How does a room full of unschoolers manage to be so calm?
What can bring together friends and family in quiet contentment?
It's the magic of Zentangles! If you haven't heard of this wonderful art form, you can read about it here and here. There's a wonderful Flickr site filled with Zentangles too. I first heard of it last year, but didn't pursue it. Then, this January I took that machine quilting class with Ann Richardson and she talked about them again. I figured I had better learn more about it. I ordered a kit and was blown away by the beauty and simplicity of this technique. I took it to a Mom's Night Out and hooked all of them. Chloe took the idea and totally ran with it. She has no problem coming up with ideas, so she prefers to make it all up on her own rather than following any directions.
For all of these kids, this was the first time they tried it and the results are fabulous!
One of the benefits to doing a Zentangle is the meditative practice. Everyone who has tried it has really enjoyed the calming effect. I've heard from several parents that their kids are now enjoying the act of making Zentangles in their free time.
The above is Chloe's. She follows her own muse. I am in awe of her creativity!
PS- The photos are taken inside Dudley's, the shop mentioned in the knitted tree post. In fact, this big table is where the knitting group meets.