Monday "Under The Sea" Zentangle Class

Today's class took us out to the ocean at the tail end of San Diego's beautiful summer.  Well, not literally. Our Zentangle class today was "UNDER THE SEA".  We began by drawing our "terrarium" which was probably the hardest thing to do of this piece, and then added Mr. Seahorse and began tangling our ocean themed tile.

 

This pic is the ladies hard at work.

 

 

Here are several of the finished pieces.  I told them they just created their own coloring book page, and several were able to apply some watercolor pencils on their piece during class and others were taking them home to do so.  Hey Jan Neeb.............. I didn't get your pic of your art before you headed to your Doctor appointment. 

 

This is my assistant with set up and take down in class..... Sharon.  Oh yeah. she is my Step Mom !!!

Today was her Birthday and we were heading to Olive Garden to celebrate after class .
Thanks for all your help Sharon and HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Saturday Zentangle Dreamcatcher Class

Today I thought I'd change up a new class I've been wanting to teach.  My daughter loves dreamcatchers being 1/4 Indian, I decide to have a class in her honor. 

One of my next door neighbors is part of the Jamul Indian Nation.  I asked her if she would come and cleanse the class and talk about dreamcatchers.  Unfortunately, she hurt her back and was on bed rest and couldn't attend today class.  I asked her questions and drummed up all the info I could find about dreamcatchers and gave my spill on the topic. 

Here is how the first part of my class went today.  Image -- Native American flute music playing in the background, six attentive students waiting to hear about this well known item that many of us have purchased over the years. 

My wonderful neighbor, Liza, made sage wrappings for all the students at class today.  I passed out one to each of them,.  Not knowing if Beverly's Fabric wanted to have a cleansing in the Fabric store (I didn't ask - I guess I knew the answer, fire hazard), I opted to just hand them out and they could go home and cleanse (smudging) what they wished.  FYI, a couple teachers said they would cleanse their school room. 

A side story about that... when I went home from class and told Liza the class went well, and that one of the teachers was going to cleanse their classroom, Liza said that she worked in the classroom thru the years and would cleanse the room as well, and had great results with calm, good feelings brought  to the room.

SMUDING:  brings person back onto balance and cleanses the body and mind of negative spirits and impurities.  The practice of smudging, or purifying a room with the smoke of sacred herbs, can help clear negative energy from a space.



Native Americans believe that night is full of both good and bad dreams.  When a dreamcatcher is hung above where you sleep, it catches the dreams that drift by.  The good dreams go thru the center of the web and slide down the feathers to those sleeping below.  the bad dreams are caught in the web and destroyed (burned) at the first light of the morning sun. 

Traditional dreamcatchers are only 3-5 inches across.  They must be made from natural materials. Every part of a dreamcatcher has a meaning.  The dreamcatcher represents the mind, body, spirit aspects of our personality, mood and emotions.  The ring (hoop) and the web represents love, honesty and purity.  All of the combined elements on the dreamcatcher represents aspects of earth, fire and water - all things we need to live.

Once the dreamcatcher is hung freely, it represents the element of air.  The hoop represents the earth - "the circle of life" and made from a willow. 

The web is patterned after a spiders web to catch bad dreams and keep them from entering the dreamers head.  Each dreamcatcher will have items selected to represent the person the dreamcatcher was designed for.

Feathers are added as a symbol of breath that is essential for life.  Owl feathers represents wisdom (feminine), and Eagle feathers represent courage (masculine). 

Beads are added, one for the spider that made the web, and many beads represent good dreams that get trapped during the night. 

Arrowheads on the dreamcatcher  increases strength and protection.

Here is a group picture of the dreamcatchers drawn today 'Zentangle Style'.  All look similar but yet individual flair to make each one unique to that person - like a dreamcatcher.

I posted each one by themselves so you can enjoy the beautiful of them all.

                                      

 

 

Not only did the class complete a dreamcatcher,

but also made a coloring book page to go home and color if they wish.

 

Here are a couple..... colored dreamcatchers.  Fun class to teach !!!  

Mid Summer Zentangle Zoo

 

 I'm enjoying my first year teaching Zentangle Art Method at the famous San Diego Zoo.  I have three more classes out of the eleven scheduled for the 1st - 8th graders this summer. 

Today the project for the kids was tangling an elephant head and trunk.

My first class was 125 -- 3rd-5th graders.  After class I mentioned I wanted to snap a couple pictures of their art work today and it was like a stampede to get to the front of the auditorium for a Kodak moment.   They were so proud of their art work.  One little girl shouted out during class. "I LOVE THIS".

                    

 

Kids love to share their Zentangle Art.

 

Second class today was 125 - 1st -  3rd graders.  They are so cute when they like something, it is written all over their faces.  Best part of today was when one of the great counselors that lead the kids during their day at camp at the Zoo, came into the auditorium with his group and he said to his kids, "this is the best class at the Zoo, it's Zentangle". 

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh  made my day!!!

 

 

After the second class was leaving the auditorium, a young girl asked me to tangle on her arm cast!!! That was a first for me.......Ahhh I love teaching the kids. Two little 3rd grade boys came up to me after class and said "thank you, this is fun!!!

I'll be sad when summer is over and my classes end at the Zoo.  I will be crossing my fingers and toes that I get to teach again next summer at the world famous San Diego Zoo.

San Diego Zentangle Club Monday

Fun day tangling. Today, tanglers got together for the San Diego Zentangle Monday Club.  

Today we decided to take a piece of cardstock and trace our hands then tangle the outside of the hand image.  We came up with some amazing pieces.  But, you be the judge.

 

  Janet's backyard

 

  

   Hiroko's

 

Gina's    Linda's
Wendy's

 

 Susan's Rho's

   Olivia's

  Wendy's

\

Janet's

Before adding color and shading...................................after adding color and shading

Zentangle Dreamcatcher Class

You don't want to miss this class.  I am teaching a Zentangle Dreamcatcher class, but the best treat is my neighbor Lisa,  who is Native American Indian, is going to share the background behind the dreamcatcher and maybe a little "cleansing" of the class,  plus to top it off... drum and flute Indian tunes.  Get ready for a fun class. 

August 13, Saturday, 1:30-3:30@ Balboa Avenue (in Clairemont) 

Prepay for class on my blog:  list class and date.

Only five seats left. (Bring mini kit-basic supplies & watercolor pencils) 

 

 

 

Artist & Craftsman Supply

Today, I taught an Introduction to Zentangle® Art Method Class at a  new location, Artist & Craftsman Supply in Hillcrest in San Diego, California. I met four, super fun and interesting ladie, Candy, La Ree, Maria, and Rose. Jackie was unable to attend, we missed you but she wants to have me teach an in service education class for the teachers at the  elementary school she teaches at.  I'm always down for showing the teachers something they can use for guided art as well as journaling and the best part for quieting down a class after recess or lunch. 

Here is the small world part of today... La Ree son's and my daughter went to elementary together, that was 15 years ago. What a great day in a new location with some spunky ladies.

 

You will note I gave them free rein to embellish Florz tangle.  I love the hearts that Maria used, and Rose used a variety of open and darkened diamonds.  I'm going to teach Florz from now on with "hearts", thanks Maria. the other tangles (that's what we call the patterns), used were Tipple and Ambler and a variation of Shattuck were taught today so we could include into our second tile......... the sea turtle.

 

 

 

Beyond Basic Zentangle at Poway Library

Several familiar faces returned from last weeks (Introduction to Zentangle class), at Poway Library to this weeks Beyond Basic Zentangle class and I was very pleased to see many new faces.  Great crowd to share the amazing  ZENTANGLE. Art Method with.

First, we learned more complex patterns "tangles".  I call Introduction to Zentangle - "kindergarten", and Beyond Basic Zentangle is like jumping into the" sixth grade" (way more information about Zentangle and lots of tangleations (variations of tangles), tangos (two patterns put together), string theory, shading and so much more to make your tiles POP.
 

 

The adorable little boy in the center (below) did a fantastic job.  He liked it so much last week, him and his Mom came back.  Adorable. little guy.  I'm sorry I couldn't fit his entire art piece (the one on the left to the tiles) in the picture.  He did such a good job. 

 

THANKS POWAY LIBRARY, the room was fantastic.