An Ode to Good Art Supplies: 10 Reasons to LOVE Mechanical Pencils

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Sadelle
The dreaded blunt pencil - where IS that sharpener??

The dreaded blunt pencil – where IS that sharpener??

Greetings friends!  I’m back with the first of a few summer posts.  Since I’ve been teaching Celtic Knotwork now as well as Zentangle,  I’ve discovered how USEFUL mechanical pencils have become to me. I’d like to share how and why these are such awesome tools to have in your art supplies kit!

I sometimes REALLY struggle with my pencils.  I break them constantly, and I never seem to have a decent pencil sharpener within reach and I lose them all the time.   Does this happen to you too?

When I first started drawing with the Zentangle method 7 years ago (my gosh, has it been that long??),  I had to work hard to lighten up over time when creating the very light “strings” and frame that help define the areas to draw in.  I never seemed to have either the right pencil, or a sharp enough pencil.  I’ve noticed our students often have a hard time with this too.

In my own Celtic artwork, for the longest time I would lay out my initial lines, bands and interlacings with just a plain pencil, but I always had a hard time keeping my pencil sharp enough for precise work.   So when I was planning my live courses this winter I went off shopping looking for a better pencil option for my students.  Mechanical pencils to the rescue!

my mechanical pencil at workSo here’s my list of how and why I came to adore using mechanical pencils in my artwork:

  1. Mechanical pencils come in a variety of lead thicknesses*.  I prefer working with .07, .05, and for ultra fine points, .03 and .02.
    *You’ll need a different mechanical pencil for each size, as the leads need to fit into the proper sized pencil.  I keep mine in different colors to help.
  2. They are EASILY refillable, and the refills come in cute little cases.
  3. Refills come in many varieties of softness / hardness.  For most of my knotwork, I use an HB.  I may have write another whole post just on this!
  4. You can get extra rugged refills from Pentel (see their hi-polymer leads below).
  5. Closeup of an .02 pencil with a protective metal sheath around the lead.

    Closeup of an .02 pencil with a protective metal sheath around the lead.

    They are PERFECT for working out knotwork lines and interlacing, allowing me to adjust my pencil lines easily.

  6. Mechanical pencils are great for intricate and small scale shading, as well as cross-hatching, scrumbling lines when doing larger scale work.  I find they give me more control in shading tangles, sketches and knotwork.
  7. They are perfect for folks who make their pencil marks too dark (great for Zentangle too) by training you to lighten your pressure on paper.
  8. Some mechanical pencils come with a special protective metal sheath when the lead is extended, so there is less breakage with fine leads – see the Orenz pencils below.
  9. They come in a wide variety of price points.
  10. Some of them come with white plastic erasers, and some of those are refillable too.  Ok, yes, if you’re doing a Zentangle piece then you’ll want to try and ignore the eraser,  remember, no mistakes!  But if you’re drafting any kind of Celtic knotwork, my GOSH are they handy to have…right at the end of your pencil, and unlike those ugly pink erasers,  they actually clean up really nicely!

Ok,  maybe there are more than 10 reasons…  LOL.

10a.  Those little white nubby erasers can be used for highlights in Zentangle as well as general sketching!    They can also be used to tangle against a pencil smudged background, rather like the Tombow Mono Zero erasers,  but WITHOUT having to pick up another tool. And they do a fabulous job of helping to tweak knotwork lines and fix interlacing flubs, especially the tiny nubby erasers on the Orenz pencils.

10b.  No sharpeners needed!

Mechanical PencilsSo, without further ado,  here are the pencils and accessories I use pretty much all the time.   Note that the higher the number, the thicker the lead. 

Pentel Twist Erase XP Mechanical Pencils

Pentel Twist Erase .05
Pentel Twist Erase .07

Hi-Polymer Lead Refills .07
Hi-Polymer Lead Refills .05
Twist Erase Eraser Refills

I like the Pentel Express Twist-Erase for when I’m doing larger knotwork or shading Zentangle pieces.  By large, I mean a not terribly intricate knot where the bands are about 1/4″ to 1/2″ wide.  I really like how LONG the erasers last, although they’re not as narrow as the Orenz pencils so if I do have tight spaces even in my larger pieces, I keep that one nearby as well.
I like how the multi pack I got of these came with refills.   I use both the .05 and .07 pencils.


Pentel Orenz .02 lead
Pentel Orenz .03 lead
Eraser Refills for Orenz

I first encountered this pencil at my local art store, Zephyr Designs in Brattleboro, VT.   Not only did they carry a number of size pencils, but they carry the refills in various thicknesses an soft/hard-ness. That’s where I first learned about the protective metal sheath that extends out and protects the fine lead.  Love love LOVE these!

I’d LOVE to hear about YOUR favorite mechanical pencils, as well as your questions. 

The Black and White Journal

The Black and White Journal

And in other NEWS: 

Attn: Art Journaling and Zentangle, Mandala art friends:

I’ll be one of 8 teachers in the upcoming art journaling course:  The Black and White Journal, hosted by Kiala Givehand, which starts July 10.

Kiala always teaches fun book-making classes plus there will be a huge variety of lessons on journaling in black and white, with some of the lessons initially broadcast live!
sneak peekI’ll definitely be bringing out my mechanical pencils in the live session that I’m teaching (date TBA), along with a few tricks with tangles, knots and pen weavings!
Registration starts today, June 12,
and if you sign up before July 1, there’s an early bird rate.
Sign up NOW for a fun online class that’s all about journaling with black, white and shades between.

If you’re interested in learning some easy and basic skills in drawing Celtic Knotwork…

I currently have TWO online classes in Celtic Knotwork :

Celtic Knotwork Fundamentals Class online!        New Online Knotwork Class: Drawing Heart & Pretzel Knots

mirrored pretzel border in goldThe first,  Drawing Interlocking and Interlacing Shapes,  teaches interlacing basics using simple shapes, and will help you practice and learn fundamental skills needed for pretty much any future class on the topic you take.

The second: Drawing Heart & Pretzel Knots introduces key foundational concepts in design, and you can take your lessons from the first class and directly apply them to new designs your create. It includes making a simple border, plus linking pretzel knots in the round.

Both classes come with support PDFs and my attention if you need help.  And they’re a great way to give your pencils a good workout. 🙂

pendant with pretzel knotsAnd a heads up that sign-ups for Skillshare premium in June will get you  TWO free months rather than just the one. This gives you access to thousands of other classes, not just in art, but lots of other subjects!   I’ve taken classes on Urban Sketching, Lettering, Watercolor, as well as Cooking, Writing and Software classes. Pretty much anything you can think of is there.  In our house, we call it the “Netflix of Learning”.  🙂    

Try it out for the two months and cancel if you need to, or keep going.    

 

Posted in Art Journal, Art Workshops, Celtic Knotwork, News, Stuff I Love, Zentangle® | 4 Comments - Click to leave Comment Here

An Ode to Good Technology

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Sadelle

Do you teach or demonstrate to groups?

I don’t often wax poetic about products, but I’ve had such good experiences with this company’s document cameras (more on what they do in a moment) that I had to share the love.  For the past five years, I’ve been using the camera below in my classes: it plugs into my laptop (and the laptop to a projector) and has been easily projecting most of my art workshop demonstrations to screen this way, making it much easier for all of my students to see what I’m doing closeup.

IPEVO Point 2 View Document / Web Cam

IPEVO Point 2 View Document / Web Cam

IPEVO Point 2 ViewThis is the IPEVO Point 2 View USB Camera, and I have loved how small and lightweight this puppy is, and I’ve projected not just my live Zentangle demos, but other drawing workshops and even tapestry jewelry demonstrations. I’ve put my iPad under the camera, and even my phone, when needed. I use their Presenter software to control what projects to the screen.  I’ve used this camera with both small classes of under 10 to large event demonstrations with over 60 people attending.   Can you say ‘a godsend’? I’ve even used the camera and software to record my teaching videos last summer for an online art course I taught in. Pretty wonderful.

And then suddenly, last week my beloved Mac started acting up,  mid-stream into teaching a 5 week Celtic Knotwork course.  Yikes.   I needed another solution quick, this time a camera direct to projector, and IPEVO to the rescue again.  I’d been eyeing this new camera since I saw it in use a couple of years ago,  and a last minute online order brought it to me in 2 days. The package arrived Wednesday, 2 hours before I had to leave to teach, and by 6:30pm it was plugged into the projector and running, no laptop needed!

IPEVO VZ-1 HD VGA/USB Dual-Mode Document Camera (CDVU-05IP)

IPEVO VZ-1

The IPEVO VZ-1 HD VGA/USB Dual-Mode Document Camera (CDVU-05IP) was super easy to set up, (I didn’t even read the instructions), and it seems a bit taller than the P2V, which means I don’t need to prop it up to fully show my art work on the table. The fact that I didn’t need the laptop also gave me more room to move on my demo table, another plus. I also liked that I could brighten the projection directly from the camera with the click of a button. The documentation says it can still work plugged into a laptop for those times I want to record video.

This camera is a bit bigger and heavier than the P2V, but still will make life a breeze traveling to demonstrations and workshops.   It needs a power source hookup, plus the plug into a VGA projector.

The company’s website is ultra teacher-friendly, with plenty of videos and info, if you need to check them out further, but I definitely wanted to share with teacher friends or anyone that has any reason to record or project small live demonstrations, be it artwork or homework. And our P2V will still see some use going forward, and certainly for times that I’m doing online demos or need to show my screen (just not on my Mac till I repair the USB port!).

Btw, I am in no way affiliated with this company, just a really really happy customer.  Good technology for teachers!

Sadelle Wiltshire

P.S. Sometime soon I should probably say something nice about my lovely 5 yr old Epson projector, the other workhorse in the equation!

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A Celtic-Inspired Mandala to Color (aka Support Your Local Library)

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Sadelle

Ok, I admit it…   blogging is something I just don’t do enough, probably because images come to me way faster than words.    Today’s post features a recent visit to my local library, and as the result of that, a coloring page download to share, with a request*.

I’ve always been inspired and amazed by the intricate interlacings of Celtic designs and art. Maybe it’s the fiber artist in me.  I’ve had the George Bain Classic, “Celtic Art, the methods of construction” for over 30 years, from back in the days when I dabbled with calligraphy. While it’s great for inspiration, the book was hard for me to grasp.   A number of years ago, (before Zentangle) I took a short afternoon class on Celtic drawing and came away frustrated but wanting more.  


And so began a long dance with teaching myself, from many varied sources. I’ve come to discover there are many ways to approach drawing these, and if one way doesn’t resonate, it’s worthwhile trying another.   The local Celtic Evening Prayer services at Immanuel Retreat Center in Bellows Falls and my pilgrimage visit overseas have only served to inspire me to delve deeper into this form of contemplative art.  And so I was led me to have a long conversation with Beau, the director (and fellow lover of things Celtic) of Stone Church Arts / Immanuel Retreat, where I’ve been offering Zentangle and Labyrinth workshops, and we decided to offer a Celtic Design workshop and course to the community in February and March of this year.

Last week, while deep in teaching prepwork, I found myself at my local library and saw a beautiful HUGE community colored mandala on one of the tables.  The director saw me looking at it and asked if there was a way to download or find mandala art to color that was of a higher resolution, which inspired me to draw an original piece that they could scan at any resolution.   Up to then, all of the artwork I’d created had either been sketchbook work, a couple of  Celtic style “carpet pages” (ala Book of Kells / Lindisfarne Gospels), some labyrinth art journal pages and small canvases and cards.
And so here is the hand drawn Celtic style mandala I created for the Putney (VT) Public Library to be blown up super BIG as their second communal coloring project –  I’m really looking forward to seeing what it looks like when my community does its work on the mandala (and promise to post an update with the finished piece):

Putney Public Library Celtic Mandala ©2017, Sadelle Wiltshire, www.tanglevermont.comAfter delivering the artwork to the Putney Public Library and sharing a photo on Facebook, a number of folks asked if I could share the piece as a coloring page.   And I’m happy to do so, but with a request.

1. *Our public libraries work hard to keep up with these changing times and technologies and funding.   In exchange for downloading the art I ask you to make a pledge:
Please do something to SUPPORT your local public library, (or mine!), a donation, or volunteer, etc…..
(Please share in the comments below what you intend to do)

2. Also, if you share your colored copy in any way: with friends, in person,  on your web page or any form of social media, PLEASE INCLUDE A LINK and attribution of the artwork to as below:
©2017 Sadelle Wiltshire, www.tanglevermont.com, with the hashtag #supportyourlocalibrary

Lastly, I’d love to see what you do with it!

Download a 150 dpi copy of the mandala to color HERE

By the way, the 5 week Wednesday night Celtic Knotwork Course that started Feb 22, is in full swing, but if you’re interested in just attending one session, feel free to contact me directly.   I follow this course up  with a day of Illuminated Letters  on March 18, with an emphasis on adding knotwork.    Just in time for celebrating  St. Patrick 🙂

Sadelle Wiltshire

Posted in Art Workshops, Community, Mandalas, News | Leave a comment

Paper Jewelry and Knotwork

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Sadelle
New watercolor jewelry pieces @2016 Sadelle Wiltshire

new samples

I’ve been preparing to teach a set of Tangled and Watercolor Paper Jewelry workshops locally in the next few weeks, so I thought it was high time to create some new samples.  Given that my artwork has gone back to a Celtic theme lately (I’ve been busy developing a Celtic Knotwork series that will start with live classes in February),  I wanted to share a few of my latest pieces.  Below you’ll find both sides of a recent custom order that’s heading out to the Netherlands tomorrow, as well as another Celtic pendant, earrings and a tangled pin.  All of the pieces were made using watercolor paper, and are lightweight, sturdy and the thickness of a thin piece of wood.
Upcoming paper jewelry classes are Dec 3 in Bellows Falls, VT and Dec 10 in Hanover NH

collageAnd about that knotwork…  here are some recent drawings I’ve been working on.   I’ll be offering a beginning Celtic Knotwork series that kicks off in February in Bellows Falls.

  • Friday Feb 10 with a warm-up “Tangled Knotwork” class that is pure Zentangle, but will act as a good warm up to the real deal the next day. You’ll learn some “knot-like” tangles that require more focus, but NO eraser!
  • Saturday Feb 11 will be the first in a series of Classic Celtic Knotwork workshops – this one being longer to get you started.  In the series we’ll be exploring a number of different methods of drawing knotwork,  from freeform to using a few different grid methods, and yes, this is the real deal, so you will want a good white eraser as well as a mechanical pencil.

The first February 11 class, called “Celtic Knotwork for the Timid”, will start out with some simple freeform knots and a simple grid.   I will then start offering classes over the next few months that go deeper into techniques, from adding breaks to using knotwork in borders, fills, spirals and more.  I am also working on offering these workshops as an online offering as well as the paper jewelry, so stay tuned if you live far away.

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Playing with a Full Deck… Art Sparks Blog Hop

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Sadelle

Art Sparks Blog HopWow, I haven’t blogged since July! (ok, so yes, I was away for most of August on vacation and a spiritual retreat far far away, and then reintegrating into life in Sept and most of October…. ) So thanks to Karen Friedland for shaking me out of my blog no-zone!

I love journaling prompts! And with art prompts, even better. So when I was invited to join in on a blog hop and play with a brand new deck of art prompts that talented artist Karen just released, called Art Sparks – well, it was a no-brainer for me. The cards themselves are beautiful, and on the back of each is a different painting Karen’s created. On the fronts, there is a different art prompt on each card. Some of the prompts even have links to guided meditation-type prompts via audio clips – what a neat idea!  And there is a 10% off coupon good until November 30th. Use the code ARTSPARKSINTRO.

(and read on… there will even be a GIVEWAY or two!)

Art Sparks Deck

For the blog hop, Karen asked me, (along with other 9 other awesome artists), to pick a card and document what we create from it. I suppose I might be nervous having my post be on day one, along with Karen herself, but heck… I’m going to have fun with this!

My mission, er – prompt, on Card #5 was to draw a picture of something that is normally small in size, and make it so big that it even spills over the sides of my page. And to notice how the object looks different when sized up… well that’s a challenge I’m definitely game for! So here goes…..

While away on pilgrimage to western Scotland this past August, I got to do some walking at a location I’ve wanted to visit for a long time,  Camusdarach Beach, just a few miles south of Mallaig. On my walk I found this teeny tiny shell to bring home. So small is it, that I needed some help from Ms. Photoshop to zoom in… so here’s what I’m going to play with:

Tiny Shell and Stamp               Tiny shell closeup Tiny shell even closer up

I knew that from the colors and patterns on the shell I wanted to use watercolor, so I grabbed one of my watercolor journals from The Journey Within (artjournaling and bookmaking year e-course), along with some Yarka pan watercolor paints, Derwent Inktense Pencils, brushes, white pens, black fineliner pen and a white Prismacolor pencil.

(you can click on any image above or below to see it larger)

First thing I did was to make a very LOOSE sketch of the shape of the shell much larger onto my journal page with a thin mechanical pencil….

Initially I thought I wanted to use the Inktense pencils for most of the color, but I had better mixing opportunities with the Yarka set in front of me for the colors I wanted.   I next began to layout what I saw where the most obvious parts of the shell, the light center and the orangish areas on the ribs…

I continued to fill in colors and then add in some interest and defining lines, shadows and highlights using a White Gelly Roll pen, a White acrylic marker, a black fineliner pen, and an Inktense Charcoal Grey for the outer shadow effects.

I finished it off with some white pencil to blend in some of the highlight areas better.

Now that I’ve had a chance to look through all of the photos, I might have actually stopped after I added in some of the greys.  I may even do a series based off of this.  Or maybe even tangle up a version of the image!  If I do, I’ll be sure to link it here. 

Art Sparks Prompt 5 - step 12

finished!

I definitely want to play with the other card prompts soon, especially the ones with sound files to listen to!  And they will definitely go into my “I don’t know what to make next” arsenal when I’m feeling stuck or just need a jump start.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the blog hop participants create with the cards they choose, and want to give a big THANK YOU to Karen Friedlander for inviting me to participate!

Now to the GIVEAWAYS:   (both drawings to be held on Nov 7 at 6pm EST)

Art Sparks Creative Project Deck

Art Sparks Creative Project Deck

GIVEAWAY #1:
Win an Art Sparks Deck of your very own! 
Follow me on Facebook or Instagram & leave a comment on one of those pages AND below to be entered!

Winner chosen Nov 7: name to be announced

Dyed Tiles

Dyed Coasters and Cards for Tangling


GIVEAWAY #2:
Win a pack of 5 hand-dyed color coasters or artist trading cards to use for Zentangle-inspired art or just drawing/painting!
Sign up for the TangleVermont newsletter to be entered and then let me know in the comments below!

Winner chosen Nov 7th:  Congrats Martha!

Finally, follow the other awesome artists participating in Karen’s blog hop for more giveaways throughout the week:

Karen Friedland‘s Art Sparks Blog Hop Page for Oct. 31
Up tomorrow on the blog hop: Jeri Bellini and Yva Lovee Barbour

Full Schedule and links:

Monday, October 31, 2016 Karen Friedland

 

Sadelle Wiltshire

 https://karenfriedland.wordpress.com/2016/10/31/my-art-in-the-art-sparks-blog-hop/

 

www.tanglevermont.com/2016/10/playing-with-a-full-deck-art-sparks/
Tuesday, November 1 Jeri Bellini

 

Yva Lovee Barbour

 http://myartsandparts.blogspot.com/2016/10/hi-everyone-i-was-asked-recently-to.html

 

 

https://youtu.be/09IWLYPjv4g
Wednesday, November 2 Barb Owen

Tiare Smith

 http://howtogetcreative.com/blog/art-sparks-creative-projects-deck-blog-hop/

http://tiaresmith.com/2016/11/art-sparks-blog-hop/
Thursday, November 3 Gina Ahrens

 

Melissa Partridge

 http://ginabahrens.com/blog_page

 

http://www.colormehappybymelissa.com/art-sparks-blog-hop/
Friday, November 4 Kiala Givehand

Tori Weyers

 http://kialagivehand.com/blog

http://www.drawriot.com/single-post/2016/11/04/Art-Sparks-Inspired-Art-Journal

 

Posted in Art Journal, Blog Hop | 23 Comments - Click to leave Comment Here

Journaling & Tangling with Color – my July Journey Within Lesson

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Sadelle

July at The Journey Within - Journal making and Journaling ecourse - a Zentangle Journey with Sadelle Wiltshire, CZTI’m very pleased to announce that my July guest artist lesson for The Journey Within 2016 – book making and art journaling online course with Kiala Givehand is now available in the course portal!   For those who are not signed up for the course, it’s not too late to sign up for the 3rd Quarter here.   

This is my first time teaching online and I really enjoyed the process of making the videos for my lesson and a chance to share one of the ways I love to journal with Zentangle, as well as making a simple textured finger labyrinth for your journal.  So I went a bit overboard for my offering and there are 4 videos up,  including a mini Zentangle intro lesson and a pretty good sized pdf!   The 2 lessons and bonus lesson serve as a good reminder to slow down and enjoy the process –  carve some time out for yourself and find your flow!

Journal spread July TJW, (c) 2016 Sadelle Wiltshire

Journal spread July TJW

In my last post I showed just a tease of the journal page I created for my lesson, and I’ll post the full spread here so you’ll get and a better idea of what we’ll be making for the journal spread.  I’ve also made some fun discoveries since filming the journal spread that I’ll share with the Google Plus group that course attendees have access to!

If you sign up for the 3rd Quarter and you’ll have access to the July/August/Sept book structures, artist journaling lessons and bonus lessons that Kiala often adds to the course, as well as the Google Plus group!  If you end up loving it… you can sign up for the next quarter when it’s ready, or even the full year and get the lessons from the last 6 months. A great summer and beyond project, and the diversity of teaching styles is really tremendous!  I am pleased to be bringing some Zentangle to the mix!  

Meanwhile…  I had two LUCKY WINNERS from the giveaways I offered in the last post:

Congrats go out to
Carol McNab for winning the journal,
and Suzanne Rector for winning the Quarter slot in The Journey Within!!

It’s been a busy busy month for me!  I came home last week from leading a week-long workshop in Zentangle with an intergenerational Friends group (Quakers) at Friends General Conference which was held this year near St. Cloud, Minnesota.   It was a week of tangling, worship, color and pattern. I’ll leave you with a few pics of some of the group’s artwork below.
Wishing you many opportunities to relax, chill out and connect with that inner spark…..

Sadelle Wiltshire

Some snapshots of a wonderful week of art as meditation at Friends General Conference…

Posted in Art Journal, Art Workshops, Book Arts, Gatherings, Labyrinths, Spirituality and Art, The Journey Within, Workshops, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA), Zentangle® | Leave a comment

My Journey Within Zentangle Art Journal Lesson & TWO giveaways for July

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Sadelle
Tangled Sanctuary Journal Lesson Sneak Peek for July, by Sadelle Wiltshire, TangleVermont

Tiny Peek of my July Journey Within 2016 journal page lesson

It feels funny to be writing this post so far away from home, but I’m in Minnesota getting ready to lead a weeklong Zentangle workshop (Ann is at home, sadly) at the upcoming Friends General Conference Gathering.   And July is the month my online lesson for The Journey Within 2016 – art journaling and journal making e-course goes live!

My July Journey Within Video Lesson
I’ve got a very special contribution for the July theme and I’m really excited to share it with folks who have signed up for the course (HINT: you can also sign up for the 3rd Quarter of the the course if you don’t want the whole year’s worth of lessons).   My lesson combines a few of my loves, and will

Hand shaped "Finger Labyrinth" (c) Sadelle Wiltshire, CZT, Tangle Vermont

Finger labyrinth journal page

include a special introduction, a short Zentangle beginners’ video, a video using a watercolor-like background and Zentangle in your art journal, and a mini introduction video to the labyrinth and making a finger labyrinth for your art journal cover or a page.

I won’t kid you, it was a bit of a learning curve to take on video editing, as well as putting myself and what I do on video, but I’m really happy with it, and am jazzed to share it! (AND I’m plotting some video courses of my own…)

To celebrate,  I’m offering TWO giveaways to our readers:

I'm teaching in The Journey Within, a year of handmade art journals with Kiala GivehandWin a 3RD QUARTER ENROLLMENT in The Journey Within – a year of handmade art journals with Kiala Givehand and 18 artists.  You’ll get 3 months of art journaling video lessons, prompts and instructions for 3 handmade journals.
-or-
Win a Silk Sari-Covered Art Journal with a surprise inside page inscription from me.

Watercolor labyrinth journal page and poem, (c) Sadelle Wiltshire, TangleVermont.com

Watercolor labyrinth journal page and poem

HOW TO ENTER?
You have lots of chances to win!
You’ll get entered EACH TIME for
any of the following  listed below:

  • Comment on this post below and tell me which giveaway you’d like to be entered in and or what other video art courses you’d like to see me create in the future.
  • Like & Comment on the TangleVermont Facebook Page
  • Pin one of the images above on Pinterest and post a link to your pin in the comments here.
  • Follow me or one or more of my boards on Pinterest and comment on one of my pins there.
  • Follow me on Instagram and comment on my hand labyrinth photo

WHEN?
The Drawing will be held for the FREE 3rd Quarter SLOT in Journey Within on Saturday Night JULY 9.
The Drawing for the Handmade Journal will be held Sunday night July 10.
Winners will be notified by email, so be sure to comment HERE if you opt for just Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram.

I can’t wait to share more with you!

Sadelle Wiltshire

 

Posted in Art Journal, Book Arts, Labyrinths, The Journey Within, Video | Tagged , , , , | 24 Comments - Click to leave Comment Here

A Tangle Workout & a New Journal to Play With

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Sadelle
Skye monotangle tile, Sadelle Wiltshire, TangleVermont

‘Skye’ monotangle tile

I don’t know if this happens to you, but sometimes I get into a “tangle rut”.   You know, doing the same tangles over and over.  Yes, this happens to teachers too!  Since I’ve been teaching, facilitating and journaling alot and pouring more time into those activities than into what used to be a daily Zentangle practice, I found myself in somewhat of a rut lately.  And kind of like starting a new physical exercise routine, I needed some other motivation to “work out” my tangling…

So over the past week two fun things came along to inspire me:

The first was the fantastical tangle breakdown that the very clever Margaret Bremner, CZT figured out and shared with the rest of us, with a name that means alot to me:  Skye!  (More to come on the significance of the name to me later this year! 🙂  )

And seriously, she’s kind of hit the ‘holy grail’ of tangle break-downs in deconstructing this gorgeous Celtic knot!   I had so much fun (and it took a bit of practice, to find my way with it) learning and playing with this tangle!  I’m a huge fan of Celtic knotwork, and although I do know how to draw knotwork a bit, it certainly takes practice and patience and you usually DO need an eraser in regular knotwork.     Not so with this one…   it still will take some practice, but you won’t need an eraser!   It was a great tangle to break me out of my rut this week!

Musings Adventure JournalThe second thing was a chance to try out a new journal from Lisa deYoung of Mountain Mermaid (and one of my fellow teachers in The Journey Within bookmaking/journaling e-course).  Lisa makes these wonderful journals made of an 80lb paper with a little bit of tooth. Perfect for tangling AND journaling in!  The one I’ll be playing with is her 2016 Musings Adventure Journal.   I like that there are 7 open boxes per two page spread, but with plenty of extra room to draw around.

When I started journaling with it this week, it was an invitation to play with Margaret’s new tangle, and juxtapose it with another one of my favorite’s Mi2, by friend Mimi Lempart, CZT.    And then I thought,  hmm… what would I journal about?  All I could think of this week were all the tasks ahead of me over the next few weeks, so what better form to use than a ‘bullet journal’ format in a few boxes.      I liked that I could do a bit of Zentangle practice, AND plan my week at the same time!   Lisa calls the journal “a creative logbook (for your everyday magic moments)” and I can certainly see why!   It was perfect for what I ended up using it for and I like that I can either log, journal, draw or whatever in these small spaces for times I want to keep notes on the week, but also incorporate some Zentangle quiet time.

Here are a few pages from my playing with the Mini Musings Journal page.  I can’t wait till my full journal arrives!

Musings journal one side empty

musings zoom in         interior spread of musings

Join the Mini Musings Adventure!Lisa is blogging all week at mtnmermaid.wordpress.com to celebrate the launch of the Musings Adventure Journal  and is having a Mini Musings Adventure – a free e-adventure that includes a download of a blank spread like mine.

You can join in the fun by signing up here:  http://bit.ly/May2016MMA!   If you comment or send her some love, tell her I sent you!

 

I'm teaching in The Journey Within, a year of handmade art journals with Kiala GivehandAnd if you’re interested in checking out the online art journaling and bookmaking course that both Lisa and I are guest teachers in this year along with 16 others and our fabulous hostess Kiala Givehand, be sure to check out The Journey Within, a year of handmade art journals.  My lesson will be in July and Lisa’s will be later this year (she does wonderful lettering work)!

 

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Journals and Paint and Tangles, oh my!

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Sadelle
Art journals made Jan. to Apr.

Art journals made Jan. to Apr.

I was hoping to get more art journaling done this year, and truth is, I’m a bit of a journal junkie, but half the time they don’t get touched. Not so this year!  I’ve been following along with The Journey Within yearlong e-course (also available by the quarter) and boy are the prompts, art journal lessons and bookmaking videos charging my engine!

January Journals

January Journals

The January journals were easy to make and required little adhesive and a great way to use up a variety of prints and papers I had hanging around. I love that learners are encouraged to make a prototype journal (for me that just means more journals!).  The little guy in the forefront is perfect for stashing in a purse and making impromptu sketches and Zentangle drawings.

January prototype mini journal for sketching and tangling

January prototype mini journal for sketching and tangling …

March accordian Journal

March accordian journal with Toned tan & grey pages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve included some snapshots of some of the other journals from February and March, as well as a couple of the January journal pages.   Some of the pages were prompts or lessons from the Journey Within course,  and some, my own.  I loved the mini gallery project lesson from the January part of the course… what fun!   (BTW, if you sign up for the whole year, you get to go back and do those lessons and book structures too!)

As I created the March journal the second time, I had the idea that I wanted to play with the accordion structure when spread open, and continue a line or two from one page onto the next as a sort of visual prompt and a way to tie one page to the next. With the hand labyrinth, I continued two white lines off to the right onto the second page and let that then dictate what it wanted to be. The second page ended up being mostly a combo of the drawing lesson from Yuko combined with some organic tangles, but done in white.

I then continued a couple of the bubbles/circles onto the third page….

imageFirst page accordian spread, showing part of second page and continuing line prompt

First page accordion spread, showing part of second page and continuing line prompt

The April Journal

The April book promises to be fun to journal in, leather, sewn structure, lots of pages, yum!

Funny story, last night I went searching for some leather for this month’s book project, and after our move last year, could not find what I thought I’d had. Meanwhile a neighbor summoned for help with her printer. While I was there fixing the printer issue, I mentioned that I was looking for leather scraps. Lo and behold, she pulls down this old bag of scraps she’d been saving for years…. I love the black leather cover I made with the red tie and red waxed linen stitching! The leather structure is part of the April-June quarter, and you can sign up for just this quarter or for the whole course.

I’ll be teaching in the third quarter, in July!  Expect some Zentangle  journaling fun and a labyrinth or two in my July lesson….. 😉

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‘Ziphart’, a post-Valentine’s Valentine & Tangle

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Sadelle

It was a busy January and I’m JUST getting to a blog post again since the end of the 2015.  We taught 3 successful Zentangle workshops at the Immanuel Retreat Center in Bellows Falls and are looking forward to 3 more wonderful events coming up there this month thru April!

Meanwhile, I hope that everyone had a lovely Valentine’s this past weekend, whether with your cherished self or loved one/s!  Here chez TangleVermont we kept busy trying to keep us and our critters warm with the sub-zero temps!  That also meant lots of chocolate!

This year I chose not to offer a “Valentangle” workshop,  as we were finding our plates rather full with classes and workshops and life in the balance.   But the call to play in my art journal continued, now that the The Journey Within 2016 e-course that I’m participating in is yielding an abundant supply of new art journals to fill up!

Heart labyrinth on toned grey with "Ziphart" tangle, watercolor pencil and ink, by Sadelle Wiltshire, 2016

Heart labyrinth on toned grey with “Ziphart”, watercolor pencil and ink, Sadelle Wiltshire, 2016

I have been following a Facebook group called “Valentangle 2016” and while I haven’t had a chance to post really, between that and the Journey Within course I had plenty of inspiration for more creations.   I still had a few pages left in my January e-course handmade journal, which happened to have toned gray pages in it, and of course needed to make another heart labyrinth.  I love the multitude of heart -themed tangles out there, but as I was zipping up my coat to brave the elements this weekend, the thought came to me that my zipper kind of reminded me of staggered side by side  hearts, one row up and one row down…     I started digging into my Zentangle resources and didn’t find a tangle quite like what I had in mind,  so I birthed a new tangle this weekend, that I’ve named “Ziphart” (you pronounce it any way you like!)

Ziphart heart tangle by Sadelle Wiltshire - makes a good fill or border

This was a fun tangle to play with… I did the grey journal page above first, and used my Caran d’Ache Supracolor II pencils to add most of the color elements including some highlights and toning part of the gray back to white-ish.   I had to sneak in a “zen gem” in one of the hearts, just because! 🙂  I haven’t had a chance to fully fully explore this tangle other than the journal page and the step-out I created last night, but there a number of ways to make this tangle easier to execute:

First of all,  I recommend starting from the bottom to create your series of “hooks” or angled U-shapes.  Then, starting again at the bottom, create a mirrored row of hooks going up (you can also work downwards if you want to work without lifting your pen).  When I’m connecting the centers, I take the opportunity to extend the center dip of the heart while drawing my mirrored stroke.

Next,  FLIP your tile so you can start to work alongside the row you’ve just created.

 

Ziphart mirrored stroke closeupNotice that I am starting my hook here with the left side of the heart shape, and fitting along the slope of the first upside down heart.  You decide whether it’s more comfortable for you to make this stroke by drawing from the top or the bottom.

If you are right handed like me, I would suggest starting your first vertical row of hooks along the right side of your workspace rather than the way I did it.   That way, when you flip your tile to create the next set of hearts it you will be working alongside the right rather than the left which will likely be more comforable.  (This will make more sense when you do it, but I’ll try and get a video demo up in the next month!)

After making your series of nestled and flipped heart rows, one way to embellish it is to simply “round” off the central ditches and fill them in.  You can also opt to leave those alone and just shade the ditches.  I’ve included a few other ways to play with this pattern, but I know there are lots of other ways I’ve yet to explore…  maybe YOU’ll find something different to do with this!  If so, please do leave a comment and link!

I find the pattern to be a great fill as well as a border, and if you do just two vertical rows together and shade one side of the hearts, while filling in the empty spaces dark, it looks like a zipper!  (Hence the inspiration for the name!)

Have fun with this and do leave your links if you try this!   You can also post your tangled Ziphart art on our TangleVermont Facebook page, tag me @tanglevermont on Pinterest  or @sadiavt on Twitter or Instagram!

Have fun!
Sadelle Wiltshire, CZT

 

Posted in Art Journal, Book Arts, Challenges, Tangles, The Journey Within, Tutorial, Zentangle® | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment