Monday, April 20, 2009

Doodling with a purpose can be a very compelling thing to do. I have never drawn anything at all and I have been around awhile. In our very conservative public school in Southern Idaho, there was no money for a real art class and even if there did happen to be an art class, if you weren't one of those children that had been drawing horses from an early age, you were considered having no talent and therefore, not a candidate to take ART. I believe there were some high school art classes, but I took a bunch of sewing classes instead and it framed my life. Now, I want to learn to draw something. Zentangle is a fun way to draw. And easy.

To Quote from this link: that belongs to the originators and experts:
"Zentangle is an easy to learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It is a fascinating new art form that is fun and relaxing. It increases focus and creativity. Zentangle provides artistic satisfaction and an increased sense of personal well being. Zentangle is enjoyed by a wide range of skills and ages and is used in many fields of interest."
There are some ATC Zen swaps on different list and there are Zentangles for sale on Etsy, although none of mine yet. I don't know what I am going to do with these "drawings", but I sure enjoy making them. Haven't lifted a needle for about 4 days now. That is a serious thing. I am considering combining the zens with stamping. That would be fun. I'm wondering if I could ever get the intricate designs onto fabric. Time will tell, but it is such fun to be making designs on paper.

I notice that I lack the pen technique to make fine lines, great circles, and standard/traditional designs. Also, I have learned that there are traditional designs, just take a look at some of the ancient Oriental Art. You can see great designs in the intricate embroidery of Kimonos. The sample Dover Publications designs that we can download have wonderful repetitive and intricate designs.

It seems I would have to draw about 8 hours a day to get some sort of technique going. But do you know how long it takes to make embroidery stitches that are even and go together? A year of steady practice at the very least.

Here is a sample of some of my Zentangles. I have a lot of others. Maybe they need their own blog. These are some of my first ones. They are different sizes, but about 6x7 inches.

Names for these zentangles are crazy. Numbers are boring.
So, here goes.

"Full of It"

"Black and Magenta"




2 comments:

  1. I love your zentangles. I've done afew of them myself, so I know how much work you put into these. Great job.

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  2. These are so awesome, I love them. Tried these myself, love to get lost in them. The whole world stops except for me. Great therapy

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