Time... & haWy Tangle Step Out

Time has flown since I last posted... it’s time to catch up a bit! 

Last year I began the year drawing every day. I made little sketches in my bullet journal, using prompts provided by Sketchbook Skool as a starting point. I LOVED doing it. Here's a little video of one of the months. I did this project through May... when we decided it was time to make a change. Then all my art stopped (until now). 

The big change that occurred is that we moved to Las Vegas! Moving is a LOT of work... but with big rewards. We absolutely love our new home/neighborhood/city! Here are a few photos: 

Day One! Clark knew just what to do! 

Our sunrises and sunsets are spectacular!

I love to sit and listen to the fountain in our courtyard. 

The sunset view through the courtyard gate.

Love our street!

I can't get enough of the sunrises/sunsets! 

Clark loves Christmas! 

Wonderful to have the girls home for the holidays!

The move and getting set in the new area was immediately followed by the holidays... so lots of busyness and still no art. Finally my studio is all set up and I just love it! I have a beautiful view and perfect light. 

The studio

Love the view from my art desk.

All this means that it's time to begin my art practice routine once again... yet it’s been such a long time that I felt a bit of anxiety to start. It’s silly what your mind does to you. I needed a spark to get me going... 

One day a little over a week ago I happened upon a post by Yvonne Westover. She shared some photos of a few patterns she had come across while traveling. (Yvonne is a fantastic Certified Zentangle Teacher, and a virtual friend that I follow on Instagram. You can find her there @ywestart.) The grey pattern intrigued me, and I made a mental note to look at it again later. 

Photo collage by Yvonne Westover

Later that day I found myself trying to deconstruct the pattern while waiting somewhere. It felt great to have a pen in my hand, and especially to have the wonderful feeling that happens every time you are mindful and let the pen guide you. I suddenly realized I had nearly deconstructed the pattern! I was so excited, I had to locate Yvonne’s post to double check my memory. A minor adjustment and I had it!! 

The pattern was so much fun to deconstruct, and I was THRILLED when I realized that I could easily keep proportions in the design if I started with an underlying offset dot grid. It was an ah-ha moment! My first tries were a bit more complicated and I knew it would be difficult to attain/keep the shape... the offset dot grid changed EVERYTHING!

I contacted Yvonne to thank her for the inspiration and to let her know I had deconstructed one of the textiles she had posted. Her warmth and encouragement made my day. Thank you ever so much, Yvonne, for getting the pen in my hand again! 

Sketchbook practice

More practice and testing

I would like to name this tangle haWy... the “Wy” (pronounced why) portion as a tribute to Yvonne Westover, and to the “Y” shape that is a key step in the creation of the tangle. I have included several variations. I love how versatile the pattern is and how it can look so different, depending on how you shade or embellish it. It can also be used as a reticula to fill with fragments. It’s fun to use those angles to create a dimensional look. (If this is a tangle that has already been deconstructed and published by someone else, please let me know so that I can give credit to the proper person.)

I hope you'll give the tangle a try! Please use the hashtag #haWy if you post on Instagram/Facebook so that I can find your wonderful creations. 

Thanks so much for visiting... and for leaving me a message!