West Virginia Retreat

I’m just back from a week spent with 6 wonderful women that I graduated from high school with.  We’ve all taken different paths in life yet the bond remains strong 53 years later.  In this first photo 6 of us are headed off on a hike while our hostess takes her afternoon nap.

She and her husband bought this lovely spot in West Virginia as a place for their large family to gather because they are scattered around the country.  Fortunately for us, it’s large enough for us to gather too. 

Our week was spent just relaxing, enjoying conversation, cards and our surroundings….

 

I took along sketching supplies and some wine glasses and glass paint so everyone could paint their own glass.  Everyone had fun doing the glasses and I did a bunch of zentangles and a few sketches.  The sketches haven’t been scanned yet.

It was a great week, I feel blessed to have these women in my life.

Zentangles & why didn't I think of that

An article in the Nov/Dec issue of Cloth Paper Scissors caught my attention.  It grabbed me because it showed illustrations of something I often did in my sketchbooks and journals while I was waiting for my son in the doctors office or at a practice of one sort or another.  When I didn't see anything that I felt like sketching, I doodled.  That was 20 years ago.  Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts were smart enough to carry it further, they offer kits and publish patterns in their newsletter.  The kits include tiles that are 3 1/2" square.  I haven't purchased one but I did cut some bristol board into 3 1/2" squares to give their method and some patterns a try, it's addictive and I agree with them, done in this format it's a work of art.  It's also very meditative.  Here are a few of my zentangles....

And here's a link to the website: http://www.zentangle.com/index.php

They gave it a lot more thought too, I was just passing time; this is what their website says about it:

"Zentangle is an easy to learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It is a fascinating new art form that is fun and relaxing. It increases focus and creativity. Zentangle provides artistic satisfaction and an increased sense of personal well being. Zentangle is enjoyed by a wide range of skills and ages and is used in many fields of interest.

We believe that life is an art form and that Zentangle is an elegant metaphor for deliberate artistry in life. Explore our web site and learn how you can use this wonderful and uplifting discovery. "

I like that.  I especially like that anyone can do it and the slow and deliberate part is good for me... I tend to rush too much.