Sunday, June 23, 2013

Dot stencil zendalas

A while ago I purchased Geneviève Crabe's trio of dot stencils for starting mandalas. I finally got around to trying them!

I did my first effort on a tile I'd washed with purple. It was lighter on one side, which I decided to enhance rather than try to even out.
Tangles: Black Pearlz, almost Bunzo, Paisley Boa, Providence, Purslane, spirals

I wanted to try a calligraphy pen I bought recently. It has both a large and a small end and makes lovely thick/thin lines, but the black is more like a very dark gray so I needed to go over a lot of it with a black Micron! I also wanted to try the tangle Birds on a Wire (I missed the challenge that week) and thought it would work well in a circle.
Tangles: Black Pearlz, Birds on a Wire variations

One good way to use these stencils, I think, is demonstrated in the short video How to Grow a Mandala. You might not use many actual Tangles, as this works well simply adding lines, dots, squiggles, spirals, etc..

I decided to try using the dots to create a string, and then tangle it. The pencil didn't scan well, so here's a rough pen version of the string I came up with. I expect to use some of the leftover dots as guidelines.

And here's what developed from that. I recently purchased some lovely colors of brush pens at an art store's sale and tried some on this piece.
Tangles: there aren't many really... Tipple, and some spirals and stripes.
Maybe I was still channeling the Diva's challenge not to use actual Tangles!

18 comments:

  1. Amazing, but I am not surprised because everything you tangle is amazing!

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  2. These all came out wonderfully beautiful. I have found instead of using the Black micron pens, black gouche, is so much easier and scans, without seeing any of those patterns one gets with markers. Thanks.

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    1. I've always thought of gouache as needing a brush. How do you use it and get the really fine details of tangles? I'm pretty sure I'll prefer the pens, but I'm curious, and will try almost anything. :)

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  3. wow, speachless :-) love these mandala's.

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  4. Those mandalas are really gorgeous. It's always a treat to see what people do with the stencils.

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  5. Beautiful, especially the last one!

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    1. It's my favorite too. I think because it seems to have light.

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  6. Beautiful! I love the white flower in the last one. It seems so simple and pure played against the tangles and colors behind it.

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  7. All so very beautiful Margaret - I must get myself some of these Mandalas :)

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    1. Thanks Lila. I want to clarify that these are not pre-designed mandalas. The stencils are a circular grid of dots so you can make your own designs. Lots of fun!

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    2. Thanks Margaret, yes I did realise this - it does look like much fun :)

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  8. Thanks for sharing your mandalas. I like your description of the Mandala Stencils as Dot Stencils -- it really conveys the idea that they are not just a one trick pony -- the possibilities are endless. Bette Abdu, CZT

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  9. All of them are gorgeous, but the last one is breathtaking!

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  10. These are (not so simply) amazing. I am in awe of your skill and talent and I too, wish I lived closer so as to learn from you. I am however going to attend the October CZT seminar in Providence, and am hoping that I might connect with someone else who is attending solo from afar, via your blog. Your blog inspires me immensely. Thank you
    Anna

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    1. Thank you Anna! I'm hoping to be at a few events organized by other CZTs, such as the Retreat to Paradise in Florida next April And Tangle U, so perhaps we'll meet eventually.

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  11. Stunning, gorgeous...! You are amazing!
    Nathalie CZT

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  12. Your work is stunning! I love the last one best of all.

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