Throwback Thursday! Three years ago today, I did a reset on this website. I changed the style and the content over to be able to show you my art. While I have been tangling, more than anything else, I also do other kinds of art. But I have to confess, tangles often slip into it. This quick Halloween drawing was created with colored pencil. But you’ll probably find a couple of tangles here and there!

Did you notice that I skipped a number in this series of ATC cards? While this one was actually the sixth one I did, I saved it for the last because of the way it came out. Ok. I had this idea about using Paradox to make a symmetrical design. I think it sort of worked… but not at all what I imagined it would look like! ATC #6.

Sometimes the simplest tangles can have a powerful impact. It depends on how you treat them. Here, I used Hollibaugh, but gave it a bit of a curve. Then I made it holey! And a little touch of blue just makes it magical. ATC #11 Zentangle drawn on a cut down, grey, Official Zentangle tile using a blue, Micron pen, cobolt, Copic Multiliner, and white Gelly Roll. Shading done with graphite, Copic marker and colored pencil.

"Fishy, fishy in the brook, Daddy catch him on a hook, Mommy fry him in a pan, Johnny eat him like a man." - Unknown Looking for a simple tangle that can be use in a variety of ways? Take Indy-Rella out for a spin! Depending on how you draw it, you can suggest flames, or fish. You can add them to the ends of Fescu, turning them into some kind of plant, or follow various contours to create a nice, organic fill.

Diva Dance is such a fun tangle. Although the concept is very simple, it can morph to fit almost any shape. Or, it can take on a life of it’s own, depending on the variation. Here, it has been wrapped around itself in a spiraled style that gives the appearance of full-blown blossoms. ATC #9. Zentangle drawn on sahara, Fabriano Tiziano using a black and tan, Micron pens and white Gelly Roll.

Aquafleur, the tangle used on the heart-shaped string was one that I didn’t understand well for a long time. I tried it, as it was shown to me, and I just couldn’t figure out how those ribbons wrapped a given string. Finally, one day, I just sat and played with it in my sketch book. And all of a sudden, it just “clicked” for me. Here, it is used in an elegant, but simplified version.

If you follow me, then you know I’ve done this tangle, which can look like a sprig of Rosemary, or a pine bough, or a feather, many times before. I enjoy drawing it and it’s one of my favorites. ATC #7. Zentangle drawn on sahara, Fabriano Tiziano using a black and tan, Micron pen and gold gel pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Marasu Tipple Verdigogh

Note: Some of the inks used did not scan well. There are silver and copper dots which here, appear to be orange and white. There are a lot of differences in composition when you work on a rectangular piece, as compared to a square. However, this one works on either. The only difference is that I like it better with a horizontal emphasis. On the square version, I liked it better with a vertical emphasis.

Printemps is one of my favorite tangles. It can be made large, with a heavier hand and used as central motifs. It can be drawn small and numerous to fill in a background. You can completely cover an area with it, overlapping where needed, or you can leave negative space around and between each fragment. No matter the over-all concept, it’s a wonderful tangle to draw for the Zen flow!

Ruutz, a tangle created by Eni Oken, is a wonderful subject for tangle fractalization. I chose, in this example, to use a different color ink for each iteration. My hope was that the designs would appear to fade out going into the background. If you want more information about this tangle technique, check out Eni Oken’s Fractalized Tangles Lesson Bundle! ATC number three… done! Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen and a brown and grey Copic Multiliner.

Perhaps those pumpkins are taking on a life of their own; creating a ballet as they rise up. They leave the garden trellises behind as they creep around the Halloween garden! Another ATC. Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with Distress markers and colored pencil. Decorative elements added with various gel pens. Tangles: Crazy Nzeppel Mooka

The Hunter’s Moon has passed. The pumpkins are ready for picking. Soon, there will be the smell of freshly baked pies in the air! This ATC was created with these in mind! Zentangle drawn on Strathmore Vellum Bristol using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Highlights created with colored pencil. Tangles: Gourdgeous Icanthis

Pink and grey is one of my favorite color combinations. So I thought I would give it a try on one of the new, grey tiles from Zentangle. Here is a quick study on a Bijou tile, using Molygon, wrapped around a central orb and filled with Marasu. I think it’s interesting enough that I may repeat something similar on a standard-sized tile. Zentangle drawn on an Official, grey, Zentangle Bijou tile using a pink, grey and dark grey, Uniball Signo pens.

On Saturday, I participated in a Studio Tour for the Artist’s Group that I belong to. My studio was the second one in this particular tour. I created a Zentangle “make and take” project for the visitors to give those in the group who were not familiar with Zentangle to either sit down and do while here, or to take with them and do at home. I used the tangle Verdigogh because it looks a bit like a sprig of Rosemary, which is a symbol of remembrance.

This is my first Zentangle created on a new grey Zentangle tile. This new color was just released by the company this week. The color is a soft, light grey, that looks good with the entire range of Zentangle tools. I love having a grey tile because it allows me to add both shading and highlights for a full range of values. Right now, you can get the tiles in various sizes from your local CZT.