More Zentangle-Inspired Art...

Two more zentangle-ish explorations. I am trying to get away from drawing "strings" (the shapes in which the "tangles" are made).

The mandala was created from the central flower and is very flower-like throughout.

I really love the second drawing because of the white space through the central part. And I like the black "pearls," too. ;o)

These are so much fun to do. You should give it a try.

--Vicky :o)

Zentangle-inpired mandala
Zentangle-inspired art
Ink on cardstock
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

The Zentangle® art form and method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

Two New Zentangle-Inspired Mandalas

Here are two mandalas I have created using some Zentangle-inspired techniques but not the actual Zentangle process. What I am most happy about is that my mandalas are getting more balanced as I continue making them. I am particularly happy with the Star Mandala, especially since I drew everything freehand. I really love making mandalas like these and enjoy the simplicity of black on white.

--Vicky :o)

2 Zentangle-inspired mandalas
Ink on Zentangle cardstock
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

The Zentangle® art form and method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

Mandala Maker

I continue to make Zentangle-inspired art almost daily. Here is one I did yesterday that I call the Mandala Maker. As you can see, I added a mandala in the space left by the "string" so that it looks like the mandala is emerging from the artwork. I also love the way the sun is angled and the stars in the moon. The whole piece illustrates how a mandala emerges from the Soul.

--Vicky :o)

"Mandala Maker"
Zentangle-inspired original art
Ink on cardstock
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

www.zentangle.com

Mixed Media Chakra Series Finally Finished!

Even though I haven't been posting, I have been working (or playing) with my art. Above is the final mixed media canvas in my Chakra Series called "Inspiration for the Journey." The title for this one is "Source's Wordless Web."

Even though I had the canvas painted and ready to go--and, that was after doing it once and then painting over it again--I could not figure out what to put on the canvas. I had the quote, which was either sent in an email I received or something I stumbled upon while being on the Net. It is a Rumi quote: "There is a Voice that doesn't use words. Listen." But try as I might, I could not figure out what to put with the quote or on the now purple-y canvas.

And then I watched the latest Dr. Who episode called "Vincent and the Doctor." The Vincent in the title is Vincent Van Gogh (whose name is not pronounced the way I have always thought it was!) and there was one scene where the viewer gets to see how Vincent sees. And that's what gave me the idea for the canvas. Note to blog readers: I urge you to see this episode of Dr. Who even if you are not a Dr. Who fan. I found it inspiring, touching, and beautiful!

The dark circle is actually a mandala I created awhile ago from a photo of a web with droplets. (You can read more about this mandala and the photo I used here. And the other mandala is inspired from my zentangle art. To me that mandala looks like a compass rose, which flows right into the idea of listening to a voice that doesn't use words for guidance and to discover the secrets of the Universe.

You can see the other works in my series here, here, and here. ;o) Since I just discovered that I never posted the first work in the series. I have posted it below. Right now, I am calling it "Your True Self."

Enjoy!

--Vicky :o)

"Source's Wordless Web"
"Your True Self"
Mixed media collage series, #5 and #1
Acrylic paint, paper cutouts, zentangle-inspired mandala, photos on canvas
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

www.zentangle.com

Almost a month...

I have not posted for almost a month but that doesn't mean I haven't been doing Zentangles. I have been doing one almost every day and sometimes more than one! I have posted a few of my favorites.

Many thanks to those of you who have posted comments. I appreciate your stopping by!

--Vicky :o)

Original Zentangles #1, #2, #3
Original Zentangle "Sedna"
Ink on card stock
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione
www.zentangle.com

New Zentangle

This Zentangle was done differently than the others I have done. Usually I draw a string (which is basically several lines and curves that form the basis of the Zentangle). In the case of this Zentangle, I just started making tangles (that's what the repeated shapes and lines used to fill in are called) on the blank card.

I like the result and was interested to discover that my initials were formed in the Zentangle itself. Can you find my V - L - M? Because of my intials, I decided to call this Zentangle "VLM-tangle."

--Vicky :o)

"VLM-tangle"
Zentangle done with ink on cardstock
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Zentangle ®
www.zentangle.com

Old and New Art--it's not called Doodling any more!

I discovered the other day that what I have been calling "doodling" is not always that. Sometimes I am using strings and tangles to create what are technically called Zentangles. I have such a challenge with being absolutely correct about copyright issues that I wanted to be sure to set the record straight!

Here are two of my newest Zentangles.

I don't really have a title for the one on the left (anyone have any ideas?), but the one on the right is called "Spring Morn."

If you purchase a kit, you will receive everything you need to make your own Zentangles, including the square tiles (cards) on which Zentangles are created. Currently, I am not using tiles but 3.3 x 5.2 cards that I bought a couple years ago at a craft store in Montréal.

The Zentangle® company was started by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas and they have a specific method for creating a Zentangle. You can find out lots about them, their method, things you can buy, and Zentangle® on their website http://www.zentangle.com/.

And now, the record is straight ---->! ;o)

--Vicky :o)

Original Zentangles
Ink on card stock
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Zentangle ®
www.zentangle.com

Finding Treasure in 2010

An astrologer I know recommended making a Treasure Map for 2010 during the Aries new moon that occurred on April 14, 2010 at 8:29 a.m. She said to prepare for making the collage by getting magazines ready but not to do any cutting or gluing until after the new moon, then to use the next 24 hours to make your treasure map to your Soul's desire.

Because I am big on following rules (limits) exactly (something I really need to work on this year), I got everything ready the night before and got up at 5:07 a.m. on April 15 and started. Now, I didn't quite finish the map precisely at 8:29 a.m. (more like 9:29 a.m.) but I did finish the bulk of it by the deadline. I have posted it here for your perusal and enjoyment. :o)

An interesting thing happened on the way to making this collage. When I awoke on April 15, I was already thinking about the collage. It was during that brief reverie that I actually thought of putting my Treasure Map on a map. So the background is an very used street map of Montréal.

I hung my Treasure Map on the wall over my collage table. I love looking at it and considering what the elements and words might mean for each day and the year. It is the largest collage I have ever made (22 x 28 inches)! The astrologer who recommended this exercise told me later in the day that the reason my collage is so large stems from the fact that the new moon that inspired it is having and will have a "big" effect on my life.

Now isn't that encouraging?!

--Vicky :o)

"Inspired Difference, 2010"
New Moon Treasure Map Collage
Paper cutouts on posterboard
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Life is Blooming...

Under the Sea

A new mandala that makes me think of
the plants that exist, flow, and grow
in ever moving ocean waters.

And, isn't this the way we live
in The Universe, too?
The Universe is constantly moving,
rotating, and revolving
and we find Life in this
constant motion.

I am reminded of a verse found in the Bible:

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being;"
Acts 17:28

Happy Easter!
Happy Spring!

--Vicky Lynn =:o)

"Life is Blooming Under the Sea" Mandala
Ink (markers) on paper
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Who or What Is Too Small for You?

...anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive

is too small for you.

--David Whyte

This collage is one of a series I am calling "Inspiration for the Journey." Each collage is a blend of painting, collage elements, and a phrase or quote. I chose the background colors to represent a chakra center. While this one uses green to represent the heart chakra, it also is special in that all 7 of the chakras are represented by color. You can see two other members of the series on my blog here and here. Eventually I will be making cards of each of the 5 collages.

I discovered this quote while looking at a blog. An artist had included David Whyte's poem "Sweet Darkness" from his book House of Belonging. The quote on the collage is the final three lines of the poem. When I read those lines, they grabbed me and showed me my own power and greatness (and not in an egotistical way). When I read those lines, I thought of how often I allow others (even those I love) to determine and diminish who I am and what I offer because I am swayed by their opinions! I also thought about how my heart feels when I embrace opinions or situations that are "too small" for me; it feels tight and constricted!

When I think about the quote, I often substitute the word "grow" for the word "bring" in the second line. If someone or something is not growing me alive, why would I waste my time being upset or concerned about their opinions or thoughts about me or my work? Why would I continue to engage in behaviors or thoughts that stunt my growth?

As you finish reading this post, take a moment and consider the question posed as the title of this post: Who or what is too small for you?

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"A Heart Grows Alive"
Mixed media collage
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Untitled

"What's in a name?" Juliet asked.
What's in a title? is my question today.

I conceived your form and shape and color
And there you are,
Looking at me with your one eye,
how?
Wondering? Exploring?
Existing? Wishing
for a name to describe what you mean,
what you say,
"who" you are?

No defining voice whispers inside.
No sound at all
except for the birds
playing their chirps outside.

What's in a title? What's in a name?
Let others who see you decide.

Today,
I will simply enjoy the creation
you are.

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Untitled Mandala
Ink on paper
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Digging for What's Real

"TREATING mySelf like A PRECIOUS OBJECT makes me STRONG!"

Dig through layers
of ego's harsh deceit
Uncover a forever worthy Self
silent, strong, and sweet.

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Mixed media collage

Paint and collage cutout on canvas
Quote from Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Coloring with My Imagination

Hidden in Winter's plainness,
dressed down in shades of brown and age:
Fertility with possibility waits,
waits for Time's slow hands
to turn the page
That colors imagination,
Warms the frigid air,
Caresses the world to life,
Evokes the barren to bare.

Each year
this holy miracle
overtakes us by surprise,
this brash and lavish explosion
of hues and newness,
song and scent,
as Spring,
dressed up in finery unsurpassed,
arrives!

Original photo below:

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Fern Collage Mandala
created and color manipulated in Photoshop
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Every Picture Tells a Story

What's hers?

What's yours?

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Caged Butterfly" Collage
Collage Journal Page
Paper cutouts, ink doodles
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Collaging Gratitude

If the only prayer you ever said in your whole life
was "thank you," that would suffice.
— Meister Eckhart


The best way to show my gratitude to God is
to accept everything, even my problems, with joy.
— Mother Teresa


Be grateful for whoever [& whatever] comes,
because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.
— Rumi (from "The Guest House";
translation by Coleman Barks)

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Gratitude: Opener of Doors"
Collage Journal Page
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Finding Fairy Lights

Who knew
that within a brown lily,
one of Fall's leftovers,
the lights of fairies glow?

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Original photo:

"Fairy Light" Digital Mandala
Created in Photoshop
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

A Bird in the Hand Makes 12 in the Bush

Winter's blacks and whites
Hide geometric beauty
Where birds seek shelter.

Winter emotions
Deficient in warmth and light
Conceal Joy's dwelling.

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Original photo of sparrow in the bush:

"Bird in the Hand" Digital Mandala
Created in Photoshop
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Sea-ing Eye

The Sea sees.
After all, It always comes rushing in
to greet me!

Its giant eye

reflects the sky,
Becoming a mirror
for the clouds and colors,
moods and mysteries,
sailing by.

Stars sparkle in Its watery darkness.
Luna admires her silvery light
as the Sea gently whispers
words to caress
the brightness bouncing
off Its glassy sheen.

The Sea sees:
Gazing above and below,
Keeping watch over those who make
their home in Its watery arms.
It is Mother and Father,
Life and Death,
Ebb and Flow,
Unending waves.
The Sea sees.

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Sea-ing Eye" Mandala
Ink on paper
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Angel Blessings Rain Upon Us!

The Angel of Blessings

Serenely towards us she bows;
Love flames in her heart,
Grace touches her lips,
Light glows from her Being,
And serenely she bows to God's earth.

Gently to us she gives;
Starlights to illumine our way,
Flames to enliven our Souls,
Love to guide our Paths,
And gently she gives to us God's gifts.

Softly to us she whispers:
"Peace" to you who fight;
"Comfort" to you who ache;
"Life" to you who despair;
"Joy" to you who embrace this day;
Softly, in each moment, she whispers to us
God's words.

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Angel of Blessings"
Doodle, ink on paper
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Looking into the Vesica Piscis

Vesica Piscis: literally "vessel of the fish" or fish bladder (Latin); the shape that is made when intersecting two circles with the same circumference. "Pythagoreans believed it represented a similar intersection of the spiritual and material worlds, a sacred doorway between two states of being.... [O]ne of the most important shapes in sacred geometry.... Also any place the Goddess is worshipped will generally have a representation of the vesica piscis...." (Taken from The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols by Adele Nozedar, Harper Element, 2008.)

Looking into the Vesica Piscis...

Peering into the sacred doorway of the Goddess,
what magnificence awaits?
What glories lie quietly sleeping there?
What wisdom stirs and moves,
resting comfortably--or maybe uncomfortably--
until the birth pangs begin:
Forcing emergence of the new Life form.
Is it Spirit or Matter, union or intersection?
How can we, who once dwelt in this Sacred Vessel,
enter again this hidden passage to become a different blend,
a re-formed intersection?
Embracing what we once knew, and forgot;
Forgetting what we once lived, to remember.

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Looking into the Vesica Piscis"
Mandala in ink on paper
Copyright © 2010 by Vicky Lynn Macchione