Back in May 2012, the lovely and talented Andrea Ames asked me if I wanted to see her latest projects. Knowing what a master quilter she is, I said "Yes" with the expectation of seeing some of her amazing quilting designs. This was not to be.
She pulled out a small portfolio-like book and began to show me what appeared to be amazing doodles. She explained to me that these were NOT doodles, but Zentangles. She had been to the Masters class and, in true Andrea-form (Andrea NEVER does anything halfway), she is now teaching this truly remarkable art form.
When I returned to Atlanta after seeing Andrea, I sought out a Zentangle class and am now hooked.
Now, all of you know how goal-driven I am. I preach visioning, goal setting, and having a process to monitor goals. It doesn't matter how you get there, if you don't know where you are going, and all that.
Zentangle is the antithesis of this thinking. It is totally "now" thinking. The "tangle" is created one line at a time in a way that is akin to automatic writing. It is a very meditative (i.e., Zen) process. Often I don't know what the final product is going to be until I'm finished.
Anyone can create Zentangles. You don't have to know how to draw; you just have to push your high school art teacher out of your head. The real beauty in the practice is that there are no mistakes.
I've begun to use Zentangle as a way to wind down at night when it is too early to go to bed, but too late to start another project. It calms the mind and brings order.
If you are interested in checking this out further, go to www.zentangle.com for more information.
Here are a couple of the ones I did during the holidays:
Absoluely cool!
Posted by: De | February 15, 2013 at 11:05 AM
These are BEAUTIFUL, Judy! I'm so glad you are finding benefits from Zentangle!
Posted by: Andrea Ames | January 08, 2013 at 04:42 PM