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!

Putting the Zen in Zentangle

Big conversations going on in the world of Zentangle. I recently posted to our CZT discussion group asking for a ready reply to a situation I had encountered. Twice in so many weeks when I shared my Zentangle art with someone and they knocked it down with "That's not art that's just doodling." I wanted to draw on the experiences and the expertise of the wonderful CZT group. I got some really awesome replies. Lots of really good information that has prepared me for the next time.

At the same time Rick and Maria posted a similiar discussion on their own blog, which you can see here http://zentangle.blogspot.com/2010/11/conversation.html . I just have to say the email sent by that person was in turns hurtful, insulting and annoying. I wonder why people take the time...if you don't like tangling, ignore it, no one is forcing a Micron pen and lovely Italian paper into your hand.

For some reason I had never thought to look up the actual definition of the word doodle. Here is what I found on three different web dictionaries.
A doodle is a type of sketch, an unfocused drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied.
make a doodle; draw aimlessly
doodle - scribble: an aimless drawing

Zentangle is the opposite of every red word you see above. It is focused, purposeful, and intentional drawing. As you create, it will draw you in and center you. It's breaking patterns down and reinventing them. It is relaxing and fun.

What I gained from all of the comments and discussions is a greater understanding and even more enthusiasm for this art. The bottom line for me is Zentangle is a philosophy, a method of drawing patterns that can be taught in many variations. I can also say with certainty that had I sent a question out to the universe about the process of doodling, I would never have been wrapped in the supportive arms of community or encouraged with words of wisdom as I was by my fellow CZTs when I posted my Zentangle question.

I'll close with one of my favorite comments, one by Nancy Ubin: There is room for all perspectives, turn your tile. Not only important in tangling, but also in life!

See Something Different

I've always loved looking at things a different way. Like the cloud game most of us played as kids. In fact, just recently my daughter and I saw a really awesome rabbit in the clouds.

I found a great site which has a collection of animals seen by people as they looked at the map for the Underground subway system in London. It's really amazing what people see! I love the snail. http://www.animalsontheunderground.com/the_animals.html

Take time everyday to look at the ordinary and see the exceptional.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

More on Zentangle

I really had to think hard about this, but I just couldn't change the name of my blog. My Invisible Muse has so much meaning in my life. It's the inner voice I ignored for so many years. The voice that my inner critic drowned out everytime I tried something new or even leaned towards calling myself an artist. My Invisible Muse is what led me to Zentangle and is the voice that now encourages me and tells me that I can do or be whatever I want.

I have added a new tag line though. Because my blog will be shifting slightly towards my new love of tangling and the art of Zentangle. I will of course continue to talk about any art adventures just because it's fun to share these experiences.

As you read in my last post I recently became a CZT or Certified Zentangle Trainer. I read the best description on Jane Monk's blog about our training she wrote "Going to Rick and Maria's is almost like a pilgrimage, it has certainly changed my outlook and ideas about Zentangle." Such a great description Jane! I can't imagine taking this class anywhere else. So I came up with the following list...if you know me you know I love a good list!

Reasons Why We Tangle in Whitinsville

1. Rick and Maria. Okay they are portable but their house isn't! I thought I took good pictures but they just don't capture the warm, friendly, welcoming feeling of visiting their home and studio. Gracious, loving, wonderful, creative, funny, kind, and generous...I could go on.
2. Oakhurst. Wow. Let's see...history, wood work, huge, gorgeous, lovely, open, patterns, patterns, and patterns! And don't even get me started on the food...more on this later.
3. Terry and Ed. Also portable, but they can't bring Oakhurst with them! They are the ingredient that makes what could be just a huge, empty Victorian mansion feel like home. And speaking of ingredients man can they cook! Delicious food morning, noon and night...and coffee all day long. They were over the top helpful with anything we needed. Wonderful people.
4.Atmosphere. This one is harder to describe. Can I just say that I have been to many conferences and stayed in many hotels where conferences are held...I have never experienced the atmosphere of creativity, shared joy, enthusiasm, and focus like I experienced in Whitinsville. I was sad to leave because I didn't want that feeling to end.
5. Family. Now this one might sound a bit strange. But there was something that made the experience seem more personal. Rick and Maria surround themselves with family. We all met members of their family, talked with them, learned from them, heard stories about them and were helped by them. It creates a feeling of trust and acceptance that can't be replaced and can not be found anywhere else but Whitinsville.

So there's my list. Traveling to Whitinsville is one of the most wonderful art experiences I've ever had and probably ever will. Thank you Rick and Maria for making it possible.