Zen Doodle Coloring Book

I was notified by F&W Media (North Light Publishing) that they published Zen Doodle Coloring Book this past month and included some of my artwork in it! I do not know which Zen Doodles they included, as I have not yet received my complimentary copy. But it is exciting that my work has been published in another book.

This coloring book is built of lovely Zentangle®-inspired art  and coloring in these inspiring and unique designs will help you relax and relieve stress. You'll clear your mind, you'll have fun, and you might even have a pretty piece of art to frame when you're finished! Find more than 100 Zen Doodle illustrations selected from some of North Light's bestselling titles, including Zen Doodle: Oodles of Doodles, and Zen Doodle: Tons of Tangles. 

If you would like to buy a copy of the book, please order through my blog, so that I receive renumeration. You can click on the link in the right-side column to order your copy.

Also, North Light is offering the book as part of a coloring kit. It includes the Zen Doodle Coloring Book, the Zen Doodle Summer 2015 Workshop (a book that has great ideas, easy techniques, and step-by-step projects for your doodling, as well as techniques for shading, adding drama with dimension, incorporating color, and drawing eye catching patterns), and a 5-pen marker set of Earth Tones Chameleon Color Tones. These color-changing alcohol-based markers will change the way you doodle! You can change the tone of your marker from very light or no tone at all, to a deep vibrant shade. This unique transition enables you to add great depth to your art and is especially suited for Zen Doodling! You'll have the ability to create stunning effects including smooth transitions, highlighting, shading, gradations, and blending, all with one pen. The 5-pack Earth Tones set includes these colors: Spring Meadow, Bark, Seville Orange, Hot Cocoa, and Olive Green.  If you would rather buy the kit, you can click the appropriate link on the right-side column.

Thank you for your support and encouragement!

Keep creating!
Lynnita

Zen Doodles; Oodles of Doodles book

The book will be in stock and available for purchase soon! Zen Doodle: Oodles of Doodles by North Light Books will be arriving soon!!! The cover page is beautiful!

Zen Doodle: Oodles of Doodles, edited by Tonia Jenny published by North Light Books. 

I can hardly wait to get my advance copy and see my published artwork (see post here) and the the page about me as one of the "spotlight artists" (see post here). This is very exciting, to have my work published in a second book. This book is a followup to the book Zen Doodle: Tons of Tangles that I have work published in (see post here).

I will post all the details for ordering soon! I'm setting up to be an affiliate, so I will get royalties if you purchase either book through my link! So please wait until I can get that set up to order your copy!

Thanks!!


Keep creating!!

Lynnita

Week 18 of 365 Days of Art Challenge

It's been a very busy week, so I'm a bit late with this post. I've been getting everything in for the ZenDoodle: Oodles of Doodles challenge. (See info from previous posts here.)  The editors at F&W Media are doing something a bit different with this book, than they did for the Zen Doodles: Tons of Tangle book. They are doing a few "spotlight artist" pages. I was chosen to be one of the artists they are going to spotlight!! Wow! I can hardly believe it!! At any rate, it required me sending in several more doodles or Zentangles or Zentangle-Inspired-Art (ZIA), plus writing up a couple of pages worth of information for them to work from. This took me a few days to write and pull enough ZIA's together (or draw new ones) that I thought would be worthy of publishing.

One of the ZIA's that I sent them was this alphabet that I created. I thought this would be something different than the usual abstract or animal ZIA that I usually do. I have been trying to learn some calligraphy, as well as, working through one of Joanne Sharpe's lettering courses. This doodled alphabet is right in line with that and will be something unique for the Oodles of Doodles book, if they choose this one for my "spotlight artist" page. 

Tangled Alphabet.  5 ½” x 8 ½”

2-ply vellum Bristol paper

0.005, 0.01 and 0.03 black Sakura micron pens and a graphite pencil.

Includes various tangle patterns.

I had so much fun creating this alphabet. Anything was possible!! No rules meant capitals or lower case letters, funky or realistic shapes, and any doodle I could think of,  find, or imagine. I would like to do another one and color it. Bright, bold colors would really make this sparkle!

Have a good week! Happy sketching!!

Zentangles to be published!

F&W Media published a book last fall called: Zen Doodle: Tons of Tangles. I have four Zentangle-Inspired Art (ZIA) pieces published in this book (see post .dated Sept 9 2013).  It was such a success that they decided to followup with a second book, Zen Doodle: Oodles of Doodles.












In mid-January, Create Mixed Media announced a call for entries for the 3.5" x 3.5" Zentangle tiles for this new book.  Yesterday, I received an email telling me that they have accepted 5 of the entries I submitted!!! Whoo-hoo!!!!

These are the tiles that were accepted:

Now the hard work starts. Making step outs and captions for all the tiles! I'm so excited!!

Book Club with Blue Twig Studio

Deb Prewitt of Blue Twig Studio started on online book club this month. The book we read was  Art & Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland.  Its about our fears about art - both with ourselves and others. Deb has a nice summary on her blog. 

I really enjoyed the book. It was very thought-provoking – making me think about: Why I create art? What are my fears about my art? Is it the process or the end product I’m concerned about? – as well as all the questions Deb mentioned in her blog. I agree with Deb – you have to make art for yourself – you have to forgot about others and what they think of your work and just do it!!

I took a few art classes many years ago in oil painting, colored pencil, and watercolor. I loved them. They made me get out of myself and do something that I grew to love and work on it every week. I participated in a few exhibits with the group I was involved with and even sold a few paintings and received a couple of commissions. Then the group started getting clique-ish and I was no longer welcomed because I didn’t live close enough.  (Looking back, I really think it was because I was one of only a couple people that actually sold anything or got commissions from the exhibits.)  I allowed myself to quit painting and drawing because of their attitude towards me. 

I started quilting, as I had always enjoyed sewing. I love quilting, too, but it took me awhile to get to where I felt comfortable making art quilts. This past year, I took a workshop in painting wholecloth quilts. This combines my drawing and painting background with quilting. Wow!! Who would've thought I could do that? 

But I still missed painting and drawing. A couple years ago, I discovered  Zentangles, They inspired me first as I thought they would be great to use for quilting designs. Once I started creating Zentangles or ZenDoodles, I wanted to get back to painting and drawing. However, now I want to do acrylics, watercolors, colored pencils, pastels, and mixed-media. I enjoyed oil painting, but the fumes are pretty strong.  So I think, for now anyway, that I'll stick with mediums that are more chemical friendly.

I've learned that I love making art because it’s part of me – I have to paint or draw or make an art quilt. I’ve finally gotten over my fears (most of the time! they still haunt me at times! LOL!) and make it for myself. I'm also learning to loosen up and not be so obsessed with perfection or details.  I want to enjoy the process more, not just get the finished product done. I do enter shows (not always accepted, but that’s okay – it’s a learning experience). I'm actually trying to enter more shows or exhibits on a national level, not just the local field. Like having four of my Zentangles accepted into a book - Zen Doodle Tons of Tangles. (see my blog posted Sept 9, 2013).  

All of this, is to let you know where I’m coming from and why this book, Art and Fear, really spoke to me. I had to read sections 2-3 times. I know now, from experience, what the book is trying to get across – just create because you want to and enjoy the process. If people like my work, fine, but if they don’t – that’s okay, too.  Art (and creativity) is a part of me.

Zen Doodle: Tons of Tangles

Whoo-hoo!!! It's out! The book from F&W Media (North Light Books) that accepted 4 of my Zentangle designs for publication is out!!  (See post dated March 13, 2013).  I received an email from F&W Media today that the book is being listed for pre-orders.  The book can be pre-ordered at the North-Light website. It's on sale for 25% off right now. I'm not sure how long this sale will last.

Cover of the book.

I can't wait to receive my copy of the book!! They said it should be here by the end of September!! Whoo-hoo!!  (Am I allowed to toot my own horn??). 

ZenDoodles sent to North Light Publishers

Tweeting on the Magic Carpet

I sent off 4 ZenDoodles today that were picked for publication with North Light Publishers for a book on Zen Doodles that they are publishing in the fall of 2013.  They sent out a call for Zentangle or Zen Doodle designs a couple months ago. I submitted 6 drawings. I was so shocked to hear from them and then to find out they picked 4 of my drawings for publication!! I was speechless!!  Then, found I had to draw 3 step outs and clean up the drawings and have everything returned to them in 2 weeks time!!

Sixteen perfect drawings, with no erasure marks (since they are in ink!!). Whew! The pressure was on!! I was burning the midnight oil. I drew the first step out 4 times before I was happy with it. Just when I thought I was done, I'd make a mistake and have to start over! Oh, it was nerve-wracking! To strive for such perfection - oh!! Finally... after making about 30 drawings, I got 16 good ones to send in!!

Spring Excursion

Thank goodness for patient husbands and good friends!! My poor husband had to cook most meals and do the dishes, as I was too busy drawing!! My house didn't see any cleaning during this time (so I'm not the best housekeeper anyway-that's not the point!) 

Wings of Freedom

My girlfriend, Rita kindly took photos for me before I overnighted the originals to North Light. Just in case, something happened to them in the mail. She even took me to the post office to overnight the photos, as I was so tired and fuzzy-brained, I couldn't make heads or tails out of her directions to the post office by her house. (I'm not real sure how I made it back home!)

Ribbons and Rain

What a relieve to have this done! Didn't realize how stressful it would be!! But it feels good. Now it's a "hurry and wait" for the book to be published!! Will let you all know when it comes out, so you can run right out and buy your own copy!!