About Zentangle
- Zentangle® is a fascinating new art form that is easy, fun, relaxing, meditative.
- Zentangle® is a method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns.
- Zentangle® increases focus and creativity.
No “Artistic” Talent Needed
You don’t need to be an artist to create a beautiful work of abstract art. Just follow Zentangle’s simple steps and this intuitive art form will come alive as you use deliberate strokes to create patterns on your own Zentangle tile…. Once you understand the underlying formula for a pattern, it becomes easy to do it “One Stroke at a time”.
Enjoyed by people with a wide range of skills and ages, Zentangle teaches patience, that “Anything is possible ... one stroke at a time”. It teaches that one does not need to be an artist to create a beautiful work of abstract art.
For more information about Zentangle, please visit the Zentangle Website
About Art of the Tangle
The Classes
Art of the Tangle specializes in teaching the zentangle art form.
The goal of the classes is to help each student discover and nourish his or her natural creative instinct, and develop the skills and confidence to explore new and uncharted artistic territory.
Beginner Classes and advanced classes are offered at severallocations in and around Central Massachusetts.
Zentangle Kits, supplies and books are also available.
The Studio
Art of the Tangle is located at Studio A516 at the Western Avenue Studios, 122 Western Ave, Lowell MA, 01851.
The studio is actually part of Thread Gardens a fiber studio specializing in handpainted yarns, knitting classes, crochet classes, handwovens, and other fiber arts related things.
Western Avenue Studios, is home to one of the largest artist colonies in Massachusetts. Housed in an historic textile mill, the building is home to over 150 working artists, working in a broad spectrum of media, including paint, metal, fiber, glass, wood, and so on. Western Ave also boasts The Space , a cafe, where visitors can enjoy soups and sandwiches, recording studio, and performance venue.
Open Studios at Western Ave are held the first Saturday of every month, from 12 noon to 5pm. Visitors will find most of the resident artists in their studios during First Saturdays.
Western Ave also participates in a number of events and festivals in and around Lowell, including Lowell Open Studios.
Western Ave Studios is open to the public during business hours, individual studios are open by chance or appointment. Please visit Western Ave Studios for more information.
Hours
Art of the Tangle ~ Thread Gardens is open by chance and appointment, as well as the monthly First Saturday Open Studios, held from 12-4pm, on the first Saturday of every month.
About Jean Theurkauf, CZT
Jean Theurkauf is a Certified Zentangle Teacher, having completed the Zentangle Certification Course with Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts, founders of Zentangle.
Jean has a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Pychology from Brandeis University. After working for many years in software engineering, she has returned to her passions... art, fiber and teaching.
I believe that every human being has the ability to create beautiful artwork. I also believe that most people have an innate desire to express themselves creatively. However, as we grow into adulthood, our artistic instincts are often squashed because we find that we don't measure up to various "standards".
- Our teachers told us we don't color in the lines.
- Our lines aren't straight
- Our drawings don't look like anything
Well, all of these things might be true, but they don't mean we can't create beautiful works of art.
My greatest pleasure is to see the moment when students look at their abstract works, which don't look like anything, and may have no straight lines, and say "Wow! I did this! And I love it!"
I believe that if people are given the "tools" and "ingredients" (whether it be Zentangle patterns, beautiful yarns, a palette of colors), and a positive experience, that they will have the confidence to go forward and develop their own artistic instincts.
I don't teach students to "copy" what they see, but rather to "invent" what they see.
And, the best part is, I always learn something from my students, every time I teach a class.
It doesn't get better than that!
Jean approaches the teaching of Zentangle as a way to help people unlock and expand their natural artistic talents. She also teaches knitting, crochet and weaving techniques, and encourages students not to follow a pattern, but to invent their own.
