Although Zentangle has proven to be an easy and relaxing art form, I recently decided I'd been way too dormant with my watercolor painting.   I certainly didn't want to be in an "if you don't use it you'll lose it" situation with painting.  But unlike Zentangle, whenever I approach painting there's always a hesitance or even a fear that I will mess up and the painting won't turn out.  There are so many elements to consider... getting the right ratio of water to pigment to get the tones and vibrance right, the amount of water to put on the paper and how long to let it soak in before applying paint, working fast enough so areas of the painting don't dry, etc.  

What's helped with that in the past was checking in with the Watercolor Workshop group.   I first found this group about 12 years ago on Yahoo.  Today they exist on MeWe.   What I love about this group is that they exist to paint given projects each month which the artists share by posting.   I've received inspiration and encouragement from this group.   And if you seek tips or feedback on techniques the artists are kind and provide that too upon request. 

As I approached getting started with a painting in August of this year, the Watercolor Workshop group provided yet another helpful suggestion.   Lynn Bauer of Dragonfly Spirit on YouTube has several videos on painting on postcard-sized watercolor paper.   What a great idea!   After all, if I mess up the painting it's just a postcard!   I can easily start over with another little square of paper.   My brother was born in August of 1963 and he died in August of 2016.   So I wanted to try a little watercolor featuring him. There's a photograph that was taken when he was working as a caregiver for a client who had Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS).   The client wanted to go on a cruise.   He snapped a photo of my brother standing on the deck of the ship.   I thought it just might work out as a silhouette painting.   With Lynn's techniques it worked out great.

Brother Bill

As September rolled around the monthly project for the Watercolor Workshop group was to paint snow. We only have white snow when we preserve and don't paint over the white watercolor paper so it's a challenge similar to negative painting.   Everything else but the snow gets paint.   I went back to YouTube and found a snowy mountain painting session I could follow.

Snowy Peak

In art it's wonderful to have support systems, sources of information and inspiration.  And it's not only a joyful thing when paintings work out but when others enjoy looking at it.  Keep on painting!  Keeping on drawing!

Passing the Zen On

The past few months have brought a temporary halt to hosting Zentangle classes in my home.  The last one I'd scheduled was on March 16th.  But that afternoon the county health director announced there were to be no nonessential gatherings of any size due to COVID19 concerns.  

I'd been excited to share the new Moonlight Gelly Roll pens with my student Trisha that night.  Such beautiful colors!  Since she was excited to draw with them, Trisha decided she should come by my house and take the pens home with her.

Trisha's enthusiasm for learning Zentangle art comes from years of feeling like her artistic instincts were suppressed.  She had been put into kindergarten at the age of 4 and while she was smart enough to keep up academically, her motor skills lagged a bit behind her older classmates.  Comparing her art to theirs made her feel like she wasn't good enough.  And she believed that throughout her life even though she wanted to create and express herself in art.  

When we met she loved every tangle we created together.  At the end of each session she left with a big smile on her face and her beautiful art pieces in her hands.  For the past three months she's been drawing new art and sending it to me.  She's used the classic black ink on white tile method and practiced shadowing with graphite.  She created this amazing 3D effect in her work with a Paradox monotangle.

Trisha's Paradox Monotangle

Keeping with the Paradox monotangle she took off with her Moonlight Gelly Rolls on a black tile to achieve this effect:

Trisha's Moonlight Paradox Tangle

Here's yet another tangle combination in which she added shadowing on all the edges of her circles, making them look like little pillows.  

Trisha's Open Circles

She then texted me and asked if I thought she should tangle inside the circles.  I encouraged her to experiment and practice.  She agreed and remarked, "You're right!  It's just a little piece of paper!"  Her artwork transformed completely!

Trisha's Transformed Art

Over the course of two weeks Trisha sent me 19 works of art that she had created on her own at home!  I asked her what motivates her to tangle so much.  She said "I just always feel the need to create and Zentangle gives me joy and relaxation."  

As a Zentangle instructor that made me feel so good to hear because I know I've done my job.  I've passed on the ability to access joy and relaxation when creating art.  Mission accomplished!  That's what Zentangle is all about.  And what a wonderful gift when a teacher receives inspiration and motivation from her student.  

Thanks Trisha!