I recently accepted a job co-editing the Centennial Edition of the Speedball Textbook. So we are toying with the idea of making it interactive. I shot this video on using the “A Series” nib that was invented by Ross F. George and William Hugh Gordon more than 100 years ago.
This nib is really amazing because you use both sides of the nib. It was developed for speed in lettering on Sho Cards, Movie Title Cards and signs.
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Trying a new expressive form of art can be intimidating to anyone. The key word here is TRY.
See my mentor Marney Makridakis’s post on how she overcame the limiting beliefs she once had about lettering!
Lettered tree by Marney Makridakis
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I’m inspired by this spunky new guide by Marney Makridakis, called HOP, SKIP, JUMP: 75 Ways to Playfully Manifest a Meaningful Life. Find out if you are a Hopper, Skipper or Jumper by taking this fun quiz: http://artellaland.com/play.html.
And….simply order Hop, Skip, Jump TODAY and get an instant $15 Artella eGift Certificate for each copy purchased, which is even more than the price of the book!
Hop, Skip, Jump! A new guide by Marney Makridakis
The eGift Certificate is good on any Artella eProduct; no minimum purchase required. So it’s the best day to order multiple copies as holiday presents, and get $15 back for each one; and the eGift certificates can even be transferred to others as holiday gifts, too.
Go to http://www.artellaland.com/play.html to order your copy and take a fun quiz to find out if you Hop, Skip, or Jump! 🙂
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Check out the Tangled Egg techniques on this Sakura YouTube video I did in San Diego at this year’s National Art Education Association convention. These eggs were purchased at WalMart for $1.99/dozen. I liked tangling on them because they have some kind of gesso finish on them so you can use almost any kind of medium on it. I used the Koi Watercolor Brush, Glaze, Moonlight and Pigma Microns on these eggs.
I had the privilege of sharing creative techniques with attending art educators in the Sakura booth with Illustrator & Author, Phuong-Mai Bui-Quang (we call her Mai – pronounced “My”) who shared her exceptional Manga Illustration techniques.
Mai getting ready to teach.
NAEA annually provides the latest, cutting-edge information for creative educators, and I can tell you firsthandly, that art teachers still LOVE the Zentangle® method of drawing. We began each day of the conference, by teaching several Zentangle patterns using the Apprentice tiles and pigma 05 pens found in the Zentangle Apprentice Kit. Then we tangled on die-cut, perforated and scored Icosahedron forms using the new Moonlight – 06 size pens. I also taught a session on Illumitangles® with Pigma 05 (with the nylon tip) and Gold Metallic Gellyroll pens that the teachers all loved to take back and share with their students.
The die-cut, perforated and scored Icosahedron (available at StringStarters.com) is also featured in the new Zentangle 10 book
by Suzanne McNeill, CZT. You’ll discover wonderful paper projects for booklets, greeting cards, angels, ornaments, beads, boxes, accordion folds, and more in Zentangle 10 published by Design Originals.
TANGLED ICOSAHEDRON – Each tab interlocks – no glue or staples needed.
I will be teaching an “Icosahedron Tangles” Break-Out mini-class at Legacies II International Lettering Arts Conference this summer July 19 – 26, 2014. Look for the schedule this week at www.calligraphyconference.org.
Discover, Learn and Create at Legacies this summer in Dallas, TX
Check out the 72 Break-Out Sessions open to the public at the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts where you’ll also see instructors: Barbara Close, Brenda Broadbent-CZT, Janet Takahashi, Roanne Mathias, Suzanne McNeill-CZT, Master Teacher of Precious Metal Clay – Sharon Gillespie , Myrna Rosen, Joanne Fink, Creativity Coach and Mentor Marney Makridakis – and many more.
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The June Zentangle® on Silk class was such a blast!
We had a special student in the class – Cathy Whiteman of Irving Community Television Network who tells about it so eloquently in this YouTube video.
Some of the tangled scarves found their way into the Design Originals book by Suzanne McNeill titled The Beauty of Zentangle®. This new book is came out the fall of 2013 and features more than 100 contributing artist’s Zentangle-inspired artwork. Here is a sneak peak of one of my tangled scarves:
Gutta resist and silk dyes create a wonderful web of colors
No matter what the medium, the Zentangle method of drawing is one of the best ways to “charge your batteries”. There are ongoing classes for all levels of interest and abilities in your area. You can get the Beauty of Zentangle:
If you are in the Arlington area, Suzanne McNeill-Sparks is opening up Sparks Studio of Creative Arts on September 7, 2013 from 3:00pm to 8:00pm during the Gallery walk. A myriad of nationally known teachers (including myself), will be exhibiting and teaching through out the year. Special Open Studio Days, Art Journal Days and Creative Classes will inspire and spark your creativity! Her new Gallery and Studio is located at:
A place to learn, express and inspire.
509 W. Main Street
Arlington, TX 76012
817-266-3085
Visit SparkStudioArt.com
The loud BUZZ of tangling permeated the convention halls of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) convention (held in Fort Worth, TX- March 7-10, 2013) because the founders, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas along with Molly Hollibaugh (Maria’s daughter) were there to promote the Zentangle method of drawing.
Rick, Maria & Paparazzi
A Zentangle Fan buys her own copy of the Book of Zentangle from Peter Ouyang of Sakura of America. 100% of the proceeds went to Youth Art Month (YAM) donated by Sakura.
I ran a separate booth with Cayetano Olivarez and Kimberly Romano that was sponsored by Texas Lettering Arts Council. It was visited by many art teachers who brought Zentangle back to the classroom to teach their kids, and for personal enjoyment.
Teachers Tangling at NAEA
I also had the privilege of facilitating a Zentangle project to the NAEA participants on opening night from 7:00pm – 10:00pm and was busy with tanglers the entire time!
Sakura of America donated their fantastic Identi-pen for the teachers to tangle with on the pre-strung, 6 foot banner.
Dr. Joan Maresh Hansen assists another teacher with patterns.
Rick, Maria and Molly tangle on the almost completed banner the next morning.
Notice the oval frame cut out above Molly’s head. Maria tangled that frame and gave it to Sakura. So cool!
Tangle Time with Rick, Maria and Molly
Tangled Texas Banner
We all had so much fun – relaxing with the Zentangle method of drawing.
My Teacher Helpers from left to right: Kelly, Dr. Joan Maresh Hansen, Me,and Margo
Our booth featured creative ideas teachers can do with their students, like the Tangled States of America, String Starters® rubber stamps, Icosahedrons, Apprentice kits, pens, books, books and books that even feature my work!
Tangled Letters and Zendala by Angie Vangalis, CZT featured in books published by Fox Chapel.
See my work in One Zentangle A Day, Zentangle 5, 7 and 8 and
The Joy of Zentangle.
Happy Tangling to YOU!
Nancy Smith, CZT; Angie Vangalis, CZT; and Beckah Krahula, CZT at the Houston International Quilt Show
I spent 4 days with Beckah Krahula at the Houston International Quilt show from October 31st - November 4th 2012 promoting her new book One Zentangle A Day (released November 1, 2012)and sold more than 120 books in less than 2 days!
Beckah's book was designed as a 6 week course on the Zentangle® method of drawing. Each lesson builds upon the next starting with the basics and moving into more challenging patterns and techniques.
My artwork is also featured in this book. Here is a peak of one of the spreads sent to me from Beckah’s iPad. This spread features the tangle pattern Paizel and two decorated letters I call IllumitanglesTM. You can see more of Paizel on TanglePatterns.com.
Illumitangle spread in One Zentangle A Day
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I had a recent conversation with Suzanne McNeill, CZT who has published 12 books over the past 2 years on Zentangle® method of drawing and Zentangle-inspired art.
My work appears in Zentangle 5 and in both Zentangle 7 Zendalas & Zentangle 8: Monograms & Alphabets and The Joy of Zentangle, in addition to a Zentangle On Silk You Tube video also produced by Suzanne’s company.
Suzanne’s books and publicity have been instrumental in making Zentangle popular and I am honored that she has agreed to teach a Zendala mini-class at the Marketing Retreat for Certified Zentangle Teachers on Labor Day weekend 2012 – see the YouTube video HERE.
A Zendala is a term coined by the Zentangle Corporation that is a Zentangle in the form of a mandala. The patterns are drawn to fill each section of a circle.
Joan started this Zendala in one of my classes!
Mandala circles have been used to connect the spirit with the divine for centuries. They offer symbols found in nature as subjects of contemplation. These circle provide an opportunity to explore oneself through ancient teachings.
To create a Zen Mandala, you need only a circle template, a pen and your creative imagination. There are also pre-printed Zendala tiles available for purchase through any CZT (Certified Zentangle Teacher) or the official Zentangle website.
The samples above were created from the Zendala collection by the Zentangle Corporation. A set of pre-printed tiles includes 2 tiles each of 9 different designs plus 3 blank round tiles.
For optimal pattern choices, take a class from a CZT in your area.
Zentangle and CZT are the registered trademarked intellectual property of Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. For more information about Zentangle, please visit Zentangle.com.
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I came up with the idea of this post and to explain how to use the String Starters digital and rubber stamp line I created earlier this year for the craft industry.
String Starters were created to assist my students with time-saving and pattern making techniques. The digitally created pattern “base” is used to start the pattern.
Patterns you can create with String StartersTM
One of the foundational techniques used when creating a Zentangle involves drawing a “string” – an impulsive line that creates the boundary, or area in which you draw (or “tangle”) your patterns. String’s are not absolute. You just use them as a guide and then “go for it” with your pen.
LEFT: A String is lightly drawn on an official Zentangle tile. RIGHT: Patterns drawn within the String with a Sakura Pigma Micron pen.
String Starters are not, technically a string, they are helpers that start the patterns you tangle within a string.
There are 12 sets of patterns in the String Starters stamp line.
String Starters, It’s only the BeginningTM of your Zentangle inspired art because you can go in so many different, creative directions using them.
I am using words associated with the Zentangle drawing technique as a SEO strategy because Zentangle is a VERY popular art form and a buzz word in the craft industry.
I will promote my post on Facebook, the StringStarters.com site and through my email marketing list (Constant Contact) AFTER I migrate this blog site to my established domain http://www.angievangalis.com – since this blog is a subdomain off WordPress.com url.
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Having a special needs child brings a different perspective of where I fit into our community. The key word here is “fit”. I think, we all need to feel like we “fit in” somewhere with a sense of belonging, and contribution in our society.
So, when my husband and 3 children moved from California to Texas, nearly 20 years ago, I found different ways to fill that need through my kids, mostly through, my son, Alex and his activities.
Alex (the eldest), was born with a craniofacial disorder called Treacher Collins syndrome. One of the anomalies associated with this syndrome is that he has no outer ears or cheek bones which makes Alex look “different”.
The special education community in our town, has always been supportive to special needs, integrating the “special” kids within the school system, but there was a family who advocated the differences of these kids in a profound way. The Ratliff family shined a positive light that not only impacted our family, but the entire community.
Beccy and Bennett Ratliff also have 3 kids. Their son, Thomas, born with special needs, prompted Bennett to advocate a voice of integration within the sports community, so he coached the first special needs baseball team that integrated our kids into a sport they would otherwise never participate in and feel “included” on a social level.
I really had no idea at the time, that Bennett Ratliff, a man with his heart in the right place as a public servant, would become a candidate to represent the state of Texas nearly 15 years later, in this year’s Republican run-off election for District 115!
While Bennett won the run-off election, our kids win through community sponsored events.
Thomas and Alex stay involved with Special Olympics.
Bennett & Thomas Ratliff
Thomas & Alex – Special Olympics Bowling Tournament – April 2011
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AV Graphics 