So . . . What Can You Do With Your Tiles and Tangles?

                                                           ~~~Drum roll, please ~~~

Before I touch on my title subject, here's some 'show and tell' from two of my students who very recently took an Introduction to Zentangle class! I'm so happy when students become excited about Zentangle!

Steve Reeser did this beautiful tile a week after taking the Intro to Zentangle class.  He's a real tangler!

Karen Schaack collected shells and tangled on them. I **love** these!

I was asked during my last Intro To Zentangle class: "What can you do with your completed tiles?" It's a good question, and somewhat difficult to answer because there are so many possibilities!

One idea that I gave was to do a RAZ: a Random Act of Zentangle. Simply write a note on the back of your tile something like, "Smile! You have received a Zentangle tile! It is yours to keep, or give away! Enjoy!". Then, leave your tile in a public place such as on on the sugar/cream table at a coffee shop or sticking out (prominently!) on a shelf in a bookstore, etc. What a wonderful surprise for someone to find. You might just make someone's day a lot brighter!

A RAZ left in the waiting room of a doctor's office.

You can also attach your tile to card stock, write a message inside, and give it to someone. There's nothing like creating truly handmade work of art to share with someone!  A card such as this would have so much more personal meaning to it, as compared to a mass produced card!

 

You can use completed tiles in an art journal, as part of the illustration. You can simply attach your tile to the journal page, or incorporate it in more depth as part of a collage.

     This is an example of a Zendala

 ('mandala' + 'Zentangle' = 'Zendala') 

that was made from a snowflake template! 

  . . . and, of course, you can definitely frame those favorites of your, and display them for everyone to enjoy!

A true Zentangle advocate!

~~Thanks so much for visiting! I would love to hear your ideas or comments!

More Zentangle in the Nokomis/Sarasota Florida area!

     I am constantly amazed at how people who are new to Zentangle start out by saying, "I can't do that" . . . . and then end up saying, "Wow! I did that!".
   
SO ~ WHAT IS ZENTANGLE?

1. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS: You don't need any previous training or "artistic talent" to learn this art form.  The process is created "one stroke at a time", where each step is just one line! If you can draw a line, a circle, and a 'S', then you can do Zentangle!
   "The Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. Almost anyone can use it to create beautiful images. It increases focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal well being." 
   Zentangle can: 
   

   • increase your focus,
   • help you relax,
   • inspire your creativity,
   • improve teamwork,
   • build your confidence,
   • change your outlook.
   Today a wonderful group of new Zentangle students came for an introductory class. We had a cozy time to tangle as it rained outside! Here are a few photos of our finished tiles ~ Each one is so unique and beautiful. 
   

   

   
   
   

   

   
   

   

   As a Certified Zentangle Teacher, I absolutely love seeing these tiles "come to life", with the individual styles of each student! We all learn from each other . . . . and then, when each tile is shaded, completed, signed, and admired, there is that "WOW!" moment. 

Zentangle Classes in Nokomis, Florida!

     Yesterday, 7 new tanglers showed up to take a Beginner Zentangle class here in Nokomis, Florida! Everyone did a great job, and learned 8 new tangles, as well as a bit of the history and philosophy of Zentangle.
 

I'm so excited about starting this new adventure here in Florida. I've been grateful for the interest shown, and the enthusiasm of people in this area to learn Zentangle. It's true that Zentangle attracts some of the most friendly people: ones who want to learn a new skill, try something unique, and share new friendships!

After the 2 1/2 hour class, we put all of the tiles into a mosaic:

We're now looking at possible additional classes such as Renaissance Tiles, Organic Tangles, or Snowflake Zendalas! I'm looking forward to sharing more "Tangling Adventures" with everyone!

          If you're interested in learning Zentangle, (or just want to say, "Hi!") feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear from you!

A New Year!

     2014 was a good year for me: I became a CZT (certified Zentangle Teacher), and started this wonderful journey. Tim and I had a good (but very quick!) summer in Colorado and managed to get some hiking in at Rocky Mountain National Park.
     We just made our annual migration to Florida, and have been soaking up the sun and warmth. This also means that I am starting a list of students who are interested in taking Zentangle classes from me in the Sarasota/Venice, Fl. area! If you are interested, please contact me by leaving a comment below. I'm excited to meet new students and to share this wonderful art form!

I  have also recently started a new 'illustrated journal' for 2015, which incorporates Zentangle along with various other artistic explorations ~ collage, stamping, Gelli Plate printing, etc: having a  creative blast in general!
     We were to pick a word that has meaning, both for our journals and our lives. After much thought, I chose "gratitude" because that's something I believe we should all be aware of. I feel that I have so much to be grateful for: my family, my opportunity to travel, sharing music (and my life!) with Tim, my Zentangle journey, as well as the chance to explore other creative pursuits! The quote that I used is from Deepak Chopra:

 Gratitude opens the door to...

the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the Universe.

You open the door through gratitude.

Here's a peek at my first page.

I hope you enjoy this post, and have much to be grateful for in your life!

Happy 2015!

Class scheduled!

Just a shout-out to those of you in the Loveland, Colorado area. I will be teaching a basic (beginner) Zentangle class on Saturday from 1:00 - 3:00 at the High Plains Environmental Center. 

Who can do Zentangle?  Anyone! If you can draw a line, a circle, you can do Zentangle!

Come and learn about this wonderful art form which: 
** Reduces stress
** Increases focus and creativity
** Provides artistic satisfaction
** Increases sense of personal wellbeing

Come join the fun!

Please comment below if you want directions or further information!

Why "Tangle Your Bliss"?

I have been asked about the name of my blog. It comes from the interviews that Bill Moyers did with Joseph Campbell. Out of these interviews came the book, The Power of Myth.
The following quote sums up the idea of following your bliss:

“Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.”

― Joseph Campbell

Zentangle can be a way to connect with that bliss, or calm center where you don't have a sense of time or stress. Tangling can give us a taste of bliss, if only for the 15 minutes it takes to complete a tile!

Soooo, this week, my  Zentangle journey has continued with the birth of my new business named (surprisingly enough!) "Tangle Your Bliss". I feel as though I'm being somewhat swept along with the whole process, and discovering as I go along. I had no idea what was involved with establishing a business, registering with the state, etc! All of this in preparation for my first class on Saturday! "If you tangle they will come!" At any rate, I'm having fun with the whole process . . . . and teaching my first class will, I think, be a blast!

. . . . and some samples:
Normally, my ZIA's are abstract pieces, but I wanted to try a whimsical fairy-type house. Below is a ZIA I did a few months back, first in black and white, and then in color ~ Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting ~~ I would love to hear your comments, ideas, etc! 

New class, new business, new ZIA, oh,my!

     Since I returned from Providence, RI for the CZT training, I've started my 'official' Zentangle business, registering with the state, filling out forms, etc. I've also scheduled a class on introduction to Zentangle, which I'm very excited about! It will be held at the High Plains Environmental Center on Saturday, Nov 22 from 1:00 - 3:00. I know that as the time draws nearer I'll be nervous, but for now I'm just excited to share Zentangle with people who haven't done it yet.
    For the past month or so, I've been tangling on the original Zentangle tiles, which are 3.5" x 3.5".  This has been inspired by the Facebook group, "Square One: Purely Zentangle". It's been great to get back to the basic traditional tile, using only the black Micron pen. As someone commented, "having the boundaries makes us push the creativity a bit more".
    That being said, I felt the need to go back to my larger paper and do a ZIA (Zentangle-inspired-art) piece. I've worked on this for the past 3 days, and am pretty happy with the result. I love the process of transitioning one tangle into another, and balancing the composition. (At least, it's a good brain challenge!)