Aren't You Glad?

We're trying to keep it easy as we get settled into Year Two of the Two by Two by Tuesday art challenge. This week it's all about ORANGE!

Orange is a color. In color theory, it's the mix of the primaries yellow and red and can vary considerably from a light yellow orange to a deep coral or even an almost brown hue. On the color wheel, it is the complement to blue.

From NHS Designs

You know the color as it is the color of oranges. If you stop by our house, you may leave with some. (And grapefruit. Lots of grapefruits this year!)

Some of Last Year's Harvest
by Cheryl

The impressionist painter Gustave Caillebote created this painting of his cousin tending to "Les Orangers" while his brother read the paper:

Les Orangers, 1878

While we were putting together this post we found that, Certified Zentangle Teacher Adele Bruno has created a new tangle that she calls, Citrus. She graciously allowed us to share this here:

Citrus by
Adele Bruno

You can see the steps to draw this pattern on her blog, It's a String Thing, which is a different kind of art challenge. 

Orange used to be a mobile telephone service provider in the UK:

And it's the new Black:

Season One Cast
"Orange is the New Black"

It's a vibrant sunset and a restaurant:

Orange Sky

But most importantly, it's part of the best Knock-Knock joke. Ever.

Knock, Knock.

Who's there?

Won't you send us your "orange" twinchies?

Deadline for submissions is 2 PM Arizona time, Tuesday, April 5, 2016.

Send your images to 1xeritas@gmail.com along with links to your blog and/or any comments about your inspiration that you may wish to share. We'll post all art work shortly thereafter. 

Thanks in advance for your participation and spread the word!

Year Two Begins, Week 27--Zodiac

A whole year of twinchies! To celebrate the chosen prompt to start off the new year is, "Zodiac." It's a nod to everyones' birthdays. Sorry for the delay in posting this on a WEDNESDAY! What should have been a routine trip to get x-rays on the arm--which is healing nicely--turned into a day-long excursion!

The first one to arrive was from Tina in Germany, who drew a tiger for her Chinese sign balancing weights for her Astrological sign:

Tina Zodiac
Tiger and Libra

Freebird is in the midst of a house renovation, but did not want to miss the deadline, so she sent along the pattern for her beadwork yet-to-be:

Freebird Zodiac
Astrological Symbols for Her
and Her Children

Looks real enough to our eyes! NB: Freebird has done every single TwobyTwo thus far! Woohoo!

And our official response is a take on Libra, an Air sign:

Cheryl Zodiac
Air

A BIG thanks to the participants and to the supporters of this art blog! We hope you enjoy what you see, visit the artists' pages and let them know you like what they are doing. And, perhaps, try your own hand at twinchie art!
Until next time....

What's Your Sign?

First off, it's a birthday celebration here at the Two by Two--this art challenge blog is officially one-year old! So we have a birthday kind of theme this time around: YOURS!

If you lived through the Seventies, you survived Nehru jackets, madras plaid, bell bottoms, macrame and tie dye.
Then you were subjected to disco, qiana (the fabric, not the model) and mile-high hair. But that's a discussion for a different day.
Back to the '70's, perhaps the lamest pick-up line of all time is, "What's your sign?"
In astrology, how the stars aligned at the moment of your birth defines who you are and who you will become. (And, by extension, who you are compatible with).

There is the zodiac based on 12 constellations:

There's also a different way of looking at the stars in the Southern hemisphere:

Sun signs of the Southern Hemisphereby Alice Portman

The Chinese zodiac based on which year you were born:

There is a Celtic calendar:

Answers the age-old question:
"If you were a Tree,
What wood you be?"

There are rocks and flowers associated with your birth-month:

And planets:

All divided by the elements, earth, wind, fire...

And water. (Oops, got side-tracked again!)

We like this Nerd zodiac:

Or this emoji one:

Which brings us to this totally cute Zodiac:

So, do tell: What IS YOUR sign? Show us your twinchies!
Send images of your artwork to 1xeritas@gmail.com by 2PM Arizona time, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. [N.B. Arizona does not observe daylight savings time, so you have an extra hour now!] We'll post the responses later the same day.
Come back next week and see the signs!

Week 26--Unicorns

Let's dive right in, shall we?

Tina sent this from Germany. She said having two daughters has made her well-versed in the mystical creatures. She upped the ante by working with Blacklight Gelly Rolls and photographing the result under blacklight:

Unicorn by
Tina

As she noted, the effect is just magical! We know what we're adding to our art supply goodie list.

From Alabama, Freebird sent a "Catacorn," in the Kawaii form, in beads:

Catacorn by
Freebird

We wonder if the kitten's incredible cuteness is it's greatest power? Also, magical!

Our official response:

Unicorn by
Cheryl

Thanks for all the participants sending their "corny" twinchies this week. Be sure to check out the artists's blogs and consider trying your own hand in the challenge?
Until next time....

More Unicorns

If you joined us last time, you know that you don't want to play leapfrog with a unicorn, which is an interesting segue to today's twinchie theme of "unicorn."
Nearly every culture has a unicorn somewhere in its past, and not all of them are pretty like this

*CUTE*
Unicorn by
My Little Pony

But they are known to have magical or mystical powers such as being able to cure sickness and neutralize poisons. And to catch one requires a virgin as it will sleep on her lap.

The gentle and pensive maiden has the power to
tame the unicorn, fresco
Attributed to Domenico Zampieri, 1602

For a general rundown on everything unicorn, check this out and for descriptions in your native language, go here.
Show us your unicorns! Send the results to: 1xeritas@gmail.com by 2 PM, Arizona time, Tuesday, March 8, 2016 and we'll post them later the same day.