Finding Beauty, Making Beauty

When Maria and I knew we were going to Taiwan for zenAgain-Asia, we wanted to introduce a new tangle at that special event.

While we were in Germany for the first Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) seminar in Europe, we took some time to visit friends near Munich. While there, we visited museums and cathedrals and architecture in that beautiful city -- always with an eye out for patterns and possibly a new tangle.

As you may know, we found just such a pattern on some china (appropriately). 

That pattern became a new pattern we named hollis.

The other day, I noticed the base of the stove in our living room. Check out the embellishments on either side of "Art" in the nameplate. There was hollis!

Then I looked at the stove in our kitchen. Again, there was hollis.

All that reminded me of George A. Moore's quote, "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."

Take a moment to admire the effort and cost that designers and manufacturers went to in order to incorporate such beauty into these stoves from over a century past. 

When we were in Seoul we saw the oldest known piece of Korean pottery in a museum. It was over 4,000 years old. On its rim was shattuck. 

Did adding shattuck make it a better pot? Did it need a non-slip grip? But why the care to make such a beautiful pattern? Does Zuni pottery function any better because of its painted pattern embellishments? Are Navaho blankets any warmer because of their woven decorative colors?

Is adding beauty a human instinct? Is it perhaps also a necessary nourishment?

Where are such embellishments and decorative touches of beauty today? If current kitchen appliances are any example, such touches of beauty are no longer included.

But that doesn't matter. At least it doesn't matter to tanglers! It is just another open field of potential on which to add your touch of beauty.

For example, here is our slightly more recent kitchen refrigerator:

A perfect place to present pictures, paintings, and Zentangle art.

Maria uses whatever is necessary to add beauty . . . double sided tape, magnets and even drywall screws (for the slate blackboard on the side where we leave each other messages).

No fear!

With Zentangle, you now know you can create beauty.

This is a gentle reminder of blessings that occur as you add beauty to your world.

No fear!

(But, maybe don't use drywall screws on your refrigerator!)

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 Thank you to everyone who commented on last week's blog about tipple! Bijou has randomly selected Marilyn W. Iezzi to receive a surprise! Please send your snail mail address to info@zentangle.com