Falling for Color

I think I'm making up for lost tangling time this weekend!  Or, maybe my silly foot injury was a blessing in disguise.  :-)

I started this ZIA with a Dreamweaver stencil, filled in with tangles, then colored with my Tombow markers ala Marie Browning.  

My favorite part is the critters.  :-)

Facing Fears

I can't draw.

I can't draw a person.

I can't draw a face.

Why not?

Do I need official art training to be able to draw a face?  Who decides if the face is good enough or realistic enough?  If there is no ideal face in human form, why must there be one in artistic form?  Where is this critic telling me that I can't do these things?

Inside of me.

I am my own worst critic.  I know my talents and strengths, but I have never considered drawing or art to be among these until I discovered Zentangle® art.  I truly feel like an artist now and am thankful that I've let go of the idea of what art should be.  Who says?  Who knows?  Who cares?

I've been proud of the fact that my inner perfectionist seems to be taking a vacation with a raspberry martini in hand.  She no longer wigs about trying new things or failing.  Again, who decides when we fail?  Do we get report cards in life?  Do I need my mom to sign a form saying that I have to try harder?

I used to see work by other artists and think, "I could never do that."  I'm so glad that I've let that silly notion go!  We are all human with various abilities and experiences.  Sure, some people bring more traditional art training to their Zentangle practice, but that doesn't mean I can't try to draw something my own way.  I love that we don't need to be classically trained artists to make relaxing and beautiful art with the Zentangle method.

I have been infinitely inspired by Norma J. Burnell's Fairy Tangles.  She is an amazing artist who combines beauty, nature, and art into her creations.

Instead of staring in jealous admiration, I decided to pick up a pen.  What was the worst that could happen?  I mess up?  I ruin a sacred piece of paper and spend twenty minutes in a lovely state of relaxed focus?  Oh no!

With my tangled gardens, I've loved the free feeling I have while creating.  I can't believe that I had the same feeling while creating my first ever earth goddess!  I used a rubber stamp to create the face and enhanced it a bit with some pen.  Next I started drawing long strands of patterns.  Wow, was this fun!  I didn't care if the strands really looked like hair.  I just filled in the lines with patterns that I enjoy.  Many are the same ones in the garden ZIAs I've been making.  I kept filling in patterns until I decided she was ready for some shading.

Where was the fear?  Why did I worry?  I didn't get struck down because I used a rubber stamp or because I put pen to paper.  Instead of being afraid or believing I couldn't do something, I tried something new with great results!  I loved the process, I felt relaxed and inspired, and I did something new.  Yeah, me!

I may have to start asking myself, "What's the worst thing that could happen?" more often in life.  I'm guessing the answer is much less tragic than my mind can imagine.

What are you afraid to try?  What would happen if you face your fears?

Come Inside My Tangled Garden

After badly scraping my heel today while trying to calm a nervous toddler, I decided I deserved some much needed tangling!  I pulled out my Toned Gray paper and set off on a new gardening adventure.  

This piece started with the gate.  I wanted to explore the idea of an overgrown garden that can't be contained even when locked up.  I love how the shading on the door came out!  

Do you like my little spider and web?

I'm really loving these gardens.  They are beyond meditative for me.  I draw a stem or leaf, and just let it all go.  I don't even notice where my flowers or other patterns are going.  I let them grow wherever they want to explore.  It's fun and freeing to let art happen without worrying about the consequences.

Three Square Meals: Nourish Yourself!

Whoosh...there goes another week!

Especially when we are busy, it's important to take time to smell the roses, to tangle, and to take a few minutes for ourselves.  Work, family, and house projects compete for our free time making it easy to get lost in the busyness of it all.

Make sure to take some time--even just a few minutes--to regain some sense of focus. Your work, family, and mood with thank you for it!  Sitting to tangle for a few minutes is a wonderful way to calm your mind.  After regaining a little focus, it's that much easier to tackle a big project, deal with a difficult situation, or realistically face the mounting to-do list.

We can get caught up in a hamster spinning wheel, so to speak, letting the momentum carry us along.  If you stop running, the wheel stops, and you can catch your breath.  Once you're in a better state, you can start running again.  Will the world end if you take a break and compose yourself before starting again?

Take a break from the wheel to breathe, read, exercise, tangle, or do something that makes you feel like you again!

It seems so silly to point out to adults to remember to breathe or take a break, yet I, too, am guilty of letting that momentum take over my busy day.  I love being busy and am stimulated by variety and some chaos.  I have to remember to stop myself for my own benefit because I am still human which means I have limitations.  I can't work 24-hours a day.  I have to sleep and eat like the rest of us.  Remember, even machines need to refuel or recharge!

There is no weakness or fault when we take time for ourselves.  We might think this means we're selfish.  Why does that word have a negative association?  When we spend most of our days taking care of others in some way, don't we deserve a few minutes?  What if taking those few minutes makes you better able to do your job or to help others?  That selfish time makes you a better person who is better able to handle what comes next.

I try to tangle even just for a few minutes when things get too crazy.  My mental state improves, and I find it easier to not only face my obligations but also to find joy in meeting them.  Is it enough to get through the work day or a home project, or is it better to do so with a smile and sense of enjoyment?

Clearly, I also take time to pontificate about taking time!  :-)

Here is this week's string theory Diva challenge to work with concentric squares.  I turned my page with each square then filled in with my favorite triangular pattern, Paradox.  I love the depth and controlled chaos of this piece.  Hmm, interesting metaphor, no?

Here is another square piece I had created for a Bright Owl Zendala dare:

Time for Tuxedo

Does the week ever get away from you?  I started the Diva challenge on Monday when it was released, and it's taken me until almost the end of Saturday to get it posted.  The delay was not for lack of interest or trying.  Sometimes I am amazed by how fast the days can pass by.

My adorable daughter turned two and a half, I learned about her upcoming preschool (OMG again where does the time go?), taught an amazing Zentangle Basics class, and I've been working like crazy.  I'm a person who loves the challenge of a variety of projects, and I get bored easily.  It's sometimes hard for me to say no because I get stimulated by new ideas, and I have a lot of energy.  That said, I'm still human.  I'm so thankful to have my Zentangle practice to keep me grounded and to calm my mind when it gets filled with interesting ideas.

This week's Diva challenge was to use the Tuxedo pattern created by the fabulously talented LeeAnn.  She is a truly inspiring Zentangle artist, and I love to see everything she creates.  Her floral and Christmas designs are breathtaking!  I've joked on her blog that I want to be her when I grow up creatively.

I wasn't sure what to make of Tuxedo at first, but it was fun to play with.  I got a bit literal in my challenge this week.  :)

Billerica Tangles

Thank you to the Billerica Public Library and the Friends of the Library for hosting my Zentangle Basics class last night!  We had a wonderful group of 20+ participants who were almost all new to Zentangle.

The group had a fabulous energy filled with cheerful smiles and enthusiasm.  Throughout the evening, I kept hearing, "That's SO cool!" after a pattern took form or after shading made the images turn 3-dimensional.  I love hearing the surprise as people learn that they can create something stunning with a just simple pen stroke or pencil smudge.  Creating art doesn't have to take hours and hours, although it's wonderful to give yourself that much time to play.  In a matter of minutes, it's possible to create something beautiful and intriguing while achieving a state of relaxed focus.

One of the participants told me that she felt relaxed throughout the class.  I take yawning as a compliment when I'm teaching!  :-)

Thank you to everyone for letting me share my passion with you.

Check out the amazing job they did:

Know When to Fold 'Em

I've been pretty interested in tangle patterns that look like curling or torn pages.  Check out these interesting patterns by several creative tanglers:

• Tore-Up by Cookie
• Page Curl v.2 by Lizzie Mayne
• That's Torn It v.1 by Lizzie Mayne
• Cartoosh by JayCadien

In a recent piece that I shared with fellow CZTs (Certified Zentangle Teachers), I used a shading technique to create a folded look in my tile.  I received such a positive response and a request for the instructions.

Here are my instructions for what I'm calling MomZenArtist's Folded Tile Technique.  I was playing with a new pattern and wanted to do two tangellations, so I divided my tile into two main areas.  With shading and a few tricks, it ended up looking folded.  I came up with this just by playing, but I don't know if the inspiration came from something I had read or seen before.  If so, please let me know.  I always want to give credit where credit is due!

MomZenArtist's Folded Tile Technique 4.13

I'd love to see your pieces if you play with this technique.  :-)

I owe a lot of my shading techniques to Cris Letourneau.  Check out her awesome shading book, Made in the Shade: A Zentangle Workbook!