The first theme

To spice up my challenge to make a Zentangle every day in 2014 I introduced themes in my Zentangles. In the third week I let myself get inspired by Japan and the Japanese culture.

There are different things of the Japanese culture that inspire me. Next to the upcoming sushi hype in my city, other things give me inspiration for my drawings.

While searching for some inspiration I found images of the Japanese geisha. I remember that I painted a geisha once. I searched in my pictures and found it.  In 2008 I started this painting but I never finished it. Together with elements of other images I made Zentangle number twelve. It shows a geisha with a fan under some bamboo branches. To get the Zentangle technique into my painting I filled up the space between the branches with Zentangles. I was not happy about this drawing because it is out of balance. Without the Zentangles it would be just an illustration, or not?

 

The rules of Zentangle are not completely clear to me yet. Since I have started this challenge I am searching for a good balance between just a drawing and a Zentangle. Not all my Zentangles can be named a Zentangle, I think. Zentangle literature states that it is a way to meditate and calm you down. Your unconscious have to take over and repeat patterns in parts of your drawing. My unconscious mind does not take over, but i am very busy (conscious) with the way I draw my Zentangle.

The flowers (#13) is a fragmented Zentangle and exists out of separate parts. It is not a unity like I want it to be. The Fish (#14) is not a repetition of patterns, but does score on the Japanese theme. The Koi fish is next to the dragon (#15) very popular in Japanese drawings and Japanese inspired tattoos. Also water waves and splashes (#16) are common use in Japanese drawings. Numbers 15 and 16 are more Zentangle, I think. There are Zentangle-like patterns and there there is more fragmentation.

 

This week I had some sushi at the blooming sushi centre in town. Number seventeen is a sushi inspired Zentangle. Just google 'sleeping sushi' and you see where some of my inspiration came from.    The last Zentangle in the Japanese theme is an bonsai tree. When I was younger I always wanted one just like my grandpa and father. They both loved those miniature trees. After the passing of my grandpa my dad inherited his tree. Unfortunately this tree died. Now my father has two trees of his own left. I tried and I am still trying to create/grow my own bonsai tree.

Enough about the Japan. During my volunteer work I was inspired to next weeks theme: fairy tails. More about this next week. I will elaborate some more about the discussion about what a Zentangle is and the discussions I had about this during volunteering at daytime activities of people with disabilities.

Suggestions about themes and all what I discussed here are welcome!

The first eleven Zentangles of 2014

In 2013 I picked up an old hobby of mine. Zentangle. It is a form of meditation where you draw patterns based on your intuition. It is also known as doodling, sketches or just simple drawings.

Traditional you draw Zentangles with black fine liners. You can first use a pencil to sketch the basic lines and proceed with a fine liner.

My first Zentangle of 2014.

There are many different patterns to draw. In the centre of my second Zentangle there is the pattern known as mushroom. There are (to) many names introduced by different authors of Zentangle masters and can be confusing. I don't think it is important to use names for Zentangle patterns.

         

It is possible to enter a detailed element such as an animal, a face or a tree. You can also put words in your Zentangle.

 

You can experiment with different forms and lines. You can start with a chain and divide this in smaller parts or work with thick and thin lines. This spices your Zentangle a little up. You can also use one form like a drop and fill you paper with it.





       

There are endless sort of forms you can use to create a Zentangle. You can create your own Zentangle as long as you use your own imagination, creativity and intuition.

For some inspiration you can google Zentangle or look on Pinterest or Instagram.

From now on I will post a blog about my daily Zentangle once a week. To spice things up I introduced themes in my Zentangles. If you have ideas please share!