Sending Spoons - I Hope You Are AWAP

'Sending Spoons'

© 5/11/16 by Shiloh Moore

8"x10" Zentangle Pitt Pen and Paper Collage

Cards and products with this image can be bought here from Redbubble

This card is a Zentangle Collage called ‘Sending Spoons,’ for my friends with chronic illness. 

There is an analogy used to describe life with chronic illness by Christine Miserandino called 'The Spoon Theory.' (read in full here: 'The Spoon Theory' written by Christine Miserandino for www.butyoudontlooksick.com )  Christine has Lupus, but many with a variety of chronic illnesses and 'invisible' disabilities identify with it, and affectionately refer to themselves as 'Spoonies.'  

In her analogy, spoons symbolise energy (also pain threshold.)  A person with chronic illness only has a certain amount of energy per day, so only a few spoons.  Every task takes a certain number of spoons.  Often, you don't know how many spoons you will have throughout each day so you must be wise with how you spend them.  If there's something you have to do that day, you must keep enough spoons for the task. You might have to give up doing something else in order to have enough energy to do what you need to do.  You learn to prioritise what you spend your ‘spoons’ on.

Many with chronic illness also use a phrase to sign off messages with - 'I hope you are AWAP'.  AWAP stands for 'As Well As Possible'. 

So I came up with this pic 'Sending Spoons' using Zentangle patterns on spoons, with the phrase 'I HOPE U R AWAP.'  

(I also like how there's 5 horizontal spoons, so to me, I also see a mini musical staff!  Energy is musical!)

Thanks for using your spoons to read this.  Sending you spoons, and I hope you are AWAP!

Zentangle Part 3: Tenterfield Terrier

"Zentangle Tenterfield Terrier"

© 2015 By Shiloh Moore

30 May - 24 June 2015

Pitt Pens and Derwent Pencils on Watercolour paper, on Scrapbooking Paper Background

For my third effort at Zentangle I was ambitious, I wanted to do a portrait in memory of my beloved pooch!  I wanted to give it as a gift, so the pressure was on to do it justice. Here's the photo of my beloved:

I did the outline the same day as the outlines of my previous posts, 'Zentangle Daschund', and 'Zentangle Dove' (30th May 2015.)

Outline 'Zentangle Tenterfield Terrier' 

© 2015 by Shiloh Moore

I had both a brown and a black Pitt Pen to do the doodling on her face, so I photocopied my outline and roughly scribbled in the areas to be shaded black and brown.

Stage 2 of 'Zentangle Tenterfield Terrier'

© 2015 by Shiloh Moore

Then I took a couple weeks off as my arms were in extreme Fibromyalgia pain from the drawing I had done (my arms are always sore but this spurt of artwork had really flared it again.)

When I could, I looked at other zentangle and zen doodles online and in a book, for ideas as to my favourite styles of doodling, and ones that may look good and were appropriate for my pooch!

Then I could contain my pacing/resting/art ban no longer and decided to start doodling.  I worked on it for a few days 20-24th June and before I knew it, it was finished!

Here's a progress pic when I had started doodling:

Stage 3 of 'Zentangle Tenterfield Terrier'

© 2015 by Shiloh Moore

And the finished drawing without the scrapbooking paper background:  

Stage 4 of 'Zentangle Tenterfield Terrier'

© 2015 by Shiloh Moore

 And the finished product below the photo of my beloved poocherino:

Zentangle Part 2: Dachshund

"Zentangle Dachshund"

© 2015 By Shiloh Moore

31/5/15

After I did my 'practice' Zentangle Doodle of 'Zentangle Dove' (Zentangle Part 1: Dove on ByShi Blog June 2 2015), I was game to give myself a challenge to do a portrait with my gorgeous friend's amazing dachshund as my muse. I tried to do a portrait of them both, but my attempt at a portrait of my friend was far from complimentary (yes, not all my work turns out!!!), so I cut her out and just made it star her dachshund.  And I'm happy with the result! 

My gorgeous friend's dachshund

Stage one of the drawing

I am not the best at proportions so I cheated by photocopying the photo, then used a light box to trace the outline as above.

Then, while lying down in the position illustrated in my blogpost 'Living With ME and FM Series - Lying Down' (ByShi Blogpost Jan 18 2012), I doodled the zentangle details, then cut it out with patterned papers as a frame. 

The framed Zentangle picture and a photo of my gorgeous friend's dachshund side by side:  

 I've been absolutely exhausted and have had elevated pain levels since, so I think I overdid it and must pace myself before I start my next project (though I have so many ideas!!!)  But I feel wonderful emotionally to have created once again.  Art is definitely an 'important prescription' for my soul! (Thanks to my doc for the prescription - see 'Zentangle Part 1: Dove')

Zentangle Part 1: Dove

"Zentangle Dove"

© 2015 By Shiloh Moore

31/5/15

I haven't done any new drawing or painting in almost a year.  I've had a crazy time with my health and most of the time have not been well enough to create, plus I have not been feeling particularly inspired, so I did not want to push it.

One of my awesome doctors recently gave me an 'important prescription' - a colouring in book for adults, to gently get me back in the zone, with no pressure, and to just have fun.  The next day, another friend recommended I google 'Zentangle Art' and get into awesome creative doodling.  I've never been much of a doodler - I have mind blanks and put too much pressure on myself to not make a mistake!  But I thought I'd give it a try.

So my first attempt I used the outline of my doves in 'Be Free' (ByShi Blogpost Feb 12 2012) which I used again in 'Dove Tree Mandala' (ByShi Blogpost Sept 23 2012).  

I was not well enough to sit for long to do this, so I lay on my side and drew in the way I illustrated in my post 'Living With ME and FM Series - Lying Down' (ByShi Blogpost Jan 18 2012).

This was my first attempt at Zentangle and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Later that day I tried 'Zentangle Part 2: Dachshund', which I will upload soon, so stay tuned!!!