Hi and welcome back to the Chrissie Murphy Designs Blog. I have been playing around with Monotangling lately and I’d like to share about it with you today. I’ve absolutely fallen in love with this technique.
Now before we go any further – I have a disclaimer I’d like to share. I have recently signed up to be an Affiliate for Amazon Australia. It means that I get a small percentage from the sale of anything you may purchase through links I use in my blog. Just want you to know before we get into today’s post.
The Expressive Bits
What inspired me to create this Monotangling?
Monotangling has been around for a while, but I’ve never really explored it. I’ve preferred to pursue harmony and balance by contrasting patterns.
Lately the Lord has been revealing how much of life’s “stuff” doesn’t really matter. My focus has been narrowing. He’s been narrowing it so that it’s Him who’s in my front and centre. He’s the ONE thing. A mono-focus.
Then He put Monotangling on my heart and I was able to physically express so much of what I felt was happening spiritually.
What techniques did I use for the Monotangling and why?
As He’s been narrowing my focus to be my front and centre, I’m conscious He also wants to spill into every area of my life.
With the tiles, I wanted this to be represented by a “spilling out and over” the borders of the tile. This was a manual process of cutting the tile out of a larger tile and trimming it to reflect the tangle pattern spilling over.
I used traditional Zentangle methods otherwise and went with a very simple string.
What does it mean in terms of my artistic work as a whole?
Late last year the Lord started to speak to me about expression. I had been seeking Him on it. I wanted to deepen my ability to be able to express more through my art.
After reading about the great Expressionists and their techniques and methods, I wanted to bring some of this into my work. It was an “intentional” pursuit, an extension for what I was doing.
But the Lord began to show me something else:
“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say (or draw or create) flows from what is in your heart.”
Luke 6:45 NLT – Emphasis mine
Expression does not have to be pursued. It will flow naturally from what is in your heart. I need to trust the process.
How can you take this idea and be more Expressive?
If you want to be able to express more in your work, I would suggest feeding your heart.
This is the number one reason behind the journal prompts I offer each month to Expressive’s List subscribers (You can sign up for yours below). Journalling feeds your heart. It realigns things. And out of the realignment of the heart, the mouth or the hand speaks. You find yourself naturally expressing things.
So if you are wanting to be more Expressive, feed your heart. Start soaking up things you want to express.
The Factual Bits
The materials used
- Strathmore Artist Tiles 6in x 6in
- Derwent Inktense pencils in varying colours
- Signo Uniball Gel Pens in varying colours
- Prismacolor Premier Coloured Pencils
- Grey Copic Markers in W4, W5 and W7
The patterns that were used in the Monotangling
- Sandswirl by Karry Heun
- Wheelz by Joyce Block CZT
How big is the Monotangling?
Cut down they are around 4in x 4in square or circular minus the overspill.
Want to be more Expressive?
Join the Expressive’s List to begin to learn ways you can start to express yourself creatively. With the Lord there are no moulds or limits, just possibilities, and the promise of unearthing who you were created to be.
Expressive Subscribers receive an email each month that contains creative inspiration and ideas, links to helpful resources and a month’s worth of journal prompts to stimulate creative expression. These prompts are a great way of learning to express yourself when you’ve never really tried it before. Fill in your details below to sign up.
Until next time, listen to your heart and sharpen your coloured pencils. A masterpiece awaits!
Bless you my friend
Chrissie xx
