January Tangle Time and Zendala Workshop

As we settle into the coldest months of winter in New England, we will shift our focus to the quieter, introspective, meditative side of Zentangle.  On January 20th we will welcome guest CZT, Karen Keefe, who will be teaching 'Into the Zendala Zone', a workshop encouraging focused breathing and centering while using the Zentangle method. Karen will show us how to use the Zendala format to create beautiful, circular, mandala-like designs. Click on the 'Class Information' tab at the top of this page for more information about the workshop and to see images of zendala designs.To prepare for the workshop, this month's Tangle Time classes will use mostly familiar tangles and we will concentrate on slowing down and relaxing and truly appreciating the creation of each zentangle '...one stroke at a time...' Participants in Tangle Time classes may choose to tangle on paper which can be used as a transfer to apply their original artwork to a candle to bring warmth and ambiance to their zentangle practice at home.

Weekly Challenge #97: String Theory v. XX -"No Strings Attached"

The Divas challenge this week is to create a tile using NO string, and this month in Tangle Time classes we are exploring tangles that create star or snowflake patterns! So here are some tiles where  the tangle itself defines the shape of the design.

Tangles: Betweed, Tipple, Speckles

Tangles: Fengle, Flux

Tangles: Auranot, Knightsbridge

 And just for fun, here is a seasonal suggestion for displaying zentangles...

Happy Holidays!

December Tangle Time Projects

Zentangle can be used in all sorts of ways in the holiday season for cards, gift tags. Even just a tile can be a beautiful gift in itself. And of course you can tangle on all sorts of surfaces to create wonderful decorations and gifts. During December Tangle Time classes students can create paper or wood ornaments or decorate a large ball ornament.

Zentangled Envelopes

If you are going to tangle cards then you really have to tangle matching envelopes too...

Examples of Beginners Workshop tiles

It always amazes me how beautiful and creative and wonderfully unique Zentangle images are, and especially wonderful are our very first zentangle tiles. Here are the first tiles created by new students in this month's Beginners Workshop. One student reflected that the workshop was "the most relaxation I have experienced in a long time."

November Tangle Time Projects

During Tangle Time classes this month we will explore tangles which have a Thanksgiving theme, using a mix of tangles which create woven, basket effects and other tangles that suggest leaves and plants. Then, using thanksgiving themed tangles, or any of your favorite tangles, create unique cards, coasters and/or a zentangle sized clipboard perfect for supporting your zentangle tile. Call or email to sign up :) 

October's project

Everyone can create fall art this month with zentangle. A Beginners Workshop will teach you all you need to know to get started with zentangle and our project during Tangle TIme classes this month is to create these gorgeous leaves on a textured watercolor background. Bring a leaf from your favorite tree or use our templates. Ask about our group rate and special pricing for adults accompanying kids! For dates and times and more info click on the Class Info Tab at the top of this page or CLICK HERE! To contact me by phone or email CLICK HERE.

Franklin Harvest Festival Community Zentangle

Last Sunday I had a wonderful day introducing zentangle to folks who visited the Franklin Art Center during Franklin Harvest Festival and many of the visitors contributed to the creation of our zentangle inspired art. One of the centers owner/directors, Ian Kabat, created the borders and the "string", which divides the space into sections, and visitors chose and initialed a section and decided which tangle (pattern) to put into their section. While they watched, I began to fill their section with their pattern demonstrating for each the simple and easily accomplished steps to create the intricate designs. One young visitor asked for her pattern to be outside the borders so we added a separate circle right where she set her finger - I think she picked the perfect spot! Here is the result. You may want to zoom in to see the designs in detail.

And here it is upside down! Which do you like best?

Curiously if you rotate the design so that the circle is on the right the design looks suspiciously like a ghost!

Thanks to everyone!!!

Diva's Challenge #89: UMT v. IX: "Sankegg"

Alternative stepouts for Sankegg (or since the steps are significantly different is it considered a different tangle?). A pencil dot in the top right (mine is in pen on the stepout) and/or the extra thickness on one side of the triangle may make it easier to keep track of how much to rotate the tile?

Franklin Harvest Festival and October Schedule

Food, fun, entertainment, crafters, vendors and... zentangle information and demonstrations :)  This Sunday (September 30th) 11am-4pm, celebrate our New England fall season by attending the Franklin Harvest Festival and while you are there stop by at Franklin Art Center at 5 Main Street to learn more about Zentangle and see for your self how easy and beautiful this art form is. Join in the fun by helping us select patterns for our Harvest Festival 2012 Zentangle. See you there!

October schedule ....for class dates and times for October see the sidebar on the left of this page. For full details about classes click on the "Class Information" tab at the top of this page or CLICK HERE.

Photos from Sundays Beginner's Workshop

Tiles from our Beginners Workshop last Sunday. Their very first zentangle tiles - beautiful work everyone!

Diva Challenge #88: "Official Tangle: IX"

Busy teaching classes (see sidebar on left for October class dates!) and preparing to do demonstrations at the Franklin Harvest Festival this Sunday (see post below) but didn't want to miss the chance to post my "IX" tiles :) The Diva's challenge this week is to create a Zentangle or ZIA (Zentangle Inspired Art) using a new 'official' tangle (meaning that it was designed and released by the folks at Zentangle!) whose name is "IX". Below is my response to the challenge. To see other responses to the challenge or to submit a response yourself, check out the Diva's Challenge at :  http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com. Enjoy!

Franklin Harvest Festival and October Schedule

Food, fun, entertainment, crafters and vendors... Celebrate our New England fall season this weekend by attending the Franklin Harvest Festival and while you are there stop by at Franklin Art Center to learn more about Zentangle and see for your self how easy and beautiful this art form is. Join in the fun by helping us select patterns for our Harvest Festival 2012 Zentangle. You can find me at Franklin Art Center, 5 Main Street. See you there!

October schedule ....for class dates and times for October see the sidebar on the left of this page. For full details about classes click on the "Class Information" tab at the top of this page or CLICK HERE.

Class schedule - September 2012

Hi everyone! After a wonderful summer introducing people to Zentangle at classes at Franklin Art Center, we are looking forward to continuing our program with opportunities to 'tangle' throughout the fall and winter. We have scheduled two Beginners Workshops in September - one on a Sunday afternoon and one on a weekday evening. In addition Franklin Art Center is pleased to offer regular Tangle Time classes. Hosted and guided by a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT), Tangle Time is an opportunity for tanglers to get together, ask questions, share ideas and learn and practice new tangles. For full details click on the "Class Information" tab at the top of this page or CLICK HERE.

Two types of shading

We had a wonderful 'Beyond the Basics' with Paula Sherwin at the art center last week. Paula gave us some wonderful ideas on how to develop our zentangle practice as a meditative practice. During class we also talked a little more about shading so I wanted to post a tile that shows two different examples of shading. We talked about how adding a little shading around the edges of a section will create a 'pillow effect', where the edges appear to fall back and the center of the section 'pops' out. I shaded the outside of all the sections, but I think the effect shows most in the spirals in the top left section, and on the 'Perk' sections (the ones that look like a beehive or chrysalis?). Shading can also be applied anywhere that something goes under something else. In the 'Printemps' section (closely packed spirals in top right) anywhere one spiral goes behind another I added some shading to the one that goes behind.

Tangles: Printemps, Perk, Knightsbridge

Remember to rotate your tile as you work and when you have finished to see how it changes when viewed in different orientations! Here is my tile photographed in different orientations...

Which one do you like best??? :) This weeks challenge from the Diva uses Mi2 and is a great way to practice shading of places that 'go under'. Click here to see my design using Mi2.

Diva Challenge #80: Mi2

So many beautiful examples of Mi2 in the responses to The Diva's challenge this week, and practicing Mi2 perfectly complements our discussion of shading at the Beyond the Basics class last weekend! I love how such simple steps create such an elegant pattern so I decided to dedicate the whole tile to Mi2.

Tangles: Mi2

Zentangle Inspired Art - Work in Progress

Inspired by the tangle 'Printemps', which we used in Molly's Beginner's Workshop, I began work on a larger piece of art work. Because it is not done on the traditional Zentangle 3.5" by 3.5" square tile it is considered not to be a true Zentangle, but rather a Zentangle Inspired Art or ZIA.It is a work in progress and doesn't have any shading on it yet, but I like how it's evolving...

Beginners Workshop with Molly Hollibaugh - July 7, 2012

Another wonderful set of tiles! These are from Molly's Beginner Workshop class at Franklin
Art Center on July 7th. Thanks for leading us through your favorite tangles including a new one that doesn't have a name yet!

Tangles used: Florz, Crescent Moon, Hollibaugh, 'unnamed'

Monotangle: Munchkin

Tangles used: Purk, Printemps, N'Zeppel, Fescu

Beginners Workshop with Elaine Huffman

Great class today! Elaine Huffman CZT joined us to teach today's Beginner Workshop. Here is a photo of their work. As always it is wonderful to see the variety of designs that appear as students learn each pattern and then interpret and create in their own unique ways.Congratulations everyone on the creation of your first Zentangles! Our next Beginners Workshop will be next Saturday July 7th with Molly Hollibaugh from the Zentangle company.Click on the Zentangle Program at Franklin Art Center tab at the top of this page for more info on classes and registration.Its going to be a great summer!

Zentangled Egg

Welcome to all visitors, but a special welcome to those of you who may have found this site while checking out info for classes at Franklin Art Center (click on the Zentangle Program tab for more info). This week I have been taking care of a friends chickens so my zentangling practice has found a new location... on eggs! This will make a great class for spring next year!

Diva Challenge #72: Tanglation Nation - Crescent Moon

My entry for this week is a celebration of two parts or my life coming together... Zentangle and Franklin Art Center in Franklin, MA where I have been a student for the last year. We are so excited to announce that in collaboration with Molly from Zentangle, we will be hosting a series of classes and other tangling opportunities this summer to launch an ongoing year-round Zentangle program at the center. So cool! We have some summer teaching slots still available and will continue to host guest CZTs throughout the year, so if you are a CZT and would like to teach a class in Franklin please contact me by email (SarahD.Zenventure@gmail.com). We would also love to hear from any tanglers who would like to form a 'Tangle Time' group at the center or show/sell their work. We look forward to hearing from you!

So my entry for this weeks challenge is a collaboration of Zentangle method with the traditional art class exercise of shading a circle to make it appear spherical... Has a different feel depending on how your view it...

I like it best this way....!

Diva Cahllenge #71 - Pea-nuckle by Molly Hollibaugh

This weeks challenge from the Diva is to use a new tangle invented by Molly Hollibaugh. Her instructions for 'Pea-Nuckle' were published online in the latest Zentangle Newsletter here.It reminded me of some of the weaving tangles I have been playing with and after the first couple of steps (with the 's' lines and the first set of 'connecting lines') I saw a pattern I liked and left it without the second set of lines...

In my second attempt I followed all the steps but I got a bit carried away with decorating it; I think its too busy now but it was fun to do!

Zen Moment - Fox Den

Zen moment with Mother Nature ... spent some time this afternoon watching the secret lives of foxes from behind a tree right by their den. Hoping to go back this weekend with a better camera and hoping the sun will provide a little more lighting.

I am the Diva Challenge #68: DuoTangle v.IV: Hybrid/Strircles

Didn't find time to post much last month. Will try to do better this month! This weeks challenge from The Diva is to make a DuoTangle using Hybrid and Strircles. Wasn't sure that I would like the larger amounts of solid black that I was using but in the end I think it balanced well, with the Hybrid creating the midtones. Here is my contribution...

For Artoo and family

The Diva's challenge was cancelled or postponed because her son, Artoo, is unwell : ( They have been in my thoughts all day, along with another friend who had emergency surgery last week only to have her partner diagnosed with lymphoma this week. While we wait to hear how they are, here is 'Love and Huggy Bears' for our friends and all who need it today...

In between challenges

During the week I continued to experiment with tangles and strings, balance and 3D effects...

Oasis?

The triangles in this one remind me of butterfly wings...

When I started this one I thought I would have to scrap it, but kept going filling it with repetitive patterns and it turned out to be my favorite of the week!

Note to self: Another possibility for 'decorating' Huggy Bear...