Deconstructing patterns, part 2

I've mentioned the requirements for a tangle to be a tangle (see  my earlier post, Deconstructing patterns, part 1). But how do you really do it?

My process is to either make a sketch in my notebook or take a picture with my camera or cell phone of something that might become a tangle. 

My TRIVET tangle is a good example. You can see the step-outs here. 

And here's the trivet that inspired the tangle.

When I started drawing the step-outs I quickly realized that I needed to simplify the tangle considerably in order to make it work. So I started with a grid that opened up the space between the squares. Then I limited the number of times the line went around in the inside. (You could scale it up to suit your needs, of course.) The last part was to add the connectors between the squares.

So take a look around your house and at things you see everyday. There might be a new tangle there somewhere! 

One caveat that I've mentioned in other posts: Be careful not to copy someone else's design in furniture or jewelry or fabric. Those designs are protected by the designer's copyright.

Deconstructing patterns, part 1

All of the Zentangle(R) tangles originated as an observed pattern, either in nature or made by humans. And there's a caveat: Not all patterns can become tangles. I know, I've tried. Here are the guidelines:

- The tangle must use only the elemental strokes: a dot, straight line, arc, S-curve or orb (circle)
- Usually only three or fewer elemental strokes are needed to draw the tangle
- The elemental strokes must be drawn in a structured way so that someone else can reproduce it as shown in a short series of steps called step-outs
- And, usually the step-outs for a tangle have five or fewer steps

Think of one of the most basic Zentangle tangles, Crescent Moon. It's essentially an arc with a straight line underneath that's filled in and embellished with more arcs (auras). What could be simpler?

At my Zentangle teacher training, Rick and Maria challenged us to observe some design in our environment and make a tangle out of it. Then several students were invited to present their tangles to the entire group. As you might expect, some tangles were very simple and some were very complex. One I remember had more than 12 steps! But the bigger issue with that one was that the final tangle was very representational. So it didn't make the grade on those two counts.

But keep looking and observing and see what YOU find!

Bijou, the tiniest Zentangle tile

When I first heard about the new and very tiny Zentangle(R) tile, called Bijou--just two inches square--I was very skeptical about trying to work in such a small space. So I got some and tried them out. (Go here for the background information about Bijou.) 

I found out that a Bijou tile was the perfect size for doing just a "dab" of Zentangle, as opposed to leaving a regular tile unfinished to go off and do something else, which for me breaks the continuity of a creative process.

And a Bijou tile ups the ante as a very portable way to take Zentangle with you. Bijou tiles also come in a very cute tin box to keep them clean and accessible.

Here's a Bijou tile example:

Working in sepia

I'm fond of working in sepia, that wonderful, rich brown color that seems to go so well with the white Zentangle(R) tiles. Some months ago I bought all the versions of sepia pens and pencils that I could find and then did some experiments combining a selection of pens with various types of pencils. I was looking for a color match and at the same time a pencil that could be dissolved with water to add dark shades. The combination I came up with and the one that I use is a Sakura Pigma Micron 01 sepia pen* with a Stabilo Aquarelle #8045 pencil. 

Here's the catch, though: the end of the Sakura pen that shows the color is such a dark brown that you could mistake it for a black pen. You probably don't want to mix sepia and black. So here's what I do: I get a permanent black marker pen, NOT the Sakura, but a Bic Mark It or similar and write "SEPIA" somewhere on the barrel of my sepia pens (Sakura also has a Micron 05 pen and a Graphic 1 large felt tip pen as well as a brush). I keep all my sepia supplies in a separate pen holder and away from the black ones which are usually out and about on my studio table.

The other thing you'll want is a #0 (zero) watercolor brush, the highest grade you can afford. The brush tip is VERY small which is perfect, when dampened slightly, for dissolving the pencil--if you choose--into watercolor. 

Here's a monotangle tangleation (see my Zentangle terminology page) of Quandary in sepia:

* The number above the scan code on the Micron 01 sepia pen is XSDK01#117. Be sure to check this out if you purchase from an art store because customers sometimes put pens back in the incorrect display slots.

Help! I'm seeing patterns everywhere!

As you become more familiar with how to draw tangles and how the step-by-step process works, you'll begin to see patterns and potential tangles everywhere. That's another use for the notebook I mentioned in an earlier post AND for your smart phone or camera.

In my notebook I've drawn images from books on Victorian fretwork and from a linen table runner with cutwork embroidery on it. I see if I can make an image into a tangle. Many times, the pattern I see doesn't work as a tangle, or maybe it's not interesting enough to me. On the other hand, more than once I've gone back to ideas I drew months ago and abandoned to find that by trying something new with it--like leaving out some element--it does make a tangle.

So when you see a pattern that intrigues you, natural or made by humans, try making a sketch of it in your notebook OR take a picture of it for later. 

Making what you see into a reproducible tangle is called deconstructing. I'll cover that in a later post.

So when you start seeing lots of patterns, try making them into tangles. Check out Linda Farmer's detailed and helpful information about what makes a tangle: How to submit your pattern to TanglePatterns.

One caveat: be sure not to make a tangle from someone else's design, such as a piece of jewelry. You might very well be violating the creator's copyright.

Tangle Patterns publishes my tangle, PODZ

I'm honored once again that Linda Farmer has published a tangle of mine on her website, Tangle Patterns. 

Here's the link to PODZ. Give it a try and see how many tangleations (variations) you can come up with. Here are some I thought of:

Zentangle as a practice

When I first took up Zentangle(R) in early 2013, I dawdled in it. I'd do a few tiles, then set everything aside for days or weeks, and then come back to it. After taking the Zentangle teacher training and also reading Twyla Tharp's book The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life, it became clear to me that in order to develop my Zentangle skills and to be able to answer my students' questions about Zentangle that I needed to make it a practice.

By a practice I mean an activity that I delve into deeply, that I do daily. I would like to have a specific time set aside each day for this practice, but, even though I'm retired, I admit that I haven't yet created that specific practice time.

The other thing I learned from Twyla Tharp's book is that all the geniuses of their particular art studied other geniuses. Mozart studied the work of the other composers that preceded him. Twyla Tharp studied the work of other masters of the dance such as George Balanchine. 

So I have taken on my own in-depth study of the work of the Zentangle founders, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, deconstructing their Zentangles where tangles merge into one another or wrap around each other or where there seem to be no strings. They have many years of experience in Zentangle and I'm a relative beginner but I think there are ways that my Zentangle art can benefit from this study.

Using a notebook

I have a pad of mixed media paper that I use as my Zentangle(R) ideas and practice notebook. My preferred version is the Strathmore(R) Mixed Media wire bound version in 5.5 x 8.5 in. page size. (No, I don't get any compensation from Strathmore for mentioning this.) Mixed media paper takes the ink quite well, although the feel of the pen on the paper does not at all resemble the feel of the pen on Zentangle tiles. The mixed media paper also allows me to work in sepia with a watercolor pencil and dissolve the watercolor for darker shading without warping the paper.

I often use this notebook to practice a tangle that seems very difficult to do--like Quandary was--until I feel that I understand it well enough to draw it on a tile. 

When Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas introduce a new tangle or technique in their Zentangle newsletter or blog, I practice it in my notebook to get my own feel for how to draw it.

And I used this notebook when I was working my way through the exercises in the One Zentangle a Day book by Beckah Krahula.

When I feel comfortable with the tangle or technique, I get out my official Zentangle tiles and make a Zentangle. As I mentioned in an earlier post (Official Zentangle supplies), the Fabriano Tiepolo paper combined with the Sakura Pigma Micron pen brings--for me--a meditative aspect to Zentangle and the practice I did in my notebook flows out from my pen onto the tile.

I'm stumped about what tangle to draw

There will come a time--if it hasn't come already--when you have your border and string drawn and don't know which section to tangle first or what to put there. Here are some ideas:

• If you have been printing steps for tangles on Tangle Patterns (tanglepatterns), look back through those and find something that catches your fancy
• Start with a tangle you know really well or enjoy doing the most, Crescent Moon for example.
• If you have some Zentangle(R) books, browse through them for a tangle.

But the most important thing to do is to start drawing. Just like learning a sport or a musical instrument or yoga, just start.

Taking care of your pens

One afternoon at the Zentangle(R) teacher training seminar, Rick Roberts, one of the Zentangle founders, gave a presentation on the care of Sakura pens in response to the question, "I had a pen with me on the plane and it leaked. Why?"

Rick took apart a pen, describing the patented tip and the ink cartridge inside. While I won't go into (and can't remember) all the hydrology and technology of the Sakura pen, two things came out of his talk: what to do with a pen on the plane and how to care for your pens at home.

If you're traveling by plane, always keep your pens in a zippered plastic bag--maybe two, one inside the other. If they do leak, the leak is contained. 

At home, ALWAYS put the cap back on your pen as soon as you are finished with it, even for a minute. ALWAYS lay your pens flat after use and for storage. I presume that both the pen capping and the flat storage are ways to keep the pen nib saturated with ink so that as soon as you pick it up and take off the cap, you're ready to tangle.

Note that these guidelines pertain to ALL Sakura pens, including the white Gelly roll for black tiles and the brown Sakura Micron for the Renaissance tiles.

Tangling on the go

If you anticipate having to sit and wait somewhere, or will be taking a long trip, consider taking along a kit to do Zentangle(R). 

That's one of the beauties of the Zentangle tiles. The Zentangle founders, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, chose them not only for their manageable "real estate" but also for easy portability. Of course, they take notebooks and tiles and all sorts of drawing tools wherever they go.

For travel, all you need is a pencil, a pen, and some tiles. 

But be aware that some people will be very curious about what you're doing which can open up an interesting conversation about Zentangle. You might be the one to introduce someone new to this fascinating art.

On my way back from the Zentangle teacher training, I was seated between two women across the aisle from each other who were caring for three children, two of whom we very active baby girls (twins) and the other their five-year-old brother. I read the airline magazine but was distracted by the children's commotion, so I thought I'd get out my Zentangle "kit." As I extracted it from my carry-on bag, I knew immediately that the tiles and pens would instantly attract the attention of these three young children. So I put the kit away and tried a bit of meditation to pass the time.

What's a Zentangle home class?

When you get so excited about Zentangle(R) that you want all your friends to find out about it, too, why not host a home class? I'll bring all the supplies and teaching tools to your house and you'll have a lovely afternoon drawing mini-masterpieces. 

A class is NOT the same as a [you name it franchise] party. There are no games to play, prizes to win, or any pressure to buy things. It's a quiet time of delving into Zentangle patterns and enjoying the art, "One stroke at a time.(SM)"

For more information about hosting a home class, please contact me and I'll send you a document that details what you need to provide and all costs associated with a home class.

Working with different sizes of Sakura Pigma Micron pens

When I teach the Crescent Moon and Hollibaugh tangles in Zentangle 1 classes and students start filling in the black areas with the Sakura(R) Pigma Micron 01 pen, I always hear this question: "Why not use a pen with a larger point to fill in the black?" 

First, some information about the pens. The ones I have in my collection are an 01, 02, 03, 05, and 08, that vary in their pen width from .025 mm to .50 mm. Here's a sample of those pens and the line widths they produce:

In my view, there's so little difference between the 01 (the standard pen for Zentangle(R)) and the 02 that I don't think the 02 is of much help. The 03, however, is a marked difference and the 05 is a step up above that. I find that the width of the 08 pen is so wide that it's easy to be a little off and perhaps make a horrible "mistake."

Here are my tips for using pens other than the 01:

• Use the 01 to fill in along the inside or outside of the edges (like a painter "cutting in" around a window) and then use an 03 or 05 to fill the rest of the space.
• Always use your 01 pen to fill in corners. You just won't be able to exert enough control over the other pens (unless you use a magnifying glass--ugh!) to keep the corners neat.
• As your 01 pens start to "die," set them aside (marking them in some way helps keep them separated from your other pens) and use them for the hard job of filling in a lot of space.

Or, why not surrender to the process, and the focus, and the slowing down needed to fill in that space with an 01 pen instead of speeding it up by using a wider pen. That's what Zentangle is all about--isn't it? What's your hurry?

Now that I have all these finished tiles . . . .

what do I do with them? That's the question that will come up after you've been doing Zentangle(R) for some period of time.

I have a funky picture display "thingy" that's composed of rods with loops at the end sticking up from a base. I put tiles that I particularly like on that display for a few weeks so that I can enjoy looking at them. It's also a nice way to show friends what I've been up to.

Then I might put them in a drawer in my studio storage cabinet for a while.

Finally, I'll get out my Zentangle PocketzPages from CropStop (this is not an endorsement of their product one way or another) into which the square tiles fit perfectly. I put the tiles in the pockets according to date. Then I put the pages in a notebook. I like being able to look back at what I've done in the past to see how my Zentangle work has progressed (or not).

I tack the Zendala tiles onto card stock (three will fit slightly overlapping on one page) with removable stickum of some sort and then put those into vinyl inserts at the back of the notebook. And I just recently learned that Zendala tiles will fit into CD/DVD pockets as well.

What will I do when the notebook is full? Stay tuned . . . . .

Zentangle class at OLLI College for Seniors at UNCA, July 2014

Another group of eager tanglers assembled at OLLI these past two Tuesdays to learn Zentangle. Some were already familiar with Zentangle and some were not, but each one of them brought their very special enthusiasm to the classes. Here is their work!!

Things that the group appreciated about these mini masterpieces included the unique "touch" that each person brought to their version of the tangles and, especially in the second set, the difference that shading made. 

I see once again how challenging triangle-based tangles can be which makes me challenge everyone to do more Rick's Paradox and also try out Lynn Mead's tangle, Fassett. 

June 28 Zentangle 1 class

A small but enthusiastic group of tanglers assembled for Zentangle 1 today at The Urban Art Retreat and Studio. Each came with her own artistic capabilities and put her special "spin" on the tangles. I will never lose the sense of wonder and amazement I feel when I see all the students' tiles arranged together. Same tangles, different interpretations. That's part of the beauty of Zentangle.

When black pens fade

Sooner or later (Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas of Zentangle think it's 32 tiles later) your Sakura pen will start to fade and finally run out of ink. My experience is that by that time the patented tip is also not delivering a steady line. Do you keep on drawing until it really does run out of ink or is there another strategy?

When I notice that the line isn't full of ink or the tip seems to be giving me a blotchy line, I identify it with a piece of black electrical tape near the end opposite the tip. I use these pens, instead of the ones that are working well, to fill in large black areas. Yes, it takes a bit more time to coax the ink out of a fading pen, but at least I'm not prematurely wearing out a new pen.

Zentangle class at OLLI College for Seniors at UNCA, June 2014

Yesterday was the second of two classes in a Zentangle course at the College for Seniors at UNC Asheville. Lots of good questions and some challenging work with triangles. 

I think triangle tangles such as Rick's Paradox in particular are very challenging--especially when there are multiple triangles next to each other--because they can become visually confusing. I also think that we're accustomed to working with squares and circles but not with triangles.

So here's a suggestion for learning Rick's Paradox: on a plain piece of paper, practice doing multiple solo triangles to get the hang of how it works. When you incorporate it into work on a tile, do only one Rick's Paradox tangle. Then try two next to each other. Also look online at sources such as this post (listed as "Paradox") on tanglepatterns.com which has links to posts on the Zentangle.com website to see the marvelous ways that multiples of this tangle can work out.

And keep working with triangles. They might even beat Sudoku for a brain workout!

Here are the two mosaics from this wonderful group of tanglers.

Practicing the familiar

Over time I've been working my way through my CZT resources in order to practice all the tangles, not just the ones I'm familiar with. When I find one that I just can't seem to do "right," I endeavor to practice it repeatedly, perhaps a section of it at a time, until it turns out as close to "the standard" as possible. (In Zentangle(R),  there really is no right way to draw a tangle. Sometimes, "mistakes" lead to new tangles!)

On the other hand, why should I abandon the familiar Crescent moon tangle for a more "difficult" one like Fengle? I've thought of a variety of ways to practice Crescent moon and delve into its potential tangleations (see my Zentangle terminology page):

• Larger moons
• Wavy auras
• Designs within the moons
• More space between the moons with more auras

What does this sort of practice do for me? It dips into my creative well. When I do that, I find that more options appear than I originally envisioned. And I can see how I could apply some of these options to other tangles. 

Try expanding your knowledge of your favorite tangle by drawing your own tangleations of it.

May 31 Zentangle 2 class

A VERY enthusiastic group of Zentangle 1 graduates dived into working with white pencil and ink on black tiles. It takes a certain shift of the brain to move out of our usual black on white world into the white on black world. Everything is new: the paper (not the same manufacturer and type as the white paper), the white Gelly Roll pen, and the white charcoal pencil.

On their first tile, they reviewed the tangles from Zentangle 1.

Crescent Moon, Hollibaugh, and Tortuca

All mini masterpieces for sure! Then they tried three new tangles.

Vega, 'Nzeppel, and Printemps

As an added bonus, I gave them another black tile and the step-outs for Lynn Mead's tangle, Fassett (available on Tanglepatterns.com). This tangle is so fun to work with, especially in white on black, because of the many variations Lynn provides and all the variations YOU can think of, also. Give it a try!!

My published tangles and strings

I'm pleased and appreciative that two of my tangles have been published on TanglePatterns. (For more about TanglePatterns, see my post "An online tangle resource--and it's FREE"). 

My three patterns are Panthe, Trivet, and Jajazz. I've submitted several more for Linda Farmer's consideration and may see those published in the future.

So when you start seeing lots of patterns, try making them into tangles. Check out Linda Farmer's detailed and helpful information about what makes a tangle: How to submit your pattern to TanglePatterns.


She also published two strings of mine. Check them out here: String 92 and String 104.

What happens in a Zentangle 2 class?

I hope those of you who have attended one of my Zentangle 1 classes will take your tangling to the next level with Zentangle 2 on May 31.

Between the time you finish my Zentangle 1 class and when the Zentangle 2 class rolls around, it's really important that you practice Zentangle(R)--and I don't mean this in a demanding way--but for the fun and creativity of it. The more you practice (of course) the more comfortable you'll become with the tools, materials, and tangles.

So what's to learn in Zentangle 2? It's all about white on black tiles. A Sakura Gelly roll pen for white ink, a charcoal pencil for borders, strings, and shading, and a new tortillion you'll reserve for working with white on black. (If you use your black-stained tortillion, you'll smudge your white charcoal marks into grey marks.) The texture of the black tiles is also different. They're made from black Rives BFK printmaking paper; white tiles are made from Fabriano Tiepolo paper.

As a disclaimer, you must have taken my Zentangle 1 class or an introductory Zentangle class from another CZT(TM)before you can take Zentangle 2. That's to ensure that everyone starts on relatively the same level so that we can play with more intricate tangles in addition to the new tools and tiles. (If you've taken a basic Zentangle class from someone else, contact me and we'll chat about what you learned and if you're ready for Zentangle 2.)

Between now and May 31, happy tangling and hope to see you in class!

Inside or outside the lines?

The classic way of tangling a tile is to proceed from one section to another, tangling a different pattern in each section. That's the way you're supposed to do it in a coloring book. I like keeping each tangle within its own section, but I realize that I'm in a rut about it.

My sister thinks of the sections as suggestions for where to put the tangles. She'll tangle something outside the lines into another section or out into the area beyond the border. She thinks that keeping the tangles within the sections is too restrictive.

The really great thing about Zentangle(R)--and what you will notice if you look at some of Rick Roberts' and Maria Thomas's tiles on their Zentangle website--is that they often go outside the lines. Just remember that they are the experts in this art and the tangles are in their muscle memory so it's very understandable. I saw them do this all the time at the Zentangle teacher training. (Many other very creative tanglers in the Zentangle world have a natural affinity for this as well.)

So I have free yourself from the lines on my own Zentangle development list.

April 26 Zentangle 1 class

A very enthusiastic group of Zentangle students and I had a wonderful class yesterday at the Urban Art Retreat and Studio in Asheville's Montford neighborhood. Here are the mini-masterpieces they created:

As I said to everyone when we looked at their mosiac together," I'm always amazed at how each person takes the same tangle and makes it their own". And that's the beauty of Zentangle, I think: to put your own spin on the group of lines that make up a tangle and express your innate creativity. Tangle on!

It's OK to recycle

Sometimes I start out on a tile and part of the way through my tangling I realize that I don't like it for some reason. Maybe my hands weren't warmed up enough and my circles look like ovals or my straight lines wiggle. Zentangle(R) isn't about perfection, it's about the experience, but like anything else--a main course for a dinner party--there is a degree of perfection that I want.

So what do I do with those tiles that I abandon? 

Sometimes I put them aside and pick them up later, tangling the empty sections or finishing the unfinished sections for the practice of tangling. Sometimes these tiles end up being to my liking.

Other times, I put them aside indefinitely. I might use them to test out my pens to determine if they're getting to the end of their life span (about 32 tiles according to Zentangle founders Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas).

One time I was working on a pre-strung Zendala tile. The inner sections looked good to me but the outer sections didn't. So I used an X-Acto(R) knife to cut out the inner portion, tacked it to a blank Zendala tile and tangled the now-empty sections. It was a not altogether successful experiment, but at least I did seek to make something else of it.

I often keep the black tiles to use in coaxing the ink out of a white Sakura Gelly Roll pen, or to wipe off any crusty leftover ink around the point.

And finally, some I just recycle.

Home hosted Zentangle 1 class in Alexander, NC

Yesterday, April 5, 2014, I had the fun and honor of teaching a Zentangle 1 class to a group of six women at a home in Alexander, NC. Here are the mini-masterpieces that they created:

Photo by Candace Hasty

I always find it a bit surprising and also wonderful how each woman, drawing the same tangles as everyone else, draws them in her own innate style. Wonderful, all of them, both the women and their creations!

Official Zentangle supplies

I've been asked, "Why use the official Zentangle tiles? Why not just any kind of paper?" and "Why the Sakura pen?" I think that there are two answers to these questions.

First, to get the best results from your work, use the best materials. Have you ever used something for an art project that was cheap but not up to standards? Let's say that you chose the cheapest watercolor paper and produced a beautiful watercolor but the paper buckled and wouldn't lay flat. There's all your hard work, almost for nothing.

Second, I have tried other pen and paper combinations--and I am sure that Rick and Maria tried many more than I can lay my hands on--and nothing else works as well. There's something, also, about the combination of the texture of the Fabriano Tiepolo paper and the patented fiber point of the Sakura pen that makes you slow down, that makes you concentrate on "One stroke at a time.(SM)" If you go too fast, the pen point can drag on the paper (the same thing happens when you press too hard on the pen) and your lines become jagged.

For the best results from your tangling time, stick with the official Zentangle supplies.

March 29 Zentangle 1 class

My first Zentangle 1 class (and perhaps the FIRST EVER Zentangle(R) class in Asheville?) was a lot of fun for everyone, including me. Thanks to all the students and their mini-masterpieces shown in this "mosaic."

An online tangle resource--and it's FREE

All of us who do Zentangle(R) owe Linda Farmer, CZT, the biggest "Thank You!" possible for founding Tangle Patterns. She has gathered together and also publishes in her annual e-book all of the public and official Zentangle patterns as well some of the hundreds of others that individuals--CZT or not--send to her each year. 

You can also subscribe to her daily email featuring tangle patterns during the week and strings (see my terminology page) on the weekend. 

Or, you can go to her website, pick out a tangle, and see all the steps for creating that tangle. 

I am honored that Linda chose to publish one of my tangles, Panthe.

Where did the name "TangleArden" come from?

As a CZT(TM) (Certified Zentangle Teacher), I agree to help protect the Zentangle(R) trademark by not using it as part of my business name. "Tangle" is a generic term that anyone can use. So I combined "Tangle" with the place (not a town or a village, just a place) where I live, "Arden." I had thought about reversing those two elements, making "ArdenTangle" but I could see how some people would see it in all lowercase letters as "ardentangle" and think "ardent" "angle" or maybe even add an "r" at the end making it "ardent" "angler." Because a lot of fishing goes on in this area, I just didn't want to step in the fishing pond with my business name. So TangleArden it is, and it's not a hair salon, either!

There's no critique in Zentangle

A college art instructor asked me if a Zentangle(R) class included a critique at the end as did the college art classes she taught. The answer is an unequivocal NO. Zentangle isn't about comparing your Zentangle to someone else's or to someone's standards. Zentangle is about expressing you own innate creativity, line by line as you draw the patterns. Otherwise, we might as well have a rubber stamp or a stick-on something and call it done.

Zentangle flow

Others besides me have reported the phenomenon of "being in the flow" when drawing a Zentangle(R). I'm usually not aware of until I'm finished with it. I'll look at my tile and wonder how all those lines got on that paper so beautifully and evenly. Sometimes it seems that the Zentangle draws itself. It's that "lost in the moment" feeling that one of the Zentangle creators, Maria Thomas, described when she was drawing patterns as background for illuminated letters. It's this phenomenon, similar to Zen meditation and identified by Rick Roberts, the other Zentangle creator, that became the "Zen" part of the Zentangle name. And that's the beauty of Zentangle. I find that the more I practice the more Zentangle flow I experience. And it doesn't have any calories, either!

Why take a class from a CZT? (Part two)

As I wrote in the first installment on this subject, taking a class from a CZT (TM) (Certified Zentangle Teacher) as opposed to learning from a book or YouTube videos has many benefits.

In addition to those I already mentioned, a CZT has the resources to broaden your knowledge of and enjoyment of Zentangle.

CZTs have access to the full range of Zentangle tangles. If you look at Linda Farmer's annual e-book, TanglePatterns, some spots are blank. (See TanglePatterns here: Tangle Patterns.) These are the tangles that only CZTs have access to and which they can teach you in a class.

Another benefit is techniques. When I took the CZT seminar, I learned so much about how to be more successful in drawing the tangles, and tangles that seemed very difficult to me became just challenging and, ultimately, after some practice, somewhat easy.

So a  CZT can broaden your knowledge of the official Zentangle patterns and teach you some techniques to make those that seem hard, more doable.

Why take a class from a CZT? (Part one)

With the wealth of information on the internet these days including YouTube videos, books you can download to your electronic device, DVDs, and printed books available in just a few days, why take a Zentangle(R) class from a CZT(TM) (Certified Zentangle Teacher)?

Have you ever tried learning yoga or a musical instrument from a book or DVD? I have. I tried learning the bass guitar from a book/CD combination. The only thing I got from that combination was frustration! When I finally found a teacher and took regular lessons, I really felt that I was learning the instrument instead of just fumbling around with it.

Yes, there are many good Zentangle books out there, and that's how I started out with Zentangle because there were no local CZTs to take a class from. But I know from the big class I took (the Zentangle teacher training seminar), that there's nothing like a class with a live teacher there to answer questions and encourage you and set you on the right path with Zentangle.

And you'll find that when you take at least a basic class that you have a great foundation of skills to continue doing Zentangle on your own, or enough excitement and interest to take more classes. 

Zentangle classes in Asheville

I'll be teaching a Zentangle(R) 1 class at The Urban Art Retreat and Studio in the historic Montford area of Asheville, NC on Saturday, April 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. Class size is limited to 8 adults and the fee is $36 which includes official Zentangle materials.

To register, go to The Urban Art Retreat and Studio.

Here's an example of a tile (the name for the piece of special paper we use for Zentangle) one might create in this class.

TangleArden is launched

TangleArden is now an official business in the Western North Carolina area, specifically around Asheville. I was certified as a Zentangle(R) teacher in November 2013 and am now excited to be offering Zentangle instruction at local art studios and also as home classes.

For more about Zentangle, go to Zentangle.