Flurries

Winter in New England is always weather mystery.  We can have a mild winter or one that ranges from deep coldness to mountains of snow.  One day can be freezing cold; the next day might be 60 degrees.  One of the things I love about living in this area is the fluctuation and variety.  Our weather is creative!

Speaking of creative, I'm having so much fun creating these Lynn Mead-inspired snowflakes!  this one was done on a Renaissance tile.  I love how the shading and highlights make the flake pop.

Let It Snow

In November, I had the great pleasure of attending a retreat for Certified Zentangle Teachers in lovely Ogunquit, Maine.  I learned a variety of inspiring new techniques from fellow CZTs and was taken away by their creativity!  I reconnected with my tangling friends and made new ones at the fabulous Beachmere Inn.  It was a rejuvenating weekend for the body, mind, and soul.

One of my favorite new projects included techniques taught by Lynn Mead, CZT.  We explored the idea of creating open space for tangling or shading inside our tangles, convergent shading, and this stunning snowflake design.  I adored Lynn's classes and was thrilled to be able to experience her clear and inspiring teaching style.  By the way, if you'd like a fantastic tangle book for on the go, check out her Tangle Decks!

Here is the original piece that I created in Lynn's class.  It's shimmery and elegant in person; a photo doesn't do it justice.

 

I've been playing with different open snowflake designs to prepare for an upcoming winter class I'm teaching.  It's been fun to try these techniques on Opus and black Zendala tiles along with different pens and inks.  I love how the shading/coloring technique really makes the snowflakes pop.

Just what I needed

Where has the time gone?

This has been a big year for my family.  After many months of searching and packing, we moved into a new house.  We're still settling in (I hear this could take years), but we're finally feeling like we are home.  I have a better working office and art studio so I'm hoping to be able to share more with you too!  

Even though I haven't blogged much in a while, I've still been teaching and tangling through the stressful move.  I am so thankful to have the Zentangle® Method in my life especially during times like this.

I had the great pleasure of teaching a relaxing class at the Shrewsbury Public Library right around our move to the new house.  As you can imagine, I was a bit stressed out, and seeing boxes everywhere was not making me feel very relaxed.  I needed to teach this class and to reconnect with my passion to help me see that moving, packing, and unpacking is just like tangling.  I needed to take each task one step at a time.

We spent a relaxing and lovely class together exploring tangles for the first time.  I loved that when presented with the stunning tile mosaic, one participant was impressed by how her tile looked combined with the others.  Tangling is a lovely recipe, and each of us presents an ingredient.  

Another woman considered herself a doodler and thought that she couldn't tangle.  She was thrilled to learn that she could, in fact, create art with the Zentangle Method and incorporate tangles into her previous line art.  I'm thrilled to think of all of the creative exploration she has in her future.

I would like to personally thank this class for helping me find some relaxed focus despite the chaos I felt at home.  I was truly touched and moved that everyone shared this journey with me.

Yes!

When teaching classes, I love that the answer I can give to most of the questions is YES!

• "May I fill this part if I want to?"
• "Is it okay if I go over the line here?"
• "Can I put this pattern here?"
• "I made up my own tangle for this spot.  Is that okay?"

Yes!

I love that the Zentangle® method allows us to make our own choices as we tangle.  Our border and string can be guides to help build comfort while breaking up a possibly intimidating space.  They can provide places for tangles to sit cozily or a starting point for patterns to blossom and grow safely outside the lines.  

Whether you prefer to color inside the lines, venture outside, or play with a mixture depending on your mood, the Zentangle® method allows for all possibilities.

If you're inspired to follow a particular tangle throughout a piece or morph it into a tangleation, or variation, you're free to explore any way you choose.  This is your art and your process to enjoy.

It's so rare in life to learn something new that doesn't have a lot of limits or rules.  

I was thrilled to pass on these "rules" to two wonderful library classes this week.  Look at the stunning pieces they created:

Zendala tiles created at the Peabody Institute Library 

Tiles created at the Hamilton-Wenham Library

Catching Up

Oh dear!  I fear that I have embraced the Zentangle® method's idea of being present in the moment with my art a bit too much lately.  While that's a wonderful thing to experience personally, it is not so great for a blogger.  I realize that I have neglected to include some of the beautiful tiles created in several classes last year.  I hope you will forgive me for living in the moment and being a bit of a Luddite.  Now that I have relocated my computer, I am hoping to be able to share with you more regularly.

Tiles created at the Burlington Public Library.

Tiles created at a family and friends home party.

Garden ZIAs created at a home workshop.

Tiles created at the Flint Public Library.

I Can Do This!

I recently taught a fun beginner class at the Nashua Public Library.  The excited group, of many beginners as well as a few previous tanglers, took to the practice with enthusiasm.  We shared a lot of laughter, relaxation, and a-ha moments.

One of those moments came when a new tangler expressed hesitation at the beginning of class.  She was certain she would be unable to tangle and mocked her ability.  I, and a fellow tangler, encouraged her to try and see what happens.  After completing Crescent Moon, she announced, "I can do this!"

I love how quickly doubt can wash away with a few breaths and deliberate focused lines.  The Zentangle® method allows each of us the opportunity to let our preconceived notions about our abilities go.  In our breathing exercise, I remind the group, "As you tangle, release your inner critic as you embrace your inner artist."  Each of us has that artist within.  Sometimes we just need to get past the barriers we create with our own disbelief.

"I can do this!"  Absolutely!  Look how beautiful these tiles are.  I'd say they can all do this.  :-)

I've Done This!

I love that the Zentangle® method appeals to a wide range of people.  In just about every class I teach, someone announces, "I've done this before."  Many of us have doodled on book covers in school, margins of papers during meetings, or even in previous artwork.  The Zentangle method incorporates patterns that we see around us in art, architecture, nature, and textiles.  Many of the patterns even trace back to ancient ancestors making our tangles universally ingrained.

I had the privilege of teaching a beginner class for a women's group recently.  It was lovely to learn about the group and how they gather to take different classes and attend a wide variety of events in the region.  I think it is wonderful that people have so many ways of connecting with others around shared interests ranging book groups to learning to create art.  

During class, one woman realized that she had created similar artwork in the past.  I love when people are reconnected to their past practices and passions through a class.  Tangling can help us recall our past artistic expression while combining it into something even more magical now based on our life's journey.

Look at the beautiful tiles they created!

When We Gather

I love getting together with friends or family for any occasion.  It is fun to catch up, share what's going on, and play!  I recently had the opportunity to gather with a group of CZTs in the Massachusetts area for a little meet up.  We had a great time sharing ideas and working on different projects together.

Our first fun project was this zen ball, although I've seen it referred to by about 20 different names!  It is a lot of fun to tangle paper strips and weave them into this cool 3-D ball for decorating.  

We explored some embossing techniques and played with an exciting woven variation of Rixty by Sarah Del Mastro, CZT. 

I love getting together with friends especially when they are so creative and inspiring!

What do you like to do when you gather with others?

April Showers Bring May Tangles

It seemed seasonally appropriate to offer a My Tangled Garden class now that it is spring.  We had a lovely evening growing tangles reminiscent of vines, grasses, and blooms.  Some fluttery friends even  visited the gardens.

One of the tangles we grew was Scrolled Feather by the fabulous Heather Williams.  It is a pattern that requires a little bit of extra focus, but the end results are so worth it.

While illustrating this stunning pattern, I thought about how I approach challenging tangles.  If I see an inspiring pattern, I often sit down to try my hand at it.  Some flow from my hands easily, while some take a little bit of practice.  Scrolled Feather, though beautiful and elegant, took me a couple of tries to feel the flow.  I think that if a pattern speaks to you, it is worth it to try a little longer to make it work for you.  We all have things in life that we have had to practice until we became comfortable with them.  Like walking or riding a bike, sometimes tangling or practicing certain patterns can benefit from a little extra perseverance and focus.  The results will be worth it!

Spring is for New Beginnings

Tangling, like spring, is an opportunity for new beginnings.  Whether it is just learning to tangle for the first time, trying a new pattern, or embarking on a new creative endeavor, our Zentangle® practice allows us to grow, to blossom, and to bring joy to ourselves and others.  

I had the honor to teach a Zentangle® Basics class for a lovely group at the Wilmington Memorial Library recently.  The group was made up of beginners as well as a few familiar tanglers.  It was lovely to see how excited people became as they learned they could create stunning artwork in a short amount of time.

At the end of the class, several people commented about how relaxed they felt and how they just may have found a new passion.  I hope their love continues to grow.

Here are the stunning tiles everyone created:

The Renaissance Reveal

I had the pleasure of teaching a fantastic Renaissance Zentangle® class recently.

We tangled our first tile with some familiar and new patterns exploring the use of black and brown Micron pens.  I asked everyone to look at the tangled tile, and I noticed they weren't quite impressed… yet.

Then the magic started to happen.  As each student applied shading, highlights, and colored contour, the tiles transported us back to the Renaissance days of chiaroscuro art.  The tiles came to life filled with vibrant texture all created by different pencils.  The room filled with oohs and aahs!  I am still in love with the Renaissance tiles for this very reason.

I think the tiles make it easier to begin to play with color in a way that is warm and comforting without needing 100 colored pencils, although that is wonderfully fun too.  I love how these tiles pop with just a little added highlight.  It becomes fun to adorn tangles and to see how dramatic the tiles can become.

Check out the amazing tiles that everyone created:

Tangler's Block

It happens to many of us.  Tangle, tangle, tangle, block.  Either life gets in the way or we just get stuck. Sometimes it's life stress, and sometimes we can be become blocked about our tangling.

I recently taught an amazing private lesson with a talented tangler who had been feeling stuck.  She has eagerly learned many exciting techniques and patterns and has been exploring larger works in her sketchbooks.  When I visited, she had half of this page completed and kept talking about how she just couldn't finish.  She was stuck, blocked.  She didn't know where to go.  She sounded discouraged.

When tangling becomes frustrating, it's a good time to get back to basics:

• Breathe.  
• Appreciate.  
• Start small.
• Find comfort in dots and a border.
• Hug your canvas with a string.
• Embrace your personal tangle.  Start with the pattern that comes naturally to you.
• Start and enjoy.

Her piece was, in fact, stunning as it was with the portion above the center band tangled.  Throughout the lesson, I offered several options but knew that only she could choose her outcome:

1.  Accept the piece for what is and consider it finished.  White space can be fantastic in a piece!
2.  Turn the page and start again with a clean and less stressful page.
3.  Put it aside for a while and come back to it when ready to try again.
4.  Breathe and dive in by adding tangles below the border.
5.  Add string lines below the border to fill.
6.  Get back to basics by tangling on a tile to get the creative juices flowing again.

She loved what she had created and really wanted to finish the page.  I admired her determination and hoped that I could help her to get unstuck.  After our breathing exercises and playing with tiles, strings, and patterns, I think she felt freer to explore her piece.

We spent a lovely afternoon tangling, talking, and breathing.  Sometimes we just need a reminder of how wonderful this process truly can be.

I was thrilled when she wrote to me later the same day to thank me for the lesson.  She told me that I had made the process much more enjoyable for her.  Tears came to my eyes when I opened the attachment.  She had finished her piece!  In the same day she was stuck, she discovered the key to unlock her creativity and her passion.  I was proud of her and happy to have been a part of her journey.  She's even sent me additional pictures of additional pieces she has created illustrating that she is still tangling.

The amazing thing is just how much my students inspire me each and every day.

Hooray, Diane!

ZIA by Diane Gray

Ish

I taught a fabulously fun home party with fellow moms from a local mother's club.  Since all of the moms I know tend to have a fair amount of stress (along with lots of love, adorableness, and excitement), I thought this group could use a little zen.

Throughout the night, we giggled every time I mentioned the non-representational, handmade aspect of the Zentangle® method.  The concept was fine, but my made up word choices, "roundish," "circle-like shape," and "straightish" induced chuckles.  Laughter is always great for reducing stress!  I also think that hearing the same idea multiple times can help it to resonate.

We don't need to draw perfect circles or straight lines.  Who can without tools anyway?  I know I can't, and I'm okay with that.  I'm human.  I'm an artist.  I am not trying to be a computer or to replicate some form of perfection.  Instead, I breathe and allow my artistic process to take me on a journey--straight lines or not.

Sometimes there is comfort in knowing we don't have to be perfect.  Moms have to do everything, and lately, it seems like they are expected to do it perfectly.  Even among mothers, there are factions disagreeing about the right or wrong way to parent from feeding and diapering to discipline techniques and education.  There is a lot of pressure to be a parent (I know it's hard for dads too, but I am focusing on moms since the class was moms).  There is a lot of stress with trying to make the right choices while  keeping our kids safe and happy.

We don't have to be perfect.  Our circles can be roundish.  Our lines can be straightish.  Our kids will grow up happy even if we have a cranky day, yell occasionally, or forget to use the orange plate.  They will remember their overall childhoods rather than the few days during which we were human.  Maybe they'll learn more from those human days and see that it is okay to make mistakes.  Maybe they'll be compassionate parents who will try to do the best they can too.

There are no erasers in parenting or in Zentangle®.  We can do our best to try to relax, enjoy some quality time, and breathe.

Everything else ends up perfect-ish.

February is for Love

I had the great privilege of teaching a class at the Hamilton-Wenham Library near Valentine's Day.  It was a lovely evening of tangling.  We had the goal of finding some creativity and relaxation despite the wintery mess we have had in the area lately.  I think we did a great job accomplishing our goal.

Everyone created a stunning tile!  I am impressed by the amazing job they did.

Here is my sample piece I created on a Renaissance tile for the night:

Since the class, I have heard from six participants who professed their love for Zentangle®.  I love when people find a new passion especially when I get to be part of that discovery.  It touches my heart to help someone uncover his or her inner artist through the Zentangle method.  Each of the women has continued to learn more, seek out new books, and ask questions.  One was kind enough to share her beautiful ZIA (Zentangle-inspired artwork) of a tangled heart.  I only taught a few of these tangles in our class together.  :-)  I hope they will all continue on a wonderfully relaxing and creative journey through the Zentangle method.

Tangled heart by Linda Ashley

Ready for Renaissance

I think I am in love.

Okay, I know I'm in love with my husband, our daughter, tangling, and many things, but I think I have found a new love.  When Zentangle® first came out with the Renaissance tiles, I wasn't too sure about them.  I found the paper a bit less enjoyable than the white tiles and wasn't as excited about my early attempts.  Of course, that didn't stop me!

I've been playing with color and shading more, thanks to classes from fellow CZTs, and I have been enjoying trying things in different ways.  Now I am loving the Renaissance tiles.  I like how I can take patterns that I've used for years and make them look completely different with a little boost of color.  I think the combination of black, brown, and white create an interesting depth and richness in the piece.  It is fun to play with shadows and highlights through colored pencils, and I get to play with my beloved Prismacolor pencils more too!

I've added a couple of tiles I created recently to get ready for my class in January 2015.  If you're local, I hope you'll come see how fun these tiles can be.  It's a great way to start playing with color for anyone who is interested in dabbling.  

Working Together

I had the privilege of teaching a staff development workshop for the staff of the Billerica Public Library in 2013.  At the end of the class, I gave each participant a pre-strung piece of paper to tangle.  All of the pieces would form a larger piece of artwork when assembled together.

While visiting for tangle club last month, I saw that the library had completed and framed the mosaic.  It was on display in the main circulation area of the library.  I was thrilled.

Look at what can happen when people work together!  If they can create such beautiful art, they must make a pretty amazing team.  I love that they framed and displayed this piece so they can remember how they created something special together.

Test Driving Patterns

I recently had a lot of fun teaching a Zendala class to several of my regular tanglers while welcoming a new friend into our group.

I love creating mandala strings from scratch or using the pre-strung Zendala tiles.  I find it fascinating to watch a piece evolve and change shape throughout my practice.

This class was particularly interesting because it encouraged everyone to think differently in a few ways.  Instead of working on a square tile, we played with a round shape.  Rather than using larger sections within a string, we filled in tiny areas.  Then I invited the participants to play with patterns that they already knew in different ways to stretch comfort zones creatively.  

Many of the students were used to the pattern Flux with leaves building upward creating a stem.  To fill our smaller areas and to create some fun interest in contrast to our geometric patterns, I invited everyone to use a randomized version of Flux with the leafy shape strewn about the section without a stem.  This idea posed a little bit of a challenge because it meant tweaking how they had learned the pattern.

The results were fantastic, and this exercise encouraged everyone to think about a pattern in a new way.  Maybe with a little practice, they will feel comfortable playing with this pattern in the traditional and random way and then take it to even new directions that I haven't considered.  

I love how we can take patterns that we know and create regularly and mix them up to see what they can do.

Which patterns do you like to take for a test drive to see how they handle?

The center design featuring Onomato was inspired by Sally Houghton, CZT.  I loved her interpretation on her blog and just had to use it (with her permission).

So Relaxed

I recently taught a large class at the Peabody Institute Library in Danvers.  Despite my cold and raspy voice, I did my best to provide my usual energy and enthusiasm for the Zentangle® method.

At the end of the lesson, a lovely woman told me that she felt "so relaxed."  I love how this method allows people to find a few minutes in the day for themselves to reclaim some peace, sanity, or focus.  Even with a large class and my scratchy voice, the magic of the Zentangle method still showed through.  Wow.

Check out the beautiful tiles they created!

School Stress

I recently had the honor of teaching three mini classes back to back at an area high school for students and faculty as part of a wellness week celebration.  In an abridged lesson, we discussed the benefits of the Zentangle® method and played with several patterns.

This day was very interesting for me in more ways than I had expected.  I always love teaching and am impressed by how much I learn from my students each time.  This day was unusual because I had the shorter classes which took place in a bustling media center.  The room was alive with students coming and going during their lunch period, meeting with groups to discuss projects, and generally going about their day in hurriedness.

The faculty reminded me that the students had a million things they needed to be doing so many wouldn't be able to join us for the classes.  Some stopped by for the five minutes they could spare in their hectic days.

I often think about how crazy adults' lives are, but I forget about the nonstop world of high school.  Teens are swamped with assignments, tests, extracurricular activities, homework, social lives, jobs, family obligations, and more.  I flashed back to my smaller school and recalled the bells that ushered students from room to room, usually with very little time to go to the lockers for different books.  I remember rushing from place to place feeling like I had to cram every bit of knowledge into my head almost simultaneously.  

True, teens are young and energetic, but we place a lot of pressure on them to succeed and to learn a lot before entering adulthood.

I hope that I was able to offer this group a brief respite in the otherwise crazy day!  

They did a fantastic job even with only a short lesson.

Deja Vu?

This week, I had the privilege of teaching two back to back classes at the Amesbury Public Library.  The first class filled up so quickly that we decided to offer a second one on the same night.  It was fun to work with two different groups within the same community.  I'm so pleased that we could make the class work for everyone!  Check out their fantastic tiles at the end of this post.

As I've written before, I always learn so much in the classes that I teach.  I love to hear from my students and to answer their questions.  It was interesting to teach two classes because I realized how many different ways there are to say the same thing.  I taught the same patterns to each group but used different examples from my own life and art to answer questions or to share insights with the new tanglers.  Each class or tangling session is a new opportunity to see things in a new way.

I've had people take my beginner Zentangle® class at least six times.  Before you think that sounds boring, I assure you it isn't.  I try to mix up the content if I know someone is joining me for a repeat visit, but even if I taught the same exact patterns, there is always something new to learn.  Each class brings a new energy, different experiences, vibrant questions, and its own excitement.  My lesson is enhanced by what I feel from the audience.  This must be a bit like what rock stars feel on stage!  A tangler who is in a repeat class benefits from an entirely unique situation each and every time.

Teaching two classes immediately in a row with the same content showed just how different each class can be.  Both were wonderful, and it was great fun to see how each veered in different ways as topics came up or as questions were raised.  

Hmm, maybe this idea isn't true just for classes.  I will have to try to think about how I felt in these classes the next time I feel like I'm in some sort of a rut--with my art, my diet, or just the regularity of life.  If I try to find newness in the day or the task, maybe it won't seem dull or trite.  If I look at everything as a new opportunity, won't I more likely face it in a better mindset?

I'm always looking for ways to incorporate my Zentangle® philosophy into my life, and I'm constantly amazed by how easy it is to transfer my artistic experience into the rest of my days.  What a joy it is to have my life influence my art and to have my art influence my life.

Thank you to my students for giving me this great gift of flexibility, variety, and new points of view.  In exchange, I vow to keep offering fun, relaxing, and creative classes for you!  I think this is going to be a beautiful relationship.