Week 7 Preview ~ on Nov 9th, we'll be doing some tangling ...

For the November 9th class we'll be doing some zentangle. Which is probably what we'll all need post US election as a stress-reliever. Here's alittle info

A Zentangle I drew recently breaking several Zentangle "rules". For starters, it's not drawn on a plain white 3.5" white tile.  But the patterns are all variations of existing Zentangle patterns.

In 2004, Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts formalized a system of drawing patterns which they called Zentangle. They create their own Zentangle patterns and teach others to do the same. What they and others have discovered over the years is that it is more than just a hobby. As the name suggests, the activity of creating these "tangles" (short for Zentangle) has become a "zen" activity, or "yoga for the mind", especially for people who have experienced, or are currently going through, some sort of hardship in their lives.

A "Zentangle" drawing follows specific rules. In particular, they are drawn on 3.5" white card tiles and only your outside border and initial starting "string" are drawn in pencil, then everything after that is drawn in pen using repetitive patterns. There are thousands of repetitive patterns to choose from, and more being added every day. 

Zentangle itself has become an industry, with classes and certification, but you don't need to be "certified" to be creative, and you can begin drawing with anything on anything. There are plenty of step by step resources on the web to help you master the patterns, and it's a very satisfying process. 

Here are some of my favourite online resources to get you started, either after your session with Eddie, or in case you're unable to attend this upcoming Wednesday:

Tangle Patterns has a wonderful and ever-expanding collection of patterns to learn. They're sorted alphabetically by name ~ just click on the letters in the purple strip just under the heading. You'll see a thumbnail sketch of what each tangle looks like, plus a link to the step by step of how to draw it.

For a beginner's view of Zentangle, check out this blog post by Renee Tougas, who writes about the experience of using the Zentangle a Day book.

Once you've got the hang of it, check out Lily's Tangles for some eye-popping inspiration. But don't let her amazing work make you think you can't do it. Everyone starts at the beginning. She's been doing it for awhile. And she's good. I also stole the idea of photographing my tangle on a spread-out fan from her. See ... inspiring!