tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post1108569927963103615..comments2023-11-02T07:44:15.908-04:00Comments on Zentangle: Whose Muse is Whose?Zentanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03161442418645198968noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-68955159834366061652016-03-02T22:56:18.319-05:002016-03-02T22:56:18.319-05:00Thank you so much for this article. I am a coloris...Thank you so much for this article. I am a colorist. I love to color. I've had my own crayons and coloring book for as long as I can remember.<br /><br />Oftentimes when I'm viewing the artwork of others, I am discouraged and wonder why I'm even trying. Then I acknowledge the fact coloring is good for me in so many ways. That may be the only value ever to be placed on my artistry, and I'm okay with that.sweetpea1030https://www.blogger.com/profile/04664001415832051429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-89929094367972996142016-02-25T06:16:10.290-05:002016-02-25T06:16:10.290-05:00My muse is definitely my Dad. When I was a child h...My muse is definitely my Dad. When I was a child he was working for a very famous gallery in Salzburg carving extraordinary frames for pictures of popular artists. When he was 50 he decided to leave the gallery and run his own business. He loved to restore old furniture and carving different patterns. I grew up in a house full of most beautiful handcarved pieces of furniture, pictures and all other sort of things. He always had an idea of how to surprise everybody with new pieces of artwork or just a little something until the end of his life. My Dad was born in 1920 and definitely had no pleasant youth - nevertheless he was full of creativity his entire life. I am a bit like him. There are so many ideas in my head I am sure I´ll be unable to implement until the end of my life. I have been interested in patterns since I was a child and Zentangle is THE METHOD I have been looking for all the time. From the very first moment I saw these deconstructed patterns I knew "that´s it" - and I was hooked. Thanks Maria and Rick for sharing your creativity with the entire world! Inge Frasch, CZT, Bavaria GermanyInge F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17524480540683205565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-74887504168473773102016-02-01T14:43:36.316-05:002016-02-01T14:43:36.316-05:00My muses have changed over the years.... There hav...My muses have changed over the years.... There have been a few. First off my mother who was creative in many ways. Then Mrs. Perry who taught my 2nd grade self how to embroider. Something that I kept up for many years. My 4th grade teacher Ms. Schoonmaker, who taught everyone in her class how to knit, including making our own needles. She also taught me how to make lace by tatting, when I was in high school. Various art teachers along the years have inspired me, guided me and sent me off in wonderful new directions. Then you and Rick Maria, for helping learn the fine art of Zentangle. Many blog friends who inspire me with their work, some that I have been fortunate to meet, and others that I hope to some day. My students at school have also been my muses and have set me off on new directions. I am sure that I am forgetting people too! The only thing I hate is when they all decide to desert you at once! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-36591744525019113502016-01-22T13:39:48.185-05:002016-01-22T13:39:48.185-05:00And what do you think about my arts on my page? (z...And what do you think about my arts on my page? (zendoodle.pl)Zendoodlehttp://zendoodle.plnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-19865162334325031562016-01-21T19:18:35.970-05:002016-01-21T19:18:35.970-05:00I would say my muse is the young children I work w...I would say my muse is the young children I work with. Children(especially those under 5) have an amazing way of noticing and appreciating all those little things adults take for granted. And very young children live in the moment in a very pure way. I think in Zentangle, and my art in general, one of the things I try to do is get into the headspace that children seem to naturally exist in.Tobynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-69545251936375904452016-01-19T00:07:18.072-05:002016-01-19T00:07:18.072-05:00Dear Maria,
I loved loved your story about findin...Dear Maria, <br />I loved loved your story about finding the piece that inspired you so much. It stuck me that although nothing so specific an event as yours, that my mom was my muse. <br />She was not an artist per say, but everything she did was an artistic statement in some way. She would have denied being an "artist." <br />Her gifts, for any occasion, were always wrapped with flair and style. A shirt for example might actually be wrapped to look like a shirt, complete with cut out buttons. She never used tape- and her packages were always perfect. She made her own gift tags- tiny, tiny things, with borders and decorated corners. <br />Halloween costumes were to die for. One year I was an alarm clock with real "hands" and my sister was a giant witch's hat- all made by hand & usually at 2 am. She and my dad went to a costume party once as a bag of popcorn and a matching bag of peanuts.<br />For my 7th birthday party she made a picnic lunch for each guest, wrapped up as a birthday present, all different for all 10 little girls. <br />One year for Christmas she made me and my new Barbie doll matching dresses, with piping around the sleeveless armholes- even Barbie's sleeves were piped! <br />She wrote a lullaby for my older brother and sang it to all four of her children, I sang it to my two daughters, and now I sing it to my first grandchild, Levi. <br />She was an talented amateur actress and a comedian who wrote her own hysterical material. Mom was a great cook and I swear she could put a gourmet dinner for 6 on the table for under $5.00. <br /><br />I'm not sure if any of these things could be defined as an artistic inspiration- I can only say that Mom inspired me to be the best I could be just by being herself. I think of her often when I am practicing my calligraphy, mashing about with clay and most certainly, while I am tangling- and did I mention that she loved seeing my Zentangle work? She was 86 when I first started and sadly, by then, did not have a steady enough hand to draw herself. <br /><br />With thanks to Mom, <br />LiseLise CZT12https://www.blogger.com/profile/12367022937798263748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-83870587588494833032016-01-18T08:59:04.424-05:002016-01-18T08:59:04.424-05:00What an inspiring story, thank you Maria for shari...What an inspiring story, thank you Maria for sharing. This made me think way back when I was a little girl. I remember very clearly my playground was the flowerbeds my father and after his passing my grandmother loved. One flower in particular was a favourite of bees and I wanted to capture these Dalias. I didn't have crayons to colour and so picked the flowers, caught the bees and put them all in a plastic bag so I can study them. Needless to say it was a very painfull experiment. I also remember taking a shoebox and making a 3D set out of sweets. My favourite caracters ended up in marshmallow, liquorice, toffees and lollipops. If you can choose a "muse"I would say Mother earth. Till this day it is my main inspiration and metaphor in life. An area can be barren or just rocks but you will always find an interesting creature or plant living there. My love for flowers definitely comes through in my Zentangle and I believe it will just grow with the love and "water" from the Zentangle community.Art 2 Tanglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01132879023950109328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-44935412459535877732016-01-17T13:34:14.369-05:002016-01-17T13:34:14.369-05:00My muse was my mother. Although she was never abl...My muse was my mother. Although she was never able to complete high school, she became very well read on her own had the most beautiful handwriting. Whenever my mom sent me back to school with a note (absences, tardiness, etc.) the teachers would always remark at what exquisite handwriting my mother had. It was always something I aspired to; occasionally as I sign my name (and I have just realized it is always when I am happily signing a birthday card or greeting to a loved one) I know my mother is guiding my hand as it is identical to the way she wrote my name!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09278538265843643195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-78962680200347647592016-01-14T12:15:10.027-05:002016-01-14T12:15:10.027-05:00Love your story. My muse was my mother and my gran...Love your story. My muse was my mother and my grandma's. They were always knitting and cross stich and crafting their own clothes and those fot the (grand)children. And I started out creating useful things, but now I create because I can and likeEllenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05422895662265172384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-39642949227830861332016-01-13T19:51:51.629-05:002016-01-13T19:51:51.629-05:00Muse not only works in mysterious ways, but for me...Muse not only works in mysterious ways, but for me also in seemingly unconnected ways: dusty boxes of decades-old magazines in grandparent’s basement, an art exhibit of an influential Chinese artist, a re-focusing of priorities due to cancer, and a clearly-gifted expressive arts therapist who shared with me an art form she wasn’t currently teaching. <br /><br />Although I’m still fairly new to this art-form, I love sharing the peace and magic of this meditative process. And even though I have not yet become an officially certified Zentangle instructor, I have deepened my own learning of it by teaching it to other cancer survivors and caregivers as a way to give back to the program and community which offered so much support when I needed it.<br /><br />While still pondering the impact of muse in my own life, I am only just becoming aware of my own role as muse that I may be playing for others. Helping ignite their spark of creativity, or provide a way to express it. And isn’t that why we’re all here…? To create that which only we can create.<br /><br />Thank you for providing such valuable tools!<br />Such Stuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09245321402876909385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-55238784870929200562016-01-13T19:26:35.791-05:002016-01-13T19:26:35.791-05:00What an interesting question! I got started on cr...What an interesting question! I got started on creative activities when my mother taught me to knit at age 10, and I learned experientially how wonderful it feels to create. Since then I've delved into one thing and then another, mostly crafts; I've never been much of an artist but always longed to be. But always going deeper and deeper into my own creativity. I heard about zentangles through Quaker sources 2 1/2 years ago and taught myself (no CZT's in Nicaragua), and whole worlds on creativity have opened to me since. So who is my muse? I have to conclude -- myself. Following my heart and my own spirit, I seem to be my own muse, along with SO many wonderful mentors, not least of whom would be you wonderful folks at zentangle HQ. Thank you, one and all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-32527632622258943592016-01-13T17:43:57.253-05:002016-01-13T17:43:57.253-05:00It's wonderful to see you jumping into the Div...It's wonderful to see you jumping into the Diva's challenge! I enjoy completing it as often as I can.<br /><br />My muse - it may be my inner child because I'm always trying to build fun and games into everything I do. I get a lot of inspiration from other artists too.<br /><br />DebbieDebbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02713270966598726255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-66270813035434134632016-01-13T14:14:10.234-05:002016-01-13T14:14:10.234-05:00
These are all such amazing, wonderful, passionat...<br /><br />These are all such amazing, wonderful, passionate stories. How nice to remember them and be grateful for these muses that have come into our lives and inspire us to do things we never thought possible.<br /><br />Thank you all for taking the time to write these. Print yours out to give to your children so they have this account to tell future generations about you and your muse(s).Zentanglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03161442418645198968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-28090531288381437232016-01-13T11:35:02.756-05:002016-01-13T11:35:02.756-05:00The tiles are so beautiful!
My muse was my grand...The tiles are so beautiful! <br /><br />My muse was my grandmother , she showed me the little miracle of nature to respect and recognize their beauty . These were not always the beautiful butterflies but inconspicuous beetles that were more beautiful in closer inspection . The smell of fresh earth , the traces of a mouse and the flight of a bird of prey . She showed me different woods and how the perfect consistency and color of potato dumplings is . She told me that every fold in the face of a person is well deserved and makes this face beautiful . She trained my eye for the details.<br />I was born relatively unmusical in a musical family and had to learn an instrument . I was not happy about it.<br />In the age of 22 , I met a young German painter, Andreas Weische. He gave me paper and pencils and said without asked me if I can draw, sit down and draw and I did it. Since then I did it again and again.<br />Thank you for that "bringing my mind back to that moments". :-)Ela Rieger CZT 19http://www.elatorium.de/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-13149674294554555082016-01-13T09:03:46.206-05:002016-01-13T09:03:46.206-05:00Hi Maria and Rick, Thanks for your post on "m...Hi Maria and Rick, Thanks for your post on "muse". Your post struck me as important in identifying how inspiration often comes in unsuspecting ways. I would say my muse was my mother, but not because she was endlessly creative. Rather, she wanted to do more; more knitting, more sewing, quilting. She rarely took the time to do it. She desired to do it but did not give herself the permission. I saw that and it encouraged me to create. Of course, I struggle with the permission sometimes too. But recognizing the many benefits and importance of creating spurs me on. With gratitude. Deb CZT3Deb Kopeschnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02762050629207957692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-12063996096504321812016-01-13T07:58:25.915-05:002016-01-13T07:58:25.915-05:00Thanks for sharing this, Maria. What a beautiful t...Thanks for sharing this, Maria. What a beautiful tribute to your family, especially your Tante Alice. <br />Roseanne Sabol, CZT 17Roseannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17298907334548913745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-35021247903829604542016-01-12T23:15:13.556-05:002016-01-12T23:15:13.556-05:00In contemplating "my muse," my mind went...In contemplating "my muse," my mind went back to the ages of between three and five (before I started Kindergarten) when my Mother, My Aunt Rose, and several of the women who lived in the community complex would get together in the afternoons a few times a week, at my Aunt Rose's house and crochet ruffled doilies. The finished doilies would adorn the women's coffee tables after they were finished and stiffly starched with "Argo Starch."<br /><br />I remember being fascinated with the beautiful stitches, patterns, thread colors, and the height and the ruffles after they were starched and ironed. I sat somewhat quietly at my mother's knee and watched their hands twist and turn as the yarn moved through their fingers and the needles, and the end results never ceased to amaze me. Simply beautiful!!<br /><br />Needless to say, I grew up with a love of crocheting, and an appreciation for all arts and crafts and all things hand made. When I recently visited sites that showed examples of hand made crocheted ruffled doilies, it brought back pleasant memories and I realized that the various combinations of stiches and patterns reminded me of "tangling."<br /><br />Thank you all again for sharing this beautiful gift with the world, have a happy, blessed, prosperous year.<br /><br />Dolores El, CZT14<br />Henderson, Nevada (Previously-Milwaukee, WI)<br /><br /><br />Dolores E. Elhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03904965394105265491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-22958870762780845312016-01-12T17:30:19.935-05:002016-01-12T17:30:19.935-05:00Both my grandmothers did handwork of all kinds, mo...Both my grandmothers did handwork of all kinds, mostly crocheting, embroidery, and tatting. When in elementary school, I ate lunch at my paternal grandmother's house, and she was everyone's dream of a grandmother, soft and cuddly, she made all of her grandchildren feel like they were the special one. One day she had a friend over, and they were both embroidering. She went to the kitchen to fix something to eat. I grabbed her needle and thread to try out the stitches I'd been watching her do. No scolding.... she just promised she'd teach me how to do it. I started with the daisy stitch, and thankfully my mother who had no interest at all in handwork, supported my habit from then on.<br /><br />Took a calligraphy class in college, and flirted with Zentangle for a couple of years before I took the plunge. I'm also a quilter, both sane and crazy, and know how to do almost every fiber craft that exists. (Crazy quilting uses fabulous fabrics, threads and notions to make beauty)Yvonnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02580019855501778730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-76528611139746167342016-01-11T21:58:57.472-05:002016-01-11T21:58:57.472-05:00I love everything about this post, Maria! I would ...I love everything about this post, Maria! I would have to say that I've had several muses throughout my life. The earliest I can recall would be my grandmother (who had 12 children, my dad being the oldest). She taught me how to crochet at a very early age, and I remember one of my favorite things to do was go play with her button box. In her day they saved everything and if a garment was ready to be made into rags, all the buttons were saved. When I was a little older, 10 or 11, she volunteered at a Catholic charity store and would bring home really pretty buttons and I would help her sew them on to cards to be sold again at store. (Good memory that I haven't thought about in awhile) I loved art all through school and had a great high school art teacher. When I didn't have class I was hanging out in the art room. My best friend loved art too, and she had a room in her house that was ours to paint, draw, and just create in. During my working career and raising my family, I loved photography and drawing, with most of my inspiration coming from nature. Oddly enough, it was my friend from HS who has a quilting blog, where I learned about Zentangle. Since then you, Rick, Molly, all the other CZT's (some I've met, some only online), and my students are all muses for me. I can't begin to tell you how the past 5 years has changed my life, and reawakened my love of creating!Sue Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08808621817186590557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-36130023386980865472016-01-11T20:59:12.797-05:002016-01-11T20:59:12.797-05:00I don't have a real muse (a living, breathing,...I don't have a real muse (a living, breathing, specific person) or a model from the past. When I was studying aesthetics in graduate school, I adopted a concept that I studied in the work of the philosopher Suzanne Langer: the Ideal Beholder (_Feeling and Form_, 1953). This Ideal Beholder is the most perceptive, intelligent, caring person you can imagine, and that is the person (entity?) for whom you are creating something artistic. This audience will come to experience your art as aesthetic experience . Langer says that 'the artist works for an ideal audience, the ideal beholder," who may or may not really be there. The beholder "enters into a direct relation not with the artist, but with the work." The piece of art shows the viewer (listener, etc.) a way of organizing emotion; the ideal beholder, being responsive and intuitive, then experiences the work as aesthetic emotion (i.e., "exhilaration"). <br /><br />It's simple, really. Remember the first time you found zentangle? Someone's tangling made you feel that exhilaration. You were at that moment an ideal beholder! How exciting is that?!Deborah Olandernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-55956257426145465722016-01-11T15:08:55.542-05:002016-01-11T15:08:55.542-05:00My muse was my art teacher at school, when I was 1...My muse was my art teacher at school, when I was 14. Her name was Maria (so many artists named Maria...)<br />She knew how to make all of us feel like a real artist, in every class. <br />She repeated us all the time: "You all are artists, girls. Don´t doubt it."<br />When we was drawing in her art lessons, she always made positive comment about the best part of our work. And I don´t remember her telling us something negative about the worse part. And there was a lot!!<br />She removed from us the fear of create something that other people wouldn´t appreciate, or like. <br />Her sentence was: "Create for yourself. You are the only critic you must satisfy"Maria Perez-Tovarhttp://elultimotangle.es/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-19861532347800681702016-01-11T13:07:28.255-05:002016-01-11T13:07:28.255-05:00i don't know what my "muse" is...i&#...i don't know what my "muse" is...i'm not cerebral enough to sit down and consider it. it's like one of those job interview questions that leave me stumped. what i DO KNOW is that since i found zentangle (and paper tape) i cannot let a day go by without creating something. i simply can not. and for that i am thankful.<br />laceythat cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13979019148819337611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-63112632344424759202016-01-11T11:03:12.882-05:002016-01-11T11:03:12.882-05:00I am not sure who my muse is. I can tell you that...I am not sure who my muse is. I can tell you that she sews and draws and sings and flies in her dreams. It has always been this way. Since the beginning of my memories. I am 61 now and I pray that she stays with me forever.<br /><br />Andi Porrazzo-Nangle MA, CZT 13Andi Porrazzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10895561941884732001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-68463849268609241872016-01-11T08:31:36.550-05:002016-01-11T08:31:36.550-05:00Maria, thank you for your lovely article on your: ...Maria, thank you for your lovely article on your: "Ma tante Alice" and how she inspired you to become the artist that you have become.<br /><br />My mother Kathleen (Kay) is my muse. When I was very young we had a very large 15 room boarding house that Mom rented rooms/suites to the tourists. We lived in the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Banff Alberta, Cananda.<br /><br />Even though my Mother started her day out at approx. 5:00 am and ended around mid night she always had time for us 4 children. She was very creative. She sketched, and drew pictures that were so real the subjects jumped off the page. She would always take time to sit with us and draw, to read or do one of the many crafts that she so loved to do. She too, did everything with love, passion, and patience. We did not have a lot of money back then so, we used what we had on hand. Simple, but elegant designs would emerge. We would create. My Mother always told us to appreciate our works of art, and she would proudly put them on display around the house for everyone to admire.<br /><br />We were all influenced by her love for the arts, that has resonated throughout our life, too. Our Mother is now 93, and still is an inspiration to all who meet her.<br /><br />Many of the tourists admired our work, and who knows how many of them were inspired by our creativity.<br /><br />Take care, from Cheryl<br /><br />Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08816695512490409601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924904289842402662.post-13242329949414946202016-01-11T07:57:12.784-05:002016-01-11T07:57:12.784-05:00Dear Mariejo, Many thanks for saying this about ...<br />Dear Mariejo, Many thanks for saying this about ma tante Alice's calligraphy piece that she created for her parents. I am ashamed to say that I never thought to have it translated before!! I understood some of the words, and recognized all the names of course, but that you read it and appreciated the composition made me (and Alice, too, I am sure) smile. Next time I am with someone fluent in French I will have them read it to me and translate it for me.<br /> Ma tante never forgot any of us on our birthdays, writing us long letters about nothing, always inserting as much religion as she dare to do. . . . she was an amazing woman, teaching art well into he 80's. I believe she entered the convent at 16 or 17 and died in her late 90's. She had been a nun for over 75 years, I remember the convent having a reception for her celebration. <br />Again, thank you. Maria Assunta (that is what she named me)Zentanglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03161442418645198968noreply@blogger.com