Learning from My Student

I love to share the Zentangle® Method with my daughter.  She enthusiastically tells everyone that she loves tangling because there are no mistakes.

Before Christmas, we went to a paint-your-own-pottery place so she could make some holiday gifts.  I felt inspired to try to tangle on one of the ornaments.  I had wanted to create Waybop but didn't have enough room and decided to try the lovely Stella instead.  The paint bottle nozzle wasn't quite as fine as I had hoped, and I thought my ornament came out too blobby.  I was about to go wash it off and start over when my daughter stopped me.

She reminded me that there are no mistakes in Zentangle and that every piece is beautiful in its own way.  She told me that her art teacher says that a true artist knows how to turn a mistake into something new.  I could hear my voice in hers as she mentored me in this moment.  I heard her teach me as I teach her about embracing opportunity, being accepting, and learning from each experience.

I didn't erase my blobby Stella and added some dots and Printemps.  I signed and dated the back.  This piece will be a lovely reminder of how much I learn from my daughter.  She teaches me to live in the moment and to appreciate everything.

We had been watching the Grinch Who Stole Christmas a lot at that time.  I think my art heart grew two sizes that day.

We went back to the pottery place around Valentine's Day to create some new projects.  I had always wanted to make this tree platter and finally found the nerve.  It's not tangly, but it was so much fun to do!  I was proud of myself for attempting something new.

And So It Begins

New Year's Resolutions are always a mixed bag.  They're full of wishes and enthusiasm for the next year.  They welcome new ideas with determination and hopefulness.  Unfortunately, this is often temporary. There is a silent expiration date on resolutions for most people (yeah, me too).  That diet goes out the window within a few weeks; exercises go from full steam to lifting the remote control.

I think the key to a successful goal for the year is to pick something you actually enjoy (not power lifting or embracing your inner love of kale).  I love art.  I love Zentangle.  I love how I feel when I take a few moments each day to focus on myself.

Carol Ohl, CZT, has a fabulous Tangle-A-Day calendar that makes it perfect to achieve this goal quite easily.  Each day contains a spot just waiting for artistic expression.  She has stunning artwork and step outs along the way too.  

I have purchased several of these calendars over the years and have yet to complete one.  It's not for lack of trying or desire though.  Each year, I end up with the mistaken belief that the book needs to be something specific.  I get wrapped up in my head instead of letting the tangles guide me.  

2017 is the year!  This is the time I will embrace this book for what it is--an opportunity for me to collect my artwork in a convenient and portable location.  I've decided that each day will let me explore a new tangle so I can create a kind of tangle library for myself by the end of the year.  If I get behind, I can catch up at my convenience.  If I'm feeling very tangly, I can move ahead.  As long as I keep tangling and enjoying the Zentangle Method, it will all work out beautifully.  Sometimes I go a bit out of order because I might have an idea for a certain day (holiday, etc.).

I'll be sharing some of my completed pages here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them.

January 1-3, 2017, MomZenArtist, Emily Classon, CZT

January 16-18, 2017, MomZenArtist, Emily Classon, CZT

February 1-3, 2017, MomZenArtist, Emily Classon, CZT

Merry Oopsmas

I was having so much fun celebrating Christmas with my family that I completely forgot to share my cute little tangled tree with you.  Oops!  I hope I won't get coal in my stocking this year.  Since there are no mistakes with Zentangle®, maybe you'll give me a pass on this one.  Teehee.

This little tree was created on one of the fun new 3Z tiles with black, green, and red Microns and some gold and clear sparkle Gelly Rolls.  The tree was inspired by the stunning work of CZT Ann Clapper.

I hope you had a lovely holiday season and that your only tangles were art.  

Valentangles

Valentine's Day came and went around here as my family was busy with some massive house projects.  We enjoyed making valentines and spending quality time together despite the craziness.

I was inspired by the season to create a series of rosy gems featuring the tangle Luv-a by CZT Sharon Caforio.  I love how delicately this tangle cushions the gems.  Whenever I use Luv-a, I smile a lot!  I think this tangle is one of the sweetest ones I've ever seen, and I love to use it in a variety of pieces.  It's one of those magical tangles that looks simple at first but blossoms into a real beauty with a few simple extra strokes.

I submit these Bijou tiles as my Valentangles for the Diva challenge 254.

Thanks for Supporting Tangle-A-Thon 2014

It's been a blur since Tangle-A-Thon 2014!  We had a wonderful day filled with creativity and fun all while helping others.  A lovely group of CZTs and fellow tanglers gathered to create several interesting projects together at Lowell General Hospital.

The group raised over $1,500 to benefit TeamWalk for CancerCare at Lowell General Hospital.  I was thrilled with the generous contributions that everyone made to support this event.

I would love to extend a special thank you to CZT Teresa Hathaway for her support in brainstorming projects for the special day and teaching some fun mini lessons.  Terry taught interesting border patterns and the beautiful Stella by Jana Rogers on seasonal spiders.  Check out this beauty by fellow CZT, and my former student, Suzanne Crisafi.

Tangled spider by Suzanne Crisafi, CZT

Next everyone worked on different make-and-take projects including a cute Bijou envelope and pull-out card taught by Terry.  

After lunch, I gave demonstrations of blown ink strings.

Blown ink string sample by Emily Classon, CZT

Blown ink string Renaissance tile by Emily Classon, CZT

For our final lesson of the day, we explored some patterns, including a variety of flowing or botanical ones, for some peekaboo cards.  Here are a few samples I created for the lesson:

Peekaboo card by Emily Classon, CZT

Peekaboo card by Emily Classon, CZT

I would also like to thank all of our wonderful artists and CZTs for their generous prize contributions.    We received amazing prizes from the following:

• Emily Classon, CZT, MomZenArtist
• Sandy Steen Bartholomew, CZT, Beez in the Belfry
• Sue Jacobs, CZT, Sue's Tangle Trips
• Marizaan van Beek, CZT
• Karen Izzi, CZT, The Peaceful Healer
• Cris Letourneau, CZT, Tangled Up in Art
• Genevieve Crabe, CZT, Tangle Harmony
• Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, Zentangle®
• Chris Titus, CZT
• Sakura of America
• Kate Lamontagne, CZT, Kamala Boutique
• Terry Hathaway, CZT, Terry's Tangles
• Jean Theurkauf, CZT, Art of the Tangle
• Susan Nutting, CZT
• Wendy Brown, CZT, Let's Go Tangle
• TeamWalk for CancerCare

Thank you all for your support and for making Tangle-A-Thon 2014 such a success!

Happy Valentangle Day!

I've been rather inspired by Valentine's Day this year and have enjoyed using a variety of heart-shaped tangles in my art.

For last week's Diva challenge, we were encouraged to tangle up some love in a "Valentangle."  My entry is on one of the fun new Renaissance tan tiles.  I started with 'Nzeppel in the heart then built a nest of tangles for the heart to rest upon.  I love playing with blacks, browns, and whites on these new tiles.

I hope you spent Valentine's Day doing something you love--like tangling!

Happy New Year!

White Zentangle Tile, Glimmer Mist, black and brown Microns

Happy new year!  It's 2014 and time to start anew.  

I hear many of my fellow tanglers say that they love their Zentangle® practice, but they forget to tangle.  I get it.  Life can easily interfere with our creative ambitions.  It can sometimes be hard to take a few minutes for yourself when everything else gets in the way.

For 2014, you get a blank slate for the new year!  Pick up a pen and start.  It doesn't matter what pattern you choose or what the end result is... just tangle.  Once you start, you can get yourself out of a creative rut and enjoy your journey once again.

Did you make a New Year's resolution?  I decided to work on a creative one because I, too, often lapse in my tangling.  As much as I love it, and as much as I benefit from my regular practice, I find myself bogged down on the craziness of life as well.  

Not in 2014!  This year, I'm taking a pledge to create art of some kind every single day.  I am joining the 365 Days of Art Challenge.  For each day of the year, I will strive to create some form of art.  I'm keeping it easy since this is an ambitious adventure, and I will leave the creative expression open for exploration.  

I might create a tangled tile, work on a larger piece, make a greeting card, make a gift, practice lettering, or do whatever inspires me!

I am thrilled to have Carole Ohl's new Tangle-A-Day Calendar for 2014.  It's a lovely way to create art each day.  Carole provides perfect boxes just waiting for tangles along with patterns and beautiful artwork.  I will probably post those pages at the end of each week since multiple days are on the same page.  

As with any resolution, I think it's important to be realistic.  I have to make allowances for the inevitable.  There will be occasions beyond my control that prevent me from creating on some days, and I can live with that.  My goal will be to make up for it the next day so I don't get off track.  Or, maybe I'll tangle a little extra some days to cover those unexpected days.

I hope you all have a happy and creative new year!  If you've made a resolution, try making it flexible enough that you can make it work.  

My tile also fits in with the Diva's 2014 challenge this week.

Tangled Craft Fairs

This weekend, I participated in a fun craft fair in Billerica.  It was wonderful to talk with people who had never heard about the Zentangle Method®.  It's always exciting to see eyes light up when people learn about something that might be perfect for them or for a loved one.  I enjoyed having the opportunity to talk about my passion!

Here is my pre-edited booth.  I ended up paring back before the sale opened.

Check out my next craft fair on Saturday, December 7 at First Parish UU in Chelmsford, MA.  The sale runs from 8am-2pm.  Stock up on Zentangle® supplies and gift ideas including handmade magnets and greeting cards featuring my original Zentangle® art.

The highlight of my day was having one of my students stop by specifically to find my booth.  She has been very stressed lately and hasn't tangled in ages.  She has wanted to tangle but didn't feel like she had the time.  I think that if you have the time to think about not having the time, that you probably have enough time to tangle just a bit.

I encouraged her to go home that night and start tangling a piece even if only for a few minutes.  She could work with one pattern--whichever one she likes or feels the most competent with--to eliminate decisions.  The important thing was to start.

I hoped that she could work on a piece a little bit each day even if it took three weeks to finish a tile that she hated.  It wasn't about the end result (it never is!), it was about starting, putting pen to paper, and trying to find a way to cope at this stressful time in her life.

Unless we find a way to relieve it, stress will continue to build.  It will build until we either explode or implode.

It can be hard, especially when we are busy and stressed, to make time for ourselves.  I think that is the most important time to take a break.  I know that when I am stressed, I approach my family, life, and challenges differently than when I am calm.  When I can allow myself a few minutes to breathe and to tangle, I become more focused and centered and better able to handle whatever is thrown at me next.

Taking time for yourself isn't selfish!  It's essential for getting through challenges and stressful times in life.

I wish you all a happy holiday season filled with relaxing moments just for you.  You've earned it, and your loved ones will benefit from your peace of mind.

Happy Pretty Egg Day!

Happy pretty egg day one and all!

We're not into coloring eggs in this household due to an egg allergy, so I thought I'd tangle one up quickly before using it for some gluten free spice muffins.  :-)  I used a Sharpie on the egg.  It's fun to work on a different shape sometimes.

Zentangle Isn't a Quandary

Life poses a lot of quandaries.  How do we act?  What do we say?  Which choice should we make?

Fortunately, with the Zentangle® method, there are very few quandaries.  Just pick up a pen and tile and start tangling!  No fear, no worries, no expectations.

This week's Diva challenge was to use the new official pattern Quandary.  I've been having mixed feelings about this pattern.  I find that any pattern that looks better with evenly spaced items is a bit tricky for me to do.  Of course that means I'll keep playing with it until I feel more comfortable with the pattern.

I love Carol Ohl's tangled love pattern/string and decided to create a Valentine with variations of Quandary and similar looking patterns.  It's isn't a quandary who I choose as my Valentine each and every year--my wonderful, darling husband.  We haven't been able to celebrate Valentine's Day with our daughter recovering from surgery, so I don't think he'll mind this Valentine being late.

I think my closest Quandary is in the bottom half of the two hearts toward the top.  Maybe it worked for me because it was a smaller space.  :-)

Tangling Around

Before Christmas, I wanted to try tangling some ornaments as gifts.  I used the clear, round ones found at craft stores.  After filling with glue and different glitters, it was time to tangle!  It was a bit tricky since the surface is slippery, the ornament is difficult to hold, and it's not a flat shape.  This is a perfect exercise in letting go of perfection.  Nonetheless, it was a lot of fun!

I used the Identi-Pen from Sakura to create these ornaments.  I tangled on a larger scale and used only a few patterns on each ornament.

I hope the recipients loved the finished products!

2013: I Resolve....

It's a new year and a chance for new beginnings.  While many of us, myself included, opt for the usual pledges to eat better and to exercise knowing that it won't happen, I've decided not to do that this year.  I'm already working on improving my eating habits and have been feeling so much better.  One of the main reasons I feel so great is that I have my Zentangle® art.  I know, it sounds corny, but it really helps me relax and feel centered.  One of my colleagues told me that she can tell it's helping me handle stressful situations better too.

So what should I resolve to do in this new year?  I'm already creating and trying to blog regularly.  I'm already trying new things with my tangling--new patterns, colors, formats, classes, etc.  I am in love with creating and teaching Zentangle® art so it's a given that I'll keep going with that.

I know!  I used to love scrapbooking.  I have an entire room filled with beautiful scrapbooking supplies and photos just waiting to be honored.  I've been pleased with how many items I've been able to use in my Zentangle journey, but most of my stash takes up space instead of bringing me joy like it should.

My problem was scrapbooking turned into a stressful hobby.  Instead of remembering the events as I glued and coordinated, I agonized over where everything should go on a page.  I expected every piece to be perfect.  Striving for perfection prevented me from creating and from enjoying my craft.

Thanks to the Zentangle® method, I have learned to create without fear, pressure, or stress.  Rick and Maria say that "Anything is possible, one stroke at a time."®  I truly believe and apply this philosophy to much of my life already.

Now it's time to take scrapbooking one photo, one layout at a time.  I resolve to apply what I've learned while creating Zentangle art to my scrapbooking.  To do this, I will set aside some time each month to enjoy scrapbooking.  It's not about finishing or having a perfect album.  It will be about taking the time to play with color and design while remembering the fun and crazy days spent with my toddler.  Maybe if I do some tangling on my layouts they'll be a bit more relaxing too!  I'll share some of my "scraptangling" success here too.  :-)

What do you want to do in 2013?  Take it one stroke, or one step at a time, and it might not seem so impossible.

And what would this epic post be without some artwork?

Here are the remaining two "kickstarter" tiles inspired by fellow CZT Sandy Hunter.  These were fun to do and are a great way to get unstuck.  Even while creating Zentangle art, I get a little stuck when I can't decide on the next pattern to try.  I love the fact that I've completely learned to stop being a perfectionist with my artwork.  I messed up on the first tile below, but I just went with it and modified the pattern a bit to make it fit.

#2:  Printemps, Kandysnake, Quiltz, and N'Zeppel - I use two of these patterns regularly, but the others were new to me.  I goofed on Kandysnake at first but recovered nicely enough.  What a fun pattern that is!  I couldn't stop using it.

#1:  Featherfall, Peanuckle, Jetties, and Chillion - Featherfall was the only new one for me in this batch, and I loved it!  It's a great flowing, feathery, billowy pattern.  I adore Peanuckle after learning it at my CZT training.  I played with the shading on Chillion a bit to try to make it more interesting.  

Some People are Angels

We all have them....

People who make our lives a little easier, happier, and better.

These people are angels.

They may just do a nice thing once in a while, or they may be there for support every day.  However they help, their efforts should be greatly appreciated.

Take a few minutes to think about all the angels in your life, and if you can, say thank you.

Here's a little thank you for a special someone in my daughter's life.

It's beginning to look a lot like a Diva challenge

Do you hate Mondays?

If you did the weekly Diva challenge, you'd learn to love the work week kickoff!  As the first Monday of the month, we were tasked with a UMT (Use My Tangle) challenge to use a pattern created by a fellow tangler.  This week's UMT features Keenees by Donna Hornsby CZT.  Though not actually inspired by bikinis, these little orbs offer some tangling tushie fun.  :-)

I'm still on my stencil kick prepping for my holiday card class, so I started with a stenciled tree created with my Cricut machine.  I thought Keenees might make a fun tree garland so I started there with my red Micron.  Next, I filled in the rest of the tree with green Shattuck, Finery, and Verdigogh because these patterns reminded me of pine needles.  I needed a star on top and opted for Fengle with a gold gelly roll pen with some fine black orbs inside.  I used sepia on the W2 tree trunk.

I've found that I don't like shading with my regular pencil when I use colored pens in my tangling.  I think the gray is too stark for some reason.  I tried shading with my Inktense pencils this time using green, brown, red, and yellow for some highlights or shadows.  These pencils didn't smudge as well as I had hoped they would--probably because they're made of ink.  I may have to invest in some other colored pencils for shading.  I like how the Keenees garland looks when shaded though.  The scan makes the green pencil more yellow, but I think it's still pretty cool.  I love how Shattuck and Finery almost look made for each other!

Fengle is one of my favorites, but I don't think I liked it as much with the gelly roll pen.  I couldn't get the same level of detail, but I think it's still pretty cool.

This was a fun one to do on a bonus day off while my daughter was in school.  I could take my time with all of the tree-like strokes, and I thoroughly enjoyed the process.  

So would this qualify as an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Red and Green Keenee Treenee?

A tangled tree

The Andover Historical Society hosts an annual tree exhibit featuring trees decorated by community groups and businesses.  Each tree is inspired by an item from the Society's collection.  Along with my coworkers at Memorial Hall Library, I've helped decorate trees including an a Alice in Wonderland tree inspired by a tea set.  This year, I wanted to branch out (no pun intended) and try my own tree, Zentangle style.

The inspiration piece is a crazy quilt from the Society's collection. It has amazing patterns, colors, and fabrics.  My Tangled Tree features reproductions of my Zentangle art.

A Tangled Tree

Created by Emily Classon, Certified Zentangle Teacher

Life is composed of patterns.

From the delicate veins of a leaf to the glistening angles of a snowflake, nature provides perfect examples of true artistry.  Used in art and architecture, patterns repeat with familiar and beautiful precision.  

This tangled tree is inspired by the intricate handmade patterns created in a crazy quilt. A patchwork of fabric, a quilt stitches together color, patterns, family, and history preserving the domestic and artistic culture of an era.  

Instead of needle and thread, these ornaments are sewn with pen and paper using the Zentangle® method of creating art through structured patterns.  Within each piece lies the traditions and patterns of art and craft throughout history.

If you can, I highly recommend visiting the Andover Historical Society to see this year's trees.  There are a lot of creative and talented people in Andover.  It's always exciting to see what people come up with to accompany an artifact from the collection.

Holiday card class

Do you ever learn a new craft and then wonder what else you can do with it?  I've always had a rule that if I pick up a new craft that it has to use some of the same materials as my other crafts or be able to be used in conjunction so I have a better chance of using up my stash of supplies.  I've been a scrapbooker for many years so when I became interested in making greeting cards, it was a logical extension.  I could use my papers, rubber stamps, and other supplies to make cards.

Zentangle® is different to me than just a craft--it's a philosophy, a way of life, and a life-saver!  I would have been drawn to Zentangle even if I needed a lot of fancy supplies.  A great thing about Zentangle is there aren't a lot of necessary supplies--the right pen, the right paper, a pencil, and you're ready to create and relax.

While I've been tangling on my Zentangle tiles and on watercolor paper, I've been exploring other materials and ways to use this method.  I've tangled on a variety of surfaces and have used tangles in my scrapbooking.  I started to go through a bunch of my scrapbooking supplies and found lots of great items that I could use with my tangling.  I found a variety of markers, chipboard, cute metal tins, ornaments, and much more.  My scrapbooking supplies that had been collecting dust now found a new purpose in life--to be tangled!  I was surprised that I had inadvertently found another craft that could use supplies that I already had.  Yeah me!

For the December holiday card class, we'll be tangling some seasonal cards.  I created various shapes, with my Cricut die-cutting machine, to use as stencils on the cards.  Here are a few examples including a tree, snowman, and mug of hot cocoa (with or without spirits).

Sign up today to learn how to do more with your Zentangle practice.  Use your tangle patterns in new ways to make great gift ideas!  We'll still follow the same relaxing practice using the Zentangle method using some seasonal shapes to guide us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whether you're celebrating with turkey, Tofurky, or something else, there's always something for which to be thankful.  This season, I'm thankful for my wonderful family, my adorable daughter, and my amazing husband.  I am also thankful for creativity, Zentangle®, and the many new friends I've made on my artistic journey.

Give thanks for all that is dear to you today!

Happy Thanksgiving.

This tangled turkey was created with a sepia Micron with a few black accents.  I created the turkey shape with a die cut from my Cricut machine.