TANGLES BY THE SEA

In the last few weeks, I’ve taken a few classes by other CZT’s.

I’ve been enjoying the “sea life Zentangle and watercolor” classes offered by Samantha Taylor of Zenlapse. This was my version of the crab class. It’s fun to learn about the watercolors, but then trying to draw the tangles with the paint brushes presents a pretty good challenge. Still trying to learn how to use the brush and the colors. Lots to learn!

I’ve always admired the Zentangle art of Margaret Bremner of Canada so I couldn’t pass the chance to take a virtual class from her last week featuring “Floral Tangling with Margaret”.

I’ve always like the embedded letters taught by Rick and Maria, so when I saw the Tangled Lettering class being offered by Susan Moen (Florida) last week, I signed up. Different than the embedded letters as you use many tangled botanical patterns to fill the letters. She also taught us the Mackintosh style alphabet. It was a lot of fun and a bit contagious – can’t stop drawing letters!

Lastly, I decided to combine my watercoloring skills (very limited) with the tangled lettering botanical patterns and created a non-letter ZIA combining the two techniques.

I was introduced to Zentangle®️ in 2013. I loved it immediately and knew I had to share this art form with others. So, in June 2014, I traveled to Providence, Rhode Island, took the teacher training seminar and became certified. (CZT 14 = Certified Zentangle Teacher-14th seminar)

These seminars are usually offered a couple times a year and fill-up quickly. Covid put a stop to in-person seminars in 2020, as well as shut down in-person classes throughout the world. Many CZT’s took to on-line teaching, but this CZT did not. I decided to become a student again!

As I’ve shared in previous posts, this past year I’ve taken classes from various teachers; usually classes that would expand my knowledge to add something new to my Zentangle journey. I recently received the announcement of the next on-line teaching seminar coming up (CZT37) and right then decided … I’m taking the course again! It’s been seven years since my certification in 2014, why not treat myself and take classes from “the Masters” themselves. So … I bought myself a present! 🤓

I’ve just completed four days, with over 425 people, from over 25 different countries, and drawn 25 pieces of art! That’s a lot of hours and hand work, but I loved every minute … even having to escape to a quiet destination as roofers installed a new roof on my home! Perfect timing!

Though the seminar was virtual and on East Coast time, it was awesome. It gave me a re-charge that’s been missing since my classes came to a quick halt last year. Now, I think it’s time to pull out the calendar and get ready to once again share the passion of Zentangle with others!

The past year I’ve been taking Zentangle classes to broaden my “art knowledge”. One of the instructors I’ve been following is Samantha Taylor …. she has a great emphasis on marine life, which I really love. I took another fish class from her where I was introduced to watercolor. This is a medium I’ve never really played understood. We even tangled using the paint brush. Check out her Instagram account at “Zenlapse” for her classes and library of her own art. So much fun!

Having fun with the latest Project Pack (#13) from Zentangle™. These tiles were created using a Sakura Glaze gel pen, Sakura Micron 01 pen, and General’s “Sketch and Wash” pencil …..

Took a virtual class from Sam Taylor (www.facebook.com/zenlapse) this afternoon. So much fun! Even met someone from my little hometown (population 7500) of Trail, BC, Canada in the class. Sam does alot of marine life ZIA’s, sometimes mixing watercolor and tangles. The fish drawn today was black and white. I will definitely return to “Sam’s classroom”.

The last few weeks, I’ve worked on a couple projects created by Certified Zentangle Teachers.  Their websites featured these ideas so I gave them a try!

Tomomi Galeano, CZT, of “Pebbles and Drops”, has a lesson called ‘Bijou Messengers”.  You start with a standard size tile, then add a Bijou to the middle.  You can clip the edges of your standard frame making slits to insert the Bijou tiles.  Your Bijou tile can be decorated with tangles, with a message, or you can use your Bijousim cards with the words of wisdom from Bijou! 

Katrina Thiebaut, CZT, of “KatrinasZenkins.com”,® has drawn whimsical faces using Zentangle patterns for hair for many years.  In fact, she has a trademark on her “people”.  She came up with an idea for others to create a ZenKin® tile and send in to her.  These creations are being called “ZenCousins”.®  Drawing these faces is addictive.  It’s fun to see what kind of face you can come up and then the many patterns you can chose for the hair.

Since I enjoyed both of the projects described above, I decided to incorporate them into one tile.  You can see my floral borders in the top and bottom corners, and then my Bijou tile with my Irish lassie.  I should point out that Katrina came up with assigning dates of birth to the people (using the date you draw the tile) and then giving them names.  This is fun in itself!  I introduce you to Maeve Fallon!

And, in following the March theme of St. Patrick’s Day – I pulled out a pre-strung Zendala and used a green pen and green charcoal pencil.  I shaded with the green charcoal pencil and then added some white chalk pencil for highlighting.  

If you’re interested in getting back to in-person tangling at Icarus Creative Arts, let me know.  If I get an idea of interest, I can better prepare for an upcoming schedule. Send me an email at tanglesbythesea@gmail.com

There’s nothing more disappointing than going to read a blog and seeing no new content.  And yet, that’s just how my blog has been the last month or so.  Without having classes, it seems like there’s not much to share, except my own work, and I’m not always sure that’s what someone wants to see!  But, that’s what I’m going to post here today – some of the tiles I’ve worked on lately.

We’re already one month into this New Year … time flies even when you’re not busy!  I had about a month where I just didn’t feel like drawing. I saw my Zentangle supplies on the table every day, but I didn’t have any desire to pick up a pen.  I’d even received Project Pack 12 back in December and didn’t open it until January.  That was after I sat down one day, with a blank tile, and started from scratch.  I drew four dots in the corner of my tile, added the border and made my string out of the letter Z.  I proceeded to take my “basic Zentangle class” to get my interest going again.

I’m happy to say that was the kick-start I needed, and I’ve been back at it for several weeks.  Below are some of the tiles I’ve worked on. Currently, news looks promising on the covid numbers so maybe we will be able to get back in a live classroom soon.  If all goes well, I’m hoping March will bring us together to draw a tile or two.  The Winery grounds are open again, as well as the shops, so I’ll keep you posted on any “breaking news” of a class schedule!

(from video lesson on You Tube by Romi Marks, CZT)

I can’t believe this year is almost over! It’s been a year of challenges and milestones, but I’m ready to get the New Year started and return to some of my old “habits”! I was hoping to get a class scheduled at Icarus for the month of January, but with California in the midst of another shut-down right now, I’ll see how January presents itself and aim for February.

In the meantime, if you’re doing your tangling at home and want a holiday project, Zentangle® has just put out “Project Pack No. 12″. It has become an annual Zentangle® tradition to celebrate the holiday season with a series they call “The 12 Days of Zentangle®”. For twelve consecutive days, they put out daily tangling lessons and guide you through the steps to create festive tangled art that are all part of the same theme. The videos are posted on You Tube for viewing and are free of charge …. a perfect holiday gift to yourself!  (Just search “You Tube Zentangle Project Pack 12”)

You don’t have to purchase the Project Pack and its contents to participate; you can use supplies you have on hand. At the start of each video, they will review the items need for that day. If you have the products, great, and if you don’t, you use what you have on hand!

 Enjoy your December. I look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

During the month of August, I’ve been participating in an on-line gathering of CZT’s from around the world in an event called CZT: AE 2020 Master Classses.  This was created by Stephanie Jennifer and Debbie New, CZT’s in Singapore.  Classes are taught by CZT’s worldwide.  It’s been fun, challenging, and educational, and I still have several classes to go!  Now that I’m officially retired, I’ve had lots of time to do this!

I’ve learned some exciting new techniques to share when my classes resume.  When will that be?  I’d like to think I could start up again either later this month or October.  I’ll send out an email to gauge people’s thoughts on setting up classes again within the next week or so.  If you have any thoughts about future classes, please let me know.  In the meantime, tangle on …….

Fan Fragments
(Debbie Bowyer CZT, instructor)

Soaring Birds – Escher Style
(Lynn Shelton Mead CZT, Instructor)

Tangled Facets
(Stephanie Jennifer CZT & Joni Toh CZT, Instructors)

Zen Button After Dark
(Heidi Kay CZT, Instructor)