One of the things that is certainly true about art is that it sometimes takes us down strange pathways. Is it art, or is it just a mess? I guess a lot depends on taste and opinion; there are no absolutes in either. So when is something "art"? And who gets to determine that? I got to pondering this last night and today when I worked on the Diva Challenge #234 for this week. I need more practice on black tiles, so that's what I chose to use. Well. Absolutely nothing turned out the way I thought. I deliberately drew a wonky grid to start with...but oh my. This went in directions I couldn't even imagine. Do I like it or hate it? I don't know! I certainly is bizarre. What do you think? I am reminded of how often this happens with art; you start out thinking to make one thing, and the thing won't cooperate and you end up with something completely different and startling. Just like life! You start the day with a few plans, perhaps, and then life comes along and something totally different occurs. And all of us just have to roll with it and adapt. Sometimes what happens (versus what we had planned) is so startling that we can't even make out how we feel about it. Only time will help us sort that out. So I'll give this little tile some time to settle, and then determine if I like it or not. That's the point of Challenges, yes? In art and in life. I am often helplessly confronted by the picture... filled with suspense. What I have drawn suddenly seems to have developed its own dynamic - one that is not always necessarily kind to me. It is a genuine struggle and challenge. (Simone Bingemer) Technical information for those of you who care about that stuff (the rest of you will be bored by it):
The Diva Challenge asked us to use a tangle that's new to me, CanT. I didn't even practice it before trying it out on the tile. It has a million variations, so I just picked up my white UniBall pen and gave it a go. What emerged was Florz (from which CanT derives), and a few squares of CanT. Besides the white pen, I used a white colored pencil, a Rainbow Lead pencil, and a metallic gold colored pencil. Oh, and a bit of IdentiPen to cover up some things I decided to remove, since I thought my black Micron might clog if I tried that. Still scratching my head over this one!
10 Comments
9/10/2015 12:34:57 pm
I love how you allowed this tangle to drag you down a street you hadn't intended. Your final piece of "art" is gorgeous. You will think so too after you give the piece time to rest. It's funny how we can come back a different day and see something new and exciting about a piece we weren't sure about before.
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devin
9/10/2015 04:24:03 pm
Thanks Jean! I appreciate your taking the time to comment on my challenges. I often try to comment when I read others', but sometimes the identification part at the end of the commenting process entirely blocks me. It's not that easy to comment on this website either, which is why I appreciate your voice.
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Ulrike B
9/10/2015 02:47:50 pm
very nice work, i like the colors
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devin
9/10/2015 04:45:40 pm
Ulrike, thank you. I wanted to leave a comment on YOUR challenge tangle, which I liked because it is so harmonious and I also thought your shading was beautiful. I made my comment and hit "Submit," and it all disappeared. Sorry!
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jinx
9/11/2015 12:41:23 am
The textured look you achieved on a black tile is brilliant (looks like a fuzzy wool blanket to me) and I love the zingers in the corner.
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devin
9/11/2015 09:32:51 am
Jinx, I so agree about the fuzziness, which I like also--it reminded me very much of fuzzy wool too. Thank you!
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Annemarie
9/11/2015 02:10:27 am
Well, I don't like it, I LOVE it!!! It's so different, so rich with it's colors. Yes, I love it!!!
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devin
9/11/2015 09:34:10 am
Annemarie,thanks very much. I do like the colors--I'm still unsure about the tile.
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I love the rich look of your colors on black. I also love how you had the courage/foresight to use the pattern in only a few of the sections leaving those beautiful gem looking things in all the rest. The zingers give the whole thing life and a bit of fun. So cool!
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devin
9/12/2015 06:25:54 pm
Antonine, thank you so much!
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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. Categories
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