Zen Tangle

Tuesday.  Four more days till the weekend.  It's a sign the remainder of my week is very busy.

School is around the corner (just two weeks away) and we're still getting supplies and uniforms together.  I'm focusing on getting the things we need during the work week so we're not out on the weekend when the rest of the community is.  Besides, it'll allow me to stay home and work on my projects.

In an attempt to create some sort of art for the weekend, I had to find something that wouldn't require total concentration.  The little one and I had the house to ourselves while big brother and dad took an overnight kayaking trip and sister had all day cheer camp.  I needed something we could work on together.  The answer, Zen Tangle.

Here's an example:

Basically, you draw random shapes, like circles, hearts, diamonds, etc. and start filling them in with doodles, geometric shapes and so forth.

To start our adventure, I printed off several samples and then we both took turns picking one of the designs to draw in a small section on our paper.  Giving him samples/ideas of what was done by others was much less stressful than having him think up a new design/pattern on his own.

Here's what we came up with:

His:

Mine

He much preferred to add color to his, so I went along with it.  He is only 6 after all, and what child doesn't like to add color.  I'm thankful it's on paper this time and not the wall.

When Sunday rolled around, I grab the other two kiddos and had them do the same thing.  I'll have to wait and share what they did tomorrow as I have no idea where they put their projects.  It's interesting to see how each child designed their own Zen Tangle.

It was a creative weekend afterall.  It's great being able to share art adventures with the kids and have them sit long enough with me to actually do it.

If you'd like to see more Zen Tangles, check out this awesome Flickr group geared specifically for the craft.  Get yourself a little journal and try it.  Start small, nothing bigger than 5 x7.  Part of the beauty of Zen Tangle is being able to complete it in a day.