Ink Zentangle

Zentangle in ink by Susan Walker

copyright 2010 all rights reserved

I have recently discovered "Zentangles". Well, actually the term. I think many artist have done them in some form or another but now have a trademark name. "Inchies"come to mind as well. What has attracted me to the idea is the Zen like mind set you get into while working. Right now at this point in my like with my son facing two brain surgeries an the pain I still feel in the loss of my mum, I find focusing hard to do. My mind wonders from this to that and I am forgetting where I was and what I am to be doing. Drawing for me use to be a pleasure but I had been struggling with form and ideas. Zentangles have been quite therapeutic.

A Zentangle is to be 3.5 x 3.5 but this too is not written in stone. I use an Pitt Artist pen by Fabre Castel XF and F. I am using a smooth 140# paper I cut down to my desired size.


From the Zentagle website:
Abstract
You always succeed when you do a Zentangle because you always create a pattern. A Zentangle has no up or down and is not a picture of something, so you have no worries about whether you can draw a hand, or a duck. You always succeed in creating a Zentangle.


Meditational Art form
Zentangle’s non-verbal language of patterns and proportions can open doors to insights which seemed locked before. Creating Zentangles opens those doors, not because they were locked, but because those doors swing on non-verbal hinges. When you create a Zentangle you can enter a meditative state in which intuitive insights flow freely. Get inspirations, ideas and answers unhindered by expectations or worries.

Give it a try and hope you enjoy them too!

Mini sketchbook to make

OK- I am hooked on the habit of journaling. Or at least trying to journal.I i am now beginging a collection of journals to do 'something wonderful" in. I am picking up wonderful books as I have a hard time risisting. Now I have taken the scraps of watercolor,bristol-whatever good paper i have that I just couldn't toss and began making little matchbook journals for sketching or give away.

I began with trimming them to size. keeping them as big as possible yet, small. The sizes I have going:2.5 x 3 and 3 x 3.5. Using card stock I got in the scrap booking section for the covers I trim it 1/4" wider than the paper on the 11" side. I can get at least 2 'books' out of it with my chosen sizes. My cut cover size for the 3x3.5 s-paper is 3.5 x 8.5.

I then lay my stack of 6 pieces of 140# watercolor paper on the cover. Holding it in place fold one edge over the length. You should have extra at the other side. Folding like a match book. Fold over the edge where you will staple. Remember to staple close to the bottom allowing room for the cover to slip in. I intended on making some embellishments for the covers. Maybe get into some inchies.