And the Tangle-Inspired Botanical Journey began in 2010

When I started this blog post, I thought I was going one direction and verved off as an ah-haw came to me. From the beginning of my Tangle-Inspired Botanical journey, I see a golden thread, a style, woven into my works as it morphed and evolved into stronger, bolder pieces that can now be identified as my style of repetitive patterning in botanical works.

From 1996 to 2010 I found myself completely alienated from my creative artistic side as I poured all my creative energy into my online mail-order company. It was an exciting time as I worked 24-7 to grown my business. I did not realize how far away from art I had moved until 2010 when I walked into a vendor booth featuring Zentangle. It was an instant reconnection with my artistic side that had been stagnating in the background. I loved my earlier pop art works that focused on black and white repetitive patterning. I knew I was going to go home and pick up my pen again. My re-connection started with large 9x12" & 8x8 black and white works.

As I review these early works I see a style, a golden thread, woven into my work as it morphed and evolved into stronger, bolder pieces that can now be identified as my style of repetitive patterning. I see threads of botanicals and circles combining with mark making using pen and line, dots, checks, striping, framing, and backgrounds. 

Botanical Circles 2010	Mandala 2010	Circles 2 2010
Butterfly 2010	Circles 2010	Botanicals 2 2010

Check out my Gallery for 'more'
early 2010 Zentangle works

When I look back at these older works that I began before my Certified Zentangle Teacher training in 2011, I realized I had already discovered the power of the the double line aka aura, dot, striping, checks,  backgrounds, framing,  and my love of circles and botanicals as they wove their way into my works. These same features and motifs became the foundation of Chapter 3 in my book:
Tangle-Inspired Botanicals
Exploring the Natural World Through Mindful, Expressive Drawing

Chapter 3:

 The Alchemy of Texture and Line Embellishment:
Natural Textures and Patterns found in Nature Offer Inspiration

Discover the heavy lifters, blackout, frames, backgrounds, circles, orbs, outlines, striping, checks, teeny-tiny betweens while dancing with posies and petals.

Have you looked back at your early works?

What did you find?

Let us know in the Comments below!