I came across a funny little book on half price day at Riot, and I brought it purely because it was only $6.
Little did I know I’d be opening myself up to a totally new crafty movement that I’d previously known nothing about.
Each artwork is called a ‘tangle’, you start with a base squiggle on a page (the tangle) and then fill it in with a series of patterns in every space. This is where the ‘zen’ comes in. The repetitive act of drawing the patterns helps to soothe the mind.
Am I sold on it? I don’t know. I’m into anything mindful, but the zentangle method is a little too rigid for me. There are too many rules, and I feel a bit restricted.
For a proper ‘zentangle’ you have to have a 9cm x 9cm square, otherwise it’s ‘zentangle inspired art’. Each pattern has a name and a method, often claimed by the creator in the world of zentangle.
Actually making the artwork though, I felt a little bit of calm. The 9cm square is a little too small for me to maintain that level of relaxation though.
Will I do it again? Probably. There are some amazing examples of zentangle inspired art out there, check out my Pinterest board for the possibilities, and if you want some more background on the art of zentangle, check out the creators website here.
Free
9cm x 9cm piece of paper and a black marker (I used a Sharpie)
25 minutes.
Draw a tangle in your piece of paper, making sure some of the lines intersect.
Draw a different pattern in each intersection, making sure they complement each other.
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