Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Zendala Challenge

This week at The Diva's Page the challenge presented by guest CZT Erin Olson, is to create a zendala using her template. Erin posts a regular zendala challenge that a lot of people participate in, but I never have, though I've played with mandalas a little bit. This project got me hungering for more.

The mandala template is linked, but I couldn't get it to print up at work, so I just decided to make it. I have a large sketchbook and that's where I put it. Thanks to a mandala project 
that I tackled a little while ago, I already knew how to draw a circle with a compass, and how to mark six points along its circumference. After dividing the circle into six equal parts, I just kept the zendala template in front of me and pretty much copied it.
this is the penciled mandala



these are the tools and the book

The pencil doesn't show up very well, but that is the mandala, penciled into my large sketchbook.






Now, lately I've been playing with spirals. I have a couple of pages with lots of spirals. Kind of seashelly.



 When I did this one, I really liked how cool Tropicana looks along the edge there, so I decided to make a spiral full of Tropicana,





and this is what I ended up with. I fell IN LOVE. It looks like a silver brooch or pendant. 

A pageful of spirals
Here it is on grey tone, with highlights


Gosh, it's cool looking! I added Navaho and zinger in there.











Well, when I saw the zendala template, I knew right away what was going into the circles, and that's where I started. The rest just sort of followed.


The tropicana spirals, with pokeleaf and pokeroot spilling out, then meer and wud in the ovals, and paradox in the center. I was trying for a wooden stem look with the meer and wud. Not sure if I'm all that pleased with those patterns, but shading it helps.

There is a lot of energy and motion in spirals, and the organic pokeleaf and pokeroot, and the abundant little tiny tipples filling the negative spaces in there...well, the zendala looks like it's spinning. I might do it again, since today is my day off and I have a cold AND my Cousin Charlotte is in town...ugh. Not a go out and do things kind of day. More a stay at home and soak my head kind of day.

21 comments:

  1. That is so beautiful! I love how organic it is. I rarely do zendalas as precision is not really my thing;-) Your spirals are gorgeous too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excellent, you have managed to out so much in there, I love the Pokeroot. Hope you recover from your cold quickly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. lovely, really lovely! I like Pokeleaf used on this zendala the way you did.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a beautiful organic tile, all seaweed and flowing water. I really love it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cool, especially the grey tone one with highligths!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great way to think outside the lines. "Organic" often sounds like a cliche to me, but I think it describes your zendala in the best, real sense of the word. I feel like your design is "blowing in the wind". Really nice.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is just brimming with energy and fun!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Just lovely, Heidi!! All of your spirals are Spiral tastic!! (that's awesome) Your Zendala looks like you put so much time into it!! Wow, such detail! Another beautiful piece!!
    Thank you for leaving bit of sunshine on my blog! I'm glad I made you smile, with my little cocoons. They do look like that.
    Hey I have a question of you. How is David? do you guys still get together in your little group of tanglers? I have been thinking about him and have not seen his name on the Diva's challenge. Anyway, I was just thinking about him. :0)
    See you next week! :0) Annette

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Annette for asking about Dave. He has been really busy at his place, with getting a new sidewalk installed in his front yard, plus just dealing with all the stuff that goes along with a sudden, traumatic event such as losing a spouse. I encourage him to keep tangling, but I think he hasn't been doing much lately. We have a blog about our Gatherings http://intermountaintanglers.blogspot.com/ but this last time, Dave took all the pictures and we didn't get any of him. There is a post in there somewhere with pictures of Dave among the group. I'll tell him you were asking about him.

      Delete
    2. Thank you Heidi! I will check out your blog!! That is so nice that you all can tangle together!! Enjoy! :0) Annette

      Delete
  9. Wonderful zendala! Pokeroot is so fabulous here!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Everything is so beautiful and inspirational!

    ReplyDelete
  11. The natural feel to your Zendala is great. I love pokeroot. Very done well. Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great array of tangles. Like the Paradox center.

    ReplyDelete
  13. OMG, thank you for sharing all the work you are doing with spirals, and then pulling it all together in your fabulous Zendala! I love the Pokeroot spilling out of the spirals, and the Wud and Meer follows along with the vine kind of theme. This is wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Packers and Movers Chennai Give Safe and Reliable ***Household Shifting Services in Chennai with Reasonable ###Packers and Movers Price Quotation. We Provide Household Shifting, Office Relocation, ???Local and Domestic Transportation Services, Affordable and Reliable Shifting Service Charges @
    Packers And Movers Chennai



    ReplyDelete