A Paradox at the Drugstore

Pantene changes their labels too much for me. I'm a visual shopper, change the label and I'm lost!  But I have to say I do like this new design...

Pantene Paradox



It would have been funny if the product had been a detangler.  So it's true what they say about Zentangle, once you start you see patterns everywhere you go....even at Walgreens!

Weekly Challenge #6

Shining a Light on Zentangle

I love interior design, enough that several years ago I got my certification as an interior decorator. I've never done any work on a professional level, only on a friend level. I love when my friends ask for help picking out paint and deciding on furniture. I have redecorated my own home several times since we moved in and am always looking for new ideas. I enjoy looking at modern design, though it isn't something I use much in my own home. I do love the simple, clean lines of the style. I'm a big fan of Thomaspaul, his graphic designs on dishes and other home decor is just wonderful.

Anyhow, I really like this one site called 2modern. I know it's weird, but I can't get enough of the out of the ordinary chair and lighting designs. Stig Hanson designs lights that are made out of interlocking shapes cut from plastic. You have to assemble the pieces and there are different configurations you can do. As I'm looking at this light thinking how I'd love to have one... it hits me. It's a three dimensional Zentangle! Each plastic piece looks sort of like an inverted Cadent.

Then I remembered finding a lighting company online a couple of years ago, before discovering Zentangle, that designs lights that cast shadows on the wall. The company is called Sha-Do. They really are the neatest lights I've seen. The shadows are very "tangley" in nature. Be sure to look through all the different sections including Virus and Tripes.

How much fun would it be to have lights in your home like these. Just imagine if you could draw out a design for them to cut for you! Which tangle(s) would you choose?

Zentangle Rug

Look at this fabulous rug made by Linda Campbell.

Linda was in my first Zentangle class which I taught at the Rawls Museum. She went home and made this rug using canvas, gesso, acrylic, and black paint pens. Look at the Shattuck all around the border. Amazing work! Another person from the class made one too, but I haven't seen hers yet.

I am so impressed with her work. I think I may have to make one of them for myself. I will probably use left over linoleum like I did with the floor cloth in front of my dryer. I've written about that rug in this post. It's an cheap and easy way to make an accent rug. Obviously not meant to be warm and fuzzy...but it sure is easy to clean! This is such a great idea, Linda, thanks for sharing it with us!

Sketchbook 2011

This is my first year participating in the Sketchbook Project. I have to say I have really enjoyed the process. The deadline was actually a good thing for me to deal with, it made me dig in and try harder. I combined some different types of media including photo editing and paint and sharpies. My favorite page is made with acrylic paint and black pen tangles in the shape of a hand. I'm hoping that we can go to the traveling exhibit when it's in Washington DC which is an easy drive from where I live. I have been looking at other sketchbooks on the website and the work is phenomenal. If you are interested in checking it out: http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

I love the way the Moleskine expands as you add to it. The edges of the pages become so irregular.

Here is my barcode! If you visit the exhibit you can look me up! Number 42119.

I don't know if all artist get attached to their work, but I have had a hard time letting this journal go. I finally got it packed up in the envelope and it's off to the post office tomorrow. It's very exciting to think it will travel all over the country and will hopefully be viewed by lots of people. I have it set up so that everytime some looks at it I get a text on my phone. This is gonna be fun!

My First Zentangle Class

Last Saturday I taught my first adult Zentangle class. I have to say I was nervous in the days leading up to it. Preparing my kits and practicing on my chart paper and making sure I had all my supplies. Come Saturday morning I felt like I was really prepared. What I wasn't prepared for was the icey roads and the accident on Rt. 58! I could remember Maria saying make sure you get there with enough time to relax and not feel rushed before you start. Well that wasn't going to happen! In fact I got there late! But instead of my normal frustration and anxiety when I was sitting in the car, I decided to take some deep breaths. I thought to myself "There are things that are beyond my control. What can I do to change this situation? Nothing!". I sent out the hope that the people involved in the accident were okay, because certainly their problems at that moment were much bigger than being late getting somewhere. So I waited, breathed and slowly went through the steps for all the tangles I planned to teach. The result of that was when I finally did arrive I was calm and ready to start teaching.

I have had a dream of teaching others art for many years. I honestly could not have asked for a more wonderful group of ladies to be in my first class. They were equal parts fun, enthusiastic, eager, helpful and talented! Look at the work they did on their very first tiles:

FABULOUS!

I hope to work with these ladies again soon. I learned a lot and they gave me some helpful suggestions that I will definitely be using in future classes. Teaching my first class was a lot like making my first tile...hey look at that I CAN do this!

Silence is Golden, Duct Tape is Silver

Sometimes my inner critic just won't shut up! "Who are you to think you can do that? Who would ever think you are good at this or that?" Blah, blah, blah. I just want to cover my ears and say "LaLaLaLa".

I've thought of creating a "shut up the inner critic" amulet made with duct tape of course. Something to touch that will remind me to ignore that droning voice and pay attention to the sounds of hope and the lovely noise that dreams make as they come true.

It dawned on me that I rarely hear the inner critic when I am working on a Zentangle tile. There are several reasons why I believe this is the case. First off, when I start a tile there is NO expectation. I have no idea how it will look when it's done. If there is no expectation, no "something" it's supposed to look like, then there is nothing to criticize. Ha! I also think that the relaxed focus creates a protective bubble around you as you work on a tile. There is no space in your brain to let his voice be heard.

At any rate I have been thinking about the fact he can't be heard when I tangle and have been practicing what I am calling being present in the moment of creativity. So today as I was monoprinting some papers to restock my supply I was carefully attending to the process. The way the paint was dripping and splashing on the plexiglass. The look of the colors as they combined slightly under the brayer. I didn't over think the results or analyze what to do next, I became present in the moment of creating. I let the paint flow and just did what felt good without worrying if it would look okay when I was done.

The result? Some of the best background papers I've ever done! And way more important? I enjoyed it every step of the way. I never felt anxious or worried about the results. A fabulous way to function and the critic was SILENT!