(If you’re clueless about Zentangle, start here.)
This week, the Zentangle Diva, Laura Harms, challenged us to use a spiral as the string (guide) for our tile (composition). I’m afraid I got a little considerably carried away with the spiral thing. Rather than just treating it as a string, my tile has spirals coming out the proverbial “wazoo“. See below:
So, why have I had to delete an expletive? Because I broke my cell (mobile) phone, which is also my “go to” camera when I’m on the road! And, I’m on the road—big time: 8 days in Turkey, followed by 12 days in Israel. At least I have a better story for how I broke it than most college boys after a night of drinking. I did not drop it into the toilet. Nope. I dropped it onto a very hard, ancient stone street in the Old City of Jerusalem in Israel. Unfortunately, it means that at the moment, I can’t retrieve some of the tangle inspiration photos I wanted to share with you. However, it turns out that some of the photos Mr. Excitement took with our regular camera aren’t all that shabby.
Last week, painfully slow and intermittent internet wifi service in Turkey only let me share one photo of the wonderful tangle inspirations I have seen on our travels. Here are some more from Turkey.
Zendala inspiration from the domed ceiling of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul built between 1609-1619 by an Ottoman sultan.
Detail from an inlaid door in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey, built between 1460 and 1478.
Decorative filigree screen from the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul Turkey. Even Arabic script can provide tangle inspiration. This amazing museum started out as a Byzantine church in 537 . It was converted to a mosque in 1453 and to a museum during the 1930s.
This is a carved capital atop a column in the Hagia Sophia. Also note the ceiling frescoes.
This is just one of the amazing rugs we saw at a Turkish rug weaving cooperative. The weaving process involves tying innumerable knots.
These are just a few photos of the inspiring patterns we’ve encountered on our travels in the Middle East. I hope to soon update my tangle inspiration board on Pinterest. Fingers crossed that I’ll be able to salvage the photos I took with my phone camera.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Gorgeous photos, and really nice take on the prompt. Too bad about your phone! 🙁
I would just be miserable if anything happened to my phone, as it is my camera too. Mr. Wonderful took some nice pictures though. Yes, great minds LOL! Nice tile 🙂
Like the double spiral. The contrast using the negative space is a nice effect. The pictures are great. Love seeing that art work.
Patterns can be so absorbing – yours are quite beautiful.
Wow! What beautiful and inspiring photos…the domed ceiling is so amazing, as are all your photos. I can understand your sadness at the loss of your phone/camera, but oh, the memories you will have 🙂 Thanks for sharing them! It looks like you had fun with all those spirals…it turned out well. Enjoy your trip!
Wonderful spirals in gorgeous Turkey. I would agree Istanbul is packed with wonderful patterns. Loved going back via your gorgeous photos!
Same background indeed 🙂
I visited the Blue Mosque some times ago… So beautiful !
Il y a un effet d’optique; on voit alternativement la spirale claire puis la spirale plus foncée. C’est super !
There is an optical effect; alternatively we see the clear spiral and darker spiral. This is great!
Hi Suzanne,
Inspiration is everywhere, but in Turkey that goes double. What a perfect bunch of photos from which to draw.
Zentagleicious!
Josie
Great photographs! Isn’t the Blue Mosque breathtaking?! Enjoy the rest of the trip, and give us your take on what is happening in post-election Israel when you return. Safe, happy travels, Leslie
Thank you, Leslie. As one of our Israeli friends put it, “We live in a complicated, crazy neighborhood.”
I don’t tangle but I do love that domed ceiling! And the red rug – and the window filigree screen – I love beauty and colors like that! Here’s to finding all your phone pix!
Well done!!! I love your photo’s ans especially the one of the roof of the mosque!
Oh your travels in Turkey look so grand! One of the things I love about the art of the Middle East (is Turkey Middle Eastern?…their art looks it) anyway, because in Islam, depictions of the human form are tabu, they are masters at patterns. The walls, ceilings, screens between rooms, all done with these amazing repeated patterns. It is like they tangle everything they can. Everything your eye lights on, is eye pleasing. Must be so nice to be in the midst of it.
Great work on the diva challenge. Spirals, galore!
Heidi Sue, I think you can consider Turkey as being in the Middle East. Istanbul is actually split between two continents, Europe and Asia, separated by the Bosphorus Strait. I agree that the prohibition of representing human and animal forms in religious art in Islam, has provided art forms based on intricate patterns—quite striking to behold.
These photos are just amazing! That domed ceiling is spectacular! I can see how it would inspire the tangle:) I think the broken cell phone is great story. Not too many folkks will be able to top that one!
Jacqui, it gets better. I have insurance and they promised me a replacement phone in one day—except that one day turned out to be filled with flooding and tornadoes in Louisville, KY, their shipping location. Oh well. I guess I can live for one more weekend without my phone—-especially because Mr. Excitement is home with his and he lets me use it if I ask nicely.
your photos are gorgeous!!