Kids and Zentangle

Wow! Zentangle has been a huge success with the students at the elementary school where I work.  I have a group of third graders and a group of 4th graders going already. And in two weeks I'll do two weeks of classes with each of the fifth grade classrooms.  I love the enthusiasm they bring to Zentangle.  They just LOVE it.

The other day one of the third graders who has been tangling for several months now, and is proudly the best at remembering all the tangle names, stopped me in the hallway and pulled me into his class because he just had to show me something.  Out of his desk he pulls a black and white composition notebook.  He holds it up to me and says "Look Mrs. Garrity, my notebook has Keeko ALL over it!"  Instead of the random spackle look of a regular composition notebook, sure enough the design was Keeko!

In the fourth grade class I've worked with we were learning two new tangles to practice.  I love Ahh!.  It's really fun to teach in elementary school because you can connect it to the Social Studies curriculum.  When I teach it I say the cardinal directions for each line as I draw, and the kids know them from map skills so it helps them to understand where the lines go.  Once I get them started I walk around the room checking out their work.  One of the boys stopped me and said "Mrs. Garrity, Ahh is ahhsome!".

I love the fact that this art form gives everyone young or old the opportunity to be an artist!

Weekly Challenge #9

Using Artoo tangle:

Two New Kindred Spirits and a Coffee Cup

Today I met with two lovely ladies and taught them how to create Zentangle tiles. They did a fabulous job. I had a wonderful time and the 3 hours just flew by.  They both seemed to really enjoy the experience and said they would continue to tangle (I warned them at the start that it could be very addictive).  They also wanted to know if I could do another class with some more patterns and maybe some additional ideas. We talked about other art that we do and found common ground. Seriously, I have found so many kindred spirits through my art. It's amazing to find people that you can be comfortable with in just minutes, people drawn to each other by a common interest. 

Zentangle itself has created so many connections for me.  Some I've connected with face to face and others through the magic of the internet.  For a group spread out all over the world it is an amazingly tight knit group.  I find inspiration and new patterns all throughout the many blogs and discussion groups I now follow.  I always wished for a community of artists to hang out with and now I have it!

Real quick I wanted to share my latest work with you.  A story of serendipity, I was thinking I should get a clear travel mug that you can insert a picture into and had even looked them up on the web for prices. I was thinking I'd tangle on the insert and I'd have myself a Zentangle coffee cup and a conversation starter rolled into one.  Well as luck would have it I found one of those travel mugs at the swap I went to in Richmond! I just finished the last pattern today. I love it!  I think I will do several sheets so I can switch it out for a new look. 

The Crafter's Anonymous Swap

This past Sunday my daughter Meghan and I headed up to Richmond to the Art Works gallery for the Crafter's Anonymous Swap.  The weekend before I cleaned and reorganized my studio and put things I felt I wouldn't need or use into a shopping bag. 

Here is how it works. People bring in bags of things that they no longer need or use. Paper, fabric, art supplies, jewelry making things, etc.  The items get sorted out on to tables.  Then you shop and anything you can fit in your bag is up for grabs. This is a great way to clean out AND stock up! 

We got there just as it was starting, traded in my bag of stuff which gave me a $5 discount on the $6 fee.  Meghan brought her own bag to shop with so she got a dollar off her total.  So for both of us to get in was a total of $6 dollars.  We meandered on over to the paper table and started digging through. I found some really cool stuff! Press board shapes that I could tangle on, great papers with lots of interest, some press board accordion things that will be great to put Zentangle tiles on to display them.  We made several trips around the room picking up this and that. Sometimes we would pick up something and know right away what we would do with it. Other things were just weird or cool or whatever, those we put in our bags and decided we would figure out the why later. 



Meghan shopping away!



This swap was such a great experience and an AWESOME idea. I always enjoy hanging out with my kids so this was a nice opportunity for Meghan and I to do something fun and artsy. You may want to check to see if you have a similar thing in your area. 

Here is a list of some of the great things we got:
wooden balls and eggs
cardboard christmas trees, flowers and frames
a six plug wall adapter


Good Stuff!

fibered tissue papers

fabric

contact paper in clear and chalkboard

a cigar box of colored pencils

funky little snowmen heads

a measuring tape

papers
liquid flux
a box full of old buttons

a Mr Potato Head (just the head)

pipe cleaners

metallic crayons

ribbon
and so much more!

We also visited the gallery to see all the lovely work. I saw this studio space was for rent. For second I was moving to Richmond renting that space and becoming a full time artist.  Reality called me back rather quickly...but really that floor was MEANT for a Zentangle studio!

Godzilla rides again!

Remember to take time out today to see the exceptional in the ordinary! It's all around you!