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Yes, I'm now officially addicted to this tangle with its deeply graphic qualities. I added some blue and gold rings in chalk pencil when I was finished, the colors of Ukraine, since the tangle is derived from Ukranian folk art (see yesterday's post).  Tangle: Kivka. Done on a black pre-strung Zendala tile. I ignored the string, but when I was done drawing the string still showed faintly so I added the chalk pencil rings to cover it. Gold and Silver Slicci Metallic pens. Both pens were at least 10 years old and previously unused. I am lucky they worked. I don't even remember where I got them.  My first try at a new tangle called Kivka, from Jo Quincy, CZT (Zenjo). She just offered her second fundraising class for Ukraine. As a result, this time she'll be donating around $3000 to UNICEF for Ukranian aid and relief, based on participants' donations. In her first class she raised somewhere around $2500 I believe. What a lesson in how one person can make a difference. "Kivka" is named for Petrykivka, which is both a small village in Ukraine (southeast of Kiev) and also the home of a style of painting called Petrykivka, a folk art of great beauty. I plan to work more with this tangle and make further donations when I can for relief there.  Yes, the same tile (different lighting) but this time I added more of the motif using gray micron 01. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always Light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it. --Amanda Gorman Here is another version of work I did in a class with Shie Naritomi, CZT. What a wonderful teacher. See my comments from yesterday on the background of this work.  Done with black and blue Micron 01s on a gray Phi tile, using prismacolors, watercolor, gold and white gellyroll, white chalk pencil, graphite. As one person, I cannot bring peace to Ukraine. I cannot restore what they have lost: lives, livelihoods, homes, family, and peace of mind. No one person can do this alone. But I can join with others to protest, to support. And I can take the time to sit quietly and calm myself, so that I make wiser decisions when I protest or when I support. Drawing and meditation both do that for me. So does drawing AS meditation. The more peace and compassion I can develop within myself, the more peace and compassion I can bring into the world. Perhaps only in small ways, but if each of us were able to do this, it would be powerful. So I have taken the time to draw this afternoon, breathing deeply and working line by line, one line at a time. It is calming. It gives me courage to watch the news tonight. Again. To witness the inhumanity. Again. It gives me courage to keep protesting, to keep supporting, to keep loving, despite it all.  From a class with Shie Naritomi, CZT. Micron 01 brown and black on a tan Phi tile with watercolor, prismacolor, and graphite, white gellyroll and white chalk pencil.  Another Map Tangle with watercolor and metallic paint base, Micron 01, and graphite. Tiny bit of white gellyroll pen. Tangles are Romanancy, Sandswirl, a variation of SeaWave, Printemps, and some random lines. It took days to get through this one for some reason. While working on a different project (punch needle embroidery) I had a minor textile collapse when the foundation fabric shredded all the way through. Eeeeek! Although I knew what I had to do--patch it--I have been putting it off for days. I've never had to patch anything before and it was intimidating. This morning, after a bit of tangling and a lot of meditation, I took on the task and as with many intimidating things, in actual practice it was easier than I thought. And I learned a lot. Things I Learned: No need to draw on the patch first, or to pin it in place. It can be done by "feel." I did lengthen the loop length by 1 (went up from a 2 to a 3). Go slowly, be prepared to back up a bit if needed. Check how it looks on the other side frequently. Afterwards, be ready to clean up well, and trim off the extra. Here are the steps (sorry I didn't take a "before" picture). Imagine a blank spot with no punching and holes in the fabric where the patch now sits:
 Right side with finished patch. (Remember, the pattern is reversed on the right side) The dark wedge shapes above and below will need a bit of tweaking to make the light part crisper and tighter. Well of course as I was patching this up I was thinking of all the times I've screwed up in other life issues and had to try to make repairs. Oftentimes it's been quite successful. Occasionally, not. Don't we all have to patch things up in relationships from time to time? Seems like the guidelines are the same: You cannot plan everything perfectly in advance, although you have to think things through. Then, you have to do it by "feel," going slowly and being prepared to back up occasionally. Checking frequently with the other person to see how it's going, and if it's successful (not always or immediately guaranteed), cleaning up afterwards by following through. Finally, it really helps to learn from our mistakes by analyzing what worked well and what we could have done differently. If only we as humans could get better at patching things up. Especially in this very messy scary world right now. Someone once said, "Life is the art of drawing without an eraser." And yet--even with no eraser--it is often possible to keep going and turn a mess into an eventual triumph. Let us hope we can do that in the current situation. May we all treat each other with respect, compassion, and generosity. How gorgeous is this? I'm so proud to say I know the woman who designed and made it. pgarbarino.com/ Paula Garbarino, Fine Furniture Maker  Wooden bench with two drawers. 40" high and around 30" wide. Mt. Fuji, rendered in Paula's exquisite marquetry. Wish I had taken the time to learn what woods she used for this. Check out her website.  Designed, dyed, and hand-punched by AE, 2022 on monks cloth with rug wool. Copyright to AE 2022, used with permission.  Two views of the same luscious hearth-rug designed, dyed, and hand-punched by my buddy AE.
You haven't lived until you've sunk your toes into a hand-punched rug. So luxurious. I would love to say "I taught her," but it just ain't true. I spent about half a minute several years back showing her how to punch and ditto showing her how to dye wool (yarn). She already had killer textile instincts in other media, and with basically no instruction developed her own style and vision. Now I feel like I'd recognize her work anywhere, and she's far surpassed me in her dyeing skills. Really beautiful work here. She also weaves, sews, embroiders, beads, and draws. Some folks just have the gift! Since I am on another map tangling kick, I am thinking about borders and boundaries and what happens when they are disrespected. My heart is with all the people of Ukraine, and extends to all the other wars going on all over the planet at this moment.  Watercolor, white gellyroll and chalk pencil, colored pencils, graphite, on a too-thin piece of cardstock as an experiment. “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
― Albert Einstein  A quick leftover tile from yesterday's session. “Light is a thing that cannot be reproduced, but must be represented by something else – by color.” --Cezanne Watercolors: Sooooo tricky to use. But I love them.  Ecoline watercolor inks, graphite, white gellyroll, white chalk. Tangles are: Marasu, Verve, Gigi, Seawave. How odd to be map tangling on a day when the world is experiencing one country violently overrunning another country's borders and attempting to re-write the global map by obliterating a democracy. I had prepped the tiles for this several days ago but it wasn't until today that I realized the irony of drawing this piece at this time.  Same tile, same room, same time, different lighting. Amazing difference. I can never quite believe what a difference lighting makes in a photograph. |
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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