Moving on...

07/11/2023 UPDATE : I am in the process of closing my web address. At this time I am no longer able to teach. I may post here again from time to time in the future. I appreciate your kind support over the years. Wishing you well!

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I have a new address...

...a web address!

It was time to build a new site and use the domain name I've paid for for the past 5(!) years! I sure hope you come over and visit! The cookies just got out of the oven, and I have some cold milk, or hot or iced tea/coffee. We can have a nice catch up chat, while you check out the new digs!

If you have signed up to my newsletter here.... please sign up on the new site! There is a form at the bottom of the home page, if you miss the pop up. I tried to capture the information and transfer it, but I'm not certain that it worked. I want to stay in touch! (If you haven't signed up before... why not?! Please do on my new site!)

You can find me here: ha-designs.com with the cookies, and lots of art!

Thank you for all your support and encouragement here over the years! I'll look forward to seeing you at the new place.

 

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SEPTEMBER 15, 2019

(This entry moved from my site, that I am in process of closing... it may not format correctly.)

It has been a year of changes… moving, adjusting, settling in… and now reestablishing my business, and beginning to teach again.

After 12 years of writing posts on my hadesigns.blogpost account (consistently and not so consistently over those years), I have made the leap into a new site. You’re HERE!!! Welcome!!!

It’s official! Once again a licensed business owner!

It’s funny that I’ve been paying for my domain name for 5 years! Sooooo it’s definitely about time that I finally use it! Hip, hip, hooray!

We moved to Las Vegas one year ago, and the timing feels right for relaunching my business. I applied for all the state/city/tax licenses I need, and just received the final approval yesterday! I’ve scheduled my first class for early October. It will be so much fun to share the joy of Zentangle® once again.

I’ve been excited to become a part of the local art community here in the past couple of months and plan to join additional guilds in the coming months. I recently became a member of the Las Vegas Artist’s Guild! Yay!

One event that has really inspired me to get moving was going to visit the St. George Art Museum last month to view the exhibit of my grandfather’s paintings. (The exhibit of a collection of his paintings and personal items is open until October 20th.)

Here are photos of several pieces from the exhibit:

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I was filled with emotion as I wandered the gallery to see so many of his paintings all in one place. The memories fled back when I saw his easel and the drawers he used to store supplies in close at hand. I could imagine it upstairs in his studio… along with the smell of the paints and supplies.

I want to be involved like he was… one day I hope to inspire other artists as he has me, and as so many of my artist friends have inspired and encouraged me over the years.

The lightest of pencil sketching has begun.

Honoring his memory means a lot to me. I have just started a watercolor landscape that I’ll slowly work on as I think of him (and my wonderful grandma), the way they taught me to “see” and appreciate the beauty of the desert, and the amazing landscapes he created. (I will add progress shots occasionally in my “work in progress” gallery. Galleries are currently under construction.)

I feel so blessed to come from such an artistic family… my mom and dad are also FABULOUS artists! A post about them with some of their fantastic art will be coming soon!

Once again, welcome to my new address! Take a look around while you’re here. Hope you stop in for a cookie and some milk!

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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! 

D1 and Square One

I was excited to see that my virtual friend, Marguerite Samama, is the guest blogger for the diva this week! YAY Marguerite! Challenge 329 is to use the fragment D1. I was not familiar with it, but was sure inspired by all of Marguerite’s gorgeous samples. Just wow!

I decided I would use D1 along with the new tangle by CharKat, Abukas. Oh my! What a FABULOUS new tangle! I will definitely revisit it often. It is open to so many variations… I. Am. In. Love! 

Thank you Marguerite and Charlotte for inspiring a wonderful day of art!

I am thrilled and honored that today my new tangle, haKrall, is the focus tangle for the FANTASTIC Facebook group, Square One™ : Purely Zentangle® this week. Here’s the tile I created as the sample for the group.

I’d LOVE to see any and ALL creations with haKrall! Please remember to #haKrall for any art you post to the Zentangle mosaic (@hadesignsCZT) or Instagram (@hadesigns)/Facebook.

Thanks for spending a bit of time with me… have a wonderful, art filled day! 

A Garden View

Yayyyy! It's time to work on another Diva Challenge! The guest blogger this week for challenge 328 is Suzanne Fluhr. I regularly see what she is up to via her awesome blog. The challenge she set forth was to use her lovely tangle, Aloha, in a tile. 

I was first introduced to this tangle while attending Lynn Shelton Mead’s class at Tangle U in Naples, Florida earlier this year. I loved the bold floral look!  After reading Suzanne’s post about the creation/inspiration for this tangle, I was definitely feeling the island atmosphere. I added my new tangle, haKrall (step out updated today!), in the background and added a sunset of colors… creating my “Garden View.” 

Diva Challenge 328 : "Garden View" 

Thank you again, Suzanne, for a fun challenge! It was wonderful to escape to the islands for a bit! 

Weekend Inspiration & haKrall Tangle Step Out

This past weekend was so. much. FUN!

Norm and I had a little getaway to Santa Barbara. We stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast, enjoyed time with friends, I attended a fantastic heart centered meditation workshop with our daughter, we saw DIANA KRALL at the Santa Barbara Bowl, AND I deconstructed then reconstructed a pattern! Phew! It was busy!

Santa Barbara is such a beautiful seaside city… it feels like a vacation even if you just stop by for lunch! Our daughter, Leila, lives in the area, so we always have a good reason to go. I find it to be such an inspiring place… the architecture, flora, and weather are all delightful.

Simpson House Inn... Fantastic Bed & Breakfast place.

Front of main house.

More cottages in the back of the property.

Many lovely fountains adorn the gardens.

Norm had the great idea of inviting friends to join us for the concert and weekend. We had delicious dinners around town, and spent the days enjoying the weather and our gorgeous location. 

Lovely lunch with friends at the Four Seasons.

Gorgeous lotus beginning to bloom in one of the fountains.

Look at that vine!! 

Oh my... this is amazing!

These hibiscus blooms were as big as dinner plates!

I had been looking forward to this particular trip for months in anticipation of attending a Diana Krall concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl. I purchased the tickets the moment they became available! She is one of my VERY favorite musicians. I think of her as my creative muse… I tend to listen to a Diana Krall station while creating and/or cooking. 

I was so happy that I brought along some drawing supplies, just in case I had some moments to create. The weekend got even better when I had a few relaxing hours to work in my art journal/sketchbook in the garden. Earlier in the week I had taken a photo of a pattern that intrigued me… I began deconstructing and reconstructing it one line at a time… my pen tickling and whispering along in my journal as it told it’s story. 

The inspiration pattern found on a tv show!

It spoke to me of complicated ideas born from the simplest of seeds… of fragments turned on their axis to create something new… of exploration and the impact of scale. 

Drawing in the garden...

A tangle is born...

After completing a couple of samples, I started searching tangle patterns to see if a tangle had already been published similar to what I had just deconstructed. The closest relative I found was Pezember… however that tangle does not weave at each connection. If anyone knows if this has been deconstructed already and published somewhere, please let me know. In the meantime… here’s my step out for this tangle that I’m calling, haKrall.

{NOTE: The variation shows how you can scale or expand the tangle. As you become familiar with this tangle, you will start to notice that if you create sections of the fragments in a certain order you can create most of the transitions without the little hollibaugh style bridges. The shown variation is the easy peasy way of showing how I made the larger spaced samples. It looks great with less/more aura lines in step 3 as well!}

Tangle : haKrall

I’d love to hear how you like it! Please include #haKrall on any posting of art that you create and post in the Zentangle Mosaic app or instagram/Facebook. I’d love to be able to find your creations! {You can find me on Zentangle Mosaic @hadesignsCZT and on Instagram @hadesigns.}

Here are a couple of tiles completed with haKrall: