July 31, 2017

Zentangle® – July 2017

July 31, 2017/ Gwen Morrison

31 days in July and 31 Zentangles. I enjoy the Zen time while I am making each one and then the choosing the tiles for the monthly blog post…it is a pleasure to look at everything I created in the month and marvel at the joy I always feel in the process and the product. Maybe Zentangles are like little celebrations that get better with accumulation and a little savoring. Most of the tiles in July were the square ones…and the golden cardboard from canned Seltzer water.

The business cards were the ‘quick’ ones I did when I just wanted a little break – make a Zentangle – then go back to whatever was dominating the day.

The Zentangle® Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. "Zentangle" is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

July 02, 2017

Zentangle® – June 2017

July 02, 2017/ Gwen Morrison

Somehow, I had a lot of Zentangle time in June. There were 82 tiles to choose 30 to include in this post. I picked 14 of the square tiles – to that shape was the majority. My favorite was a gray and red tile made from a Seltzer water box.

The rest of the square tiles are in the slideshow below.

I picked 8 of the business card tiles. My favorite was one that was the color of after dinner chocolates!

The business card tiles are often a single pattern because of the limited space.

The other 8 tiles were rectangles…but not all the same dimensions. My favorite of the group was red and black and started me thinking about creating Christmas tree decorations in geometric shapes with Zentangle tiles; I’ll have to start experimenting.

June 01, 2017

Zentangle® – May 2017

June 01, 2017/ Gwen Morrison

May was such a busy month (volunteer work and traveling) that I didn’t have didn’t do 2 or 3 Zentangle tiles each day…I did about 45 so had fewer to choose from than the past few months to get the one-per-day for the blog post. There might be more color repetition too since I only took 4 pens with me when I was traveling (limiting the colors for the tiles made during that 15 days). There were eleven tiles made in the typical 3.5 x 3.5 inch squares. I’m still enjoying the color and weight of the tiles made from Seltzer water boxes.

There were ten tiles made on the back of old business cards. Sometimes the smaller size tile is faster to create – but not always.

Nine tiles were odd sizes. There are times I just want to use card stock from other sources that are easier to cut into something not quite square. If I ever get tired of the Seltzer water boxes…I assume I will try more of the different sizes and shapes for tiles.

May 01, 2017

Zentangle® – April 2017

May 01, 2017/ Gwen Morrison

More than half the 30 Zentangle tiles I selected for this month were not square; they were made on old business cards are 4 x 3 inch card stock. Twelve of the thirty tiles are on old business cards. Because of the smaller tile size – they are often faster to make and have fewer patters. I’m still enjoying the color diversity of the Sharpie Ultra-Fine Point markers…not back to using shading very often.

The 4 x 3 inch card stock tiles have a little more area and tend to be more complex looking even if they have only a few patterns. I like experimenting with multiple colors and layering on these tiles.

The 3.5 x 3.5 square tiles were all recycled materials; all except one were from the Seltzer Water boxes. I like the light brown color of the cardboard and the way the ink flows onto it. Because the boxes are larger than others I’ve cut into tiles, it is faster to produce lots of tiles quickly with the paper cutter. I got a new rotary cutter blade in April which made it even easier.

April 02, 2017

Zentangle® – March 2017

April 02, 2017/ Gwen Morrison

I thought February was a big Zentangle month (with 90 tiles)…but I stopped counting before the end of the month in March at 121 tiles! Yes – there are 3 more days in March than there are in February but the increased production was more because I needed the extra Zen during March to savor the length of time I’ve had with elderly family members rather than going into a grief cycle.

I am still enjoying the Ultra Fine Point Sharpie pens I got last month…and making tiles from Seltzer water boxes and using the backs of old business cards. I picked 31 of the 120+ tiles to feature in this post.

There are three sizes of tiles from March just as there were in February. My favorite of the 3.5 x 3.5 inch squares looks somewhat botanical. The color of the tile and the melon ink….and the startling black of the collection of black circles …appeals to be every time I look at the tile.

And then there are 18 more of that size tile.

My favorite of the reused business cards is quite different but still will black highlights and then color around the black. The purple looks almost chalky.

And there are 7 more of the business card tiles.

The last group are 4 x 3 inch card stock tiles. My favorite of this group…and the month…is below. It reminds me of a transit map or a petroglyph (a dancing figure with a giant headdress.

And there are 3 more of that size tile.

March 01, 2017

Zentangle® – February 2017

March 01, 2017/ Gwen Morrison

February is a short month…but a huge one in terms of the number of Zentangle® tiles I made over the course of the month: over 90! I got some new Ultra Fine Point Sharpies and enjoyed having so many colors. I also continued to use recycled materials for tiles as well. My favorite is the boxes from the Seltzer water cans. The light brown seems to go well with many colors of ink.

While most of the tiles were the square 3.5 x 3.5 inches, I did quite a few on the backs of 1970s business cards. They are a good size for bookmarks.

The 4 x 6 inches white cards – cut in half – area a good size for non-square tiles too.

February was a big month for Zentangle production! Hope you enjoyed the 28 our of 90+ that I chose to include in this post.

February 01, 2017

Zentangle® – January 2017

February 01, 2017/ Gwen Morrison

I averaged almost 2 tiles a day in January and have come to realize that I do more of them when I need to create a Zen interlude for myself. Creating a Zentangle is the fastest way for me to do that. I’m anticipating that February will be similar because of the political climate…and my daughter’s search for the ‘what next’ after she gets her PhD this spring.

I discovered a box of very old business cards – the very first ones of my career. They are over 40 years old and I’m using the backs as small tiles. Sometimes I am surprised what will fit in that small space!

When I scanned the 60 tiles I created in January, I discovered some odd sizes. I try to use card stock from odd sources. This one might have started out as a note card.

And then there are the bulk of the tiles that are the typical 3.5 x 3.5 inches. They are from different sources too: the blank back of lightweight cardboard packaging (canned drinks, Stevia, spiral notebook covers) and purchased card stock that is probably over 15 years old – all cut to size. I did more fill color than shading in January.