Calla Lily Tangle

Calla Lily Tangle

Hi there!
It’s Monday so it’s time for a Trees and Flowers blog. 
Let me tell you where I went on Saturday, who I met and what was going on.
There is a cool shop in Tunbridge Wells, called the Pantiles Papertole, owned by the lovely Val Marshall. 
Well, on Saturday, my good friend Paul Church was doing a demo day there, so I popped in to say hello. Val, Paul and the ladies gave me such a warm welcome! 
Paul was demonstrating Zentangle with Claritystamps and stencils, and doing a great job, too.
But what I enjoyed most was the sense of GROUP, the feeling that all the ladies and gents there were part of a TEAM. It really was special. And when I turned up, I was allowed to slot straight in, and was given a total sense of belonging. 
It was cosy, enjoyable, informative and fun. What more can you ask from a crafty demo? Well done Paul! And he even knitted a hat for the occasion! What can I say????

But the session at Val’s shop inspired me to go home and doodle, create a Zentangle – a Filigraphy Picture. 

This one’s for the Pantiles Papertole Group xxxx

One of the things I love about this arty form of Doodling, which is call Zentangle, (or Filigraphy by us at Clarity), is that you really only need a sheet of paper and a pen. I used one of our Flower designs as a basic shape to build on – our Calla Lily.
I thought I would build it up for you, so that you can see the progress. 

Forgive the lighting. I was enjoying myself in front of the log burner, and the lighting wasn’t ideal for photos.
But you get the picture…
For those of you who are new to this type of artwork, the trick is to tackle each section of an image individually, and fill it with a doodle pattern, using a very fine black pen.
I find it best to work out a doodle on scrap first…
Blacking out backgrounds is also very effective.
It’s a very, very therapeutic pastime…
To make my own frame, I used a CD case for sizing. 

Then I just loosely drew a kind of curtain square.
This again gave me something to fill.
I didn’t want to make the background as detailed (dark) as the actual calla lilies.
But I got a bit carried away!
And before I knew it, it was gone midnight and I had to stop!
So I have brought my artwork into work this morning, and 
have photographed it in the light of day, 
up close, so that you can see the patterns.
There are literally thousands of Zentangle Doodles! 
Google them for inspiration.
I have to get some work done now, but I really want to add some shading, to accentuate the patterns. 
I know! I have a plan!
Tomorrow I will post this Filigraphy tangle all completed, 
shadows, frames and all.
Because with Tuesday’s blog, we roll back the years
and I would like to broach the subject of P for Pressure…
This art form has been a life saver for me in the past, and tomorrow I will tell you why.
with love,

59 thoughts on “Calla Lily Tangle

  1. Gorgeous just gorgeous! Just goes to show that you don't need a Craft Room full of stash to create a beautiful piece of art.
    Paul looks rather fetching too! Xxx

  2. Absolutely stunning, Barbara!!! I love doodling and you're right – the hours and the stress just seem to ebb away. Great blog post – keep them coming.
    Hugz, Jan xx

  3. How fantastic and how beautiful how fabulous creative you are barbara looking forward to tomorrow's blog all ready .might give this ago with the clarity pear stamp .xxx

  4. I love zentangling! Your Calla Lily is a great design to work with. Only little comment is that I don't think you should change the name as the word Zentangle is known all over the world now.

  5. You know me Barbara… I love all things Filigraphy (zentangle) and this is no exception! Beautiful!
    I know what I'll be tanking on my hols with me, you've helped to make up my mind, pen and paper!

  6. Good Morning Barb
    I love the lose yourself aspect of Zentangle!
    My Grandchildren like to use the Micron pens and create wonderful patterns…. it keeps them quiet for hours too!
    It also takes away any stress you are feeling ..wonderful art!
    Love Marg

  7. Hi Barb,
    Fabulous, love the calla lily stamp and pleased that you have shown how you do the zen tangle bit. When I went into hospital a couple of years ago for a knee replacement, I took a sketch book with some stamped images( very simple ones) and also some iris folding grids without numbers on and filled in my time ( when I wasn't being put through torture with the physios or being ill with reaction to anaesthetic!) doodling or zen tangling. My attempts were not as good as yours but I did enjoy it.

  8. Oh Barbara you have done it again, yet another stamp to add to my wish list. Just wish I had a bottomless pit of money, but then again I bet we all do. Loved Paul's headgear if you hadn't said it was a hat I would have thought he was wearing a wig.

  9. Must admit my notebooks at work have doodles – zentangles as I tell everyone on most pages….. I'm always practising in the hope I'm going to put it to better use one day. Great demo – thank you!

  10. How absolutely marvellous! I love All the different doodles you have done. Yet you can still see that it's a lily.
    I also go with what you're saying about team work . You can get so much more done when the team pull together too!!! Love and hugs! Xxx

  11. Funnily enough I too was doing a bit of Zentangle or Philigraphy myself last night only mine doesn't look anywhere near as good as yours!! Also every time I do it I get the urge to colour it in, so now mine looks more like a 60's hippy chick kind of zen!! I still have the first one I did, I kept getting bored so I would fill in whole sections with a tiny bird stamp, or a simple flower stamp, it really fills you spaces quick and I did it Black on Red so I didn't need to colour that one in. Starting with a stamp is the best idea! I can't wait to see it shaded in, I do love this form of Art.

  12. Zentangle just love it! Probably why your filigraphy stamps are a big hit with me. So relaxing. Bought my eldest granddaughter the pens last year at NEC and she has done some lovely patterns. My ten year old granddaughter also had equipment off her aunt at Xmas so we are all hooked. Your design is wonderful, can imagine how the hours just sped by. Looking forward to tomorrows blog Lynne xx

  13. I love the idea of Zentangle, but can my shaky hands come up with something so neat and complicated. I doubt it, but I might just give a go anyway. Thank you for the inspiring me to have a go at something new again.

  14. I am quiet new to Zentangle but I really enjoy doing it. I love that you can't go wrong, you just make it part of the design. I will be digging out my outline stamps and giving it a go. XX

  15. I have been without internet for a week so I have missed out on your blogs till today. Just had a lovely time reading up and enjoying your stories and demos. Life is so much better with a bit of Barbara in it. Love the pentangle. Joan x

  16. Lovely lovely lovely Barb, I had read Pauls blog from Saturday and looked at his tangles …all wonderful. You are so right about how it is therapeutic, a god send and a life saver – I love that lilly stamp …one for the future I think! Looking forward to tomorrows blog xx

  17. Oh Barbara you've done it again-I can't wait for tomorrow!! I love Zentangling, although I've yet to go as far as shading. Working in a school, I've passed on the idea to the year 5's I work with by getting them to 'tangle' the letters DAD for their father's day cards, they love it and are so effective. Your Calla Lilies are beautiful and I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished picture. x

  18. Fantastic Zentangle Barbara….and it is great to see you enjoying your Saturday…thank you for sharing it with us,,,especially the photo of Paul's hat….x

  19. Absolutely stunning. Can see why you were carried away by it and time passed so quickly. Am certainly going to try to zent now I have seen that. Thank you so much for sharing ! x

  20. Wow! what a fabulous calla lily Barbara. So glad you enjoyed yourself on Saturday, I think when a group with the same interest get together everyone feels like part of a family. Pat x

  21. Oh how funny I was in Tunbridge Wells too on Saturday..at the Trinity Theatre..my son plays in a band and they entered a talent contest like Britains got talent on a much smaller scale of course run by a charity called Compaid. We left the boys to their sound checks and went for a wander…I was heading for the Pantiles to check out The Papertole that I'd read about when we were summoned back to be ' roadies '. Thought I was imagining things as I thought I saw you in Russell and Bromley as I sneaked a quick look on our way back to the Theatre…the Zentangled lily is beautiful…looking forward to tomorrow's instalment xx

  22. My 83 year old friend next door does the most stunning zentangle and has been doing it since you first showed it on TV. I have some of her artwork framed and I had a wonderful birthday card last year with intricately doodled flowers and background -hours of work -happy work – for her. Hours of pleasure for me.
    Janet (in Kent)

  23. Hi Barbara, I love what you have done with the Iily. I know what you mean by getting carried away with it. I personally have ruined pieces by 'over cooking' them with my Zentangles. It is very relaxing and the time just disappears. Looking forward to Tuesdays Blog xx

  24. Hi Barb, wow, this is amazing, it does look very therapeutic. I have a habit of doodling on my note pad when working, perhaps I should do some prints, and carry them with me :-). Bx

  25. Amazing art work, but what struck me most about today's blog was the photo of Paul. Is he ok? He looks really different from how I remember him from when I last saw him 18 months ago, and I'm not just talking about the beard. I'm aware he's had personal problems but just hope he's well.

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