Hi, Alfie here!
Welcome to day five of The Twelve Days of Zentangle, 2020.
In today's video, Maria tangles a newish version of a tangle that Molly deconstructed for us some years ago. It's called fife. She called it this because it reminded her of the "flower of life." If you are not familiar with the flower of life, it is a fascinating story and well worth checking out. (See sacredgeometry.net.)
Anyways, back to fife . . . I love this tangle because it can appear to look like a bouquet of flowers, a gathering of "almond" shapes (two intersecting arcs), or a collection of overlapping circles . . . all accurate descriptions of the same pattern. I so appreciate this beautiful pattern that is inspired by what we have seen here and there throughout our lives without knowing its deeper story.
Watch this video to see how Maria takes this tangle a step further and makes the almond shapes "weave" in and out.
I can't wait to see how you take this tangle a step (or stroke!) further!
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Oh, yes. I want to tell you about the picture above.
Once the Santas and Gnomes heard me turn the crank on the music box mechanism I discovered, I heard them humming along. Before you could say, "barbershop quartet," I joined in and we discovered we sounded pretty good together. So good that we wanted to give our group a name. After much thought and discussion we decided to call ourselves The Quintessential Quality Quintet!
I discovered I could not turn the crank and hold my music at the same time, so we invited Dolly to help. Well, one thing led to another when Bijou discovered what was happening. He brought Rick's kalimba to the studio (don't ask me how) and hung it on the wall (again, don't ask me how).
Angel discovered an opportunity to sit on high and keep us all aligned with a steady beat.
As soon as Rick discovered what was going on, he set up a microphone to record the heavenly harmonies of our Quintessential Quality Quintet.
We never knew we could do any of this until each of us discovered, in our own synchronistic, individual ways, what each of us had to offer.
Here's to discovering more Quintessential Qualities and having an Angel (or two or three) to help keep the beat!
Have Fun, Enjoy and . . . Discover!
-Alfie
Rick and Maria add . . .
"What's that ruckus?!"
That was our reaction when we heard the first surprising sounds from our front porch. (Well, it used to be our front porch. Now that Alfie, Bijou and an increasing number of characters and beings have arrived, it's more like a studio cluttered with props from around our home.)
We slowly peeked around the corner so as not to disturb the moment. And as we watched and listened (and Angel flew in to help) beautiful harmonies and rhythms developed and we no longer minded the clutter. Perhaps someday they will share some of their songs.
Rick adds . . .
I looked up the origins of the word, Discover. According to etymonline.com it comes (in part) from Latin dis "opposite of" and cooperire "to cover up."
"Cover" comes from words meaning to hide or to conceal.
So, discover can mean "to remove the cover from what has been hidden or concealed."
I like that idea. We so often hear stories about how the Zentangle Method de-mystifies art and reveals the natural artistic and unique creative abilities that are so often hidden inside each of us. What a wonderful discovery!
. . . as Bijou adds in a whisper, "Inside is where I discover my greatest treasures!"
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It goes without saying that 2020 will go down in history as remarkable year. This year we all experienced the unexpected, the unknown and the uncertain. There were challenges that required our patience and strength in order for us to contribute to what the world needed.
In our Zentangle practice we encourage you to embrace the unexpected, the unknown and the uncertain as a part of your creative process. We encourage you to look for opportunities and to shift your perspective.
As we bring a close to a pivotal year in history, Project Pack No. 12 will offer us a magical time of rebirth, restoration, and awakening. We are excited to begin this year’s 12 Days of Zentangle, that we are calling the 2020 Zentangle Renaissance.
Day 5
Project Pack No. 12 materials available here.
Let Alfie know your thoughts and each day we will pick a commenter at random to receive a Zentangle Surprise!
The winner from Day 4's blog is Linda B! Please send your snail mail address to info@zentangle.com
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It’s obvious how he did it — he did it at a snail’s pace.
Sharon Wildwind on
I love love love Fife! Thank you moly for a gorgeous tangle I know I will use over and over. Sacred Geometry stirs my soul
Tegan Rein Nielsen on
This is a really fun project pack so far! It’s definitely challenged me and forces me to focus, which is just what I need.
Kathy Cody on
Mary R Daniels on
Fun! I am really loving the tiles and the tools. The gouache opens a whole new world! Thanks. C-
Cindy Brandt on
I’ve been loving this series!
Nancy Wilcox on
This is mesmerising to say the least, And sort of hypnotic. And trulu relaxing!!! I LOVE it. Thanks!!!
Paulida Hutton on
Very inspiring, thank you!
Natalie E on
Karen Novinger on
Elaine Chiang on
I am enjoying these 12 day of beautiful tangles.
Joyce Rosenberger on
AndreaR on
Suzanne A on
Still working on tiles from Day 3 which I love. The gold adds just the right touch of sparkle to the tiles.
Jo D on
Cathrine Nicols on
Patricia on
I especially appreciate that we can participate with our own materials. I would like to know more about the gold paint you are using. You share brand, color, etc for all of the other tools you use. Thank you.
Natalie M on
Nancy D., CZT18 on
It did look like halos, and laying the black on brown with going back to outline really made a stunning difference. The finished tile has a transparent Hollibaugh effect. Wow ! Thank you !
Jackie on
Pawi
Paqui Gonzalez on
Andrea Saxton on
Kathy Y. on
I love this story and this tangle. I just finished yesterday’s tiles and I can’t wait to share with my grandkids. Thanks Julie.
Mary Kay Watson on
Great storytelling. I love the elegance Maria added to fife, but then she makes everything really elegant. It’s like tangling in script!
Jonesy on
Beautiful tiles…I especially enjoyed seeing how differently similarly-made tiles can look even when created by the same artist. Thx. ~ Rose
Rosemarie Crawford on