In the summer of 2016, I was looking for something to keep me occupied on a trip. I needed something portable and small. I was looking through books in a craft store and came across a book about Zentangle Inspired Art. My purchase of that one book started my Zentangle journey. It went through the 8 steps of the Zentangle Method and demonstrated several tangles.
Since then, I have purchased several more books on the subject and I have spent an uncountable number of hours trying to tangle. It has been fun, however I felt like I was missing something. I learned that there were Certified Zentangle Teachers (C.Z.T.’s), but I had never met one, or taken any formal classes. I wanted to become a C.Z.T. but the training was across the country, and it cost more than I could afford.
Recently I decided to take the leap and I attended the C.Z.T. training in Newport, Rhode Island. I am so happy that I did it. I met so many talented people and learned new techniques. Now I feel like an unstoppable tangler. I would love to share this fun, simple and relaxing art with you. Click below to complete my contact form and I will be in touch.
The Zentangle method is a kind of drawing meditation. Studies show that repetitive activities such as crochet, playing scales on a piano, or even just tapping your feet have a calming effect on the mind. This is why you will see a basketball player bounce the ball a set number of times prior to taking a free throw. Tangling is another one of these activities. It requires a small space, and basic tools. There is a large vocabulary of simple patterns, that when combined transform into interesting works of art. Zentangle art is normally nonobjective. There is no top or bottom. Most importantly, there are no mistakes.
Some people say that they can’t tangle. Some of the excuses that they give are:
- I don’t have enough time.
- The supplies are too expensive.
- There is too much equipment.
- I have no artistic ability.
- I am afraid to mess it up.
- I don’t have a place to work.
- I have a hard time finishing things that I start.
- I could never make something as beautiful as that.
All it takes is icso, a fine point pen, a pencil for shading, and paper.
Ready - Set – Go (Breaking it down in steps) 1. Gratitude – Before beginning stop and be grateful for something. Perhaps it is the moment, or the pen and paper. Whatever it is, find something and let yourself embrace the gratitude. Take a deep breath and…let it out. 2. Dots – Make four dots on the paper. These dots break the barrier of blank paper syndrome. Once you make these dots, meant to be the four corners of your composition, the paper is no longer blank. 3. Border – Connect these dots. Make lines from dot to dot. The lines do not need to be straight. Once you have connected these dots you have some suggested boundaries within which to work. 4. String – The string is a special feature of a tangle. This separates the workspace into smaller areas in which you can work. 5. Tangle – This is where the magic happens. Concentrate as you make marks on your paper. Walk through one simple tangle. 6. Shade – Add some simple shading with a pencil. It is a good technique to use the side of the pencil tip to make a thick, but also light line. Blend it in if you have a tortillon or even a cotton swab works. 7. Sign your work – Be proud of what you accomplished. 8. Appreciate – Hold your work at arm’s length and admire your work.