Graveyard Bash

 On my Grandmother's Birthday, we marched off to the cemetery for a little visit and some cake. Of all the holidays and traditions that families can follow or create, this has become one of our favorites. So, welcome to our Second Annual Grandma Magda's Birthday Celebration. If you would like to see some pics from the first annual celebration, click here.

Lilah brought a sunflower and some seeds as a present.

We brought the darkest, chocolatey cake possible.

My mom.

My mom, sits on HER mom.

Lilah, sits on HER mom... me!

So serious. Contemplating cake?

Holy Bat Shack, Robin! The teenager cracked a smile!

 Time for some exercise! How about... soccer?

 

 Just in case, you are thinking this is a strange thing to do in a graveyard... yes, a lady was exercising her horse here too.

 

 No, I am not lecturing him. But, yes, my daughter is making the universal gesture meaning, "MomMEE! I gotta GO!" I bet all you other moms had the same idea, right? For you non-moms, a clue: the white bag, center stage.

 And of course we left a huge chunk of cake for grandma! Doesn't it look like the bear is going to eat it? Very appropriate. My grandmother always wanted to be a bear, so we think of her as being a bear who lives in the forest next to the graveyard. She watches us play and talk about her and laugh. When it gets dark, she comes out and gets the cake. We still miss you vanaema.

My Fall 2011 Teaching Schedule

 Put these dates in your calendar!

Saturday, Sept. 10, 12:00-3:00pm  
Tangle the Walls... free
This is part two. We still have lots of wall space to fill with tangles. I have the supplies, just bring your ideas. No fear! See this post if you want to know more...


Wednesday, Sept. 21, 5:30-8:00pm   
Zentangle® 101... $55
An introduction to the art of Zentangle. Fun and painless. No art experience necessary. All materials provided.

Saturday, Oct. 1, 1:00pm-3:00pm   
Zentangle® 102 - Tangle Sampler... $55
You're addicted, right? But now you need to learn how to draw more tangles! This class will teach you tons o' tangles. If there are particular patterns you'd like to learn or you are having trouble with, let me know those as well. Small sketchbook provided, bring your Micron pens.


Sunday, Oct. 2, 12:00-3:00pm  
Tangle the Walls... free
This is part three. This is where we fill in spaces and add the shading! This is where the magic happens!


Saturday, Oct. 8, WFFFestival  
Body Tangling... $$
The Warner Fall Foliage Festival starts Friday night and runs through Sunday evening. Last year, I spent it painting soccer balls and monkeys on little kids faces, for free, for my daughter's pre-school. This year, I am going to paint and draw Zentangles and henna designs on peoples' hands and faces, and charge them for the honor. ;-) I'll be right next to Wingdoodle, so come and visit and let me draw a big Zendala right in the middle of your forehead, I dare you!

Tuesday-Thursday, Oct. 11-13
CZT Training in Providence
I think this is training #7. I'm very excited to meet a bunch of you - from all over the world!

Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 22 & 23   
Zentangle® Art Retreat... TBA
This is going to be so cool! Absolutely incredible and tons of fun. I have no idea what we'll be doing, where, or how much it will cost, but Christine Britos (CZT and Expressive Arts Coach) is organizing it and she did a smash up job with the CZT Retreat this past July. This one will be for anybody, not just the pros. If you want to know more, email her directly at: christine@expressivecoach.com

Wednesday, Nov. 2, 5:30-8pm   
Zentangle® 101... $55
An introduction to the art of Zentangle. Fun and painless. No art experience necessary. All materials provided.

Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 12 & 13   
Zentangle® Art Retreat... TBA
As I mentioned above, I'm teaching here, but I don't know what. :-) If you want to know more, email Christine Britos directly at: christine@expressivecoach.com

Sunday, Dec. 4, 12:00-4:00pm  
Wingdoodle Extravaganza... TBA
Wingdoodle is my real-life, brick and mortar store in Warner, NH. It's been a few years since we have done an Extravaganza, but they were always really popular. You can show up any time between 12 and 4, this is not an official, class-type workshop. There are a bunch of tables, each with a different project and all the materials needed to make it. You move from table to table creating holiday cards, ornaments, bookmarks, etc. It's a blast. No talent or experience needed, but only kids over the age of 12 are allowed. A bunch of us Wingdoodle-y folks will be helping out and happy to hold your glue-y bits or help you ink your stamps. I'll find a way to get some Zentangle in there and probably some eraser carving too. Don't be afraid to come and play, even if you don't think you are "crafty." After all, you didn't think you could "draw" either, right? Trust me!

Saturday, Dec. 10, 11:00-3:00pm Warner Holiday Shopping Tour 
Belfry Open Studio
The Warner Holiday Shopping Tour is a fun excuse to go shopping and explore our adorable little town. For each shop you visit, you get a stamp on your passport. Completed passports get entered into a drawing for an amazing gift basket. You don't have to buy anything to get the stamps, but it gives you an excuse to poke around in some places you have never been. Wingdoodle will be part of the tour and I will also have an Open Studio in The Belfry, above the store. Snacks, books, Zentangle stuff. I'll sign all your books that you are giving as holiday gifts! You can snoop around my very cool studio, poke at my Lego town and art thingies, and see the finished (I HOPE it is finished by then!!) Zentangle Stairway. Do you need more reasons to visit?

Notes:
All classes, unless otherwise noted, are held in my studio, The Belfry, located at 19 East Main Street in Warner, NH (Exit 8 off I-89). The studio is on the second floor and there is no elevator.


Class fee is due at registration to reserve your spot. Any classes with fewer than three people registered will be canceled. 100% Refunds are given for student cancellations made up to 72 hours before class. After that, only 50% will be refunded. Checks (made out to Beez Ink Studio) can be dropped off at Wingdoodle, or mailed to Beez Ink Studio, PO Box 359, Warner, NH 03278 
Payment can also be made through PayPal using my email address: beezink@tds.net


Can't attend one of these scheduled classes? Set up your own. I will be happy to schedule a class at your own convenience if you have four or more interested friends or family. My email is beezink@tds.net.

New Posters on Zazzle and SALE!

 Oh yeah! Zazzle is having another great sale on posters! This is your chance to buy any of mine at 50% off. Teachers - you have been asking for an AlphaTangle poster? Now you don't have to cut up your little books, I did all the work for you and you can order any size you like all the way up to, well, HUGE! So the kids all the way in the back of the room can see it! The "How to Draw a Zentangle" would also be cool in a classroom or in a waiting room, don't you think? And I added a purely artsy poster of a recent Zentangle® inspired illustration I made for the gallery show I am in. (I think that sentence violates all kinds of grammar rules, but I am tired and just wanted to tell you to get your posters!)


Be sure to enter the code (DECKYOURWALL) into the box on your shopping cart. [There is also a special offer for free shipping]. Poster sale ends Sept. 7th, 2011. So buy a poster for every teacher you know. Your entire school. All your kids, grandkids. Your family doctor. The chemo ward...  the world needs more tanglers!

Promo Code:
DECKYOURWALL

And if you use this link:
http://www.zazzle.com/bumblebat*
then I actually earn a buck on your purchase and my faith in art and human nature is restored. Yes, I know "go to bed already!" Goodnight!  :-)

Tangle Homework

In July, I got this email:

Fox Chapel has a new stock of your "Yoga..." book, and mine have arrived. Just wanted to share what I did re page 31 of the book. Still having trouble getting out of the box and page 32 is sending me into YIKES territory. Thankfully I'm not (yet) teaching that.
Anyway, thanks for letting me share. Ooops! I got so carried away I forgot to light the sabbath candles. Sorry I didn't have more chance to chat with you at CZT#6, maybe another time.
-Anita Roby-Lavery

(Anita is a CZT and teaches Zentangle® in Western Pennsylvania. You can contact her at anita.robylavery@netzero.net)

You may be wondering what exactly was on page 31? WHAT!? You don't have a copy of Yoga for Your Brain? Oh, fine, I'll tell you... wait, I have to go look... (just kidding). Page 31 shows how to draw Bales and a super-twisty version called Quip, but it also offers an "Exercise." "Fill an entire page with variations on Bales." Anita came up with some wonderful variations! Bales is one of my favorite tangles simply because it is SO versatile.

Page 32, which terrifies Anita, is a bigger challenge. This one combines different tangles to create crazy new variations. It's a TANGLE MASH-UP!!

Has anyone tried that? I'd love to see what monster tangles you have created. Or, for the more timid ;-D I'd love to see your Bales varieties. Post your art on your blog and put a link in the comments below. If you don't have a blog or flickr site, you can email me a jpeg (beezink at tds.net) and I'll post it for you.

The Original

A not-so-glamorous shot of the Original Lilah Bean. You might think that it would be difficult to read a book with an entire leg in the way... but, no, Lilah is completely absorbed in her Zentangle for Kidz! book. She did have a lot of comments to make, though. Such as... "Lilah wouldn't be saying "Wheee!" because she is actually too scared. Her brother pushed her!" and "The little Lilah Bean in the plant in my drawing is actually part penguin. He's a Penguin Bean." And her favorite batch of Beans are the Chess pieces. And the little mermaid Bean swimming in "Oshun." And...
(I think she likes the book!)

Tangled Stairs, Part One

Well, I asked if anyone wanted to help tangle the stairs up to my studio... and I admit I was afraid no one would show. Silly me!

It took us a while to get started, chatting, lunch and all that. But everyone was a little nervous to actually DRAW on the wall. So I followed the usual Zentangle® steps and drew a string, in pencil, down the entire wall! Strings are a real "ice-breaker." I suggested everyone start with some kind of Crescent Moon variety along the railing trim and then grow out from there. After that, everyone just took off. It was incredible how fast the time went! And we had quite a few curious visitors who peeked in from the store (Wingdoodle) to see what we were up to.

Jenn Swett claimed the top of the steps.

Debbie Skinner-Perez was next down from Jenn.

Then Bette Abdu (CZT!) and Krystin Watts (soon to be CZT!)

Jenn's "tile"

Debbie's "tile"

Bette's "tile"

Krystin's "tile"

My "tile" - I had the bottom of the stairs. I still have a lot to draw!

It looks pretty good, doesn't it? I just realized that we had one person for each of the sections of the wall! There's still so much to add - we have to finish these sections, then there's the other side of the stairs... and I was thinking the tangles should go around the door and into the store... and then we need shading...

Want to come and tangle, too? I'll be at it again on Tuesday, August 30th and Saturday, September 10th, from 1pm on - join me!  The Belfry is above Wingdoodle at 19 E. Main Street in Warner, NH

[OH! and in a completely unrelated tangent - Wingdoodle is having a huge (40% off!) sale this coming weekend (Aug. 27 & 28) to clear out a bunch of stuff, like leather purses and craft kits, DIY vinyl figures - that kind of stuff. Wingdoodle doesn't have many sales (like, two!) so, just thought you might like to know that!]

A Dangerous Mission. Want to Play?

Up...

... down

Want to help tangle the stairwell walls at my studio? 

Sunday, August 21 from noon til we drop. 

I'll supply paint pens, you bring your own lunch/snacks. 

The Belfry, 19 E. Main Street, Warner, NH

The walls above the railings are already divided into sections so we can pretend those are the "tiles." Although, some of the tangles may... creep.. over into other tiles. BTL JOOS has a tendency to do that. Or they might go under the trim to get to a new tile... it should be fun! And there are a LOT of sections we can work on. 

Any age tangler is welcome as long as: 

1) they already know how to tangle  

2) they are tall enough to reach the tangle-able walls  

3) they are stable enough to stand on the inclined surface and draw.

4) no whiners (or brats)

I really hope I am not all alone on Sunday. Just tangling away in the Belfry. Actually, that sounds kind of nice... 

but it is supposed to rain, so come spend your gloomy day with me. ;-D