Thursday 30 April 2015

Spring Equinox

A little while back I made an ATC series for a swap on the Artist Trading Card webpage atcsforall.com. The theme for the swap was the spring Equinox and also the goddess Ostara, you can guess which popular religious festival bears her name and symbols, the hares and the eggs...
Since that swap is finished by now and all the participants have recieved their cards, I will post my contributions today and tomorrow.
All the cards were painted with Inktense pencils and the linework was done with a marker, they all measure 2.5" x 3.5".




Wednesday 29 April 2015

Another Zendala

I seem to be on a Zendala roll these days. I bought a new sketchbook with nice heavy paper and I drew a Zendala yesterday. I coloured it this morning with Coloursoft pencils and used varying pressure for the shading. The piece measures about 4" x 4".


Tuesday 28 April 2015

Zen Wheel of Fortune

I recently bought some colouring pencils. My favourite medium to work with are Inktense pencils, but there is no harm in diversifying. On the same day as I bought the new pencils I was out and about without my kids but in the presence of a very dear friend of mine who has inspired me on numerous occasions already. 
Let us just call her The Muse from now on ( you know who you are ). 
My Muse however was a bit sad that day and we had a good long chat about Life, the Universe and Tarot cards. I hope I was able to cheer her up. When we parted that evening I sat down and began drawing her her very own Tarot card, the Wheel of Fortune. I used Zentangle designs and my new pencils to colour it, and it shows my interpretation of how Life seems to be for her. 
I hope I may draw her another one in the future, maybe with some not so cutting and stabbing elements...



Monday 27 April 2015

Zendala Day

Pity it is not Sunday today and as such, Shroom posting day. I have however a few Zendalas I would like to share. A Zendala makes use of Zentangle techniques to create a Mandala style piece of art. This is either on a round piece of paper or on a classic Zentangle tile of 3.5" x 3.5".





Sunday 26 April 2015

Sun Shrooms


Yay, today is Sunday and Sunday is shroom posting day. Today is all about Sun Shrooms, due to popularity on the Artist Trading Card webpage I trade cards on sometimes, I have made several of them.
They do store sunlight, are however harder to find than the Moon Shroom because it glows during the day. It does come in very handy on trips into the dark basement.




Saturday 25 April 2015

Tree of Life

I just love this type of curvy Klimt like Tree of Life design, and it feels good to make them every now and then. This one is 2.5" x 3.5" in size and painted with acrylic paints.


Friday 24 April 2015

Mandala

A Mandala painted with acrylic paints. This type of Mandala was inspired by artist Elspeth McLean, so check her out...

Thursday 23 April 2015

Arwen Symbol

I was recently researching the principle of Temperance (no, not abstinence or some such silly thing), or Balance between two opposing forces or states os being. I was trying to find a symbol for it, and while the Yin - Yang symbol is a good visialisation of this balance, I think it is also overused. I did find however the ancient (celtic?) Arwen symbol, with three stars and three rays of light coming off them. These rays symbolize the male and female on the outer sides and the centre ray is the balance between them.

This is the Balance, or Arwen symbol, as I feel it, I hope I could do such a wonderful thing justice.


Wednesday 22 April 2015

Zen Flower II

I made another Zen Flower, but this time with the warm colours in the central focus. 
The card is 2.5" x 3.5" and I used a marker and Spectrum Noir Pencils for the colouring.


Tuesday 21 April 2015

Cloths Of Heaven

by Yeats

Had I the heavens'
embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden
and silver light,
The blue and the dim
and the dark cloths,
Of night and light and
the half light, 
I would spread these cloths
under your feet.

But I, being poor, have 
only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams
under your feet;
Tread softly
because you tread on my dreams.

This poem (and quite possibly the only proper poem I know) has inspired a
2.5" x 3.5" painting.


Monday 20 April 2015

Zen Flower

I was very lucky yesterday because my husband gave me a couple of hours off. I went to visit a friend of mine for a chat and since this friend is always a great inspiration to me I even have something to show for my visit.


I think I will make another Zen Flower, but with warm colours as the main focal point.

Gemini

This picture makes use of the astrological symbol for Gemini. I am using it as Avatar on ATCsforall.com.
Originally I named the crows Castor and Pollux, after the two main stars in the star sign Gemini. I changed my mind though since Gemini is an air sign and as such deals with all kinds of mental issues. I now think that Huginn and Muninn ( mind and memory), Odins ravens from norse mythology, would be equally appropriate.

Sunday 19 April 2015

Lentinnian Moon Shroom

Lentinnian Moon Shroom
Easily recognisable when ripe, as it stores moonlight and glows in the dark.
Extremely useful during blackouts or if you failed to pay your electricity...



Saturday 18 April 2015

Starry Night Shroom

This is a 2.5" x 3.5" size artist trading card I made for an artist friend in Amerika. I used Inktense Pencils to colour it and a fine line marker for the linework.