The Zentangle® Method, created by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts, is an easy to learn, fun and relaxing way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns.
Thank you for all your kind expressions of sympathy last week. I really appreciate your support, and feel it strongly in my life, not just in my art.
I am sad to say that my Diva tile this week honors the two loves that Lar and I lost in three days last week. After the passing of Minou, we saw Socks suddenly waste away. Our home feels empty, as they were such a huge part of our lives for the last eight years. They were always with me when I tangled, and Socks came every morning for "our" yoga practice. I am so grateful for the time we had together.
When I drew the string yesterday for this week's tile, I found that the hearts would not nest by joining at the upper "v". I inverted the inner heart for my string, and felt relief that I would not have such a "hearty" tile to complete. Tangling with no real desire, I started to see a heavy heart that was being lifted up by the "wings" of the inner heart. This took on more and more meaning as I realized that my heart, heavy with worry for our little cat, Minou, was somehow going to be carried by a smaller, but stronger, heart inside me.
Today, as I was doing my morning meditation, I noticed a small rainbow on the carpet in front of me, coming from the prism in my window. This immediately brought to mind the "Rainbow Bridge" poem for our beloved animals who have passed on. Although it might seem maudlin to some, it has brought me comfort over the years. Seeing my tile from yesterday, I remembered the hymn "I'll Fly Away", one of my dad's favorites, that sings of the release from earthly woes at the moment of passing into the "land where joys will never end". A few hours later, at the vet's, Lar and I released Minou, with love and gratitude, from the pain he had been suffering from renal failure for the last week. After 14 years together, it was a difficult goodbye, but we are grateful for his sweet spirit and never-ending love.
"When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I'll fly away."
"Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge."
This week, we lived through another horrific school shooting. I, like most, don't understand how we can sacrifice our children to terrorists, to a nation-wide addiction to violence and guns. My heart is filled with a yet unvoiced moan, wail. "Thoughts and prayers" has become a mockery, but for now, all I can offer, as I try to sort through my confusion about what to do, is my prayers for the victims and their families, and my commitment to stop the insanity. I applaud the survivors who are speaking out, and leading a protest on March 24.
February is definitely back, and so are the heart-themed challenges. Not a big fan, but I decided to give it a go.
For my string, I did multiple incomplete hearts that lay off the paper. I lay down Nadine Roller's "Rimana" tangle on top of the string. It started to grow. That inspired me to add some Pokeleaf, and finally Mositoo, which lends itself to an occasional heart shape here and there. As I added color, it really came to life. I really like this one, sneaky hearts and all!
I did a few more compassion meditation for kids at school this week. Here's one that I managed to photograph!
Thank you for stopping by! Please have a fun week!
"rumpus: a noisy disturbance; commotion. hubbub, uproar, furor, fracas"
I cannot think of a better word to describe what you get when you combine middle schoolers and a blue, blood super moon!!! Luckily, Rumpus, the tangle, is, for me, at least, quite relaxing and lovely. A great challenge from the Diva, perfectly suited to my week of substitute teaching! I confess that I did this tile this morning, with some resistance, created by my preoccupation with Sunday chores and heading back to work tomorrow. However, once I got started, I liked where we were going. It was an interesting study in backward design, a concept in education where you begin curriculum design by defining the desired outcome. But this is Zentangle, where we don't plan ahead. I drew the finished Rumpus first, then the stripped down one and finally the sketch, without planning a single stroke.
What a curious and fascinating method, this Zentangle!
I continue to do compassion meditation tiles for the kids I'm working with. I try to work the "lesson learned" from their "mistake" into their tile. Unfortunately, they tend to grab the finished tiles before I can take pictures of them! Here's one with a favorite Michelle Obama quote:
And another monogram
Thanks, as always for stopping by. Have a rumpus-less week!
