Thank you dear ZT friends

Sometimes you just don't have the energy to do anything besides your job, being there for your kids and doing the household. And then all of a sudden you get the urge of expressing yourself by creating something. The energy you seemed to have lost comes back during this creative process. 
Zentangle has always been a very dear friend to me, especially in times when things got rough. You just draw these wonderful repetitive patterns and your mind gets in a calm and meditative state. We are programmed to always strive for results, but with Zentangle it's all about "one stroke at a time" and your state of mind while doing this. 
The Zentangle community is a "family" like I've never met before online. Helpful, open-minded, respectful, supportive....only positive features describe the members of this wonderful Zentangle group.

Thank you all for your support and positive feedback.

Claudia

Do you remember me?

You'll probably think: "Who is this? I don't know this Claudia person in Zentangle land."
No wonder, since my last post here dates from more than 2 years ago.
This doesn't mean I haven't tangled since 2013, but just not that much as I used to do.

So I think it's time to show you some of my latest "work".
I hope you'll like them.
(Maybe some of you will recognize these from my Facebook page)

A total ZT's block... It feels like I've lost a very very dear friend

Something really strange happened to me after having attended an official Zentangle workshop last May. I experienced a total Zentangler's block!!!


I purchased the official Zentangle tiles and pencil and I managed to make some ZTs the following two days. And then...I got stuck...not a bit, but totally stuck!!!


My precious Zentangles which had accompanied me during a very hard and difficult period in my life didn't give (?) me the mental peace and calm anymore. 


And today it finally struck me.... I tried to tangle according the Official Zentangle way. Using official Zentangle tiles and draw without a pre-planned intention....


I confined myself too much to the meditative part of Zentangle and completely forgot the creative part I like so much. And that doesn't work for me at all.


I will show you my ZTs here and I think you'll notice the lack of enjoyment, inspiration.

It feels like I've lost a very very dear friend..

Laura Harms' Weekly Challenge # 15

Laura Harms' weekly challenge # 15: Love your curves, Baby  was to only use curved lines.

I thought this wouldn't be too difficult...but when "filling in" some patterns I used straight lines... Oops, I was just in time to change them into curved lines.

Here's my attempt:

I used "Tuffit" from the book Yoga for your Brain by Sandy Steen Bartholomew for the main focus point and "Tung" to wrap Tuffit in.

Like my Dress?

I just love the girls of Suzi Blu !

Totally inspired by her art I made the following ZIA.

Do you like her dress?

Let's make some beautiful ZTs to show the world that we care...

Morther Earth seems to be warning us... Are we exploiting the world's natural resources too much? Or is it "just" the way our planet earth works?

Nevertheless, what's happening to Japan, Chili, New Zealand, Australia, America etc etc is affecting "real" people. Families have lost their dear ones, their houses completely washed away, their belongings gone forever etc etc. How much more can they take? 

Let's make some heartwarming Zentangles just to show we care!!!!

 News from CNN Earthquake Japan

Weekly Challenge # 12 - Blue

This week's challenge on Laura Harms' blog is to use the colour blue in your tile or Zentangle inspired piece.

I decided to let the color do it's work in my "ZT".

Blue is one of my favorite colors!!! For me it represents "space, freedom, tranquillity".

Weekly Challenge # 11

This is my attempt for the Weekly Challenge # 11 on Laura Harms' blog I am the Diva. The challenge is to create a Zentangle by using just one tanglepattern.

I don't know whether my pattern really has a name, but I use it quite often.
It's very dynamic and the way of how you shade it can also change it's feature (if that's the correct word for it....)

Since I am a huge fan of Ledenzer's way of coloring Zentangles I tried to color some of the tangle spaces like she does. Better try next time.....

Challenge # 10 - The Space Between

The weekly challenge on the I am the Diva blog is called "The Space Between" and it's about creating a tile or Zentangle inspired piece being aware of the space between the tangles, leaving some white space. 

Sometimes people do tend to forget that there are no patterns, figures, objects, words etc without space between them. This space defines the object... It's like the saying: ""There's no music without the pause between the music notes" (or something like this...;-)  )

I created a very simple Zentangle with some coloring to emphasize the effect of space between the patterns. Yes, I know it's not my most wonderful Zentangle, but it clearly states what "The Space Between" can mean for your drawing. Or even for your life.... We all need a pause, break, rest every now and then to become more aware of our surroundings and really learn to appreciate what's surrounding us. Don't you think so?

Wow, did I really learn something these past 45 years? LOL ;-)

Okay, here it comes:

A part of me is saying: "Do you really have to share this ZT with other people? It's not such a special or beautiful Zentangle..." But on the other hand, what's wrong with simplicity? Life is already as complicated as it is...

Theme 3 on Dutch Zentangles group: "Geluk" (Happiness or Luck)

The 3rd theme on Flickr's Dutch Zentangle Group is ""Geluk", in English "Happiness" or "Luck". It's how you interpretate the Dutch word Geluk.

To me it stands a.o. for Love, Commitment (as in marriage), having good Luck in your life (every now and then)...

Hopefully I captured this all together in my Zentangle:

Especially For You

I made this Zentangle (with the pink ribbon) for a dear colleague/friend, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in January last year. She's had breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy: a lumpectomy is a partial mastectomy, because part of the breast tissue is removed) and radiation therapy during 6 or 7 weeks in 2010. So far she's doing quite well.

Coming Monday her ovaries and oviducts will be surgical removed on her own request. Just as a precaution measurement.
My thoughts are with her!

Challenge "Life Imitates Doodles" - Tell Your Story, Be Part of the Art

Sandra Kay Strait (Molossus) had a challenge on her blog Life Imitates Doodles, since I am a huge fan of her Zentangle artwork I decided to participate.

 

Sandra asked us to do the following for this challenge:

 

"Well, I ask you to look at a ZT you've just finished (no fair planning ahead of time).  Take note of the movement, the flow, the texture.  Spin it around.  Look at how the dark and light work together.  How do the tangles work together>  How do they resist each other?  What objects seem to appear?  What's the mood?  Do this immediately after you finish, and look, and do not second guess yourself.

Come up with a title based on your immediate impressions.  Then invite your viewers to tell you what they see or feel.  In other words, invite them to invest part of their world experience into yours."

Well, this is what I came up with...

It's titled: "Shattered, but keeping the pieces together"

 

 

Shattered: "burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow".

This is what I see in the pattern "Scraper"...shattered, as with a violent blow...of life itself. You burst into pieces, but you know you have to keep the pieces together... using all kinds of strings and finally you succeed. Although it feels like surviving and not living, this is what you are capable of at this moment.

So the strings in this ZT are keeping the patterns (pieces) together.

The L in the righthand corner stands for Linda, a dear old friend of mine from highschool.

ZTs inspired by the theme Spring on Flickr's Dutch Zentangle group

I'd like to share those wonderful, amazing and beautiful Zentangles made by my dear Zentangle friends on our Flickr group Dutch Zentangles, based on the theme Spring.

The first one is made by Rooike1 (Jeanet), a very talented woman who's become a very dear Zentangle friend of mine. It's called "A bit of spring".

The second ZT is made by Kraai65, a woman with many talents as you can see on her Flickr Photostream. This one is called "Lente (Spring)".

This third one is from Sandra van der Geest, a "newbie" amongst the Zentanglers. She just wanted to give it a try once and participated with the following ZT, which I think is gorgeous. More ZTs by Sandra's hand to follow...

Fourth in line... Mariet Dronten, please do have a look at her Flickr Photostream. Besides her ZTs she makes extraordinary and beautiful drawings. I think she's a very talented and creative artist. Enjoy her art!

The fifth, spring inspired ZT made by Dinie54, also a "newbie" amongst the Zentanglers. Famous for her gorgeous ATCs, which I really admire.

And last, but surely not the least, a ZT from Yvonne's ATC . A newbie as well on Zentangles. I "met" Yvonne on the SA (Scrappersanonimous)-forum and since then I'm a real fan of her art! She makes gorgeous and extraordinary ATCs, I think she's a stamp-goddess! :-)

Thank you all my dear Zentangle friends for sharing your amazing ZTs with all of us all over the world.