Originally posted as “Choosing a Class” on Nov 14, 2018 “This is cool; why don’t you teach a class on this?” There are so many great ideas out there, and so many people interested!  The trick is mixing and matching it just right; selecting classes where there is enough interest, the right timing, and the perfect balance of fun, relaxing, simple and inexpensive.  So how does something go from a great idea to a class? Let’s walk through an example of an upcoming class. Holiday Party Crackers Class coming December 4th to the McMillan Arts centre. THE INSPIRATION   See a cool ..read more

(The first version of this post appeared in my old website on June 27, 2017.) As we move through various phases of our lives, it seems that we are always revisiting things we have learned but in a different context.  Focusing on ‘process’ over ‘outcome’ is one of those things for me.  Clear your mind. Take a minute to appreciate this time and your materials. Deep breath. Now what’s the first tangle that comes to you? Start there. Learning about Zentangle taught me the importance of being in the moment, letting go of judgements, and re-learning how to create just for the joy of it. &n ..read more

  NOTE:  This blog entry first appeared on my old website on March 30, 2016 (a month before I became a CZT).  2400 tiles later, it still rings true today.  There are lots of websites filled with fabulous art by highly qualified and professional artists. I love them, and I visit them regularly for inspiration, ideas, and simply to enjoy seeing what other people create. But this website is about mucking about, remembering how to have fun, and being fearless in creating, removing the judgement of what is “good art” or “bad art” or whether someone is “better at it”. Because we ..read more

ZIA is short for  “Zentangle Inspired Art”.  While the Zentangle Method is specific in its philosophy and principles (non-representational, no mistakes, no rulers, keeping it simple), it’s only natural that enthusiasts would find Zentangle-inspired attributes spilling over into other art forms.  It’s a way of stretching the ‘rules’ of Zentangle in ways that retain the original Zentangle intention of being relaxing, enjoyable and mindful, while allowing for flexibility in how to apply the practise.  Many Zentangle practitioners and CZTs explore other form ..read more

I’ve been thinking – wouldn’t it be nice to have a weekly Zentangle session where the same folks can meet for an hour, do a bit of tangling, and have a little Zen-ish moment?  This is what I came up with. Tangled Tidbits is a new, virtual classroom where we can meet for an hour each week and learn something new through guided instruction. We’ll tangle following the principles of the Zentangle Method, which focuses on gratitude and appreciation, simple strokes, and enjoying the process. An hour is just long enough to: Try a new tangle Learn a tangleation Practise a tip or technique Start ..read more

Today’s tile took me on an unexpected adventure. I started with a simple idea – what if I used N’Zeppel for a string and filled it with a fragment like Crescent Moon?  Couldn’t be easier, right? As I tangled I decided to make my N’Zeppel spaces pretty big, and to blacken the interstices (the bits in between). It seemed only logical to blacken around the edges as well, so that the N’Zeppel spaces would stand out. Then the fun started. As I drew my Crescent Moons, a little voice told me to wait on blacking them out. The background is already black – I might want to do something different. T ..read more

This article was originally posted on my old website in 2017. “I love my tile the way it is – I’m afraid shading it will mess it up!” I’ve heard that comment often from my students.  While shading adds a whole new look to your tile, it is another area where uncertainty lies.  How will you know you like it better when it’s shaded? First thing to remember is – it’s pencil.  Pencil can be erased.  I know, there are no erasers in Zentangle, but if worse comes to worse, you can always go back to the original tile as long as you’ve shaded in pencil.  It’s your art.  ..read more

Taking an art class doesn’t have to be intimidating!     Have I told you what happened to me when I took a silk painting class?  I couldn’t wait to try out the technique and I knew exactly what I wanted to do for one of my scarves.  The instructor showed us what to do for the first scarf; drop some colour onto the scarf and let it blend over time.  I pictured a lovely scarf with sunset colours, orange and green and red.  I could see it in my mind. I picked up the red ink and dropped some colour onto my white scarf.  Hmm.  It looked like blood drops ..read more

In my daily tangling practise yesterday, I pulled out this blue watercolour background tile.  The splotches lent themselves to three different areas to tangle, so I selected three tangles at random and began. As I tangled, I thought about various aspects of the patterns – I started with the grid area, thinking I’d use Cubine, but changed my mind decided to use Dex, after I’d outlined each box so it would have a coffered look.   Once Dex was finished I looked at the area where I’d planned Shattuck.  I decided to go for the curvy version to balance the boxiness of Dex.&n ..read more

Summer has always meant time in the garden, barbecues with family and getting out to enjoy the great outdoors.  Even though we’re restricted more than usual this summer, that doesn’t mean we don’t want to get out there and take advantage of the season. For that reason, I’m going to be changing my class offerings for July and August. I don’t usually teach over the summer months, but because we can now meet online, I’m happy to continue offering Tangled Tidbits, and Zentangle private and semi-private lessons. Tangled Tidbits is a small group that meets weekly for an hour (Fridays from 1-2 p ..read more