Hi and welcome back to the Chrissie Murphy Designs Blog. I have something a little bit different to share with you today. I’m calling them Tangle Dangles (you’ll see why in a sec). Come and join me for a closer look at these little beauties.
Now before we go any further – I have a disclaimer I’d like to share. I am an Affiliate for Amazon Australia. This 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 these Tangle Dangles?
I have been a fan of MaeDesignsArt on Instagram for a while. Sarah is a self confessed bunny lover, painter of Bible covers and pet portrait artist extraordinaire. I particularly love the pet portraits she does on wood slices. It got me thinking….. what would tangled wood slices look like?
Now unlike Sarah, I am not a “painter”. I am comfy with a pen and pencils, so working with paint is a bit daunting. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a go. I am so glad I did!
What techniques did I use for the Tangle Dangles and why?
A hilarious question, because I know nothing about painting techniques! Here’s what I did do though….
I painted the surface white to begin with. This is so I could sketch the tangles on it.
Then I grabbed the smallest brush I had on hand and set about filling the tangle shapes with paint.
Lastly, I used a Signo Uni-ball Gel pen to define the linework and apply some highlights.
Is it weatherproof or waterproof? Aaah probably not. I know it should be sealed, but with what I don’t know 🤷🏼♀️ So for now, I’ve put them in a safe place, where they can’t get wet.
What does it mean in terms of my artistic work as a whole?
These Tangle Dangles represent fun! They are me stepping outside of my comfort zone to have a play. If you ever start to feel stale with your art, I recommend step outside of your comfort zone and do something that’s creatively risky. It’s fun, and it breaks the monotony.
How can you take this idea and be more Expressive?
How long have you been tangling and creating the same way? When was the last time you tried something creatively risky?
I loved reading Doris Bisschop, CZT’s post on Instagram last week. She was experiencing pain in her right hand (her drawing hand). It was becoming a problem for her tangling, but she didn’t want it to stop her. She stepped out of her comfort zone and gave drawing with her left hand a go. The results were incredible.
Yep, it’s definitely risky stepping out of your comfort zone. But you know what, if you pull it off….. the rewards are just so much more sweet! I’m so glad I gave these Tangle Dangles a go.
The Factual Bits
The materials used
- Wood slices
- Jo Sonja Acryllic Paints in varying colours
- Signo Uniball Gel Pen in varying colours
- Some raffia for hanging the Tangle Dangles
How big are the Tangle Dangles?
They are about 7cm in diameter – pretty small.
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
