Monthly Archives: July 2015

A Gift

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A Gift

I gave away a tile today to someone who knew nothing about Zentangle. She was thrilled and loved learning about this art method. This is the one she got (Remember to click on photos to enlarge them):

 

She loved it!


I noticed AFTER I gave it to her that I had forgotten to shade it! It was one of my earlier ones. Ah well, she doesn’t know better. Sigh…

This is the Tangle I made for my son yesterday. It’s on a notecard 4.25 x 5.5″.  
 

I hope he likes it!


Hope your day is full of beauty and creativity!

Kat 

The Whistle Pig

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The Whistle Pig

Here in central Appalachia – “The Heart of the Appalachian Mountains” – there is a vocabulary like no other. I used to be very articulate and grammatically correct- a language snob. Then I moved to Appalachia. 

Now I have an accent and have adopted the culture and vocabulary. One of my favorites is the whistle pig. You may know him as the groundhog. He even has his own day on February 2nd. 

When they sense danger is afoot, they sit up on their haunches and whistle! 

They live in colonies and travel in a network of underground tunnels. They go six feet deep and forty-nine feet long- each tunnel! 

Well, we have two tunnel doors 🙂 in our yard (on the back bank) and we get to see the chubby critters occasionally. However, when Bella and I went for a run (me in my chair) we saw a whistle pig near us. I grabbed by camera and here is what I got. In a couple of pics, I can see myself in his eyes!

Click on the photos to see them a bit bigger….

 

we came upon him and he raced to his hole and peeked out.

  

uh oh, they are still here… should I whistle ?

    
  

They must be safe… time for lunch!

 
Have a great day and look out for the whistle pigs along the road!

Kat

Bits and Bobs (Photo heavy)

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I’ve been busy drawing daily and I realize I haven’t shared them here.  I’ve got to remember to post more often!

So here we go… Click on the photo to enlarge.

  

i used a new string and a new tangle

my attempt at a theme… the sea.

i love the “shattered glass” effect of this one.

   

it is called “stacked” when the string is in large stripes.

  

This ZIA has 24 different tangles. It is for sale


 
Which do you like best? What does each one remind you of – what do you see?

I also wanted to let you know, in case you hadn’t noticed, that I’ve added two more pages at the top. One describes Zentangle® and the other tells some benefits of drawing using the Zentangle Method. Let me know if you have found a benefit not listed, please.

Comments make my day!

Kat

 

I did it! (Long post)

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I did it! (Long post)

Well, yesterday (Saturday) I held my first public workshop and it was SO much fun! I had 11 students and each one was so attentive and did excellent tiles (one had her own style but that’s okay!). I introduce Bear as “my lovely assistant” and it was the first of many laughs. 

They had to fill out a survey for the Art Center afterwards and they raved about the workshop and, well, ME! They thought I was a great teacher! I told them it was my first one but it didn’t seem to matter (full disclosure and all).  The only complaint was that it seemed too short -at two hours! Amazing! We decided that the next class needs to be three hours. 

What *I* learned: I love teaching and I’m good at it and don’t have to be so nervous! I feel this is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing with my life right now. I believe in Zentangle with all my heart and know I’m changing lives by giving them a viable stress reliever that they can use for the rest of their lives. One man was in his 80’s (I’m guessing) and he did brilliantly despite having a shaky hand. I’m so thankful to Rick and Maria for having discovered and founded this method of drawing/stress management/anxiety treatment, etc. deeply grateful. 

Everyone wanted more workshops so I’m going to offer them. Wish they were already scheduled!

Another thing I did was to book the local library for the second Monday of the week from 6-8pm for a free Heart Tangles Of Tazewell meeting! Just a get together for exchanging ideas, showing off tiles and ZIAs and forming a Zentangle® community. When I announced it at the workshop, the Director suggested that we have one there on the first Saturday of the month, so those who can’t attend one can attend the other. Cool, huh?

Here are photos from my wonderful afternoon. The mosaic was of everyone’s tiles all together. I didn’t need to tell anyone to photograph it- the cellphones magically appeared instantly!

Be sure to click on the photos to enlarge.

   

so quiet you could hear a pin drop!

The students would come to the table behind where I lectured (talked) and gather round while I drew each tangle. Then they would go back and recreate it. I would circle in my chair in the middle of the U to look at their work and respond to raised hands. This is my Beautiful! class hard at work. It was dead silent!

  

Basic Zentangle® 101 Mosaic

  
This is the mosaic— so good! In my class were two teachers, a lawyer and a physical therapist- the rest I didn’t know. Two came from as far as an hour and a half’s drive! Two others came almost as far from a different direction. Only a couple came from our own town. 

july 25, 2015. I’m so proud of them all!


My beautiful first workshop attendees!

    

a student’s work close up

 A girl about 14 did this one and we’ve been messaging today- she is totally addicted!
I’m ready to do this again ASAP! 

Kat

More Art and a Fawn, too!

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More Art and a Fawn, too!

i have more art to share with you. I’ve been busy preparing for my Basic Zentangle 101 class on Saturday. Glad I have a few more days to prepare. So far as I know, it will be a small group which I find more intimate and better for the student. They get more attention and that’s nice. 

It’s been raining here at least once a day for a couple of weeks, as well as being in the mid- to upper 80s, which makes for a very humid (miserable) day. I like it best when I get to go outdoors and go for a drive in my chair with Bella. I always find some wildlife to photograph and Bella can use the exercise. 

Yesterday, I came upon-almost literally!- a very young fawn just sitting in the grass inches from the road. I could have touched her, she was completely u afraid of me even when I spoke to her. She startled, however, when Bella barked! So did I! All I had with me was my phone- last time I go out without my “real” camera!

 

such a pretty thing

  

a bark and she’s off!

  

she lingered in the firld for awile then went to our neighbor’s apple tree for a good munch

 
And now for the art!  

practicing fairly new tangles

 
Take care and be creative- you’ll feel better!

Kat 💖

Only a week 

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Only a week 

Only in a week until I teach my first public workshop! I’m really excited to do it and I feel much more confident this week than I did last week so that’s good progress.

I’ve come to realize that I no longer feel like I’m pretending to be an artist–I know I really am one now. That is huge for me! It’s kind of like when a person is in their 30s and older not feeling like they are a real adult. It is a matter of feeling it internally, NOT a true representation of what others think of the person.

I am an Artist and a Photographer and I don’t care what anyone thinks about it. I am an artist and I’m not afraid to say so.

I’ve struggled with feeling qualified or feeling I’m only pretending all of my life. I also have had difficulty in allowing myself to do things I really enjoy. I would say, in my head, “I think today would be good to paint [i love watercolor painting] so I need to do the dishes first.” After the dishes…”I need to write the 4 people to whom I owe letters or vacuum the floor or alphabetized my books and CDs…” or whatever crazy tasks I come up with before I can paint. You know the end of the story, right?  I never get around to allowing myself to paint. 

Now that’s just nuts!

But I am glad to say that I am not doing it any longer! If I want to draw, I draw–and I do want to…every day! In fact, my days feel incomplete if I haven’t tangled. 

The name of my art practice is called HeART Tangles Studios, and here’s why: drawing using the Zentangle® Method takes the tangly mess of thoughts in my head, and more importantly, the tangled mess of emotions, feelings and thoughts, and memories in my heart. Drawing untangles my heart tangles!

Here is some recent art for your enjoyment and maybe for your inspiration! (Click to make larger if wanted)

 

three new-to-me tangles I learned at the CZT Seminar

  

this was drawn on a blank greeting card for a teenager whom I’ve sponsored in Bolivia for many years. he loves art.

 
 

this was in the Free Press and has been sent tio many newspapers and TV/radio stations in our large region

  

   
 
Keep this creative juices flowing! And do leave a comment to let me know you stopped by!

Kat

Some recent Art and News

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Some recent Art and News
This is a tile and tangle we did at seminar CZT-20

This is a tile and tangle we did at seminar CZT-20

Well, once again I am playing catch up! Since I was last here, I’ve been keeping quite busy drawing tangles daily! I am also scheduled to teach Basic Zentangle Art 101 at our local art center on July 25th! Very nervous but it will be ok after the first 15 minutes, I’m sure.

I have taught a private class to my adult daughter and husband, and here is a mosaic of their work (mine is on the left). I must’ve done something right because their tiles are Beautiful!
My first class ever!

I have also been dabbling at larger non-stenciled works – just free-flow tangling.

Here are two examples:
5x7

IMG_8452

A few more pieces I’ve completed…A Stacked Tile

This was a lot of fun!

What do you see?

I would love to read what these look like to you, or what they remind you of… Which is your favorite?

Comments make my day!

Keep being creative- the world needs YOUR creativity!

Kat

So much to catch up on

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So much to catch up on

and no time tonight in which to do it! I attended the CZT Training in Providence Rhode Island and would go back in a heartbeat. It was absolutely magnificent and met the needs I had and many I didn’t even realize I had! 

I have been tangling like mad since returning, and today I made the front of a 5×7 notecard. This was the largest I’ve done without a stencil or outline yet. Here it is… 

   I sent a few photos with it as my friend, the recipient, has no computer and has no idea what Zentangle is. 
Speaking of Zentangle, I am holding a workshop BASIC ZENTANGLE 101 here on July 25th at the Art Center. Yay 

Take care, and create some art today,

Kat