Category: Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

Sloth Totem Drawing

by Free Spirit Meg, posted in Totem Animals, Traditional Art, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

I am very happy with how my “Sloth Totem” turned out! I stayed completely care-free the entire time I worked on this piece. I didn’t know how it would turn out in the end but I didn’t worry about it. I just let it happen and it happened well! I have shared this on social media and so far it is getting a lot of positive feedback.

I’m not entirely sure why people love sloths though! To be honest, I think they are a little creepy in real life. I can totally get on board with the calm and chill lifestyle though!

I will cover the symbolism of sloth after Inktober is completed. I shared a FSM Update to explain everything that is coming up in the next month! Make sure you give it a glance to see what’s in store!

Speaking of store, if you would like your own print of “Sloth Totem” it is available in my shop here.

You can also find home decor, apparel, accessories and more with my “Sloth Totem” piece. Click here.

Thanks for stopping by! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think about sloths. Cute or creepy?

Stay chill, free spirits!

“The main thing is to relax and let your talents do the work.” -Charles Barkley

Advertisements

It’s a Digital Age!

by Free Spirit Meg, posted in Digital Art, Sketchbook, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

I’ve been throwing around the idea of trying my hand at some digital art. I’ve never really dabbled with it much more than when I was in high school. That was fifteen years ago so a lot has changed in the technological department.Hard as it is to believe, I had never drawn on a device with a stylus and I wanted to try it. I’ve also been wanting to start creating some mandalas so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to tackle both!

With each one, I do a little better and learn something new about the drawing app I am using. I settled for Autodesk Sketchbook until my art can pay for Adobe Illustrator, which would be my preferred program. I just finished the mandala picture below and have added it to my online shop! I call it “Bluedana” and I had a lot of fun creating it!

I’m learning so much, rapidly. I can’t wait to see where my work will be in even a few weeks! Digital art is so much fun I know I haven’t even scratched the surface yet. I use to swear against it for the longest time. That was before I knew what I could do with it! I use to think it was “cheating” but it really isn’t. It just streamlines the entire process. This makes everything so much faster so you can get even more art done. Plus, you aren’t using any materials so you don’t have to dish out money for supplies. As long as you have a good device and a decent stylus, you’re all set! By the way, I drew all of these from my phone. I found an app that works for my laptop and my phone so I can draw no matter where I am!

I hope you enjoyed my work. There is a lot more where that came from. What are your thoughts on digital art and illustration? Leave your story in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by this week.

Happy Autumn, free spirits!

“You never know what you can do until you try, and very few try unless they have to.” –C.S. Lewis

W.I.P. Slumbering Sloth

by Free Spirit Meg, posted in Work In Progress, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

I’m starting my next piece and I’m giving in to this sloth obsession that has been going on. It seems like every year their is a strange animal that people go “ga-ga” over! This year is the sloth, I guess. Perhaps it’s one of those “you’re so ugly, you’re cute” kind of thing? Or is it their slow, calm and chill attitude? Whatever it may be, I’ve decided to try my hand at a sloth.

This is my rough sketch. I don’t think sloths really sleep like this but I wanted to play off of their lazy-like appearance. I’ve been really tired lately between work, family, summer activities and staying up later than I probably should. When I look at this, I can just imagine taking a nap in the trees with a nice, cool breeze. That would be the life, am I right? I think it’s safe to say we have all been there.

I have some of the ink done. This piece has a lot of patterns in it naturally so incorporating them will be fun! I also can’t wait to start the color. I don’t typically incorporate backgrounds for my totem pieces but this one definitely called for it. The leaves will be neat to create and green is one of my favorite colors to work with.

I hope you enjoyed the work in progress of my Sloth Totem. Check back soon to see the finished piece! What do you think about sloths? Cute and chill? Or Ugly and Freaky? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think?

Pleasant Dreams, Free Spirits!

*********************************************************

~Totem Animal art by Free Spirit Meg~

Find your own totem animal!

Prints and Products Available @ Redbubble!

Mother Bear – Happy Mother’s Day!

by Free Spirit Meg, posted in Events, Traditional Art, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

Happy Mother’s Day to all! I completed my Mother’s Day inspired drawing entitled, “Mother Bear”. I am so happy with how this turned out. Blue and orange hues together are some of my favorite colors! They really *POP* together. I have also been wanting to create a drawing of a mama bear and her cub for a very long time now. I finally got around to it and I’m happy I finally did it!

You can find it in my shop at Redbubble here. Available for prints, apparel, home décor and more! Check it out and get one for your Mother Bear!

You can also read about bear symbolism here on a post I created previously with my Bear Totem drawing.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope your have a great day with your mother and/or children. Plus, wish Mother Earth a happy Mother’s Day! Plant a tree, a flower or just enjoy a nice nature hike!

Carpe diem, free spirit!

Flamingo Totem Drawing

by Free Spirit Meg, posted in Traditional Art, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

My Flamingo Totem is complete! It seemed like it took forever. Landscaping season started back up for me while I was half way finished with it. I can’t dedicate as much time in the day to drawing as I could over the winter. It really made the flamingo drag on but I forced myself to finish it and I’m glad I did. I am really happy with the outcome.

I actually have two versions of the flamingo. The first version, pictured above, was my initial idea of just doing the body so I had plenty of room to create the patterns and tangles within the feathers. Feathers are a lot of fun to create using Zentangle. While I was working on the body, I realized, aside from their color, one of the flamingos most distinctive features are their long legs. I thought it would be neat to incorporate the legs into the drawing making one big project. I used three sheets of my drawing paper to create one huge piece of the flamingo with it’s legs. I scanned the three images to my computer and pieced them together creating this long legged beauty!

I am really happy with how it looks as a full image. My only complaint is my scanner. Unfortunately, it couldn’t capture the really HOT pink color I was using so some of the areas are more dull compared to the original. Without comparing it though, the scanned image still looks pretty sweet!

I have both of these versions available in my shop at Redbubble. Click the links below to check out apparel, home décor, stationary and more!

Flamingo Totem (Body Only)

Flamingo Totem (with Long Legs)

You can also check out two patterns that I created from these pieces. The pretty blue background compliments the pink nicely. You can find these in my shop here and here.

Which design or drawing is your favorite? Leave a comment below! Thanks for stopping by today! I have quite a few ideas for my next couple projects so check back often for new work. I hope you are enjoying some nice weather!

Stay flashy, free spirits!

Twitterpated

by Free Spirit Meg, posted in Totem Animals, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

Spring has finally arrived! The weather is trying to make the shift from cold and frigid to into warm and inviting. I can hear the birds throughout the day. It was silent during the winter then one day, it seemed all the birds came out at once to sing their songs! I love it! I always think of the scene from the movie Bambi when the owl explains that all the birds are twitterpated! Twitterpated? Yes.

“Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. For example, you’re walking along minding your own business, you’re looking neither to the left, nor to the right, when all of the sudden, you run smack into a pretty face. WHOO-WHOO! You begin to get weak in the knees, your head’s in a whirl! And then you feel light as feather, and before you know it you’re walking on air! And then you know what? You’re knocked for a loop! And you completely lose your head!” -Friend Owl

It makes me laugh every time I think about it. So in honor of springtime and a great movie here are is a collection of all the avian totems I have drawn so far.

There are still quite a few I need to cover but it’s a pretty great collection to start. I have the flamingo in the works right now. It’s going to be fun playing around with the different shades of pink. For now though, we have these beauties! You can read about each birds symbolism by clicking the links below.

You can also find prints and other cool products with these images @Redbubble and @Society6!

Which drawing is your favorite? Is there a bird not pictured here that you would like to see? Drop a suggestion in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by today!

Fly high, free spirits!

Animal Patterns

by Free Spirit Meg, posted in Free Spirit Merch, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

I’ve been having some fun in photoshop lately. I like to make patterns and come up with cool designs using my traditional drawings. It opens a whole new world of creativity! Here are some of my patterns I’ve created so far.

It’s really cool watching them unfold and seeing what comes from the original drawing. They also look awesome on my products @Redbubble. I can’t wait to see what other designs I can come up with! I am currently working on horse for my next piece! I’m really excited to share it! Check back later this week to see my work in progress post.

Which pattern did you like best? Anything you hope to see in the future? Leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from you! Thanks for stopping by!

Stay edgy, free spirits!

Totem Animal: Orca

by Free Spirit Meg, posted in Totem Animals, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

I had so much fun creating this piece. I always have an idea in mind but as I draw I let the piece create itself. My original thought was to have each orca resemble each half of a yin yang symbol. They originally were going to be done in zentangle and one porpoise would be black, the other white. The more I worked on it, my entire idea changed. The orcas’ skin is so smooth and shiny, I didn’t want to take away from that by adding patterns. I thought, instead, it would be a fun opportunity to play with the value scale and get some nice blue hues in replace of the orcas’ natural black. To fill in the space between, I created a neat design to represent the waves of water splashing around them. It’s a very calming piece. I feel like I can hear the water splashing when I look at it.

The orca has always fascinated me, ever since I was a child. They are my favorite marine animal and they have a lot to boast. So let’s dive on in and learn about their symbolism! (…see what I did there…)

Orca Symbolism

***********************************************

First of all, lets get this out of the way so there is no confusion. Orcas are also known as killer whales. They are not actually whales, however. They are the largest porpoise (like dolphins) species in existence.

Orcas are highly intelligent creatures. They have the second largest brain in the ocean and can figure out any dilemma they come across. Have you ever seen those videos on youtube of the killer whales hunting? Pretty crazy stuff! Their ability to work together and problem solve is remarkable. This is a key point we should take from the orca. If they have swam into your consciousness, it may be time to start using that big brain of yours. Keep yourself mentally active and healthy. The better you take care of yourself, the better you can take on any obstacle in life!

Orcas are a strong symbol of family. They live in huge “pods” sometimes of 40 family members! The females lead the pod, passing it down from generation to generation. They have great respect towards their grandmothers and mothers. We, too, should remember to respect our own family members who have cared for us and taught us what they know.

It is also important to work together. Killer whales know they can accomplish more when they are together. They are phenomenal hunters. Orcas have often been referred to as the wolves of the water because of the way they work as a pack to catch their prey. Make sure you are being a good team player. Help each other to obtain a common goal. The success rate is higher when you work together. It is much easier to make waves with many whales than it is with one. Imagine what you can do if everyone is in tune with each other. Communication helps with this.

Orcas are very vocal and rely heavily on sound. They use echolocation to navigate the world around them. Plus their songs are beautiful and melodious. If you hear the call of the orca, remember to use your own voice. Communicate with others to achieve harmony. Sing your song and enjoy the music of others. A calming tone can do wonders!

Some Native Americans believed that each orca was a reincarnation of a loved one. They showed a great respect for the animal and never hunted them. They were a sign from the spirit realm that a love one that has passed is still with you, watching over you. If you have lost someone recently, perhaps they have come to comfort you in the form of orca.

***********************************************

The orca is such a powerful totem and they represent so much more than what I covered here. Make sure to check out other sources to get a full interpretation of your totem. Thanks for stopping by this week! Say hi in the comments below and let me know what you think of the orca totem!

Make a splash, free spirit!

Find Orca Totem prints and other products @Redbubble

Click here to get $10 off your first Redbubble purchase! Prints, canvases, totes, tapestries, apparel and more!


Orca WIP

by Free Spirit Meg, posted in Work In Progress, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

I recently held a poll to choose which totem animal I would draw next. It was a close vote but the orca won! I’m pretty excited too because the orca is my favorite marine animal. I have always admired them, ever since I was a kid. My original idea for this piece was to do a yin yang style with the orcas but the more I worked on it, the more it unfolded into something else. I will come up with another idea to use the yin yang. I didn’t want to add any tangles to the orcas because I want their skin to stay smooth. I’ll be shading it with colored pencils to get a really nice value scale. I can’t wait to share the finished piece with you! Stop by next week to check it out and to learn about orca symbolism!

Just keep swimming, free spirits!

***********************************************************

~Totem Animal art by Free Spirit Meg~

Find your own totem animal in the shop!

Prints and Products Available @ Redbubble!

Totem Animal: Blue footed Booby

by Free Spirit Meg, posted in Totem Animals, Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA)

This post is all about boobies! I’m sorry, I had to! Ok, but seriously though it’s about boobies. The blue footed booby to be exact. It is the latest animal I chose for my totem series. I had a lot of fun with this piece. I really enjoy using zentangle when drawing birds. Their feathers always come out awesome! I was excited to use the blue colors to create the feet, as well. I didn’t use any ink around the feet like I did through out the rest of the piece. I wanted the color to be the only part of the feet you pay attention to. This is also why I didn’t add any tangles to the feet. I kept the colors for this drawing realistic. The blue footed booby is so beautiful on it’s own. I didn’t want to take away from their natural patterns and colors.

The blue footed booby’s symbolism is just as interesting as their appearance. It was difficult to dig up information on this one. It was a unique choice on my part. Not too many people stumble across these guys too often, being that that they are only found in Central and South America. However, I was seeing them repeatedly online and my son brought home some school papers about them so I decided I needed to check this one off the list.

******************************************************

Blue Footed Booby Symbolism

The word booby comes from the Spanish word “bobo”. Bobo means stupid. Some think this name was given to these birds because of how clumsy they are when on land. Although they bumble around on land to mate and care for their young, they are most graceful in the air and water. They soar through the air, above the ocean hunting for food. They will dive straight down into the water, with speed and elegance, to gobble up unsuspecting schools of fish. When searching for a mate, males use their vibrant feet in a courting dance to show off to females. The brighter the blue, the more attractive the mate. They also use their feet to protect their young and keep them warm. Because of their size, the only predator boobies have
(besides humans) are sharks.

The blue footed booby is a survivor. If one has crossed your path you can expect the same for yourself. No matter what life is throwing at you, you can come out of it stronger than ever! Dive deep within yourself. There are more layers than just the surface. You have strength deep within that will help you get ahead in life.

The booby is fearless. They may look silly as they stumble around, doing a little dance. They may be a bit goofy with big blue feet that don’t quite seem to fit the rest of their body. Though in the end, they are still confident and continue on. So what if your own dance is a little clumsy, it’s yours! Strut your stuff, don’t be afraid to be you! Single? This could be your time to shine and pick up that cutie you’ve been too shy to approach otherwise. In a relationship? Don’t forget to have some fun every once and a while. Remember to dance together, even if you look silly.

The blue footed booby is also a symbol of creativity and dreaming. It might be time to take that dream and make it a reality. The booby is telling you to keep in touch with your creative side. Anything is possible, as long as you can imagine it. Use your creativity to make it happen.

Blue footed boobies live on the coast. This symbolizes unity of all the elements. The sun shines on the coast (fire), the booby birds dance on the shore (earth), they soar through the sky (air) and they dive into the waters(you guessed it, water). They use all the elements to survive and have achieved a balance between them. If we can obtain this balance in our own lives, we too can dive deep into the open water and come out with an abundance of fish….or whatever you are aiming for!

With awkward feet and a name that makes you giggle, it’s surprising how powerful a totem the blue footed booby can be. Balance your life and remember to look within yourself for the strength to survive. Stay silly and spend time with the love of your life.

I hope you were able to gain some insight from the blue footed booby. I was happy to learn as much as I did about them. They are unique and interesting creatures. Have you ever seen one of these birds in person? Share your story in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by this week! Check back soon for my next totem piece, the orca.

Dive on in, free spirits!

******************************************************

~Totem Animal art by Free Spirit Meg~

Find your own totem animal in the shop!

Prints and Products Available @ Redbubble!