The Zentangle method is an art form based on creating abstract images with the use of repeated patterns.

When someone asks me about the Zentangle work that I'm doing, that's sometimes where I start. I occasionally get an “AHA! I understand!” look. More often, I get a glazed look and a “HUH??????”

When I'm finally able to find words that are more descriptive, some people say, “Oh! You mean doodling!!!! Why didn't you say so? I've been doing that all my life!”

In an effort to demonstrate that Zentangle is nothing comparable to doodling, I show an example:

“Oh, well,” they say. “Sure you can do it. You're an artist. I'm no artist. I could never do anything like that.”

My first impulse is to protest the title of “artist,” since my pen-to-paper artistry has always been limited to the crude forms I've used since second grade to represent people, cars, houses, flowers, and trees. “So,” they say, “if you're not an artist, how can you possibly do that???”

I've learned not to deny being an artist, but just not that kind of artist. By any measure, my description of my representational drawing skills is utterly true. It is at this point that I send people directly to the source, the fountain of wisdom that is the gateway to all things Zentangle.

Zentangle® is an art form and method created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, and is copyrighted. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

That sounds all legal and proper, and of course it has to be. What impressed me though, from the first time I found my way to Rick and Maria's website, is the care that they have taken to nurture the business aspects of their work. It seems that every step they've taken to develop this concept is taken with intention and integrity, mirroring the core belief represented in the motto that appears on their web page.

One of the things that Rick and Maria do is to train teachers of the method. I learned the basics in a class with a person trained by Rick and Maria, and then searched eagerly for more. In that search, I discovered so many things that drew me to this art form. It helped that from the day I took the class, I was able to create work that surprised and delighted me. A few of elements that drew me in are:

There are no mistakes in creating a Zentangle piece.
In fact, you are encouraged to throw away your eraser! As I explain elsewhere, my mistakes have often led me to new designs.

The materials are simple, unintimidating, and highly portable.
There is no investment in fancy tools. What I need can fit into my purse. We are talking about the very basics: a good pen, paper that pleases you, and a pencil. That's all. This one was created in a small spiral watercolor sketchbook, using a Sakura Pigma Micron pen, started and finished while I waited for a friend during his doctor's appointment:

It is relaxing and meditative.
I wouldn't have thought that I could relax with pen and paper in my hand. Having labeled myself as “non-artistic” from my earliest years, I have always had a degree of performance anxiety when asked to draw. In beginning a Zentangle piece, I never start out thinking that I'm going to “draw something.” I have an idea of patterns I want to use, and go where they take me.

In Zentangle terms, a “tangle,” is a repetitive pattern. For this one, I started out playing with one just one tangle, named “agua,” drawn around the edges of a circle. I had no thought of what would come next. I filled in with other tangles, and kept adding until it felt finished. It was only when I was finished that I realized that the piece looked a bit like a turtle. Then I showed it to a friend, and he said “Oh, it's a sun!” Another friend thought it looked like a gear with cogs. And I guess you could say that it is both all of those and none of those.

It helps me pay attention.
Learning this art form has helped me remember that there are patterns all around us. I put two of my own tangles on a page of the “Tangle-A-Day” calendar designed by Carole Ohl, used here with permission. January 16, “Plankton,” was inspired by drawings in the log my 8-year-old granddaughter kept for her summer science camp. January 17 is an official Zentangle pattern, “Keeko.” January 18 is my variation of Keeko, named “JCC.” Why JCC? If you glance down at the carpet of the San Francisco Jewish Community Center, this is the pattern you will see!

Certified Zentangle Teachers:

Just as I wandered into the art and craft of making books and boxes, I found my way to Zentangle in much the same way: A non-credit course offered through the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The classes were taught by Diane Knauf, an artist and a certified Zentangle teacher. If you're in the Madison area, check out Diane's schedule.

All certified zentangle teachers (CZT's) are personally trained by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. As of early 2012, there are CZT's in 10 countries outside the US, and in 39 states and the District of Columbia. To see if there is a teacher near you, go to Zentangle.com and click on “Learn.”

Can't make it to a class?

Start with the beautiful kit created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. The modestly priced kit contains all you need to get started on your own: a booklet and DVD describing and demonstrating the use of Zentangle patterns, a set of Zentangle tiles, a high quality pen, and a soft lead pencil. One of my favorite elements of the kit is a card with 20 tangle patterns, along with a 20-sided die to help you decide where to start.

Sounds complicated? It was for the first five minutes, and now it's my new best friend! The kit does a masterful job of presenting the most basic elements in an accessible way.

Sign up for Rick and Maria's newsletter. It's free, fun, and informative.

Web links: You only have to put the word “Zentangle” to find your way to dozens of sites, including many You Tube demos. I will send you to just one: Linda Farmer's Tangle Patterns. Linda has developed a large catalog of tangle patterns, including a breakdown of the steps for each pattern. Click here to subscribe to Linda's Tangle Patterns by e-mail. It's free! Here's an example of the way that some of the artists have demonstrated the steps to take to complete a pattern:

Books: There is a growing library of books being developed by Certified Zentangle Teachers. Linda Farmer has done a great job of identifying many of them, so that's a good place to start.

AND NOW, A LITTLE BIT OF ZENTANGLE-INSPIRED ART

A salute to my lovely and talented granddaughters, who are artists in whatever they do.