one and all!

Love,

Karen Anne aka Ireland Brady

A terrific new way to mount your favorite ACEO!

I was very excited about the creation of my first ACEO Mount Mat / Mounting Matte (http://www.etsy.com/listing/66053940/new-idea-for-aceo-mount-mat-or-mounting) and decided to create another one. These mount mats are a wonderful way in which to showcase your favorite ACEO's!

I also included some additional examples to show how versatile this ACEO zentangle design for mounting ACEO's actually is. 

So, what do you think?  Isn't this a grand way to show off an ACEO!

Karen Anne

"My Chinese Mudmen" - day #5 - Finished!

Hi!  Well, I completed the illustration of "My Chinese Mudmen" and now have it listed for sale in My Etsy Shop as an 8"x10" art print as well as an ACEO open edition art print (2.5"x3.5").

After I had finished working on it yesterday, I spent a relaxing evening and watched a good movie after which I snuggled into bed for a good night's rest.  At 4 AM I woke up, made a photo-copy of the original and tried out an idea that had come to me during the night and woke me up!  All day I had been stewing around about the sky, had tried out a few ideas (again on a photo-copy) and wasn't really pleased with any of them.  But now I had a grand idea and just had to try it out - make the entire sky black!  So, from 4 AM to 5 AM I spent time on the front room couch with Danny Boy (my miniature pinscher) by my side and filled in the sky with a black permanent ink pen.  When finished, I liked what I saw ... but, I wasn't sure, so I sat it up on a small easel and fell promptly back to sleep.

I woke this morning and asked my husband what he thought about the black sky, he loved it!  So today I blacked out the sky on the original and finished up with small details here and there.  I am especially pleased with the way my little turtle turned out.  Not too sure about the frog, he looks more like a lizard ... I guess he can be whatever the viewer wants him to be!

I am very proud to present to you now,  "My Chinese Mudmen" .....

Take care and God bless!

Karen Anne aka Ireland Brady

"My Chinese Mudmen" - day #4

I got quite of bit of work done on "My Chinese Mudmen" today, but am still not finished.  There is probably at least another hour and a half to be completed and I am too tired to finish it today.  So for the rest of the evening I'll just sit back (with a nice cold beer) and study Chang, Chung, Ching and Chong's new surroundings and see what else I can add to make it extra cozy for them.

One thing I have noticed is that a lot of the zentangle designs and techniques  I have developed over the past several months, have definitely come into play in this illustration.  I feel that these newly acquired skills have greatly added to the overall dimension of the piece.

So, I am happy to share with you, "My Chinese Mudmen" and the end for today ....

(OK, boys' - strut your stuff!)

Happy day to one and all!

Take care and God bless,

Karen Anne

"My Chinese Mudmen" - days #1 and #2

I discovered my first "Mudman" back in 1968.  Jim and I were married in February of that year and one day I was going through some of his "stuff" and I came across this curious yet charming little figurine, removed him from the box and placed him on the window sill in my kitchen.  I later learned that Jim had received Chang (I had to give him a name and Chang seemed to suit him well) from his beloved Aunt Bess.  Chang used to sit on Aunt Bess's piano and when she passed away, Jim inherited Chang.  I learned from Jim that Chang is actually a Chinese Mudman and was probably created sometime in the 1940's.

I have had Chang in my garden plants, in a bonsai (that I killed), in a fish bowl, but he always seems to end up back in my kitchen window.  I have grown very attached to Chang over the years and I think he has become attached to my kitchen window.  A few weeks ago we had gone treasure hunting (my term for rummaging through second hand stores) and lo and behold I came across three Chinese Mudmen!  Of course I had to purchase them, Chang needed some friends to hang out with in my kitchen garden window.

As I would pass them, they would bring a smile to my heart and I finally named Chang's three new found friends ~ Chung, Ching and Chong.   As I was looking for inspiration for my next art piece I kept stopping at where Chang, Chung, Ching and Chong were congregating in front of a piece of amethyst crystals and finally thought "I'll do my Chinese Mudmen!".

I had done a rough pencil sketch and then inked over them, erased the pencil marks and began coloring Chung with Prismacolor Verithin colored pencils when my husband came over and suggested I scan the work in progress at the end of each day and share it with my friends on my blog.  Thus began the latest post of my blog.

Allow me to introduce Chung, Ching, Chong and Chang (he is the little guy in the middle) to you...

From left to right, Chung, Chang (little guy in the front middle), Ching and Chong.

I began my drawing on Monday, January 24th, and this is where I stopped that evening:

On Tuesday, January 25th, I colored in Ching and began defining my border....

Today is Wednesday, January 26th, and before I begin working on my illustration I decided to take out some time and get my post started ... will share with you tomorrow how productive I've been today!

Til then,

Take care and God bless,

Karen Anne

"Zentangle Design for mounting a favorite ACEO"

I am always trying to find a unique and unusual way to showcase an ACEO.  When I began this latest design I thought it would be interesting to try my hand at a border and see where that would take me.  Over the days that I worked on this piece I became intrigued with the idea that it might serve to make a nice background on which to mount a favorite ACEO.  So, as the work progressed, that overall idea became my theme.

Once I had completed my objective, I scanned the art piece to my computer and printed out a copy to see how it would work.  It was printed on an 8.5"x11" sheet of acid free paper and the printed area measures 8"x10.25".  I took one of my "The Letter B" ACEO's (with white background), placed a piece of double-sided tape on the back of the ACEO centered it on the blank center of the print and affixed it to the top of the print.  I then trimmed off the edges of the print to fit an 8"x10" frame and the result is what you see in the example I photographed and included here as a sample.

I also included some additional examples to show how versatile this ACEO zentangle design for mounting ACEO's actually is.

I think it turned out rather well and plan to list it in My Etsy Shop.  I would really like to hear what you think about this idea.

"Zentangle Design for mounting a favorite ACEO"

"Framed example with ACEO affixed to the center"

"Another example with Basket Full Of Posies"

"Example with Buffalo Skull ACEO"

"Example with Fantasy Mushrooms ACEO"

I am not sure what I should call this, do you have an idea or thought?  A mounting design for an ACEO?

Thanks!

Karen Anne

"A Zentangle Sunset"

After I had completed "A Zentangle Sunrise" my hubby asked that I illustrate a tree with more personality and friendly mushrooms. Of course I was simply delighted to fulfill his request, especially since his birthday is just around the corner! The finished result is titled "A Zentangle Sunset" which I am happy to share with you as well.



The original drawing was executed on a size 9"x12" sheet of art paper and took about 4 days to complete.  I have listed it in My Etsy Shop as an authorized art print (printed on 8.5"x11" sheet of acid free paper) and in the reduced ACEO format size (2.5"x3.5").  


I really like how this piece turned out and hope you like it as well.

Happy Day!

Karen Anne

A Zentangle Sunrise

Happy New Year!

I have been so busy during the holidays that I had very little time for art work or even getting on the internet to see what is happening in the lives of family and friends.   After the hustle and bustle of Christmas activities I finally made time to pick up my pen and see where it would take me.

In this illustration I had nothing in particular in mind and just began putting pen to paper, the finished result is an amusing little piece I call "A Zentangle Sunrise".  I will be posting it later in My Etsy Shop as an authorized art print (8"x10") and reduced ACEO format size of 2.5"x3.5".

Happy New Year All!

Karen Anne