Another mandala: I used some overlapping knotted ribbons according to the samples I played with before, and it was fun - took me two whole days to finish the 8x8 inch picture. This is probably the last one I’ll make for a while, I’m utterly mandala’d out :-) But I can’t promise.
Here is a short step-out:
And here are some other views for you to inspect:
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Remember that all images are Copyright Eni Oken.
I embroidered freeform over a piece of fabric taken from a dress that no longer fit me but still had a lot of meaning.
I’m so pleased with this beautiful mandala I made using a stencil by Kathryn Costa (Four Gates Mandala). I mixed two techniques: 1) painting with Pitt artist brush pens and Inktense pencils and 2) embroidering on paper. Very very fun to make!
I’m still enjoying making these mini needlepoints, I might use them as patches to embellish purses or totes. I’m finding the similarities with Zentangle fascinating: repetitive patterns, intuitive and meditative method (in this type of counted design), small size canvas, portability and unexpected results. Fun!
Continuing with some canvaswork needlepoint. This little one measures less than 3x3 inches over aida canvas, but I’ll use interlock from now on. The stitches are getting a bit more regular and even, it’s just a matter of practice. I love using gold thread over the colors, it create a nice metallic glint that is difficult to capture in the photo.
While Alan and I are safe from the recent Los Angeles fires, some of our loved ones were affected in a most brutal way, losing everything. I am extremely thankful that everyone is healthy and safe, but I have not had the emotional space to create any drawing or painting. The only thing I barely feel like making right now is some canvaswork embroidery which brings me comfort and reminds me of my grandmothers. This little canvas measures 4x4 inches.
Tripoli is the tangle for the second day of Zenuari 2025. I actually created two tiles on this one. Here’s my favorite one, using pitt brush pens and inktense to do the shading. #zenuari2025
My New Year’s resolution is to participate in more online art challenges. We’ll see how that goes… I signed up for Zenuari 2025, a month-long challenge by Anoeska Waardenburg. The first day prompt called for bubbles and I couldn’t resist transforming them into gemmy bubbles. Shaded with inktense pencil. #zenuari2025
Happy New Year! I’ve been MIA for the holidays, lots of things to do with a house guest. Barely had any time to tangle or draw and nothing seemed to work. So I took a couple of unfinished tiles from long ago and completed them with some easy (almost) black and white tangling.
This picture was made largely adapted from a fragment of Gothic architecture I found in Richard Glazier’s Manual of Historic Ornament (archive dot org). I combined three primary colors with black ink, and shaded and colored using inktense pencils.
For the last 8 months or so I’ve been embroidering over fabrics. This is a dress that I upcycled with two hand embroidered panels.