Living in a Museum

Love the idea of a museum. For some time, I’ve enjoyed adding my Zentangles as illustrations to stories and poetry from my daily reading plan. I rarely start with a particular end in sight. I think it’s especially cool when an abstract tangle or tile describes an idea like hope or joy in concrete terms. The last step of The Zentangle Method, (Appreciate), is so important to finding a match. Sometimes, I queue up some tunes and match tiles to descriptive song lyrics. Scripture – music – tangling — all my favorite pastimes wrapped up together. All that to say my journal is my “museum.”

Thanks to you both for sharing a glimpse of your museum! And also thanks for reminding me of the museum I live in! There are drawings, tiles and paintings on our walls, made by my husband and myself, there are artworks we brought back from our travels, there‘s one of my quilts and some fibre art too. We do the curating, framing and hanging together and love showing it to visitors. What a great way of living!

Tricia, I am with you. I have wonderful memories of visiting Rick and Maria’s house when I took part in CZT seminar #3 in ’10. Seeing all the pieces that were already familiar to us by pictures in the very early newsletters. If you did not yet – read those newsletters from ’09 and ’10 and get a glimpse of the museum Rick and Maria are talking about.

Meanwhile I created my own museum in my studio where I tangle and teach. Love it myself as do visitors and students.

I have always been intrigued by the photos and videos you share in this blog, as well as glimpses of your “museum” we often see in your Kitchen Table tangles. However, I didn’t realize, until I read this post, that I too have a museum of sorts. I don’t have a lot on my walls (need to remedy that), but I have a lot of artwork around my home. A Zentangle mobile of wooden leaves hanging behind the storm door can be seen from the street. Hand thrown pottery by friends and family is seen upon entering. Handwoven baskets (my own, and gifts from fellow weavers) sit on the floor, on tables, atop cabinets in the kitchen, even in the bathrooms. Handmade quilts are on my bed, and folded atop a dresser. My own paintings lean against bookcases, cabinets, etc. Several framed Zentangle tiles are tucked into nooks and crannies, or sit on windowsills, while many more are tucked into albums, or stored in drawers and cabinets. And hopefully, the ones I give as gifts (quite a few) are now hanging in the “museums” of friends and family! Wow! Thanks, Rick, for making me take inventory, and giving me a new perspective on my own living museum!

Hello zentangle.com administrator, Keep up the good work!

Wonderful blog. I have my quilts and fiber out AND my Zentangles up in my house. Each week, or day, or whatever moves me, I choose one tile to put on a little stand at my work desk to enjoy. Thanks, Maria and Rick, for figuring out Zentangle and sharing it with all of us. Love.

Many people tell me that my home looks like a museum . They don’t know where to look first with all my glass, paintings from other artists, sculptures and my own Zentangle art. They get just as excited for my Zentangle art as they do the other art around my house and even ask me to hang more of my own Zentangle art up. It gives me great joy, happiness and a sense of accomplishment to walk around my house and admire all of my own creations. I give people gifts of my Zentangle art which they love and treasure and frame and hang in their own homes. Thank you for bringing Zentangle art into my life, it has completed my art dream for myself and makes me want to do more.

Hello Friends – Your wonderful post filled my heart with lovely nostalgia ~ and soft loving memories of my time at Zentangle CZT Seminar #3 in Whitinsville, MA. My most treasured reflections are of the ‘little’ gathering where you, Maria & Rick, invited the class to visit your home! Indeed, an unforgettable recollection of time spent in your wondrous museum. And your little studios upstairs where so much beautiful art was born! And the Zentangle tile that was a permanent appurtenance on the floor ~ yes, I did try to pick it up! And, do you really cook on that stove??? LOL Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I love this post. And I love all the photos that you shared of the “home museum” as I like to call it. When people come to my home, especially other artists, they often comment that our home looks like a “home museum.” And it gives artists friends ideas to put up their own art in their own home. I call it my free gallery and we even designed our new home so the foyer is a gallery of my Zentangle Inspired art work. It makes me think of the HQ family and my CZT peers/friends and students I’ve met along the way since 2015. Grateful.

How wonderful and inspiring your museum must be! I love it when I do frame a bigger piece of artwork I am very proud of and then it adorns my walls. My current piece is framed and going into a local Art Award and I love it. If it does not sell, then it will gladly be added to my museum of artworks that I love on my walls with pride. I have much gratitude for all that the Zentangle Family has given me, the addition of an extension of my skillset, now teaching, sharing and connecting with others both locally, nationally and internationally is just mind blowing for our global museum as much as our “home museum”. Thank you to all the Zentangle Family.

I am slowly building my museum as I build my confidence in making the Zentangles. When I go to my children’s homes, I see their museum growing with the Zentangles that I have sent them. What a thrill it is for me to see ‘my artwork’ displayed in their homes. Thank you for this wonderful way to relax and, at the same time, share my joy.

Maybe you could do a video about framing and “showing” your zentangles. 🤗

My “museum” consists of album pages. Small house, lots of windows=little wall space. Not a problem though, as I wander the “walls” in the albums, wondering “who” created all these tangled works. I know I did, but they seem so fresh and new that I get lost in them. My one concern is that with no family or like-minded friends to pass my works on to when I join “the Choir of the Invisible”, what will become of them? Have you ever considered a Museum that you would curate that might house such tangled efforts? Just think, a central, impressive edifice, housing such a wealth of Zentangle from around the world. It would attract visitors world-wide who would spend hours, even days, lost in the halls of Zentangle.

Just a thought. Meanwhile, I’m back to a fresh tile and my trusty Micron!

yes, so much fun to live amongst your artwork (or anyone else’s) as an art student I did a lot of ‘swaps’ of art for art and have continued that as I got older with others. Now I love the Zentangle swaps you can do, great to display a real mix on your walls. Museum – a great word to explain to my hubby what our house looks like!

I never thought of it that way, but yes, I too live in a museum.

It’s my home with lots of remenbrances all around. Love it.
Linda

My studio is covered with pieces completed when I first started as well as current ones. I love looking at my progress as a Zentangalist. I wish I had more from others. I do have some of sweet, departed Roxann Dyes’s work. She was and always will be an inspiration. I would love a virtual tour of your museum. What a treasure chest you must have!

I currently have a few of my completed tangled pieces framed and on walls of our apartment along with my other artwork (and my mask collection).

I also have the artichoke art and the piece we all worked on at CZT38 hanging in my office cube! In the corner is the cartouche frame I made with our picture I gave to my mother for Mother’s Day. When she left to join the Choir Invisible in 2022 it became a cherished office picture.

When all the work on my mother’s house is completed and we unjunk it enough to have room to move into it, I already have plans to have most of the walls covered with my works, some of my small jointed doll collection, and gifted works. I have a box of frames waiting for the cartouche Project Pack pieces but I have no energy to frame them right now. Work fries my energy by the end of each workday and I must sleep all weekend to recover.

We believe books and artwork make a house a home and we have both ready to unpack and place.

What a lovely idea, so fresh and so SPRING.

I have some tiles I created as well as birthday tiles from a dear friend displayed on a marquee board laying flat. The tiles fit perfectly in the slats and new tiles can be added easily. The first piece that I will frame and display is the tangle wheel jigsaw puzzle currently under construction 💜
Thank you, as always, for the inspiration and joy you send to all of us!

I can relate! My mom and dad were both amazing artists, my hubby is an artist and I have so many Entangle tiles displayed around the house. Our house is filled with all of our art, I am so blessed to have all this beautiful and varied art from loved ones and myself, and a place to display and enjoy it!

After years of being a ‘closeted’ artist and by that I mean I never hung my art anywhere, never showed it to anyone and didn’t think of myself as an artist. Then, about 4 years ago I discovered Zentangle through a class at our local senior center. Now I can refer to myself as an artist and have hung my art thought the house. My very early paintings, pen and ink drawings and most recent Zentangle art all hang together and/or slip into unsuspecting places to make me smile every time I pass. I tease my friends that if they sit still too long I may tangle them! Haha It’s all to the love and support from my teachers here and fellow artists and all of you at ZHQ. My heart is full with gratitude to Maria and Rick and their team for bringing this to all of us. Thank you.

Subject: Tangle



When I completed a 60” long piece of botanical tangles on silk, which I hand dyed, my husband loved it so much he had it framed and hired an electrician to install an art light for it. It hangs in our front hallway among works from other artists. I’m now a part of my home museum. It’s a great feeling.

What a lovely idea! Thank you!

What are your museum hours and fees? I would love a real time tour!! If not available, then maybe a virtual tour! Thank you for sharing the inspiring photos!! Have you ever had a gallery showing of all your artworks? Love to you both and thanks for this post. On my way to frame shopping! Katrina

I love displaying art, whether it is my families beautiful embroidery, diamond paintings , nieces primitive art , handmade crochet .. and of course my loved tangle pieces . There is nothing like being enveloped in the love of the handmade.