Tangled as in ZenTangle, not as in the movie, which I did see over the holidays. Fantastic movie, highly recomend it. I even cried at during the scene of the floating lights. It was just so so beautiful. Disney and it has me crying. Who would have thought.
Anyways, on to the tangles. I came across this yesterday when I was over at Marsha Neil's blog. I was just so intrigued by this whole concept that I spent a delightful hour just looking around the web at zen tangles and doodles. I used to spend countless hours doing doodles during boring meetings making aimless patterns just to distract myself from the tedium. I had no idea that this whole practice had been legitimized. OK, this concept is a little more purpose driven than my scribbles at inappropriate times.
I can't even pretend to know much about this practice but you can find out more by searching the web or flickr for zen tangles. There is a website zentangles.com that can give you some background. It's something of an art form 'where anyone can create beautiful images using repetitive patterns.' Marsha had a link to a blog by Laura Harms where she's hosting a weekly zen tangle challange. This week is the 'Eyes Wide Shut' challange where you start by drawing on your tile (paper) with your eyes closed. So in my full on procrastinating mode, I decided this was absolutely the thing I needed to do right now! That photo up there is just a snippet of the final 4 inch by 4 inch 'drawing' I ended up with.
This photo is my starting point. I'm telling you when I had my eyes closed, I felt like I had this squiggle out to edges of the paper. I looked at it completely baffled. Where do I start? What do I do? How do I make this into something? Oh wait, that's not really the point is it?
Curiously, when I just let my mind empty, the pattern just flowed from my pen. I can't even see where the starting point is in this final drawing. There is no beginning, no end, it just is. And this was like a vacation from the everyday.
This was fun. It was like a little bit of meditation with a pen.
23 comments:
leann, this is beautiful and fascinating... it is like giving yourself freedom to just 'be' and play... how wonderful! i have to look into this... i never allow myself to do anything like this because i have a list a mile long of things to do so i can do what i want to do... i draw on everything when taking phone calls - scrap paper, paper towels, napkins... thank you for reminding that i had seen this on marsha's blog...
i've heard about zentangle some time back then forgot about it .thanks for sharing, i'm going to check it out..
seems like a sort of auto-writing meditation..
I am SO happy to see that you did one right away… I've been staying up at night after the little ones are asleep and cruise blog after blog, clicking away on links… I think it's really cool that there are lots of us out there that draw like this - and that we can now connect! It really is a great feeling to just let your mind mellow and doodle away. My favorite pens to use (because of the complete smoothness and darkness of the ink) is the Pentel "Energel" gel pens. They are both black ink, but are blue and gray for the fine tip and thicker tip respectively…
Addictive in such a good way! Hope to see more tangles from you (I want to try the double pen - line challenge…). YAY!!!
Leann! This is gorgeous!!! Love the concept behind it! e
"Curiously, when I just let my mind empty, the pattern just flowed from my pen." i couldn't have said it better myself!!
i tried this once and i should really do it more often. i was very pleased with the outcome. and it is relaxing drawing the repetitive patterns.
this is so very intriguing! I think that maybe my procrastination needs a friend in you! I might have to look into that. I think that this sort of thing could work into your etched beads (those lentils in your header are making my head spin with possibilities!) so it really isn't wasted time.
Really anything that you love to do is not wasted. So doodle on!
Enjoy the day!
Erin
this is so very intriguing! I think that maybe my procrastination needs a friend in you! I might have to look into that. I think that this sort of thing could work into your etched beads (those lentils in your header are making my head spin with possibilities!) so it really isn't wasted time.
Really anything that you love to do is not wasted. So doodle on!
Enjoy the day!
Erin
Love your zentangle - I read about them a while ago on someone's blog - I can't remember where. I am afraid to get started - as I always doodle at work, while on the phone and if I ever get started on these ... can't get too relaxed at work. LOL
I love this. Zentanglers of the world unite!
Very nice tangle thanks for adding it to the challenge for all to see.
Wow! That is fantastic. I have looked at the Zentangles but it just seems so daunting to me. Maybe I should give it a try and see what happens.
Again, the drawing is fantastic!
You're obviously feeling the Zen in the tangle :D Nice work.
I'm a doodler...I should try this. Yours is awesome!
I love that someone found a way to legitimize doodling. I started seeing bits and pieces about Zentangles in various blogs last summer. I keep meaning to try it. It's been a long time since I used to doodle like this. (Before there was cool name for it.)
Thanks for reminding me. Your drawing makes me want to pick up a pen soon!
EEE Gads LeAnn,
If you keep this up you will certainly be the Peter Max of the 21st century!! :) You go girl!!
Pattie ;)
Mazatlan Mx.
That was a fun post!! I'm going to try that too....
Also....on the movie...I cried too even when I went for the 2nd time. I love that my 3 year old granddaughter Lacey loves movies. It's a little bonding time for us and also serves as a time for me to break away from my busy world....
Whispering ~ Awareness
Great results. You certainly camouflaged the original string well.
Awesome! I feel the energy! Great job.
LeAnn, this is so much fun! I took a workshop with Sandy Bartholomew at Art and Soul last year and was amazed how different everyone's turned out in the class. It can be addictive!Zen is the word for sure
What you've written reminds me of when I was exploring Chinese Brush painting. I was frustrated that I couldn't 'make' the marks I was trying to produce... but the minute I 'let go' of trying so hard and just let it be what it wanted to be, that's when the magic began. And you're 100% right - tangling is just like that! ♥Namaste
The balance & composition of this is amazing... your artistry speaks even when you're zoned out.
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