Stone Angel Arts

A Zentangle® a Day…

diane — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:10:34 +0000

It has been over a month since I returned home after my training to become a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT). There are so many things I want to do with my training but everyday things always seem to take more time than I would like. I may not have gotten any classes scheduled yet but I have been creating a lot of zentangles and zentangle inspired art. I’ve decided that each week I will display a new zentangle (a definition of Zentangle is on my Zentangle page or at the official Zentangle website) in the sidebar. Today, I would also like to share one of my zentangle inspired art pieces. These pieces use some of the principles of Zentangle but are larger in size and not abstract. Here is one from my Fairy series.

You may have also noticed that I have redesigned my website. There are still some things that I need to tweak. However, I’m trying to focus on creating more art, getting my Etsy shop up and running, and schedule some Zentangle classes, so the little things related to the website will be on the back burner.

The “Art” of Goosebumps

diane — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:56:34 +0000

I am one of those people who is always cold so I am very familiar with goosebumps. But I actually look forward to getting those little bumps on my arms that come with hearing or seeing something amazing. Today I was looking at information regarding an artist reclamation project at Landfillart.org. As I was checking out the website (which has amazing artwork related to the project), I happened upon a link to this video.

Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around The World from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

It didn’t take long for the chill and goosebumps to arrive. Is there anything better in life than something that instantly brings a smile to your face? I strongly encourage you to visit the Playing For Change website. There are a lot more videos to make that smile even bigger! God Bless Grandpa Elliott!

Self-portrait technique

diane — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:47:58 +0000

Isn’t it funny how one thing can lead to another…I’m supposed to be pulling together paperwork related to our flex spending health expenses but I decided to log on to check my email first, and since I was on the computer I checked in on Facebook to see what my friends were up to (I will admit that I’m mostly a lurker). That led me to check out a Vimeo video that was a public service announcement spoof done by a book publisher. So while I was on Vimeo I looked to see if there were any mixed media art videos and found a contributor called “The One Minute Muse”. The name alone would have been enough to interest me but add in the cute logo and I had to check it out. One of the videos was how to make a self-portrait. Since I loved it so much, I just had to share…ENJOY!

Art Journal Technique | Mirror Self Portrait from The One Minute Muse on Vimeo.

Obsessed with Mehndi

diane — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:24:35 +0000

A few months ago I had a Border’s coupon burning a hole in my pocket. I know I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m a bit of a book junkie (okay, that is probably an understatement). What I finally decided on was a book of mehndi designs. That was the beginning of my obsession with the designs, particularly those done on the hands. Since then I have been exploring ways to incorporate the design into my artwork. Here is my first interpretation. This hand incorporates needle felting with stitching and beading.

Between the holidays and some recent family circumstances, I haven’t had nearly as much time to get in my studio as I would have liked. This should be able to change starting this week so I will be creating and sharing more of my mehndi interpretions.

With a new morning comes a new decade

diane — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:06:09 +0000

What is it about starting a new year, that makes us feel like we need “resolutions”? In Wisconsin, it may be the fact that we will be spending the next few months mired in the cold, snowy, grey days of winter and if we feel we are moving toward a better self we won’t be stricken with seasonal affective disorder. Or maybe it is the esoteric beauty of a fresh calendar, where the only marks have been neatly written (and in my case, color-coded), that imbues the spirit with hope for a better future. Well, whatever the reason, I have been fighting the urge to make resolutions. Instead, I have been looking at the high priority items in my life and identifying how satisfied I am with each of them. I’ve decided that I don’t need to set any specific goals right now but by this time next year, I would like to be more satisfied with some or all of my priorities. Kind of like taking the temperature of my personal atmosphere but, in this case, global warming is a good thing.

Since it is the new year…and a new DECADE, I have made a few tweaks to my sidebar. You will notice that I have added a badge that signifies my intention to follow the “Blogging Without Obligation” philosophy. Therefore, you will never see a mention of procrastination (at least regarding blogging) in my blog again. I have also added a badge to show my participation in the Creative Every Day Challenge for 2010. What I like about it is that it is not about creating something everyday (which would be great) but rather to be in touch with your creative self each day…even if it is being creative with the laundry (hmmm…would it be possible to create a pair of origami folded socks?)

Well, bring on 2010! I’m ready!