Carried Away

Oh, the plan. Sigh. Why bother?

This week's Diva challenge honors Earth Day. There are so many great organic tangles that conjure up wild vines and full trees, flowing rivers. I was excited to get busy on this one! I was inspired by Laura's Zendala, so I figured I would use that as the string to gather all the earthy tangles I was so excited about. I love the flowing tangles, so planned to use one to start.
   I looked at the selection of Zendala strings in front of me. Instead of choosing a more rounded version, I was drawn to one of the more linear ones. Why? Don't know. I was just in a moment and knew that's where to begin. But wait, that didn't go along with my plan! Oh well, let's go, it's Zentangle, remember.
    What came about was a big surprise to me. I worked on it so long, for one. I usually don't spend more than half an hour on a tile. But this one drew me in and asked me to do all kinds of things that I wasn't used to doing. (When you listen to a tile -- or your own intuition is more like it -- big surprises happen!) This is the photo I took when I THOUGHT it was done and ready to post...

But I kept listening and this is what it said:

Purple? Frills? Really? Earth Day? This tile carried me away to a place I'm not used to. Give me green and mud and I am happy. I probably spent at least two hours on this Zendala, all the while thinking of Earth Day, so I'm betting that my idea of what the earth really feels like to me is somewhere underneath, and it definitely includes the purples and frills.

I love how the Zentangle art form shows me parts of myself that I never knew before.

Thanks, Laura, for a really fun challenge.

Everybody is a Star

This week's Diva challenge is to use any kind of star as a string. I had just one week before posted a new profile picture to my facebook page. It's one of my favorite tiles, and I did it as soon as I learned the tangle, Betweed. When I look at it now, I really don't remember how I did it. I was only having some fun at the time. I rarely try to figure out what a tile will become. Unless I'm teaching, I don't plan any of them. But because the star challenge appeared, and I did know that this favorite tile began as a star, I set out to rediscover what I had done. That was fun for a while, and I might have come close, but sooner than later, fun got the best of me and I veeeeeeered off.
   I love to see all the different ways people respond to the same challenge. It's what I love about this art form: each person gets to play however they want, and discover whatever joy means to them specifically. I sometimes think about all the people sitting and tangling at once in the world... all those joyful lights shining. wow.

The original tile with star highlighted in yellow.

My first try at figuring it out

I think this was a little closer on the outside edges

A try at a Zendala

Then of course, I had to Puf at least one!

Frames!

Funny that the Diva and Maria would be talking frames. A few of us in the Dayton are getting some Zentangle art ready for a local exhibit in the summer. Framing can be a little challenging for most of us, so we've been talking about solutions this past week. Since so many of us work with the official Zentangle tile, we are hoping our local framer/artist will make some frames to fit them.

I had tons of fun doing the Diva Challenge this week. It's been a while since I've done one, but having had the good fortune to be in a Zentangle state of mind all the past weekend, the relaxation and floatiness has not worn off. I am finding that some things just aren't as important as they were way last week before I left. We can sometimes get ourselves on a hamster wheel of 'doing' when many times, just being is all that's required. [Thank you, CZT Hideaway (more photos by Ann Hathaway, CZT)]

Here is the challenge frame, inspired by Laura and Maria... Thanks!

Rejuvenation

When it comes to rejuvenation, the Zentangle® art form is a wonderful tool, even in small doses. Taking a little time each day (even for ten minutes) to do a little tangling can clear your mind like a little reset button.

Imagine a whole (LONG) weekend of nothing but tangling!

I was lucky enough to spend this past Thursday through Sunday at the CZT Hideaway 2013. The retreat was hosted by CZTs Leslie Scott-Gillilan and Angie Gamble, and was designed to provide a little rest, relaxation and rejuvenation to participating CZTs. Seventeen of us packed our tiles and pens and headed to Henryville, Indiana for a stay at Wooded Glen Conference and Retreat Center. This facility is truly beyond compare – peaceful, beautiful, natural, accommodating, nurturing. The owners say they want their guests to feel like they're at 'grandma's house.' And yes, there were cookies and cold milk waiting for us at bedtime. For real. On Saturday at lunch, our table got to talking (a lot) about Red Lobster cheddar biscuits. That night there were cheddar garlic biscuits on the dinner buffet. Someone from another attending group said her friend was going on about crab cakes at lunch and that night they showed up for dinner. Seriously, I can't think of anywhere else (grandma's maybe!) that would happen.

Rear view of the conference center from the path across the pond.

   Anyway, the weekend was filled with lots of fun ideas and we naturally shared little tricks and projects with each other. The schedule, or string as we called it, was a flexible mix of learning and playing, options and choices. Nothing was required, and everything allowed for. Wow. It was a living Zentangle.
   I am so grateful to everyone who participated in this lovely weekend. Angie and Lesley did a great job, and gave us a truly wonderful gift with all their hard work and planning. I can't wait to do it again.

   Here are a few things I played with. Some might be finished, but then again maybe not!

Micron and White Jelly Roll on tan paper.

12 x 14 beginnings of something

We played with Genevieve Crabe's Mandala stencils. I loved them! I started Coaster on one of the 'spokes' but changed my mind. Instead of chucking it, which was my initial thought, I moved forward! I sort of like the "spirit spoke" that's stuck in there.