DRAWING FROM THE DAY
  • ...a blog on art, creativity, and mindfulness

Art Mysteries

4/5/2022

 
PictureOn a tan Zendala, Micron 01 and PN, white chalk pencil, sanguine chalk pencil, graphite, gellyroll 10 in white. Based on a workshop with Danielle DeRome CZT. See yesterday's post.
What happened to these people, the Mimbres, who created such dramatic and elegant pottery? 

Emerging from the Mongollon culture, they were a later version of that group which lived around the Mongollan Mountains in Arizona and New Mexico from about AD 200-1450.  If I am correct, the Mimbres peoples lived toward the end of that period (1050-1200 or so). 

Eventually, it appears that they  abandoned their homes and cultural centers for unknown reasons.  Just walked away, probably dispersing into other groups or other areas of the country. 

Who were they and where did they go--and why?  So far, we have no answers to these questions.  They leave us their inspired, graphic, dramatic pottery, from which this tile is drawn.  Here we have the fish, the deer, the turtle, and the caterpillar, all very precious and symbolic to them.  We have the four directions, a stylized sun, some stylized feathers.  While we can say something about what modern generations of Native/Indigenous Peoples would say about these symbols, we can only guess at the full extent of what they mean to people from this era.  It's a definitely a mystery. 

Only their art speaks to us about who they were.

To a Mimbres Woman
by Marty Eberhardt

I see your thousand-year-old thumb print
On the plain brown potsherd.
My own thumb fits perfectly
In the curve you left.
Other more elegant pottery bits
Lie among rocks and junipers
On this hill of dry grasses.
Red-on-white interwoven geometry, 
A tasseled quail,
Designs fine as any
In the art galleries of the town. 
But it is this plain brown piece that draws me.
My thumb seeks the curved place, again.
I see you forming the pot 
From coils of clay,
You look out over fields of corn and beans 
In the valley below.
Then, as now, a red-tailed hawk dips,
A horned lizard scurries under a stone
That forms the village wall.
Beyond the fields
Green cottonwoods mark the river  
Between jagged hills.
The wind shakes their leaves like a gourd rattle.
In the quiet between gusts,
The river rushes below, monsoon-strong.
It is in these wild places,
Where our thumbs
Feel the curve of another’s hand,
Places free from cement, neon, asphalt, smog,
And deadened water,
Across years, 
Across cultures and countries,
Beyond all reason,
We find each other.

Kivka

3/29/2022

 
Picture
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.

PictureYes, 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

Second Try.

3/25/2022

 
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.
Picture
Done with black and blue Micron 01s on a gray Phi tile, using prismacolors, watercolor, gold and white gellyroll, white chalk pencil, graphite.

Peace

3/24/2022

 
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. 
Picture
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.

The Point of Practice

1/21/2022

 
Can you get more simple than this?  I don't think so.  This must be the equivalent of doing musical scales each day.
Picture
Picture
I'm using Bijou tiles here (only 2" square) to practice one basic tangle a day.  Except I'm way behind and these each only take a few minutes to do, so I've been doing about 2-4 tiles a day to catch up.  This is part of a 365 tangle challenge, and I appreciate that the intention is to keep it very simple each day all year.

Good advice, whether in drawing or in meditation.  Practice-practice-practice is one great first tip, and the next:  don't over-complicate things.  Review the basics frequently.  Take time to breathe.  No need to rush or push.  All of these things are true for both art and true in meditation.  Art and meditation are deeply interconnected, in my view.

Re-Doing

11/18/2021

 
Continuing with zenAgain21:  Here's a Dali-inspired tile.  Mine looked quite different from those done by others (they were better at listening to the directions).
Picture

I know, scary stuff, huh?

"When we are asleep in this world, we are awake in another."  - Dali

He's not one of my favorite artists, but this was a fun idea to experiment with.

This was done with brown and black microns, graphite, watercolor pencils and white chalk pencil with a touch of white gellyroll on a 3.5" white tile.

Somewhere during the four days, we worked on an Opus tile (10 inches square).  I have plans to re-do this one, since I liked the idea but felt a bit too rushed during the execution.  It was fun though.
Picture
Done on a 10" square Opus tile with black and brown microns, graphite, ochre chalk pencil.
I have a few other things to finish or re-do, so that's it for now.  What an opportunity.  To be tangling for four days straight was just wonderful.  And exhausting.  As Molly Hollibaugh says, "Drawing is a physical act."  True!

Alphabets

8/18/2021

 
Picture
I've been wanting to attempt an illustrated letter for quite a while and decided to try it this evening.  I learned a lot doing this.

Every line in a drawing is a new experience.  There's no "right" place to begin.   We just start.  Each individual line is a new creation.  There's no "right" way to draw anything.  Some drawings are "better" than others...but if we're drawing mindfully, they all teach us something, no matter the result.

It's the same with meditation.  There is no one right way to meditate.  Every moment is new, and if our minds wander--which of course, they always do--we simply draw in a new breath, and begin again.

Kintsugi:  The Broken Egg

8/4/2021

 
Picture
Watercolor, Black Micron 01, graphite, colored and chalk pencils on watercolor paper. Original photograph below.
Picture
I made hard-boiled eggs last week and after they cooled this is what I saw.   I took a photograph because if ever there was an egg begging for kintsugi, this one was it. 

However, I ate the egg in my dinner salad, so no kintsugi took place. 

Not sure what kintsugi is?  It's the Japanese art of mending broken ceramics using gold in the cracks, resulting in a mended object of striking beauty.   Look HERE. 

The beauty is in the brokenness.

The instant I saw that egg I wanted to paint it, though I've no idea why.  Perhaps I've been thinking about kintsugi recently as I observe so much brokenness surrounding us all. 

Compassion can be one way to join our pieces back together, to form a strong bond, and to heal ourselves.

I contemplate this, and then write:
---------
Pick up your broken pieces. 
Lovingly place them together.
Be gentle. 
Add the gold. 
Allow time for healing.
And then, look. 
So much beauty.
---------

And here is one lovely article I saw on the topic.

Marigold Season

7/19/2021

 
Picture
A kind neighbor brought these marigolds in a tiny bottle.  She collects old bottles and also grows flowers.  A wonderful combination.

I could actually have given this post a much longer title.  Something like:  "Kind Neighbors, Marigolds, and Other Favorite Things."  Too long.
Picture
Oh my. She also brought me this hydrangea bloom. Can I say "Oh my" twice here?
Picture
Some of my favorite things. The hydrangea in an antique bottle, a book on drawing (recommended), and an old white soapstone I tangled years ago and put into a frame to use as a coaster, after first baking it in the oven to set the paint. Plus, my front porch. Love to sit out and watch the world go by.
Picture
Finally, a quick late-night tangle I did last night after watching Amy Kam's weekly Tangle Time.  The tile had been given a watercolor wash years ago.  I added the tangles (Gneiss, Black Pearl, Crescent Moon, Shattuck), along with colored and chalk pencils and graphite.  I threw in some white gellyroll.  And I still couldn't sleep--however I didn't wake up this morning until almost nine.  Oooh, a lovely sleep after all.  Once it actually came.

Second Shot

3/28/2021

 
Picture
Done as of today.
(the insomnia is not related--have had that 3 nights in a row already)
Picture
My 2nd shot sticker lying on top of a really old chairpad I designed & hand-punched decades ago.
I hope you'll help stop/slow this plague by getting vaccinated as well.

Tricky Tricky Tricky

1/14/2021

 
Or should that be, Rusty AND Tricky?  I did some watercolor yesterday and today and wow, was the it ever hard to handle.  What a mess!  The result is fun but not particularly good--I say that not to put myself down, only to say I can definitely get better with practice.  It's been about 3 years since I've done any watercolor practice, and it shows.  Did this one in a class by Sam Taylor (@Zenlapse on IG).

I'd gotten a new set of "tropical" colors and couldn't wait to try them out, so I tried them out on this warty fish:
Picture
Watercolor on 140 lb cold pressed paper, 5x7". With a tad of gold Finetec paint and gold gellyroll. Tangles are Perfs, Printemps, Shattuck, Beetlejuice.
It's just amazing how that darned water can get away from me.  Or I would assume something was dry, only to discover it wasn't...so then I'd have one color running into the other.  Or I put my hand down to draw something and would feel that sickening wet feeling under my hand--I'd forgotten that part was still sopping wet and now I'd smeared it.  Yikes!  Hilarious, however.

Watercolor requires patience and plenty of mindfulness.  Looks like it's time for me to cultivate both. 

I think I'll try doing another fish.

Because watercolor actually moves on the paper, it is the most active of all mediums, almost a performance art.
                                                --Nita Engle

Start to Finish

11/21/2020

 
Picture


Here is the start of a mandala, just the beginning linework. 

I drew this last night while studying one of Romi Marks' videos.  I screwed up the center--but luckily, there are "no mistakes!" in Zentangle® and so I just kept going and did my own thing in the center.  And I like the way that came out.  I also changed a few things in the next layer.

This is one major thing I learned about drawing since I've begun to draw regularly.  In fact once I began drawing in the Zentangle® tradition it was resoundingly, repeatedly, and overtly reinforced.:  There are no mistakes--keep going and see what you can make of what is in front of you.  90-95% of the time, not only can you work through whatever is there but you can actually surprise yourself with a good result. 

It's the same in meditation.  And, I believe, in much of life in general.  What about that other 5-10%?  Anywhere from "meh, or disappointing," to a genuine catastrophe.  But still, those odds sound pretty good to me.

So I persevered and began adding color.  Big difference!  Encouraged, I drew the outside of the tile and stopped there for a bit, having worn myself out for the day:

Picture
And here below is the finished tile.  I'm glad I stuck with it.
Picture Black Micron 01 and PN, assorted Prismacolor pencils, graphite, Signo Uniball White pen, White Prismacolor on a grey Zendala tile.

Whatever it is you are pursuing, whatever it is you are seeking, whatever it is you are creating, be careful not to quit too soon.
--Elizabeth Gilbert

Practice Makes Better.

10/7/2020

 
I was able to spend more time practicing yesterday and working out the rust and kinks from not having tangled much in the past months.
Picture
This is a tangle called Palrevo, which I did in a wonky fashion after watching a Mary Rose Feldman lesson (the tangle itself was created by Karry Heun). Micron PN, 01, and Flair Feltip Pen on a tan/Renaissance tile, with graphite and white chalk pencil.

And here on the right is my pre-practice Palrevo "Mini-Me" with instructions and information noted on it:
Picture
On the right is the Bijou tile (2"x2") that I did first, for practice and to make notes on. The grid is far less wonky. All the same pens and pencils were used as in the final regular-sized tile on the left.
Palrevo is definitely a high focus tangle, but very rewarding.  I completely enjoyed myself.  I warmed up by doing the tangles I posted yesterday.  It is totally wonderful to be tangling again, now that I have a bit more time.

Every day I make time for meditation practice.  I realize I need to make time every day to draw.  It's not called "practice" for nothing.  It makes all the difference in meditation, and in everything else.
Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice reduces the imperfection.
--Toba Beta

Tree of Equanimity

9/28/2020

 
Picture
This is a Tree of Life drawn in the Neurographic style. Flair black pen, chalk pencils, on cheap printer paper.
Sometimes we are dealing with circumstances that beg for a focus on equanimity or calm.  (And who doesn't need that these days?)

I've been taking a 3-session class with Alina Smolyansky of Vancouver called Neurographica for Artists.  Very, very interesting.  Today we did the final class, a Tree of Life with a theme, and my theme was "Calm" or "Equanimity."  We had just a small introduction to this method of art and healing, and it was fascinating.  While I'm probably not able to take a Basics for Users class right now--just too busy--I intend to at some point.  Another wonderful form of art to explore!  Eventually. 

Equanimity requires some practice, and practice requires time.  In order to achieve my own equanimity, I need to cut down on commitments for a while.  Otherwise I would have signed right up for her "Basics" class.  Thanks, Alina.

Value Studies in Pencil

12/28/2019

 
Picture
Today I took a quick pencil drawing class from a friend who is an excellent artist.   I knew it would be intensely focused on working with light-medium-dark values, and value studies are  helpful in any form of art.

Not only in representational art, but also in rug hooking and other textile work.

This was a tiring and very fun class and I learned some extremely useful things.  One of my other artist friends  talks about how drawing is highly physical work, and every time I spend a day drawing, I realize how right she is.  It's meditative as well (although not so much when you are learning something for the first time, but with practice it's highly meditative).  And at the same time, drawing for several hours straight can be exhausting.

Here is the second drawing from today's class:

Picture
The weird bluish dark straight-line horizontal shadow halfway down the picture is not there in real life--it's the reflection of my iphone, which I was holding above the glass to take the photo. Darn!!!

Homage to Susan Riecken

9/14/2019

 
Picture
Drawn on an Art Scratch tile with a wooden stylus. (The idea here is you scratch off the black coating and uncover the shiny colors beneath it). The image is ©Susan Riecken 1979. This was my interpretation. See below.
This image adorned the cover of my old 1979 calendar, one of the many I bought annually from rubber stamp artist Susan Riecken, who seems to have disappeared; I can't find any online presence for her and the last calendar I was able to get from her was in the early 1990s.  After that she closed her Cambridge studio and I couldn't find a trace of her.  Here is the actual cover of that calendar:

Picture
I completely adored her work.  Each calendar was a labor of love.  She carved the stamps from erasers and in the early years I *think* she hand-stamped each calendar, though I'm not sure.  Pretty soon she had the hand-stamped pages reproduced so that she could produce the calendars in bulk, but that never interfered with the delicious colors or the funky marvelous designs.  She was/is an art idol of mine.  Wishing her well wherever she is, and hoping she's well and happy and making more art, even if I cannot find her.

About my interpretation/copy of her sunflowers:  I knew when I ran across this calendar the other day that I wanted to try making a "stamp-like" design by scratching away on an Art Scratch tile.  Using a wooden stylus would, I thought give the same chunky effect as a carved stamp.  I think I was right.

Buddha on a Post-it

11/24/2018

 
I've been feeling the itch to draw a bit again (other than tangles).  One thing I know about drawing is that if you don't use it, you lose it.  And I haven't used it in months, other than tangling. 

This morning as I lay in bed I knew I wanted to sketch something--anything--quickly.  So I got out of bed, grabbed a pencil and post-it note, and did a 4-minute sketch of the Buddha that a friend just brought me from her trip to Asia. 

This was a straight-from-the-bed-into-a-sketch moment of madness.  After all, we each have something we need to do first thing after getting out of bed, right?  And I hadn't done that yet.  So I guarantee it was very short.  And not particularly good.  But you gotta start somewhere.
Picture
The real thing...
Picture
The imitation (the post-it note is stuck onto on a blotter we got at the recent zenAgain conference).
Not a masterpiece, but could be worse after months and months of inactivity with drawing.  Perhaps this is the start of something.

I've been participating in the "Gratitangles2018" project, an annual November event centered around the theme of Thanksgiving Day in the United States.  I'd include a link to it, but honestly, I don't know who started this or where to find the right link.  And I've looked.  I don't even know who sent me the list this year. 

But in this time when the United States feel less "united" than at any time since the 60s (meaning, the 1860s, when we had the Civil War), I really need to focus on what I can be grateful for...and that is still a lot.

Yesterday, Day 23 of the project, one of my least favorite tangles came up:  Jonqal.  I've never liked it and never ever tried it.  However, I'd committed myself, so I put on some meditative music and gave it a try last night.  Result:
Picture
Tangles: Jonqal (upper portion of the tile) and a variation of Florz on the lower third. White tile with 05 Black Micron, 01 Black Micron, and graphite. For Gratitangles2018, day 23.
Here's the thing:  I still don't like it, but I'm glad I tried it.  And I admit I like the result better than I expected.  Even though mine is far from perfect (perfection is not what Zentangle® is about, anyway!) and doesn't look like the "classic" version.  [See the "classic" images HERE.] 

It will never be a go-to tangle, but I'm glad I gave it a try.  Lesson learned!  I'm thankful that I made the effort to attempt it, and the attempt was the major part of the lesson.  I want to try more things in life, whether I think I'll like them or not.  I also noticed that the process of doing this was just as relaxing as it is with all of the other tangles that I so strongly prefer.  It got me to the same place, even if it's not--like the sketch at the top of today's post--any type of masterpiece.

It isn't about the masterpieces.  It's all about the work.
It's now day 24 and I tried out a tangle I've only done once before.  Click HERE to see my one-and-only previous try at it.  I supersized it that time, and really like the effect.  Today, though, I did the more classic version.  It wasn't half as easy as the supersized one, and I messed up in places, but I like the result anyway:
Picture
Tangle: Quandary (and the gold "stem" is Mi2), on a Strathmore tile with a Gold Metallic Gellyroll pen, Rembrandt Colored Pencil, black 05 Micron. Done for the Gratitangles2018 project, day 24.

Inspired by Others

11/12/2018

 
ERNST HAECKEL
was the inspiration for this:
Picture
At ZenAgain this week we experimented with tangling that was inspired by other people's work.  This sea creature above is inspired by the work of Ernst Haeckel, and was it ever fun to draw. 

Below is a mosaic of the class's work with this assignment.  We were each given some General's Chalk Pencils to use--we each received different colors and were required to work with whatever colors we got.  Once again, you can see that all of them were similar, and yet, each is distinctly different. 

This was only one small portion of a much larger table with these tiles displayed.

Picture
Maria Thomas, one of the founders of Zentangle®, has a remarkable poster with her own version of Haeckel's sea creature on a portion of it.  See her poster below.  I believe this is for sale but am not certain.  (UPDATE:  Yup, it's for sale at the Zentangle® website.)
Picture
This is only a small portion of Maria Thomas's larger work. With apologies for capturing the chandelier light reflection on the glass...no matter how I tried, I couldn't avoid it.
And finally, below, is a photo of a book about Haeckel's beautiful work (the master himself).  There are many books available about him.
Picture

Jung and the Red Book

9/18/2018

 
PictureBlack Micron 01 and graphite. The rosy glow is from a camera filter. See the bone-white version below (the original).
A few years back, I was fortunate enough to get a copy of C.G. Jung's The Red Book.  It is a gigantic, larger-than-coffee-table volume.  I just acquired a music stand/lectern-type piece of cherry furniture on which I can finally display it  and have begun looking through it.  It is inspirational--just for the paintings, and I haven't even started to read yet.  One of the paintings inspired me to do this sun-and-moon linework on a Zentangle® tile.

It's my second entry this week for Diva's Challenge #368, in which she asked us to focus on straight lines (see yesterday's post for the first version).  It is so relaxing.

Picture


This is the original tile, without the rosy-glow added by the filter.  I like them both.

The essence of drawing is the line exploring space.
--Andy Goldsworthy

Old and New

7/22/2018

 
Picture
Head of a Buddha, done several years ago on a 3.5" black Zentangle® tile using white General's charcoal pencil and prismacolor pencils.
 
My friend Susie from Thailand and I were discussing images of Buddha and agreeing that one doesn't have to be religious or have any belief in Buddhism  to enjoy the wonderful art inspired by his history.  The art on its own is peaceful.  She commented on this after seeing the white-clay Buddha in my previous post (July 20th). 

I drew the picture above several years ago, probably around the time I bought that small white ceramic tile.   It represents the "old" in the title of this post.

It's true--just looking at images of Buddha always makes me feel calmer, and I remember feeling that way when I drew this.  As a long-time meditation practitioner, I'm interested in Buddhism for its psychological value--it is a truly wonderful way to challenge our own thoughts, and to learn kindness.  I'm happy the West has finally discovered the wisdom of Buddhist thought, and at the same time, I never think of Buddhism as a religion and do not believe that the Buddha ever intended it would become a "religion" with all the attendant dogma. 

Far from it.

After digging out that drawing today, I thought I'd spend some time tangling, trying out a tangle called Zonked, by Barbara Finwall.  Susie had just done her version of Zonked (see the 3rd tile down in her post) which I loved, and she inspired me.  While testing it out, I added Hanny Waldburger's tangle Namaste, in honor of  of Buddha.  This represents the "new" in today's post title.  Here is the result.
Picture
If you are also a fan of Buddha-heads, you may want to check out Virginia Peck's lovely art here.

And now, it's time for me to go meditate.

...during which, I promptly fell completely asleep.  Which suggested to me I needed to wake up and keep tangling.  First I finished the meditation, then I did this.  While not my greatest result, I like it on several levels.
Picture
The main tangle is my version of "Hollow Mooka," a tangleation of Mooka by Carole Ohl. Into which I put a my version of Y I Am, a new tangle by Susie Ng (a tangleation of Toodles). Finetec gold paint, General Pencil's watercolor pencils, black Micron 01, graphite, on a white Zentangle® tile.

Drawing as Meditation

6/11/2018

 
Picture
Journal page. Tangles used: Verdigogh and Therefore. Micron 01 in black and graphite.
I did the above piece last night just before bed, using CZT Sadelle Wiltshire's Creative Calm Circle video for what she called a "Flora Vine" piece.  It's a variation of the tangle Verdigogh.  So calming.  I went straight to sleep afterwards.  The repetitive nature of the drawing here allows for genuine mindfulness.  I'll be trying this again!

The Simplicity of Line

3/2/2018

 
Picture


Just drawing repetitive lines is soooooooo relaxing.  Any excuse to just do some linework and I can feel my breathing slow, my focus deepen, and the world falls away.

A good thing to know about in these troubled times.

At the museum, a troubled woman destroys a sand painting meticulously created over days by Tibetan monks. The monks are not disturbed. The work is a meditation. They simply begin again.
(Susan Griffin)

Drawing Meditation.

2/18/2018

 
Picture
CONTINOUS LINE DRAWING done with a brown micron 01 on copier paper.

After doing my regular meditation this morning, I watched a recent "Creative Calm Circle" led by Sadelle Wiltshire of Vermont.  As I've mentioned before on this blog, Sadelle specializes in meditative arts.  This particular exercise was another continuous line drawing--the task was to NOT lift the pen from the page, and meditatively draw a tree.  I really enjoyed it.  In all, I think I lifted my pen up no more than 4 or 5 times while drawing steadily for about 25 minutes.

I didn't choose a real tree; this is an imaginary one.  But the lightning scar comes from my childhood--there was a wonderful huge old oak tree in my front yard and it had survived being struck by lightning twice.  It had a large lightning scar down the front of its skyscraping trunk.  Sadly, the tree was removed about 20 years ago, but it lives forever in my memory as "The Survivor Tree."  I loved that tree and its wisdom.  When I was a child and troubled, it always comforted me.

The tree I drew today is not an oak.  And the tree from my childhood did not have any vines on it.  So without trying to recreate any particular tree, I added the lightning scar simply as a grateful memory in this drawing.

Continuous line work gives me the chance to let go and not worry about something "looking right."  There's plenty wrong with the look of this one, but I just don't care.  It was relaxing, meditative, and poignant to draw.  Thanks, Sadelle!

Other People's Work:  Dana Psoinas

1/29/2018

 
Picture
Rug hooking pattern (NOT FOR SALE) drawn freehand on linen backing.

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to go to a hook-in in Vermont and met Dana Psoinas from New York, one of the most extraordinary rug hookers and artists today.  I had already been mesmerized by her "Guardian" rug in a photograph, and suddenly, there was the real thing, right in front of me on the floor in Shelburne Vermont. 

And there was Dana herself.  A more talented and nicer person you just cannot find.  She specializes in rugs that tell stories, usually stories from fairy tales or myths.

I was star-struck.  We hit it off and have corresponded occasionally since then.  Lucky me.

I am still star-struck by her work, and so will you be.  Read on! 

She recently showed me three drawings she has done--freehand, mind you!--on linen, to sell as patterns for other rug hookers.  One of them is at the top of this post, and the rest are below, along with a sketch she hasn't yet drawn on foundation.  

More information about Dana and her process is at the end of this post.
Picture
Rug hooking pattern (NOT FOR SALE) drawn freehand on linen.
Picture
Sketch for a rug hooking pattern (NOT FOR SALE) which will eventually be drawn onto linen freehand.
Picture
Rug hooking pattern (NOT FOR SALE) drawn freehand on linen.
She sold these through her Etsy site--but please be aware that these patterns are NOT FOR SALE now.  They were/are one-of-a-kind.  She is busy with her own rug making and does not stock or sell patterns all the time.  There is a wonderful photo of her finished Guardian Rug on her Etsy site--please have a look to see just how phenomenal her rug hooking is.  She works in 2-, 3-, and 4-cuts to achieve her extraordinary rugs.

Check her site from time to time in case she does post something to sell...who knows,  you may get lucky!

If you wonder about her creative process and want to know a bit more about her, you can check this recently-written blog post with more photographs of her rugs.  Enjoy.

With thanks to Dana for letting me post this!





The Art of the Pencil

1/27/2018

 
In reading one of the Zentangle® blogs, I just spotted the most amazing photographs on--of all things--manufacturing pencils.  They are in an article written for New York Times.

These amazing art photos were taken at the General Pencil Company (We who tangle love their pencils.  And according to the Zentangle blog, the owner of the company is now a Certified Zentangle Teacher, which delighted me).

I cannot show the photos because of course they are copyrighted, but you won't believe how beautiful they are.  Check them out HERE.

(Thank you to the Zentangle folks for publicizing this.)
<<Previous

    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. 

    I am also a Certified Zentangle® Teacher (CZT 11) and a student of drawing and of the tarot.

      If you enjoy reading this blog, input your email address here to get an every-other-month notice about checking for new posts.

    Subscribe to Newsletter
    Picture
    Certified, 2021
    Picture
    Certified Zentangle® Teacher, 2013
    Picture
    Certified by AmyOxford.com at The Oxford Rug Hooking School, 2016
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Black Tiles
    Bookbinding
    Broken Wrist Tangles
    Clocks
    Colored Pencil
    Creative Inspiration
    Death
    Diva Challenge
    Drawing
    Dyeing Wool Or Yarn
    Fans
    Frederick Franck
    Gellyrolls
    Gesso
    Gratitangles2018
    Gratitangles2020
    Gray Tiles
    Ims
    Inktober
    Inktober 2018
    Inktober 2019
    Inktober2020
    Iphone App On Tangles
    Joey Challenge
    Knitted Knockers
    Knitting
    Knots
    Mandalas
    Map Tangling
    Marathon
    Meditation
    Neurographica
    No Fail No Learn
    Other People's Work
    Poetry
    Portrait
    Punch Hooking
    Punch Needle Embroidery
    Quilts And Other Art
    Rainbow Lead Pencil
    Renaissance Tiles
    Rug Hooking
    Scratch Art
    Sketchbook-skool
    String Thing Challenge
    #summertangles2018
    Tangles
    Tarot
    Tarot Rug Project
    Truly Miscellaneous
    Watercolor
    Weather
    Zenagain2018
    Zendala-dare
    Zenuari2019

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    SITES TO WATCH:

    Insight Meditation Society

    Oxford Rug Hooking School


    Zentangle:  The Official Site

    Green Mountain Rug Hooking

    Massachusetts Tarot Society


    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • ...a blog on art, creativity, and mindfulness