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Friday, April 8, 2011

"Pre-Strung" Sneaks

Hi!

As an avid reader (and sometimes commenter) of your Blog, I have long been inspired by the projects that others have shared highlighting their ZIAs (Zentangle Inspired Artworks). Although this is not a 'new' project, they have garnered enough commentary on their occasional outings for me to think that you guys might like to check them out, too! I know that these are not the first shoes to come your way; but *of course* I am rather fond of them; and very tickled with how they turned out ;-) They have been generously sealed with Scotch-Guard, and have not suffered in the few wet weather days that they lifted my spirits with wearing.

I was initially inspired to create a pair of Zen Sneaks when I discovered that Utrecht now offers the quintessential 'blank canvas' for feet: Primed Canvas Converse All-Stars! However, being the bargain conscious girl that I am, I opted for a more wallet friendly, and at the same time - UNIQUE, canvas for my inspiration. I found a pair of limited edition Chuck's for half the price, and proceeded to make them my own. These were part of a limited edition, artists series to promote the Product (RED) campaign to end AIDS. The 'broken' surface, created by the patchwork sections screamed to be tangled!

These are my 'signature footwear' for various art events; and were completed in time for their debut to be at our Guild's Christmas party, last year. They were a big hit ;-)

I look forward to sporting them to future artful outings, and hope that you, too, enjoy the effort to share the joy that is ZenTangle! Mayhap, they will make the trek to a CZT class in the not too distant future... *that is my hope, anyway!*






Nice shoes! We love how you took advantage of their "pre-strung-ness."

Thanks for sending that.

Click images for larger views.

8 comments:

Janice said...

These are absolutely, uneqivocally, just plain fun! I am extremely new to the world of Zentangling and was wondering if the artist would mind sharing all the materials she used. Was it the same pen that comes in a Zentangle kit? What was the product used to seal the shoes? Is Scotchguard the actual name of it or is that a generic term everybody uses for sealing things. Inquiring minds wanna know! :)

Kit @ Dreamscribe said...

Wow! Totally blown away by these shoes... what beautiful fun!! (And there can never be too many tangled shoes in this world. Bring 'em on, I say!)

Anonymous said...

Cool!

Shelly Beauch said...

You would just want to jump for joy wearing your snazzy tangly boots!

Styx and Stones said...

I love the idea as well... do you use the same pens or something different...I have wanted to do a pair for a while... this has my mind turning...

Penny L Weaver said...

WOW! Thanks, Maria & Rick, for the feature :-) Thanks, too, fellow tanglers for your interest in my "Zen Shoes!"

As to the pens: I used a variety of permanent and gel inks -- the shading was accomplished with a plain ol' Bic ballpoint VERY lightly touching the surface. The standard tangling pen (Pigma Micron) was way too fine for marking on this canvas texture -- I used Ultra Fine Sharpies for most of it, larger ones for dark/solid areas; and a Jaquard Juicy fabric marker for some of the detailing.

The sealant was not regular Scotchguard - rather, a waterproofing spray I found in the camping department at Wally World. It was a silicone based spray; and because the can said it might discolor rubber and plastic, I taped around the soles with painter's tape (blue tape), before spraying them. They have gotten wet twice now, with no ill effect!

The lettering down the twill on the backs was done using a small stencil, and the Jacquard Juicy Fabric marker.

Thanks again for all the great feedback :-)
- penny

Michelle said...

The photos are nice, but seeing Penny wearing them with a huge grin is the best way to experience these totally, terrifically Tangled high-tops!

Kimberly's Mixed Media Art said...

They are fabulously YOU! When I see you again I hope you wear them. They are awesome.