Variant Title has been added to your shopping cart.    View Cart   or   Checkout Now
Mosaic Magic

Mosaic Magic

Maria writes:

I really had to think hard about this, as it has been 20 years that we have been teaching about the importance of the Mosaic. I could picture our first (public) class that Rick and I taught at an IAMPETH (a calligraphy organization) conference. We stood up in front of 100+ people (most of them artists) and spoke for over an hour with no notes, agenda, or plan, only unbridled enthusiasm.

After a bit of background of how Zentangle appeared to us, and our reaction to it, we finally began to draw all together. A hush settled across the room, the likes of which I had never experienced. With pencils and pens in hand, our group began to follow our simple instructions and created their first 3 ½” square tile. Rick and I had decided that the best way to encourage people to be comfortable with their drawings, was to arrange them like ceramic tiles all on a small table in the center of the room, for all to see just how beautiful they looked all together. They “ooohed” and “ahhhhed” and marveled at the fact that they all heard the same instruction but created different results. We explained that we did not want their work to look exactly like ours; rather, that their own personalities would be reflected in their finished tile.

Where the idea of using the mosaic came from is anyone’s guess? But it was the original reason we called our small square “canvas” a tile.

We all learned so much from seeing one another’s tiles, including Rick and me. Don’t forget, we were so new at this as well as all our students.

As time went on, we could see our tangling styles emerge from birth to growth. I found it exhilarating to continue that growth from day to day. And what happened eventually gave us such validation. The Zentangle community was supportive, encouraging, and caring of other tanglers. No criticizing. Only compliments and enthusiasm.

Please, if you are at a class, or teaching a class, do not let it end without the magic of a Mosaic. Take pictures, rearrange them, comment on them, admire them. It’s worth its weight in gold.

Maria Thomas

17 comments

  • Feeling so lucky to have you in my life, After working with this real spell caster called Dr. Excellent, I couldn’t believe my eyes. super fast and reliable, thank you so much for saving my broken Marriage with your powerful love spell. I was heart broken when my husband left me and moved to California to be with another woman. I felt my life was over and my kids thought they would never see their father again. I tried to be strong just for the kids but I could not control the pains that tormented my heart, my heart was filled with sorrows and pains because I was really in love with my husband. I have tried many options but he did not come back, until i met a friend that directed me to Dr. Excellent a spell caster, who helped me to bring back my husband after 11hours. Me and my husband are living happily together again, This man is powerful, Contact Dr. Excellent for any kind of spiritual problems or any kind of relationship problems he is capable of making things right for you. Here his contact. Call/WhatsApp him at: +2348084273514 "Or email him at: Excellentspellcaster@gmail.com
    ,His website:https://lovespellonline.godaddysites.com

    Wendy Joel on

  • Bonjour,

    je suis heureuse de découvrir toutes ces merveilles. Encore novice dans la méthode, je pratique régulièrement suivant les cours d’une enseignant CZT et en suivant vos vidéos des différents packs. Comme le dernier pack N°24 avec le matériel à ma disposition et créé un carnet de toute pièce en y intégrant des pages blanches pour encore compléter le motif “Crescent Moon & Ladybird”.
    Cette pratique découverte il y a un an maintenant fait partie intégrante de mon mode de vie et je suis sûre va évoluer encore avec le temps. Il est juste dommage qu’il soit difficile de se procurer le matériel officiel en France.
    A très vite et gratitude pour cette communauté d’artistes.

    Sandrine on

  • I am from England and never had the pleasure of attending a class. I have however followed the Zentangle site and was delighted to be part of the international celebration of 20years. I followed Rick and Maria and was so delighted with what I produced. I can’t remember what they were saying but it was the first time I felt free it was a lovely feeling just following them and not feeling afraid’. Funny word but true i loved doing their tile and also did a second one. So pleased. I follow one of your CZT teachers on line and she helps me so much and is so generous in what she shares Barbara Burford Langston Not perfect Zen. She recommended your primer book which although I have been zentangling a few years now and have several books I am loving. Lastly at a group I attend called Breathe Easy for people with lung conditions we had an open afternoon with folk being asked to speak for a minute about something they enjoy. I spoke about Zentangle. I thought I was having no reaction but I left my workbooks for them to look at. Since then have had four people say they are giving it a go. They have looked it up on utube and the are enjoying it too. Sorry this is long but I do want to thank everyone so much for sharing your thoughts. It is difficult to express how much this now means to me. It really does. I truly love to tangle! Thank you

    Eileen Bangerter on

  • I have been enjoying tangling along with you on the 20th Anniversary videos. Please explain more about the online mosaic program or site where we can share the images we create.

    Laurel Paulson-Pierce on

  • After my certification on Halloween 2018, I began teaching Zentangle to seniors January 2019. It’s been five years now and I’ve still been teaching at the senior center and other places. I look forward to the end of each class when I lay out my colorful cloth, and carefully lay down each participant’s tile in a mosaic. It become a ritual! I take a photo of the mosaic, and then invite each participant to take a photo of the mosaic also. Then we begin our positive comments on each Tile.

    it is a community experience! I keep a notebook of all my mosaics over the years from my students where I print out the photos and notate the students, names and tangled and location and date.

    I have also made hardcover books of the printed mosaics from my students and share them with them over the years.

    From some of the project packs I’ve done on my own, I’ve made mosaics that I’ve turned into canvas! I keep one mosaic in particular of the six Zendala tiles which Rick and Maria guided. I have it standing on my desk as a reminder of how important mosaics are to me!

    Mary Illana Perrin CZT 32 on

  • Well said Maria! I would never think of missing the Mosaic at the end- EVERYONE LOVES IT! And I put pix of them all in my scrapbook with all my art. Peace!

    Julia Davenport on

  • I am always enthralled to see how each mosaic illustrates that the sum is greater than its parts — a completely new masterpiece. Time and time again, I see the effort you put into creating a string that works well on one tile then combines into awesome. Thank you.

    Linda Dochter on

  • I love experiencing Zentangle in all it’s glory and evolution. You have truly created an amazing, accessible-to-all art form backed by a holistic philosophy of healthy, happy, harmonious self expression. Being in the Zen Zone of Zentangle, that moment, when art merges with inner peace is a beautiful soulful place to be. Forever grateful for your gift to all fortunate to embrace your intention and method. That it came to you and evolved as it has is truly inspirational.

    Anna Vermillion-Hoss on

  • Mosaic really is a very special part of the whole wonderful Zentangle experience. My students created a gorgeous mosaic using 3Z tiles. It was the main attraction in a display that was up for the whole month of August in our Community Library. Everyone loved it.

    Kathy McMurtry CZT on

  • The mosaic is an artwork that can only exist because of one another. It is always a beautiful coming together of tiles and the artists who drew them. It affords us all a chance to mingle and share our mutual admiration of the results of the time spent together. I love the raising of the cellphones above the surface and the melody of the verbal appreciation around the mosaic table! It is the ultimate “show and tell” activity. We all guide each other towards positive comments about ourselves. It is powerful and genius!

    Katrina Thiebaut CZT on

  • At the end of every class we experience “the magic mosaic!” It’s my favorite part—- And thank you to Kathy Y for your story—-left me teary-eyed :)

    Donna S on

  • In 2016 I became a CZT. I was new to Zentangle and felt way out of my depth. I did not have art class in elementary and in both middle and high schools I was offered one each. That was quite humbling in its self but to be so bold as to come to a different state and stay in a hotel filled with artists was quite a leap for me. I hid my work until we all put our tiles together and I couldn’t find mine in the bunch. No kidding, mine didn’t stand out at all. That was my first art experience and I’m so lucky that it was too. It was a warm and welcoming experience from the beginning. I now paint with watercolors and draw, pretty well. Zentangle is always on the table and carried with me as I travel. You all gave me the greatest gift. The gift of creating my own art. Thank you ❤️

    Kathy Y. on

  • Zentangle mosaics are magical!

    kathy gulrich on

  • I teach in a behavioral health setting, and am always amazed at the variety of interpretations there are to my instructions. The participants are always thrilled to see the mosaic at the end of class. I enjoy their reactions and how each personality is reflected in their tile. (And, sometimes I even say to myself, “I said that?”)

    Mary Kay Cass, C.Z.T. on

  • I think, for my students, it’s always the best part of the class. The validation everyone receives, the sense of community (Look what we did!), the fascination with different interpretations, and the underlying message that we can be “the same” yet different.

    Jennifer Sparrow on

  • I am so glad that you had the inspiration to create the mosaic at the end of your first class. I too, remember our small class mosaic of nine or 10 tiles and it was so fun to see both the similarities and differences.

    Shawna on

  • So great to see this. I love The mosaics at the end of class, each person makes the tile their own, even though everyone hears the same words as the class unfolds.

    Sandra Chatelain on

Leave a comment