Zen...what?

Okay, I'll admit it.  I resisted for awhile but all of those little lines and intricate patterns have been calling to me.  I tried to ignore them, but they kept turning up everywhere.  "Don't do it", my practical self said.  "You have enough on your plate."  But alas, it's like an itch that I just have to scratch.  It's Zentangle.  Zentangle is the brainchild of Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts.  Zentangle is a registered trademark of Zentangle Inc.  You can check out their website and their blog.  They are full of great tutorials and fabulous ideas. 

 

Essentially, Zentangle is a wonderfully relaxing process of creating patterns, one stroke at a time and combining them to create one-of-a-kind pieces of art.  There are at least 130 official patterns, or tangles.  Of course, you can create countless variations of these, or create a few of your own!  It looks incredibly complicated, but in fact it is very simple and methodical.  I've been learning as much as I can from Rick and Maria's website and blog.  Here are a few samples from my art journal.

 

 

 

 

 

These are just practice sketches, but as I master them, I'll start combining them into original art works.  I have a collection of some of my favorite images from various artists on Pinterest.  Just click on the link and you can see them.  There are also some wonderful books out there on the subject.  A search on Amazon revealed lots of them.  If you'll click on the Amazon link, you can check them out.

 

Have any of you tried Zentangle?  Let me know what you think!

 

Until next time,

 

 

Comments

[rasz]

I really like doing Zentangles. I can fill up an 8x11 page with tangles. It is so relaxing, and I have to agree with Mary's comment above...addicting as well. I actually have to stop doing tangles to get back to creating other art. Tangles are so much fun!!!!

[Mary]

I have a friend who is a certified Zentangle teacher. I have tried it, and must admit instead of relaxing it is kind of addicting for me. Like, just one more little mark....just one more...just one more. Before I know it my eyes have gone cross-eyed, blurry, and red!!! lol

Still, I quite like it!!