Zentangle Inside a Detention Center as a Ministry of Presence

It has been a privilege to do art with women and children who are incarcerated inside a detention center (while they await the slow process of seeking asylum in the U.S. from the violence in their home countries in Central America). Zentangle is easy to prep and pack and really requires only basic art supplies. (Of course you can snazzy it up with all kids of materials, but it also works very well with just the basics.) I wanted to do an art process which could be easily done without me present in the future/in-between visits. The basic supply list included:

1. 4.5"x 6.5"black/white card stock used for scrap booking. Each participant received one piece of each color and they were invited to do one design on the front and one on the back of each piece.
2. Black lead pencils. 
3. Colored ink pens.
4. Simple student set of watercolors with 6 small brushes to be used to embellish details.
5. A pitcher for water and four cups.
6. Half a dozen Zentangle books to help the participants with ideas.

In addition, I also had a small tabletop chalkboard (a trendy item from Hobby Lobby that a friend had given me as a gag gift for my birthday). My Spanish is "polite conversational Spanish" without the necessary vocabulary to use words to teach. Instead, I used the chalkboard to visually demonstrate the basic concepts of doing Zentangle.

Ages for participation ranged from 5-15. A few mothers participated too.

The most difficult concept to get across was the small size of the paper. Small is GOOD!

These ideas were copied from books. It was very empowering for the kids to produce cool images.

Watercolor on black paper was a popular/spontaneous addition to the art experience.

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.

ZenDoodling Inside Locked Doors

Today I'm taking basic art supplies inside the locked doors of a "detention facility" which holds 500 immigrant women and children who are seeking asylum in the U.S. from violence in their homelands. Since they will have limited access to writing materials and papers I'm opting to show & tell ZenDoodling using pre-cut white and/or black card stock and #2 lead pencils, colored pencils, and crayons for the little kids. It will be a group of mixes ages from toddlers to the moms who are generally in their 20's.

Finishing Touch

I added ZenDoodle to a recently "completed" journal page for two reasons: (1) It just didn't look quite "done;" and (2) I kept getting a mental image of myself ZenDoodling in the waiting room of the immigration "detention center" while I waited nearly four hours for the family to be out-processed at (finally) released. A similar pattern to what I'd ZenDoodled while I waited is the finishing touch that tells the story.

Staying Calm with Zentangle

As I found myself on terminal hold (50 minutes; cut off then another 50 minutes) with American Airlines to getting a travel detail corrected I became increasingly frustrated. I sat in my most comfortable chair and started to Zentangle. I love the flourescent color on black gesso.

I thought I'd add a new color with each additional zen session. With the long double-hold I filled my pocket journal with one color before I finally gave up and went to bed. Zentangle is a great way to kill time while also staying centered and peace-filled. 

Impromptu (Travel Bag) Art Workshop

I always take my art travel bag whenever I leave the house for a day trip or an overnight for two reasons; (1) I always hope that I'll have some free time to do art; (2) I enjoy doing art together with others and public places are perfect for discovering who also enjoys getting messy with mixed media art. To ensure I'm always ready for either option, I restock/refill my travel art bag immediately upon return from any away trip so I'm ready to grab-n-go for the next time.

We covered a large table with newsprint & spread out the supplies.

 I've started including a mini (6"x6") Gelli Art plate in my travel bag plus a small roller. I also include small stencils and stamps which can be used to add texture. My mini tubs of acrylic and tempura are plenty for an impromptu art evening with half a dozen people.
I begin by unloading everything in my travel art bag and explaining the possible uses for each. For this impromptu art evening with six women we set up in the common room at a retreat hotel. Some of the women became enamored with doing Zentangle and others made mini mono prints. 

Stencils, mini tubs of paint and a 6" square Gelli Art plate.

The only paper I had was my 6" squares of black.

Black 6" squares and Zentangle

A 3rd press of the Gelli Art plate for a faint "ghost" plus additional (heart) stamping.

Gel pens for Zentangle on black watercolor paper.

A 6"x6" first print on black watercolor paper using white gesso and acrylic.

Art When You Don't Have Time For Art

I'm not a Zentangle guru but I am a big fan of an art outlet when you just don't have time for art. That's Zentangle.

Gelly Roll fluid pen on black gesso in my mini journal. 

Monochromatic Zentangle

Instead of black on white, this monochromatic Zentangle is yellow (Gelly Roll) on black gesso. The "string" that created the overall shape was made by drawing around the squarish shape of a container for a game. I traced around the can/container and filled in the patterns in bits & pieces over several evenings. 

Background Prep for Future Zentangles

I like using geometric shapes as the "string" to establish the doodle pattern boundaries. By drawing around simple shapes-often items sitting on my kitchen counter-I easily prep a pocket journal page for a future Zen-Doodle. These examples are done on pages prepped with black gesso with Gelly Roll pens.

Happy New Year 2015

I am loving the vibrancy of the Gellyroll pens on black (gesso) in my mini pocket jounal. This could become very addicting for evening zen-doodling. Very. Happy New Year 2015!

I drew circles around normal objects sitting on the kitchen counter & filled in patterns & doodles. It's a modified version from "Zen Doodles."

I started with the largest circle & gradually added others around it. 

Debriefing ZenDoodle

There is much to process in my mind and spirit after a packed 10-day combo academic/family gig including ideas to process for future implementation AND family drama to release/let go. ZenDoodle to the rescue: a contemplative artsy theology with (for me) no rules, no bindings, no restrictions. Here I'm experimenting with Gelly Roll "moon" pens (which have more fluidity than my beloved Soufflé pens) on 6x6" black paper. Mixing designs and layering colors while my mind reflects and proceeded the recent 10-day-stretch.

I started by using a lead pencil and putting a dot at each corner and then connecting the dots to create a parameter border. Then I doodled a "string" using the lead pencil which then provides the shapes to fill with layers of ZenDoodling.

Artful Synthesis (AAR) Academic Conference

A road trip home from an academic conference is a great opportunity to do some "car art" reflection to synthesize the highlights of learning and to identify goals upon return home. I glued pieces of the program (of lectures I'd attended) tou art journal and filled the page with flower doodles using colored pencils. Each flower represents a major area of goal setting as it has emerged from the conference. I then labeled each flower the the main them. I'll follow up later to further delineate goals for each category.

Travel Art in the Hotel Room

Zendoodling is an easy travel art to do in a hotel room. Here guest artist Lynn is mixing Zentangle with doodling using the moon version of Gelly Rolls pens mixed with Soufflé pens on black 6" squares. Peaceful morning meditation art.

Layering Art; Layering Reflection

 I filled the background of this journal page with a zentangle doodle called "blossom." Laying down the simple pattern using various colored micron pens filled a pleasing and relaxing art session. As my art journal became more and more full, this page consistently came up as an option to "do more." But I was never quite clear what that "more" might be because I liked the basic zentangle/doodle background. I decided to step up and embellish the doodle with oil pastels. Early into this action I was less than pleased because I had "ruined" the original base layer. Put bluntly: I didn't like the "new" art I had added. Major bummer.

 An important point in art journaling is to press on; don't stop once you do something that you don't particularly like. Keep going and see what evolves. So I continued my concept of adding oil pastels to all of the previous "blossom" doodles. It felt a little better...but I still liked the original (non-altered) page much more. Next step: do something radical and/or cover up significant portions. I chose a combination: radically cover up the altered background with something new so that the overall image changed considerably. I added collage pieces of flowers to repeat the theme of the flowers while also covering up what I didn't like while drawing attention to something new. NOW it is ready for a middle layer or artful reflection.

Practice Makes Perfect

A great way to learn a new art skill is to to follow the examples of those who have gone before you. It is not "copying" for the sake of not having an original thought of one's own; rather using their examples to help the new art skill set become one's own. This learning process is normative for children learning to tie their shoes, write their letters, and read "Run Spot run!" The same concept holds throughout life as we learn new life, vocational, and education skills. One of my artist friends regularly challenges herself to "copy" with colored pencils or charcoals a photograph that she sees in a magazine. She does it simply to keep her art skills sharp! In the example here I am following the lead of Kass Hall in her book "the Zentangle untangled workbook" for a design she calls "Stixnstonez Color." In addition to providing relaxing doodling in the quiet of the evening, it also is a tangible way to experience a new (for me) art style. From the somewhat brainless doodling I will ultimately absorb this art style into the myriad mixed media collection in my artistic tool bag such that I expect Zentangling to sneak into my mixed media art journaling as it bubbles forth.

Micron pens for the Zentangle with the broad color filled in later with watercolors and a brush.

Evening Doodling with Zentangle

At the end of the day when the house is quiet there is an open opportunity to do just about anything, but in the quiet evening after a hectic day sometimes I just want to do...nothing! Silence and nothing. Since doing nothing is completely counter-intuitive for my high type A busy-busy-busy personality, sitting and doodling with Zentangle is about as close to doing nothing as I can get (doing watercolor washes for backgrounds in an art or sermon journal is a close second). I keep a small journal handy and a box of micron pens and zendoodle away. I'm finding that I like using colored pens on pages which have been previously painted with 2-3 colors of watercolor. I've also realized that I prefer curved or circular doodles over against anything more geometric in shape, mostly because the geometric shapes require more accuracy and that is just more work than I feel like doing after a long day. The curved and circular shapes are much more relaxing to create and to look at.

De-Tangled Stress Relief with Zentangle

Summer VBS week is wonderful for the ministry, mission, hospitality, and community building but it also is super hectic; super busy; and super stressful. Zentangle doodling in the evening is an excellent way to unwind. There's no pressure to "get it done" or to make it look "good." Simply doodle away the stress a little bit at a time... I used my pocket journal that is 3-1/2" x 5-1/2" because the small size makes it a low commitment project. I did both of these tangles on pages that I had previously water-colored (another stress-reliever with no commitment to "just" watercolor backgrounds for no particular reason but to have on hand for future use). I used two colors of micron pens for each and slowly added bits of tangling over the course of 5-6 evenings. The ideas for the design are from the Zentangle untangled workbook by Kass Hall. I challenged myself on the floral design to fill every nook and cranny with tangles...when it looked "full" to add even more!

Adding Zentangle to the Mixed Media Mix

Stamped image with Zentangle and pastel shading.

Zentangle is stylized doodling with the intention to foster mediation and relaxation through the redundancy and tedium of repetitive marks with a black micron/fine tip pen. It also is an interesting addition to mixed media art journaling; whether it takes over the page or whether it is added here and there. The key is to "tangle" away (AKA practice this stylized doodling) and see what works best for YOU!
 I am using my 3-1/2" x 5-1/2" pocket journal to experiment with mixed media and Zentangle. So far, my favorite materials include black OR colored micron pens with a stamped image and pastels OR graphite pencil for gentle shading.

Zentangle around stamped flower with yellow pastel for shading.

Colored micron pens with pastels for shading.

Black micron pen with graphite pencil in the middle to shade.

Colored micron pens zentangled around stamped butterfly image; yellow pastel for shading.