Quick Show & Tell

Just dropping a quick blog post, keeping you up to date on my "backgrounds" progress etc. First, I finally received the permanent pens I'd ordered for doing Zentangles, the ones I was using ran out of ink, Grrrr. So, here's a tangle piece that felt so good to do, I'd missed the calming effect it evokes in me. I love drawing.

Here's a question, should I colorize the "dots"?? I can't decide. I'll take a poll using the comments and do what you people tell me to. Hey!! Maybe this will get more of you happy lurkers to say something to me. I promise I don't bite. Come on... give it a try... I know you're out there. I see you... (Bob), hehehe. Anyways, it'll be interesting to see what you all say.

Next! I did a bunch of backgrounds, playing with different techniques and colors and more or less water. It was such a fun exercise as I wasn't trying to create anything specific. My only goal was to please the eye. Here's what happened...

On the right, I laid down color in gradients then dripped a bunch of water on top of the yet to dry surface. I think I really like this technique. It makes terrific patterns of positive and negative space with the color and if you don't like what you get you just sop it up and try again.


This one still needs the flower painted in, but I thought I'd show it before I did that. Then after, I think it'll be interesting to see how it improves and changes when the subject is added. I used cobalt blue and yellow ochre mainly for this one then added some clear water close to the stem to make the color "run away". I think this one is my favorite. I want to do this combination on a larger sheet.

This one is also missing it's subject, obviously a branching tree. I am less happy with this background, I think I need to darken some portions and modulate others. I think I need more contrast, although I do like how it looks as though the sun must be somewhere to the right of the branches. I used a stippling effect with similar colors with this one and I think I melded them too much on the bottom, not leaving enough contrast.


And finally, the largest one... This one will get not only dark bubbles but also background bubbles that will overlay and meld with the background that's there now. The background bubbles will be in light colors while the foreground bubbles will be darker browns and berry colors. We'll see how it turns out.

I'd love to hear your comments and don't forget to tell me whether to color in the circles on the zentangle. (I'll take any suggestions anyone wants to leave, lol.)

Can we talk later? Yes? Good!

P.S. I just thought of something else! If anyone wants to suggest future titles for any of the above, I'm all ears. (so to speak!)

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