Pocket Doodle book 2019 pages 8 - 15 and a project for 2020

Here are the next set of pages in my pocket doodle book.  Page eight is decorated with colours and dots, whereas for page nine, I went a bit mad with big flowers.

Page 10 started as lines but ended up looking like skyscrapers, albeit at some odd angles.  Page 11 has delicate gold lines and dots which look a bit like constellations.

 I emphasised the swirly roses on page 12 and added some dots for background interest.  Page 13 is just lines which together with the background colour remind me of a 1950s or 1960s print.

 Page 14 had swirly roses in the background but I wanted to do something different so went for blocks and lines.

Page 15 started with blocks but then ended up with circles which are a Zentangle pattern and connecting circles.  It reminds me a bit of a beaded necklace. 
The book is a pleasure to work in and I am really enjoying filling in the pages.
I have got an idea for a project for next year which was inspired by watching a Youtube video by Nina Ribena who has been making Artists' Trading Cards for each month.  I am going to do the same and display them on my seasonal tree.  I have cut and gessoed some greyboard shapes (2.5 x 3.5 inches) and am going to get the first one ready for 1st January 2020.  I am really enjoying thinking about what I will put on each one.

Trying something new - Zentangle

 I have always enjoyed doodling - just drawing patterns on scraps of paper, letting my mind wander.  I have given in and tried Zentangle, which is the next stage on to just doodling. Zentangle is a way of filling in shapes with repeating patterns, but the patterns can be as simple or complex as you like and the whole process is supposed to be relaxing and meditative.

 Each of the patterns has a name and there are hundreds and probably thousands to choose from.  I started by following a book, but the internet has a plethora of information on there.

 I do like the organic patterns, but I also enjoy building up a simple pattern into something which looks incredibly complicated.  However, when the patterns are broken down into steps, they seem relatively easy to do.

It is a relaxing process and there is no right or wrong (however, me being a bit of a perfectionist, had to re-do a pattern which didn't fit well into the space I had put it and I was much happier with a second attempt).  The other good thing is that you begin with a square, then split it into shapes and then fill each shape, so you are not greeted with a huge sheet of white paper, which can be a little off-putting.  It is also something that can be done in a spare minute, without lots of equipment - paper, a smooth gel pen, and a ruler and pencil.  Are you tempted yet?