pattern — 2015 — The 21st Century Matriarch

The Beginners Zentangle class (posted about here early in February) was prolonged by 2 snow days so took 6 weeks to complete rather than the planned 4. I started daily tangling after the first class back in January - both for the Zen and the tangle benefits. The daily process when I first started was to:

Try 2-4 new tangles per day (generally from the Tangle Pattern site)
Create the tile in the early morning quiet at the kitchen table
Pick the patterns the night before

When I travelled to Dallas, I taught my mother about Zentangle (realizing how skilled the CZT class instructor was…Zentangle is not difficult but getting started is a change from the norm for most of us). Fortunately, my mother was receptive and is now enjoying Zentangles on her own.

By the end of the month, my personal process has been tweaked in several ways:

Pick at least 1 new pattern per day
Create the tile in the early morning quiet in my office where I can look at the pattern instructions on my computer screen and see the woods through the window (and sometimes birds too).
If I feel stressed or off-center during the day - take time out to create another tile
Try different tile material (so far I have tried paper coasters, card stock, heavy paper backing to paper pads….the coasters absorb the ink almost too easily). I also have experimented with different sizes - some that were leftover from cutting 3.5” squares…other I simply used material that were already close to the traditional size (the coasters were 4” squares)
Try different pens. I bought some other sizes of the Micron 01 pen I used originally. The finer tip works better on the paper coasters.
Work out simple ways to draw patterns. For example the pattern below was inspired by a drawing in a book about Assyrian carvings. It took me several tries to find the easiest pattern.

So - without further ado.....the my February Zentangles!

My plan now is to do a post each month that will include my Zentangle creations and at least one pattern created during the month. It’s a journey instead of a destination!

The Zentangle® Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. "Zentangle" is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.