 8 pointed star on a white zendala. Watercolor, colored pencil, gold and white gellyroll pen, white chalk pencil, black Microns 01 and 08. Tangles are: Henna Drum, Spoken, Zenith, Fragments (J14, W7, G16 and T7)   As you can see, this exhibit at The Clark is not built on the traditional, medieval-style tapestries one usually sees by Gobelin. Instead it focuses on 20th century work. I enjoyed this one both for the graphic design qualities and the words. It even reminds me of a tarot card. There was another one by the same designer but somehow I didn't get a photo of that. I may have to go back. (Not a problem. I would love to go back.)
Yesterday I was at the Clark Institute in Williamstown, MA to see a mind-boggling exhibit of modern French tapestry from the Mobilier National in France. I took lots of photos and thought I'd post one every day because they are truly remarkable. If you are in the area and have a chance to go, go NOW before it closes in a bit less than a week. I might just have to go again, and plenty of folks who've seen this exhibit have been twice. They are just incredible, spanning the time between around 1940-ish (mostly just before or after the war) up to the 80s and I think even into this century. Here is the first one, by Jean Lurcat, "The Forest." Weaver unknown (a crime!), woven around 1950. A closeup is also posted below.   Here is the promised closeup. This tapestry is gigantic--so specs were given but I'm guessing it was around ten feet by 8 feet or so. It covered an entire wall. No small feat to do the weaving in one year, not to mention the pre-work of warping the loom, dyeing the wool yarns, etc. A real stunner. The more you look, the more you see.   This is the same image as yesterday's post (Magical Stars, Day 2), but I added color with Generals Chalk Pencils. Interesting to see how color can change the dynamic of what is moved to the forefront and background, making certain things more distinct.  Magical Stars Project (from Sandhya Manne, CZT), Day Two. Black Micron and graphite on a white Zendala tile. Tangles are: Diva Dance, Orbs, Flux, La Floro, Fragments N5 and B12, Pea-Fea. There is, in fact, a six-pointed star here but I tangled right over some of it so it's hard to see. This is the black and white version--just linework-- and I'll post the version after adding color and shading as soon as I'm done. Who knows if I can keep up with this project (for details of what the project is, see the previous post) but so far it's been incredibly involving and very calming. It's hard to think about anything else when drawing, just the repetitive line after line after line. And given what is going on all around us, that's helpful.  Day Three of this project: 7 pointed star on a Zendala. Watercolor, Chalk pencils, graphite, black Microns 01 and 08. Tangles are: Corsace, Delys, Cirque, Diva Dance, Tipple, Orbs & Lines, Fragment D11.  See yesterday's post for info about this piece. Materials used: White Zendala, watercolors, colored pencils, gold and white gellyroll pens. Tangles are: Hollis, Hamadox, Tipple, Florz, Mooka. Yesterday's post showed the linework for this. I drew it from the first video in Sandhya Manne's video series, Magical Stars. Click on her name for the link to her website and more information. I modified the drawing very slightly and also added colored pencil to my watercolors. I love using both media in one piece--it's one of my favorite ways to color things.
I'm keeping in mind the following quote here: “Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self.” ― Austin Kleon. from Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative Thank you, Sandhya, for offering your work to the rest of us to use for practice and learning! At this (temporary) point in time when I don't have time for my own art, learning from folks like you is a treasure. Also, that Kleon book I referenced above is terrific.  Just line work using a Micron 01 in Black on a white Zendala tile. No shading. This is a "Magical Stars" string (the star) using most of the tangles suggested by Sandhya Manne, CZT, from India in her Magical Stars Project from a couple of years ago.
I drew it this afternoon and made some (very) minor modifications to what she did. I plan to add color tomorrow. If this project interests you, google "Magical Stars" on youtube. I'm not a major fan of continually doing only what other people have already done, rather than doing my own original tangle work. But it has its uses. Working from videos are about all I can manage just now, and Sandhya is yet another truly talented Zentangle® teacher. Given that I'm totally preoccupied with this 10-month, unrelated-to-art teacher training--very intense--I have had to let any kind of drawing go. And so, I am more and more out of practice. To keep my hand in, videos are temporarily the way for me to go. I can watch, emulate, not expend too much brain power, and stay in practice. It seems I'm always saying this. "No time to draw." When this course ends in July, I hope I have managed to do enough "copy-drawing" via video in this interim to begin work on my own art without being irretrievably rusty. Learning from other artists is always a smart way to sharpen skills and keep training. So thank you, Sandhya, and all the other teachers whose videos I've been using. I plan to do more of these. (Now, let's see if I can pull this plan off!)
Yup, this is what comes of not having time to practice. I am way, way too rusty. This is the first tangle I've done since last year. It's been far too long.
And likely to be longer; I've just finished the first semester of a ten-month course and the next one is starting right up, so I may be slow-as-molasses about posting until July. (Does anyone even use molasses anymore?) |
ABOUT ME I'm a textile artist (traditional rug hooking, punch needle rug hooking, and other textile arts), a long-time meditator, a certified meditation teacher and coach, and focused on learning about the interplay of art, creativity, and mindfulness every day. 
Certified, 2021
Certified Unified Mindfulness Coach Level I, 2024
Certified Zentangle® Teacher, 2013
Certified by AmyOxford.com at The Oxford Rug Hooking School, 2016
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Insight Meditation Society Oxford Rug Hooking School Zentangle: The Official Site Green Mountain Rug Hooking Massachusetts Tarot Society 
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