Breathtaking Bales of Batik

 Back in late-September (how quickly time flies), our friend Ildica Boyd came to Singapore for a visit. Debbie, Susan, and I had a wonderful time taking her to various places of interest. Ildica was here for just two and a half days, but boy, did we pack in as much activities as we could!

One of the places we visited with her was the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). At that point in time, ACM was having a special exhibition titled, "Batik Kita". It was a beautiful exhibition that explored the history and culture of batik and batik making. The designs shown ranged from traditional ones and also modern designs that we see today.

There was much inspiration to be found, and I thought you'd enjoy seeing some photos that I took at Batik Kita...

At the start of the exhibition, we saw the tools used to make Batik prints, and different cloth cuttings. 

Doesn't this design remind you of Bales:

And this one resembles Pangea!

These were more traditional designs.

This one was a very large piece:

Here's a photo that shows the tiny and intricately drawn details of the cloth:

Modern batik featuring words! This reminded me of the tangle, Vermal.

I loved how dynamic this piece looked. The colours and patterns were a feast for the eyes, and I wanted to create a tile inspired by it.

It just so happened that Ildica had gifted to us her handy little guidebooks. They are foldable accordion-style pocket guides that contain different types of enhancement and shading techniques. They were so handy to have as I worked on my tile.

If you think they're absolutely adorable, too, you can buy Ildica's extendable pocket guides here!

On my tile, I used some stickers that I got from the Batik Kita exhibition to create a Whatz-Its, and then used some tangle enhancers and shading techniques that I found in Ildica's pocket guides. The colours were added using Derwen't Coloursoft coloured pencils. This was lots of fun.

If you'd like, you can also download some batik prints from ACM's website on this page. They're great fun if you'd like to learn more about the history of batik making, and also for getting tangling inspiration.

It was great fun having Ildica come to visit and we were sad when she left.

Team 7F5R also recently gifted Ildica this postcard:

Because, truly, we as Certified Zentangle Teachers, are better together. :)

Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah to you!

Warm Wishes,

Stephanie Jennifer, CZT 21

Singapore

Inktober Tangles 2022 Official List

October will soon be here, and that means Inktober will soon be starting.

Inktober is an online event where artists all over the world challenge themselves by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. In 2015, I adapted the idea to fit with Zentangle art by making each day's prompts be a tangle. I call my list of tangles the Inktober Tangles challenge.

Here are some common questions that people have asked about Inktober Tangles:

Why is it called a "challenge"?
It is not a challenge against others, but a challenge to draw something every day for a whole month.

What are the requirements to join Inktober Tangles challenge?
Just draw something every day for the month of October. That's all there is to it. You can tangle on a tile, in your sketchbook, and use any shape or size or colour. The important thing is that you build the habit of tangling every day.

When does Inktober begin?
It begins on the 1st of October every year.

What if I miss a day?
Create one art work by combining today's tangle with the tangle that you've missed. Or just skip the tangle that you've missed and carry on. Always remember that the point of Inktober is to encourage you to draw more, so don't feel too badly if life happens and you had to skip a day or two.

Why are some tangles in your list non-official tangles?
I try to feature non-official tangles in order to introduce you to new tangles that you may not have seen or used before. Having other tanglers use a tangle you have deconstructed is always great fun, and it builds a community spirit while supporting other tanglers. If you want to swap out the non-official tangles, feel free to do so.

What if I don't like a particular tangle?
I encourage you to still try to create something with it. Pushing past your comfort zone is part of the spirit of Inktober. If you really dislike a tangle, you can always substitute it with another tangle.

What happens after Inktober ends? Will there be another challenge in November?
We do not have a daily challenge in November. However, Debbie and I host weekly and bi-monthly challenges in the 7F5R Challenge Facebook group. 7F5R Challenge is also the official Facebook group for Inktober Tangles.

Is there an official hashtag for Inktober Tangles?
Yes. This year, we are using #InktoberTangles2022

Where can I find the step-outs to all of the prompts for Inktober Tangles 2022?
I have created a handout that contains the list of tangles that you can print on A4 or US letter sized paper. It also contains links to all of the tangles' step-outs, and example tiles that I have created for each day's prompt to inspire you. Here's a link to the handout: https://bit.ly/InktoberTangles2022Prompts-2

Without further ado, here are the prompts for Inktober Tangles 2022:

Please feel free to share the list in your Facebook group or with your friends and students. I have also created a square version of this list if you'd like to post it on Instagram:

I hope that you have fun with this year’s list.  If you have any questions, leave a comment below. I can also be reached at stephanie@7f5r.com or on Instagram @havepen_willdraw. If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/stephaniej

I can’t wait to see what you create for this year’s Inktober Tangles.

Warmest Wishes,

Stephanie Jennifer, CZT 21

Singapore

Flowering Faybio

Our Tangle Travelog: Singapore Gardens by the Bay series is still currently being sold at a promotional launch price on 7f5r.thinkific.com/courses/gbtb! 

We found a bunch of beautiful tangles at Gardens by the Bay! The second one that I'd like to introduce you is one that I've named, "Faybio". The inspiration for it was the Fabio tulip!

Here are the step-outs to "Faybio", and some photos that I took at Gardens by the Bay that inspired the tangle:

You can use Faybio as a stand-alone tangle, a cluster, a fun embellishment, or even a border!

Here are some tiles that I created featuring it:

And here's a page from my sketchbook:

I’d love to see the art you create using Faybio! If you’re posting on Instagram, tag us ( @7forests5rivers ) and use the hashtag "#faybio". I hope you have fun playing around with this adorable tangle.

Warmest Wishes,

Stephanie Jennifer, CZT 21

Singapore