Doodle Dolls and Friends who Zentangle

My friend, Pirk, posted a note to the International FreeForm Fiber Arts group, that has triggered all kinds of  inspiration for the members of the group- me included!

Pirk posted the link to the Zentangle website: Zentangle (a delightful  system of creating spectacular doodles based on working with constructed patterns.)

and a link to her flickr pics of her Zentangle drawn doodles and how she has interpreted them as crochet scrumbles (freeform pieces).  Pirk’s links:  Flickr and Blog

Doodling has long been

an important part

of my design process.

In fact, for lots of years

I taught workshops

about using doodling

as inspiration in doll making.

I even included a whole

chapter on the importance

of doodling, in my book:

Soul Mate Dolls: Dollmaking as a Healing Art.

This doodle doll

is a collaboration

between my husband

and myself.

We made it 4 years ago.

He turned her on the lathe

and I doodled and burned the

patterns onto her.

I love using twigs

for arms and legs on

dolls.

I didn’t realize how much

influence the doodled lathe turned doll was having on me,

when I was working on

my newest Doodle Doll.

After making the

Doodle Doll with

spool knitted arms and

legs for this post:

Link to first Doodle Doll post,

I assumed that I would

be spool knitting the arms

and legs for this Doodle Doll,

who I have named: ‘Potentianna’

(in honour of new possibilities)

I was just so

wrong about

spool knitted arms and legs

for Potentianna!

I spool knitted several

cords, with different colors,

different weights…

but, nope.

Potentianna simply refused

them.

I tried tatting them.

I spent hours spool knitting

and tatting.

To no avail.   Same response.

A polite but firm, ‘No thank you!’

She was very firm about what she wanted, but it took me awhile to hear what she had to say.

What she wanted was: Twigs.

Yep. Twigs and only twigs. Thank you very much.

As soon as I , pardon the pun, ‘twigged’ to that, things went swimmingly!

Same thing with her hat. I was sure that she needed a crown.

No way.

Several color combinations and different thread versions later, I finally got it that all she wanted was a little piece of something natural.

And, a fragment of abalone shell was perfect thank you very much.

And, so, Potentianna is now happily completely herself and is hanging on the wall of the studio, beckoning me to pick up my pens and start doodling her some sisters and friends and family….

Oh yes! speaking of friends! I need to mention some other friends who are seriously into doodling….

My friend, Margaret Bremner and I went to art school together a million years ago, and she’s just wonderful in every way. Her art is meditative, contemplative and just plain gorgeous: Link to Margaret

Margaret is so delighted with the Zentangle system of drawing that she is about to become a certified teacher.             How neat is that?

And, one of my Artsy Blogger buddies, June, is also a champion doodler… definitely check out her beautiful work:

Link to June’s blog (and I REALLY do mean beautiful!)

So, whether you like to freeform in your doodling, or use your doodles for dollmaking, like I do,or your crochet, like Pirk, or your mandalas,  or are intrigued by the delightful possibilities of the Zentangle system, I encourage you to pick up you pens and pencils and get doodling!

Happiness awaits…. it’s right at the tip of your pencil….