I’m finally caught up enough to do the It’s a String Thing challenge this week! Luckily, Eni Oken released a new Blue Sun video lesson the day after the challenge came out and they dovetailed perfectly! Here’s the string with inspiration from the Olympics. The 3 tangles were Golven ( G for gold), Sand Swirl (S for silver) and Barney ( B for Bronze). I’m not sure my tile kept the idea of the Olympics or not but the string was perfect for the Blue Sun lesson from Eni Oken! I used a Bristol vellum tile and a mixture colored pencil and Sakura Pigma Micron and Sakura gelly roll Moonlights. It’s another great lesson for Art Club!
I haven’t been very plugged into Facebook lately, mostly due to behind the scenes work on a new Freeform Celtic Knot Tutorial. It’s almost ready and will include a free pdf with extra Knot configurations! I’m pretty excited to teach it as it has quickly turned very zenful to draw for me. Be sure to check back soon!
This is so beautiful, poignant and true everyone should read it. Thanks to fellow blogger MakeItUltra at MakeItUltra for reposting this so it could touch me too.
[Text] Soon I will be gone forever, but that’s okay as long as someone reads this
u/mylasttie489d, 12h
I am only 24 years old, yet I have actually already chosen my last tie. It’s the one that I will wear on my funeral a few months from now. It may not match my suit, but I think it’s perfect for the occasion.
The cancer diagnosis came too late to give me at least a tenuous hope for a long life, but I realized that the most important thing about death is to ensure that you leave this world a little better than it was before you existed with your contributions . The way I’ve lived my life so far, my existence or more precisely the loss of it, will not matter because I have lived without doing anything impactful.
Before, there were so many things that occupied my mind. When I learned how much time I had left, however, it became clear which things are really important. So, I am writing to you for a selfish reason. I want to give meaning to my life by sharing with you what I have realized:
Don’t waste your time on work that you don’t enjoy. It is obvious that you cannot succeed in something that you don’t like. Patience, passion, and dedication come easily only when you love what you do.
It’s stupid to be afraid of others’ opinions. Fear weakens and paralyzes you. If you let it, it can grow worse and worse every day until there is nothing left of you, but a shell of yourself. Listen to your inner voice and go with it. Some people may call you crazy, but some may even think you‘re a legend.
Take control of your life Take full responsibility for the things that happen to you. Limit bad habits and try to lead a healthier life. Find a sport that makes you happy. Most of all, don’t procrastinate. Let your life be shaped by decisions you made, not by the ones you didn’t.
Appreciate the people around you Your friends and relatives will always be an infinite source of strength and love. That is why you shouldn’t take them for granted.
It is difficult for me to fully express my feelings about the importance of these simple realizations, but I hope that you will listen to someone who has experienced how valuable time is.
I’m not upset because I understand that the last days of my life have become meaningful. I only regret that I will not be able to see a lot of cool stuff that should happen soon like the creation of AI, or Elon Musk’s next awesome project. I also hope that the war in Syria and Ukraine will end soon.
We care so much about the health and integrity of our body that until death, we don’t notice that the body is nothing more than a box – a parcel for delivering our personality, thoughts, beliefs and intentions to this world. If there is nothing in this box that can change the world, then it doesn’t matter if it disappears. I believe that we all have potential, but it also takes a lot of courage to realize it.
You can float through a life created by circumstances, missing day after day, hour after hour. Or, you can fight for what you believe in and write the great story of your life. I hope you will make the right choice.
Leave a mark in this world. Have a meaningful life, whatever definition it has for you. Go towards it. The place we are leaving is a beautiful playground, where everything is possible. Yet, we are not here forever. Our life is a short spark in this beautiful little planet that flies with incredible speed to the endless darkness of the unknown universe. So, enjoy your time here with passion. Make it interesting. Make it count!
Thank you!
My name is Cyndee Pelley, I’m an amateur artist with a spinal disability and this blog allows me to share my art, tangle patterns and coloring ideas. I’m also bound to touch on dogs and horses as well as family because they’re a big part of my life. My hands shake so my lines aren’t perfect but I’ve found expressing myself through art extremely important in maintaining a healthy perspective when my body is trapped in a bed. Family, pets, art and health are all topics that will arise but mostly this is about art.
One of the most significant things to happen to me in the last 15 years was when I accidentally came across the Zentangle(registered trademark) Method created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. Instead of trying to explain their method let me quote from their official website Zentangle.com.
“The Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns.
Almost anyone can use it to create beautiful images. It increases focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal well being. The Zentangle Method is enjoyed all over this world across a wide range of skills, interests and ages.
We believe that life is an art form and that our Zentangle Method is an elegant metaphor for deliberate artistry in life. ” (quote from the Zentagle.com website)
These are some examples of simple patterns and what you can do with them.
This is a tangle using the pattern “SKYE” deconstructed by the wonderful Margaret Bremner, CZT (enthusiasticartist.blogspot.com)This is called a ZIA (Zentagle Inspired Art). Meaning it’s a mix of patterns and ideas based on the Zentangle way but not conforming to the structure and rules of it. Like adding color.This tangle pattern is called “pkok” the pattern was deconstructed by Sandhya Manne, CZT at Zen Temple Tangles and I added color for my own flair
I will be talking more about this method in later blogs but for now I’ll just say that Zentangle has changed my life. I’d encourage anyone who wants to draw but doesn’t know where to start to visit Rick and Maria’s site Zentagle.com. I also highly recommend tanglepatterns.com which is Linda Farmer’s collection of tangles including Rick and Maria’s official tangle patterns.
I will also be chronicling my application process for a mobility service dog. I’ve always loved animals and in particular horses and dogs. I just lost one of my rescued dogs (Daisy) after 15 years.
My Daisy Mae (passed in April, 2016)
Her long time companion, Chance, is fading fast though I’m hopeful he will last the year.
This is Chance, who is also a rescue. His hips are quite bad and winter has me worried.
I also have a foster dog from a local rescue agency. His name is Jake and he mostly likes to hide from the world.
Foster dog Jake who was rescued during below zero temperatures 3 years ago. He has serious anxiety issues.
The rules regarding service dogs in the home are usually that no other dogs are allowed to be present in the home. The reason for this is service dogs are working dogs and can get distracted which works against their training. Having a service dog is a commitment to ongoing training and special care. I have made my application to an organization based in Norman, OK called “A New Leash on Life”. http://newleashinc.org/ They take donated puppies (usually Golden or Labrador Retrievers for their natural retrieving abilities) and train them for the specific needs of each client. This takes between 1 and 2 years because the pups need to be fully grown to support the pulling, balancing and other activities a mobility dog must handle. So, I applied after Daisy’s death making me both sad and excited and guilty about the excited. Their letter to confirm my application was dated May 11, 2016. I’m trying to patiently wait for the next phase!
That’s enough for the first blog. I hope you’ll come back to see what kind of art we’ll be working each week. I also hope you’ll check out the 3 tangle patterns I’ve deconstructed. I’ve sent them to Linda Farmer, CZT at tanglepatterns.com to see if they conform to the tangle rules and can then be published there. Either way, feel free to experiment and share your thoughts and comments.
The Tireless Tangler 