Introduction to Zentangle Inside a Detention Center for Immigrants Seeking Asylum

The introduction to Zentangle was a BIG hit for immigrant women and children who are incarcerated inside a detention center and seeking asylum from violence in their homelands. I had the privilege of doing art projects two days during spring break 2015, and the kids and moms totally enjoyed the zen of tangling. I brought half a dozen books on "how to" and put one one each table. They flipped through the books for ideas and then got right to it. Of course, they created their own designs too.
The artist added the black border and the black lines between patterns.
 We used glitter pens, colored pencils, and #2 lead pencils. Each person had a 5x7 piece of black card stock and a 5x7 piece of white card stock. (I had larger pieces for small children to use with crayons.) They could make a design on the front and the back of each piece. The most difficult concepts to get across included that "big is not better" and "fill the entire page." It was my mantra to say: continue; keep going, add more; fill the page. During the afternoon session, some of the kids added color with watercolors or pastels. Most of the kids were totally intrigued with "just" the pencils or the glitter pens.
Glitter pens on white. The card size is larger (it was intended for the little kids to use with crayons).

Colored pencil on white with watercolors.

#2 lead pencil on white.

The central design was colored with watercolor paint.