The Doily Tangle

Most of the time, I am pretty much a hard core Zentangle® purist. I love the 3.5″ tile, I love the place I can get to in my head relatively quickly working in that format, and I have quite a long list problems solved while working on a tile. It always amazes me how the answer is waiting for me if I can just get rid of the clutter in my head by focusing on creating something for a few moments.

It is an entirely different experience to work using the same format in a representational format. I set out with an attempt to draw an object in tangles, and along the journey it became some what an obsession to just get the project finished. It took weeks.

The project was inspired by a doily that has been passed down to me through a few generations. We have several dozens, as must many people who can’t bear to part with hand made heritage from their grandmothers and great grandmothers. I am pretty sure these were originally used under vases to keep from scratching wood tables, though I also have versions intended to keep oils off the arms and headrest of easy chairs. Now they don’t quite fit in with our modern furniture and lifestyle.

I love to find new uses for old things, and occasionally will put one of these lovely, utilitarian protectors to work, but mostly they stay in the closet. It was in the desire to find a bridge between the practicality of old world crafts and today’s lifestyle that I decided to try to create the pattern into a tangle. The doily fit perfectly on the opus tile. (The Opus tile is 9 times larger than the original tile, and measures 10.5″). I used a compass to create the outer edge, points of the petals and the circles within them to serve as my string. I used a ruler to create the points of the crochet on the outer edge.

As with the more structured string that this required, finding tangles to use to accurately capture the airy feel of the crochet was tricky and I very easily got tired of the same tangle. I branched out a bit and modernized the “stitches” with a variety of tangles instead of being true to a consistent tangle for all the rows. It was certainly an accomplishment to finish, I think my grandmother would love the completed project, though I am certain she would have had the patience to complete a million little strokes exactly even in size as her stitches are. Maybe someday I’ll have as much patience as she did and try again. IMG_0972.2

A beautiful tile

This morning I created the most amazing tile. The strokes flowed from my pen with ease, and I immediately fell into the meditative zone that I love about the Zentangle Method.

I have had some ideas/conflicts/questions brewing in the back of my mind for a while, and sitting in the cool morning air, I lost myself in the strokes of ink on my paper tile. I found clarity for a few things that were bothering me. I resolved an issue by just letting it rest as I gave myself permission to really focus on the tangles I drew. I could almost feel the worries disappear little by little as the long strokes of the Fescu tangle ended in a seeded punctuation of resolution. It seemed as if the structure of another item on my mind found its shape as I filled my string with the woven shapes of Keeko.

This little piece of art is not beautiful because I agonized over the composition, nor because I wanted to post something as visually stunning as the overwhelming number of images that come through my social media feeds every day. This little tile will be added to my ever growing collection of tiles and only I will know how really beautiful the lines, dots and curves are, because of how I was able to find a bit of relaxation, mindfulness, peace and resolution.

This feeling is what I love about Zentangle. Occasionally there are some stunning visual results, and that is certainly what attracts a lot of people to the art form. It is so much harder to explain the feeling you can get from approaching Zentangle as a process, focused on each stroke and giving yourself permission to not worry about the outcome.

Forgiving your imperfections, one stroke at a time…

My grandmother passed along to me dozens of chair doilies – which in, her youth and probably into adulthood she hand made. You will probably recognize them as something that was on the back and arms of your grandparent’s chair as a means to protect the fabric, or perhaps under a vase or collectible on the dresser. There really aren’t many modern day uses for these doilies, and so my pile of them is just a fond remembrance of a grandmother I loved very much.Each doily looks perfect to me. The stitching is even, the spacing seems insanely perfect, and I am sure that I could not possibly create something like that with string. As an artisan I am sure my grandmother would have had dozens of stitches she wasn’t happy with, perhaps many that she pulled apart and redid – essentially using an eraser for her work. Decades later, I wouldn’t recognize the frustrating stitches and I bet she wouldn’t either.

As an experiment, I thought it would be fun to use the doily as inspiration and see how it could be represented in pen and ink, on a 10.5 Zentangle Opus tile.

During the process of capturing the essence of the home spun handiwork, I drew so many lines I was not happy with while the ink was drying on the paper. There were so many sections I immediately wished I had taken in a different direction, so many curves that weren’t curvy enough, or lines that were too long. Keeping in mind the Zentangle mantra of “One stroke at a time,” I would take a deep breath, lighten the grip on my pen, find a comfortable position and just keep going, one line, one curve, one stitch at a time.

As with any labor of love – taking a break, a little space and some time away can do wonders for how you feel. Setting aside this piece for a while and revisiting – all I see is the completed whole. I know how I got there, taking it slow and step by step, and being forgiving of myself and perceived imperfections. Maybe one day someone will look at this and think they couldn’t possibly create something like it – then they will gather their tools, whatever format they may be in – and get started.

Throw back Thursday

In a little bit of nostalgia, I thought I would post a photo of my trusty supply tote, I think about the transition it has taken in it’s useful life, each time I pack it up for a class.

Today it carries my class supplies – a tote full of creativity waiting to happen. Long ago it was actually used for grocery delivery from HomeGrocer.com – one of the fabulous tragedies of the fast paced, work 24/7 Dot-Com era. HomeGrocer was an important part of my past career and those long hours and lack of balance are an influence of why I love to share the Zentangle Method with so many people to help them find their creative spirit, focus, and a way to quiet the busyness of their minds. .

Makin’ Copies and Exploring Color

After a recent session on creating Mandalas with Zentangle (known as Zendalas) I thought it would be fun to explore how the design changes with color.

Taking photo copies of my original design – I selected two contrasting color pallets to enhance the piece. A song on the radio put me in an 80’s mood, so I couldn’t help but using all the shades of high school hi-liters for one of them, and more calming colors on the other.

It is interesting how the work changes so much with the addition of color. I find something I like about each of them.

I definitely recommend trying this technique, it isn’t complicated, takes just a few moments and it frees you up to try a lot of different options.

Milestones

This past month has been exciting at SoundTangle.

Not only have the offices relocated from the basement to a real studio space (with windows and everything!) but our “warehouse” has been bustling with activity as the inventory doubles. We are growing from a single shelf to half a closet! It is a small step but so exciting to have materials in such regular use that organization and efficiency have become a priority. There are too many pens, tiles and kits coming and going to simply keep in a box.

All these supplies are not languishing on the shelf – but are spreading around the area to our 100+ students. We had a mini celebration in the class where the milestone was reached, I quickly passed it and I expect to reach 200 before the end of second quarter!

It has been amazing to send so many people down the path of creativity!

Piles of Tiles

Each one of these little groups of Zentangle tiles represents someone who came to one of my introductory Zentangle classes in the past two weeks. So many of the students were in awe of how they could learn something new, that not only creates beautiful results – but more importantly provides them with a way to relax. The Zentangle Method gave them a tool to use for focus, relaxation and help to find a quiet place in their minds.

There are so, so many stories to share – one student was traveling to Europe the next day and asked for more supplies to share with her daughter. Many students wanted to share this with the children in their lives who they knew needed a way to be screen free and calm. A student asked me – could I please do another class for several of her friends who need this type of creative inspiration in their lives.

When I learned about Zentangle, I knew immediately that I wanted to learn how to teach and share it – to share it in this imperfect time when people have no quiet moments, when calm is something so unattainable, where we are over taxed, over scheduled and have such little space for a creative outlet.

I am ever so thankful that I listened to that little voice that said “sign up for that. you need to do this.”

Focused Energy

The 8-10 year old kids came in after recess bouncing off the walls and hyper about our session being the last activity of the last day of school before the weekend. After some necessarily loud words from the teacher to settle down, we got started with tangling.

Immediately you could hear a pin drop in the classroom as the kids settled into learning the Zentangle method. We started with the basics as I explained the dots, the string and they all became lost in their own tile as they focused on each tangle we learned this day. Each artist found their own language to interpret the tangles, making each tile its own unique piece.

Just like with adults, some students needed a little extra reassurance that there really are no mistakes with Zentangle. We won’t erase it, but we can look at it and figure out how to move forward. Lets see what opportunities there are to work with what you have done so far. We worked through each fear of doing it “wrong” and in the end all of the students were so excited about what they had created, the room erupted in chaos again. Good thing it was time to go home.

We have a four week session to practice the Zentangle Method, and I can’t wait to see how the kids confidence progresses!

Coffee, Tea or Tangling…

I’ve recently been asked what I do when I tangle – as if there must be something more than just the act of putting pen to paper and focusing on the marks the ink makes as it flows to form shapes and patterns.

What time of day is it, what am I drinking, or am I having a meal? Am I tangling in the morning when the day is fresh and the sun is not up. Am I am having a cup of coffee to awaken my senses, or in the afternoon do I have a cup of tea when the promise of a relaxed evening awaits and the sun is bright in the sky. Perhaps I tangle during lunch when I have a mid-day break from work, chores, errands or meetings. Or do I find time in the after dinner hours when a glass of wine is at hand and the day is winding down.

I tangle all these times, but find I prefer a clean space, clear of distraction, without refreshment. The practice of Zentangle deserves its own time – or rather my mind deserves the focused time to tangle. I long ago gave up trying to “multitask” when practicing Zentangle. My scratch paper for lists stays empty, my coffee gets cold, my tea becomes tepid, my lunch turns warm on its plate. If I am lucky and in the zone I might not even hear the children fighting as only siblings can do.

After learning the Zentangle method – and how much more there is to it than just drawing, it is worth it to have a little nibble and then spend the rest of my lunch time feeding my inner self. I now enjoy that cup of tea after I tangle – when I can reflect on my artwork and have a clear head to make the lists and plans for the rest of the day. Practicing Zentangle can even replace that glass of wine to provide a relaxing end to the day.

Whenever you find the time to tangle – give it, and yourself, permission to focus. You will be glad you did.

Power Cleaning vs. Tidying Up

I read a while back that when you sleep it is like a little army of cleaners goes through your brain sweeping up all the garbage and waste you create with your thoughts during the day. That especially on a particularly hard thinking day a power nap can really refresh you and help you continue your good work into the evening. That a solid night sleep is so beneficial to making you feel well and be productive with your thoughts because your brain now has a clear ‘workspace’.

When I practice Zentangle -or any kind of focused activity – I think of it as a tidying up of my mind. The power cleaners come out when I sleep, and when I am awake – I give myself an opportunity to clear my head and spend some time really focusing. By spending five, ten or 120 minutes on a focused activity it creates a tidier path for the rest of my thoughts to work uncluttered for the next few hours.

Whether you find that focus in knitting, or running, or gardening, practicing Yoga – or with Zentangle, feel good about giving your mind a clean space to work with and do it often!

wound up