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Muddy Morning Walk

Muddy Morning Walk

 

The path of my morning walk is under water from last night's rain. I walk barefoot, so that's not a problem. I just roll up my pants.

 

Midway through the muck, I look down and stop still. The ripples in the cool, ankle deep water grow quiet. Certainly, it is for moments like these that "OMG" (Oh, my God!) was made.

 

There are my leaves of grass "drawn" in a hollibaugh fashion. There are fields of tipple bubbles -- sometimes drawn traditionally, sometimes in a hollibaugh fashion. And yes, there's even a hint of flux.

The tipple reminds me of how Maria has taken to tangling her bronx cheer raspberries. Here's a picture from the velvet finished blotter on her desk:


 

For napkins, Maria rips up old sheets. During breakfast, as we listen to an audio book, Maria will often add another tangle to a napkin. Here, it's bronx cheer.

 

I used that morning walk's photo as inspiration to put pen to paper and tangle. I looked at the photo and then put it away. I didn't want to re-present it. I wanted its inspiration.

 

My original intention was not to draw grass leaves, but as I laid down the first stroke of hollibaugh, my tile moved and . . . OK, grass it is!

For mud, I tangled huggins and connected it to some of the tipple bubbles.

In my experience there is pattern everywhere. Perhaps I can see it. Perhaps, like in the mud, I can't . . . at least, not just yet. But I know it's there because out of it has come hollibaugh, tipple, and flux!

A common comment from new tanglers is, "I see patterns!" The patterns were always there. But as you create your own patterns, you begin to notice other's.

Even on a muddy morning walk.

Rick Roberts

37 comments

  • Thanks for the inspiration. These are beautiful tiles and art. Yes, I walk in our backyard 🌵garden and front yard butterfly gArden almost every day. There is something always calling me to delve deeper in what I see. Nature and all her beauty inspire me, like you, and I am grateful for Mother Earth 🌎.

    Miriam HIPster on

  • OMG! So on a walk this morning I had this exact experience, although I made two mistakes. 1. I Didn’t stop to take a photo & 2. I didn’t take a photo on my return from said walk! However I plan on returning to that spot to take a photo & draw up my own “OMG inspired tile”, to share! Thanks Rick for your inspiration!

    Josephine Wood on

  • Delightful photos and artwork, thoughts and inspiration. My first thought was, “Oh! Frog eggs! Protect that habitat!” During our decade living in eastern Ontario the frogs disappeared from the ditch on our street which made me very sad.

    Margaret Bremner on

  • What a beautiful tile! I just went to a Zentangle class last week at my local library! I am no entangled with Zentangle! I feel a bit unsteady but work at it whenever I can. Funny thing is, everywhere I look I see opportunities!

    Sherryl on

  • Hi Rick, I`ve been tangling for almost 4 years, have done 850 tiles and still love it and learning new techniques like “cartouching”. I`ve found another word you might like to add to your Zentangle glossary and it has to do with cartouching.

    it is “engrailing” and the Wiktionary Wordnik dictionary (discovered through a Facebook game called “Word Chums”) defines it as “to form an edging or border; to run in curved or indented lines”. I hope you can use it! Rosemary

    Rosemary Turpin (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) on

  • Love your wonderful photos and Always Maria,s beautiful work. Thanks to both of you.

    Rosemary White on

  • Thank you for sharing your wonderful, inspirational walk, photos and tile. I love it when I come across patterns in nature. I am always amazed at the beautiful patterns Mother Nature shares with us and also grateful to you and Maria for sharing the beauty of Zentangle for the world to share.

    Lianne on

  • What an eye !!!

    Linda Dochter, CZT on

  • Love Your Photo, Your Musing And Your Tile. What A Wonderful Morning Walk.

    Lesley Goldberg on

  • Thanks for sharing your lovely muddy walk. It goes to show that we can find beauty (and tangles) everywhere. Your reminder and strategy of putting the photo away and coming back later to tangle is a great illustration for us.

    Sandy Kelley-Jones on

  • thank you rick and maria for all your wonderful ideas that you share so generously! i was photographing every pattern in the room at the 33rd czt training – and now everywhere i look. how lovely seeing the water path you walked with patterns newly learned! Thank you again.

    Mary Ellen Ziegler on

  • What a pleasure to read and see the beauty. Thank you Rick for sharing.

    Linda LUSK on

  • Such a lovely place to walk and meditate. Thank you for sharing the photos, your story and tile with us!

    I see patterns all the time too. As I was scratching my kitty’s face, her cinnamon nose just had the cutest pattern and AHA…. maybe I can draw that! So I did. And it brought me joy!

    Thank you, once again, for sharing with us ❤️

    Beth Lovelle on

  • Thanks for “taking us along” on your special walk.. Love the pictures.. The bubble one is such a fun inspiration ! Maria’s blotter and napkins are so pretty !!! 🌳🌳🐞

    Sharon Jerkovic on

  • Love the photo, the tangle and your thoughts. Thank you.

    Hancock Leslie on

  • I can’t imagine a better way to begin one’s day.

    Judy Gucker on

  • Such a delightful way to spend a spring morning ❤️

    Kathy on

  • Thank you for the inspiration and for the invitation to accompany you on your meditative walk of discovery and reflection. A mini meditation gift urging me to go outside…as soon as the thunder and heavy rain subside. Until then, tangling 😊

    Carolyn Thomas on

  • Rain, Barefoot and Zentangle! Three of my favorite words and when you can put them all together it always comes out marvelous! Thanks for sharing, Rick!

    Terri Young, CZT 16 on

  • Thank you Rick for bringing us along on your walk. Your observations and writings put me in awe – as do everyone that has enjoyed the power of the Zentangle process. I really enjoy learning more and more about practicing it’s methods. Slowing down so that I truly am in my present is a constant journey, and challeng Hunting for patterns is such fun!

    Kimberly Gilley on

  • Thank you, Rick, for a truly inspiring post, with gorgeous photos and art. Zentangle has opened my eyes, and those of thousands of others, to the beauty around us. There’s a French pun that I love: “clin Dieu”, as in a wink from God. (The real expression is “clin d’oeil”, which means a “wink.”) Each time I have an “aha” moment, I can imagine God winking as my eyes are opened!

    Jennifer Sparrow on

  • I enjoy reading this post each time. What a lovely addition to your collection and great pictures from your walk.

    Marilyn Iezzi on

  • Thanks for sharing. Love finding various patterns on my morning walk, see something new every day. Your patterns were very obvious—love it!

    Gail Minichiello on

  • Beautiful Sight, Beautiful Words, Beautiful Tile. Inspiring, uplifting and fresh. I so love it when I see Zentangle out in nature. Thank you Rick for sharing this with us!

    Heidi Kay, CZT on

  • Do you not just love it when those beautiful “revelations” come? Also called, “Aha moments.” When you look out at the world with beginner’s mind, with transparency and openness? When you ask the question, either consciously or unconsciously, “What is here for me to see in this moment?” Be still. Be awake.

    Paula Schneider on

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