Alice's Mushroom Garden / Take 2

I really liked the circular drawing I did of the mushroom garden - affectionately named after Alice (yes, Lewis Carroll's Alice.)


However, it didn't scan very well, so I decided to try and play with it a bit in Photoshop (CS4 version), using my Wacom Bamboo Drawing Pad.


This is the result:

I wish now that I had made a perfect circle, instead of just drawing one free hand, but when I started I had no idea with this was going to become.  Normally, I go all outside the lines so it's no big deal if the original circle isn't straight.


Here is the original scan, just to show you the dramatic difference:

What do you think?  Yes, the one on the top is rotated, hubby  thought the name and title should be at the bottom...but there really is no bottom.  : )


It has been a long time since I've felt like I was in the "Zone" while I was drawing/painting....  But while doing the re-vamp of Alice's Mushroom Garden, I found myself in the Zone!  Everything else was just background.  My husband would talk to me and it would take a moment for me to realize.


It felt good.  The tangles, I've been doing do have a zen quality, you feel relaxed, and tranquil, but it's not the same as that "Zone" quality. 


Anyone else, know what I'm talking about?  If so, how often are you in the zone?  (while doing anything, could be art, writing, running....what makes you feel consumed - perhaps not the best word, but it does consume me.  I have to keep going.  I have to remind myself to drink, or eat...  It just feels good, and I become a part of it.


The new Alice garden is shared on Web of Whimsy drop by see other whimsical work, join in the fun, pass along the word!

More Recent Doodles and Journal Entries

What?  Vestibular Disorders are complicated.

I was playing around with the leaf pattern I was making, and it turned in to this.
A touch of Fall.

Magic Mushrooms?  Perhaps... they make me smile, and that's pretty magical.

A small tangle doodle.  Simple, yet it just feels right.
Hubby loves this piece.  The actual piece is about 3" in diameter.

I have no idea what to put in the hole.
I've decided to print out a copy and play with it to see what I might like...or I might just leave it blank.
I was thinking it would make a nice card, and I could put a message in the hole....hummm,
Little story about how this drawing came about:
Finally, hubby admits he needs some help.  So we decided to have someone come in to clean our house.
First, a woman comes out and looks at the house and gives you a price, then they set up an appointment.
While he was showing her the house, I drew this little doodle with the hole in it....was that my subconscious relating just how I don't feel like a whole person any longer?   Or did I just get stuck?

I really love this piece, but I don't feel that it scanned very well.  I tried it more than once,  but the colors just aren't what they should be.  (the background is a blue tint, not grey)
Stuart said it looked like it would be in Alice in Wonderland, that's why it's titled "Alice's Garden"
But after looking at it, I see a bit of Dr. Seuss in there.
It was fun!  I like circles!  There isn't an up or down on this drawing.  It's equally fun from all angles.
I may do another one of these and color it with ink instead of colored pencils...that would be bright!
Of course, it would not be the same...no two mushroom gardens are alike.

Yes, I am still doing a drawing journal.
Here's one entry I thought I'd share.

"The tears have been shed.
The lines have been drawn.
Do we dare to cross?
Do we dare to dream again?
The tears have flowed like rivers down our faces.
The mourning continues.
How do we hope again?
How do we believe?

I was sitting on the couch and noticed the remote for the TV.
I started to think about how much less TV I watch now than I used to.
When I first got tinnitus, I would keep the TV on all the time just for the noise so I wouldn't notice the buzzing in my ears so much.
Now, the tinnitus gets so loud I can't stand any other sounds.
The only time I watch TV now is if it has closed captioning.
Thank goodness for those shows and movies that have good closed captioning.
(some of it is really bad!)

Few, it's been a busy drawing week, and this is only the things I feel are OK enough to share.  I have pages and pages of patterns I'm trying out.

When you are bed bound, and the world spins a lot of the time, it's nice to have something to do that settles things down, and makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something.

Silly Haikus for today

The following are very loosely based in the tradition of a Haiku.

I was just playing around with a different way to say what's on my  mind.

Dizzy Chick needs change

Vertigo and Headaches Suck

Art Makes it Better

Head is swimming all alone

Try to keep afloat

Am adrift in solitude

Dizzy girl can not hear you

Noise in ear too loud

Needs be better at charades.

Drawing helps the pain

Concetrating on beauty

Am very grateful

Ink blot Challenge

Over at dt.haase (for the love of lines) - I decided to take the ink blot challenge.


They give you an inkblot and you make a design/picture/creative expression out of it.


So far I've completed #1 and #2 for September.

Inkling #1  Fish House

Inkling # 2 Homme à la plume

This was an interesting assignment.  Reminiscent of a Rorschach text.

Made my imagination run wild.  Fun!

Inkling # 2 Homme à la plume

What do you  think?

Some Creations from Sept 19-24

Physically and emotionally, this has been a turbulent week.
I'm still amazed at how much creating something has been helping.  While I'm doodling, the migraines seem more bearable.  The thought that I have something to do when I wake up, is liberating.  


But enough about me...
Here's what I've been working on for the last few days (actually there is more, but I haven't had the time to scan everything in, so another post will be coming soon!)

Buzzzz...

I like this tree.  Not sure I should have added the birds, but over all, I like this one.

affectionately called my Star Fish

A Work In Progress.  I have a dear friend, who's son's name is Nate...I've been thinking about him a lot lately.

Another Work In Progress, but I thought I'd share it with you today.
We each have our own struggles.  We must all have the courage to face them.
This week, I had to reach inside myself to find the courage deep within. 

Much more to scan.  

Hope you enjoy.

Getting Tangled

This week has been another rough week, so I've been stuck doing a lot of nothing.  Except....doodling, the Zentangle way! 


Here are a few that helped me get through the week:

I really like the center part of this one, but I think the patterns on the sides are a bit overwhelming.

Starting to do some shading.  

Drawn with some water soluble crayons that my husband brought me from a trip to  Switzerland, many years ago.

So far, this is my favorite.

Not sure this one is quite finished.
I like the idea of creating a picture of something using tangles.

Feeling like some COLOR!
not sure if this one is finished yet either...think it may need a bit more solid green.

I hope you enjoyed.

As always feel free to critique.  

I appreciate the feel back.

Self Portraits - with hubby too.

I haven't draw people in a very long time.
After posting "Translating Headaches into Images", Judith, from Creativity to Max, suggested. " Now, you might do the same with feeling better and better ad use that series as a visualization."


I wasn't exactly sure about how I would go about that.  So I dug out a couple of pictures that were taken when I was feeling better. and decided to simply draw from those.  These pictures bring back good memories, and thoughts and feelings.  


Please remember, I haven't drawn portraits in a very long time....years and years...so be gentle.


I'm actually pretty pleased with them, especially the one with me and Stuart together.  (That was a fun day.  A friend of ours came over and took pictures of us.  We had a ball!)


Below I've posted the drawing and underneath each I've posted the photo they came from.


Please let me know what you think...an honest critique would be appreciated.  I'm my own worst critic so I can see a ton of things I should change, but sometimes you just have to walk away.

Doodling - discovering Zentangle.

You know when you are shopping on Amazon and it gives you suggestions on things you might like...well it was right this time. They suggested some books on Zentangle.  (not that I'm going to buy the books, but it did make me wonder what Zentangle is, so I looked it up.)


Zentangle was created by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts.  Their moto, "Anything is possible one stroke at a time."  I won't go into detail about what Zentangle is, you can click on the link and find out much more.  It's mainly doodling patterns.  It's been around for a while now, it's just new to me.  


This week I had a Meniere's attack, complete with horrible vertigo....
I've also been fighting migraines.  


The doodling didn't help during the Meniere's attack (nothing does!), but it helped afterward.   And I'm surprised to find that while I'm doing this doodling, my migraines are more tolerable. (It also helps if I wear sunglasses while I'm drawing.)


So here's what I've been up to this week:

I was trying out some patterns a couple of days ago, then I came back to this yesterday...
 and it turned into this.  I like it.

The night after the Meniere's attack I couldn't sleep...
I was desperately afraid it would happen again...
So I started this.  I finished it the next day.

Most Zentangle designs are not colored...but I like color!

One of my first....It was turning out great...until I got to the lower right hand corner.
That just didn't work...I kept trying to fix it..and just made it worse.

This is going to be a birthday card for a friend of mine.
She loves animals, especially her cats.

Creating these Zentangles have been fun, and relaxing.  Some people say it's Yoga for the Brain.


If you just want to relax and loose yourself in your drawing, I suggest giving this a try.  There are a lot of patterns out there...some times I use them...sometimes I just make up stuff as I go.


I'm sure you'll be seeing some more designs,
but next up.... something I've been working on...a Self Portrait.


Have you ever tried Zentangle?  What do you think?

Journal and Drawing - Early September

Playing with the Inktense.

Deciding on what to draw with.  Pens, pencils...does it matter?
Or am I just stalling...
Decided to draw this indecision...a great way to get started.

Finding Me again.
I will not be defined by my illness!

After a hard day.
In need of the Sun,
but welcoming the rain.
"....The tears fall from the sky, as they land on my face they blend with the wetness already there -
I am grateful to the Rain."

2 days of random drawing.
Learning to be much more comfortable just doodling, and accepting "mistakes" while drawing with a  pen.
It's just a different, not a "mistake".

Close up.  The spider was a "mistake"...a blob...oops...I made it a spider.  : )

I didn't plan to draw a person.
Where did she come from?
Drawn with dots....I like pointillism.

Fractured Ear

I have a few days of creating to share with you, but today, I'm posting about me....a little any way.


I saw my ear doctor (specialist at Duke) on Tuesday.  I'm in a waiting game to see if things will improve after my last cerebrospinal fluid patches. (performed on Aug. 22nd).  I'm sure my headaches will level off....but my hearing...I'm just not so sure it will come back.


I had a hearing test while I was there.  At my last hearing test earlier this year, my left ear was the better.  I could hear from it without any aid, not as clearly as I could with my hearing aid, but I could make out speech if said directly to me.


This hearing test showed I have 0% word recognition in my left ear.  My hearing aid will not do any good.  To get the volume loud enough so I can hear anything, the sound is too distorted.  


When I got home, the emotions were so raw, I had to get it out...so I created.....


This is how I feel my ear sounds:

So for now I wait.

Days of Pain, and a New Toy

I do have a doodle that I created with the new Aquatense pencils, but I don't have my camera with me right now, so you will have to wait until next time....hope you can wait!


I had a very good day on Wednesday, then I took a drastic turn for the worst.  My migraines were out of control.  I've tried very had to keep up with creating something every day, but I must say, on Thursday (or was it Friday?, days have been running together), I couldn't stand the light enough to get out of the dark.  Since then my doctors have been working with my medication, trying to get my cerebrospinal fluid pressure level.  It has been a struggle...but we're working on it.


My wedding anniversary was on Saturday.  We had reservations at a nice seafood restaurant in town, but instead we had a bed picnic.  Stuart went to PF Chang's and picked up dinner for us (so glad they have a gluten free menu!)  I may not have felt great all day, but it was very nice to just spend down time with my beloved.  (I even wrote him a love letter, complete with pretty little doodles along the edges.)


I was surprised by my gift.  A Bamboo Pen and Touch tablet.  This is a wonderful drawing tablet that I can hook up to my computer, it comes with different programs, and I can use it with Photoshop.   I'm having a ball playing with it, but I it will never replace my physical art supplies.  I love the tactile feelings, the smell, simply the sensation.


Here are some things I've been doing as I learn how to use the tablet.  I'm having a ball.

This part of the program taught me how to manipulate a photo.
As you can see, now Mona Lisa is really an alien, and the real reason she's smiling is because she was given flowers and pearls.

This is my first "drawing" on the pad.  I'm using a program I've never tried before, and have a lot to learn.  I kind of like this lady.  With her hair blowing in the wind, and her eyes are so vivid...interesting.

This is a floral design I did.  It's a very interesting program.  Looks like it continued to draw off the page...humm.

This is my favorite design that I've made so far.  I love trees.  I think this is just cool!

Next time more Aquatense creations, and perhaps a collage I'm working on.