Friday, October 26, 2012

Falling Stripes

Another fun challenge from Laura of the I am the Diva blog this week - stripes, part two! 

I started with a simple striped string, and added one cross-stripe. That cross point was just crying to have an "X" drawn on it, so what better tangle to use than Xyp? I love Xyp - it's one of my comfort tangles. 

I expanded from there with Coaster, another fun one to tangle. Then some Btl Joos-esque things. And finally good old 'Nzeppel. They all combine into this tangle that I love! Is that boastful, to say you love your own work? 


Fall has definitely arrived here in Texas - some trees have already lost all their leaves, when only yesterday (literally, not figuratively!) they were full of beautiful brown/yellow/red leaves. We have lots of wind here - I don't know the voracity of the statement, but I have heard it said we're the second windiest city in the U.S. aside from Chicago - and when it decides to blow, it has its way! My leaf picture almost didn't happen. I admired the giant leaf piles (a.k.a. Zentangle backdrops) I passed on my college campus all week, and the day I finally brought my camera to shoot the Zentangle we had a nice-but-inconveniently-timed "moisting" (translation: moist misting) and strong winds. All of the lovely leaf piles were gone! But wait, in that corner over there, could it be? YES! A leaf pile! Perfect...except for the direct sunlight. Now what? If only I had my reflector I could diffuse some of the light. Staring down at the pile in despair, I noticed my shadow falling across the pile...maybe, If I stand just right, I can get my shadow to block the direct light and get some nicely diffused light. Bingo! Voila! Auld lang syne! It worked! And that's the story.

16 comments:

  1. Oh Zach...wish I could remember to photo in the daytime! Hahaha.
    But I did try a "Zachary Set Up" on my blog today. See http:ginnystiles.blogspot.com. Thanks for your inspiration.
    XYP is a comfort tangle. Go figure. I'll have to try it again. But I know what you mean. I have "comfort tangles" too...I'll have to think which ones in a post sometime soon. Scroll down to see me teaching a "quickie" sample of Zentangle yesterday. How about a photo of YOU with a Zentangle!!! FL is bracing for Hurricane Sandy now. No photos outside today.

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    1. Daytime is really the ideal tangle photography time, but I have been considering combining night photography and Zentangle! It might be a flop, but I'll give it a try sometime!

      I love your sketch man, and the bird is totally fun too! Glad you're feeling inspired!

      Be safe! I'm praying for you!

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  2. This is really fabulous. I like how it seems to be twisted across the middle. And your photo is wonderful too.

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    1. Thank you! It does look like it twists, doesn't it? I hadn't thought of it that way!

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  3. Like the combination of tangles. Like the "funneling" effect of the N'zeppel. Makes it look like the upper three tangles are spanning a chasm.

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    1. Yes - I love N'zeppel for that effect! Thank you.

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  4. And again a great tile of yours! Yesterday we were in the car and it was almost like snowing, all those leaves fluttering. I love that.

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    1. Sounds beautiful! I've enjoyed that phenomenon myself a couple of times this season! Thanks for sharing.

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  5. Great combo of tangles and a beautiful backdrop! =0)

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  6. Beautiful combination of tangles! (I've got to try XYP - it looks neat)

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  7. Beautiful tile, Zachary. All of your pattern choices work so well. Love the autumn leaf backdrop!

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  8. gorgeous work, zachary! i like the dramatic centerpiece :)

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  9. Well Zach, your tile is again in great balance. The right tangles in the right place. But I always fall in love in the way how you expose your tiles. Always as I visit your site I think wow I going to do that next time too. But when ther is the next time, I always want to post my work as soon as possible, and than I forget to make some creative photos of them.

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  10. I just get a kick out of your creative way of displaying some fantastic zentangle tiles!

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