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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Newberry News Article


This is a copy of the Newberry News article and photo that appeared in their paper on 2/20/1913. One correction is it was my Grandfather who was one of the founding father's.
Newberry resident Penny Nantell returns "home" to Curtis (her grandmother was among Curtis' founding families) to teach an Erickson Center Zentangle class. Janet Graham and Sandy Haynes share a laugh with Nantell (right) as she comments on their pencil and ink line etchings. Ten ladies participated in the "easy art" class, each producing two tiles posted at pennyraescreations. blogspot. com.
Zentangle Class Draws Local Interest
Penny Nantell of Newberry took her talent and art supplies to the Erickson Center Saturday, February 16 to share the art form called Zen tangle with 10 interested ladies. Her display at last fall's Curtis Aglow Christmas Bazaar inspired a request for some instruction, and the Newberry artist was happy to oblige.
      "I've been doing art since I was a kid. I've always drawn and painted," she told her students. She has been hooked on "tangling" since reading about it in a magazine last summer and taking a class from the U.P's only certified Zentangle instructor in October. "It's basically constructive doodling," she concedes. Student Sandy Haynes called it super doodling, "like when you're waiting at the doctor's office." Nantell.proclaims she tangles every day, often on business cards. "You're not out much if you ruin a business card."
     The structured doodling, traditionally applied to a 3.5- inch square of paper called a tile, proceeds with repetitions of simple strokes-a dot, a dash, an "s", a circle and a crescent and requires a level of focus said to provide certain benefits. "It's a form of meditation. You can zone right out. You get so
into it that the world around you just goes away," Nantell claims. She. says it relieves the chronic
pain in her hands . Debbie Moore of Manistique has been using Zentangle in her work with youth. "They take to it like fish to water," she says. " It helps in starting conversation. It's an ice-breaker; it gets the flow going." Other members of the class found the task very relaxing. Zentangle was founded (and franchised) by a former monk who created Native American flutes and a professional calligrapher in Rhode Island. ;There are dozens of books on the subject, including Yoga for the.
Brain, Zen Spiration and, of course, The Book of Zen tangle. Websites offer challenges and ideas; tanglers post their creations to share with Zen tangle practitioners throughout the world. The 20 "tiles" created bv the ladies in Nantell's class are on display at www.pennraescreations.blogspot.com.
The basic class contains quite detailed instructions. "It's kind of neat to see what everybody does with the same instructions," Nantell observes. "None of the tiles are alike." TangIers are told not to envision the finished tile, just let it develop. The Book of Zentangle states there are no "oopsies." The tool kit doesn't include an eraser. "Just like in life, you make mistakes," Nantell muses. "You just inc orporate them into your pattern. There is no right or wrong." Zentangle can be as basic or sophisticated as desired. Elaborate creations employing patterns and colors and shading appear as wheels of life, hiding deep symbolic meanings, but hey are created, tiny line by tiny line, in a repetitive and attentive manner. A simple tile takes around 15 minutes. Nantell puts them everywhere: on greeting cards, tennis shoes and even a motorcycle helmet. She makes three dimensional ornaments and framed figures. She might trace an object-say, a bird or a fish - on a tile and tangle inside and out. At another level, "It's a way to pass a long winter night." She's eager to share, though she cautions she's not a certified teacher.
     Interested groups or individuals can contact Nantell about scheduling a class at her Website or call (906) 420-1597.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Zentangle Class

2/16/13-I taught an Basic Zentangle Class in Curtis, MI at the Erickson Center for the Arts.

I had 10 very wonderfull ladies in my class, and everyone had a great time.  As you can see by the 3 photo's below, they all picked up on the tangling method very well.  The gentleman in the photo's was from the Newberry News and he was observing the class, talking to the ladies and myself for an article to appear it the paper in the near future.




This next picture is a group picture of all their first tiles. As you can see they each had their own style and spin on the directions so no 2 tiles are exactly alike.  We had one lady who likes to color and she brought her own stuff to color with and started right in adding color. The tangles used were:
1.-Crescent Moon
2.-Pretempts
3.-Hollibaugh
This next photo is of their second tile and the patterns used were:
1.-Ornamento
2.-Verve
3.-Chard
4.-Meer
Thanks to the Erickson Center for the Arts for sponsoring my class, and to all the very talented and lovely ladies who participated in the class.  I look forward to going back to Curtis to continue our journey with tangling with these ladies and others in the future.




Friday, February 15, 2013

Surviving Winter

Well this is turning out to be a regular old Winter like we haven't had in quite a few years. We've all got used to the easy Winter's we been having. Well I for one Love the easy winters I hate all this snow and driving in a blizzard is not fun. If it don't quite pretty soon I won't be able to get my car in the yard. We're running out of room to put it. Out parking spot is getting smaller and smaller. The forecast is snow and more snow for the next week. At work I usually can look out the window from my desk and see all the windmills across the bay in Canada but lately all I see is white. I don't like it when I can't see them. I drive a hour (one way) to work on a beautiful summer day but when its a blizzard it can take over 2 1/2 hours one way. I like to be able to see the road. I am so ready to get rid of the long-johns and layers of sweaters. Where I work everyone is always hot and they turn the air on in the winter. YUCK!!!!