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Zentangle Diva Challenge #236 – First Class Edition

by Suzanne Fluhr on September 21, 2015 · 27 comments

Zentangle on music paper with staves staffs

[If you’ve never heard the term Zentangle before, start HERE.]

I’ll try to be brief this week because this evening I’m teaching my first Zentangle class at a local library and I need to leave time for a proper freak out. This last time I taught something was about ten years ago and it was to a group of 200 lawyers. The topic was Pulmonary Impairments in Social Security Disability Adjudication. The one constant was that Mr. Excitement was my co-presenter (he being a pulmonary physician and all). This evening, he has signed on to be my Vanna White, helping with logistics and the all important moral support. This group is limited to 12. I don’t know if that helps or exacerbates my anxiety since the group is small enough for me to be able to see the whites of their eyes.

I thought about skipping the challenge this week, but then I decided that doing some tangling would be an appropriate way to quell any panic, so I dove in. Of course, I made it a little more complicated than necessary and took longer than I wanted to, but —-whatever. This week’s challenge is to tangle on something unexpected. The Diva tangled on a map. Since when I’m not tangling, I’m travel blogging, that would have been a good choice for me, but I didn’t want to be a copy cat.

Back in the mists of time, before I was a wife/mother/lawyer/travel blogger/Certified Zentangle Teacher, I was a fairly serious musician — 12 years of recorder lessons, and in college, I played the oboe in the Berkshire Symphony. (Second oboe, but the oboe nonetheless). I still have a box of music and instruments. Rummaging around in there, I found a page of musical composition paper. Aha! Perfecto!

With that as my tangling surface and my inspiration, this is what appeared:

Zentangle on music paper with staves staffs

I thought the musical symbols would get lost if I surrounded them by too much detailed background, so I tried to concentrate on shading. I still have a lot to learn about shading, but I think this is better than some shading attempts where I didn’t pay enough attention to the location of the light source.

It’s a little crazy here in Philadelphia because they have started towing cars in my Center City neighborhood in preparation for the arrival of Pope Francis, 6 days from now. They have also already shut down one of the major routes to where we have to go tonight for my Introduction to Zentangle class. We’re giving ourselves plenty of time. If we’re late, I’ll be blaming it on the Vatican.

Are you a confident teacher?

{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }

Margaret BLANK September 21, 2015 at 4:51 pm

I think this is an inspired choice. The patterns work really well and keeping the background simple really focuses the attention on the symbols.
As for your first class, you will love it and so will your group.

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BeverlyG September 21, 2015 at 5:00 pm

Love your musical tangle, very creative. Good luck with your class, I know it will be great.

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Suzanne Fluhr September 24, 2015 at 3:57 pm

Thank you. Apparently, the class was a success (perhaps mostly because of the swag I gave out). They want me to do another one.

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Daniel @ The Tangle Corner September 21, 2015 at 6:16 pm

Gorgeous ^_^ I have a giant book of staff paper lying around (500 pages!) so I might consider using that if I have time…

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hungrycorgistudio September 21, 2015 at 7:28 pm

Great shading if not fantastic! I love the musical notes, they seem to be dancing.
Sarah

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Dorita September 21, 2015 at 11:11 pm

Great choice! I may have to dig out my stuff (I played the flute for about 20 years) I hope your class went well.

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Suzanne Fluhr September 24, 2015 at 4:27 pm

I think the class went ok considering it was my first one. I can see how teaching is a learning experience.

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Annemarie September 22, 2015 at 4:01 am

Well done!!! And such a great idea. I’m really impressed by all the things we (tanglers) came up with.

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Debbie September 22, 2015 at 5:14 am

Lovely ideas, Suzanne! Sending happy vibes all the way from you-know-where 😉

d.

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Ilse September 22, 2015 at 6:20 am

Beautiful work on a well chosen background. Nice job!

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Jacqueline Gum September 22, 2015 at 9:26 am

Love the theme on music! Beautiful work and I know nothing from shading. but this is very pleasing to my eye:) And you’ll be fantastic! Too bad I don’t live closer…I’d come. Well, maybe not in the midst of Francis Fever, but still…you get the idea:)

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Suzanne Fluhr September 24, 2015 at 5:01 pm

Yeah. You should probably wait to come visit me in Philadelphia until they remove the no fewer than 60 porta potties lined up right across the street from where I live. (There’s a photo on my FB timeline). Amazing.

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Jean Chaney September 22, 2015 at 11:26 am

Really great on the music paper. (I was actually a guitar major at one time in between all my changes of majors along the way.) I was a teacher for 20 years, so I would say that I was confident. However, even seasoned teachers get a bit stressed before new classes with new people. It’s kind of like actors and stage fright. It’s normal and helps us to be very prepared. I’m sure you are basking today in the knowledge that you did a wonderful job and everyone loved you and Zentangle!

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Val Brandon September 22, 2015 at 3:11 pm

Love your musical tangles. Enjoy your class. You will be great!

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HeidiSue September 22, 2015 at 3:25 pm

perfect! the clefs and notes, on music notation paper! love it, and all the patterns within the clefs, etc. Very nice. Touch of color, elegant 3D effect. Lovely work!

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joanne Faherty September 22, 2015 at 4:26 pm

I love the marasu tangled note:)they look 3d too so your shading isn’t so bad and good luck for your class.

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Devin September 22, 2015 at 5:02 pm

This is inspired! Have a great class tonight & post the mosaic. Meanwhile, after class, go and tangle the Popemobile. It’s the least you can do to pay him back for the challenge of getting to your class!

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nan @ lbddiaries September 22, 2015 at 5:34 pm

I love your music symbols! I think they look amazing. I also bet your class did terrific, especially since the students are there on purpose – they want to learn!

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Annette Carlo September 22, 2015 at 5:39 pm

lovely choice of unexpected!! My mind is going crazy now, seeing what everyone has chosen for this challenge! Exciting, having the Pope in your hometown, but I imagine it has turned things a little upside down!! Good luck and keep on tangling!! :0) Annette

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Donna Pilato September 22, 2015 at 11:38 pm

Very nice! I like the way you really personalized your choice and I like the fact that you left a lot of space – well done!

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Yorkshire Tortoise September 23, 2015 at 9:02 am

A divine inspiration lol. My favourite is the Treble Clef. I think you were right to leave space to see the original paper.

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1 Art Lady Kate Tangles September 23, 2015 at 2:17 pm

Beautiful music tile! Great way to do this challenge!

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Laurel Regan September 23, 2015 at 3:01 pm

Definitely an inspired idea for the challenge – and it turned out beautifully! Hope your class went well too.

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Lily M. September 24, 2015 at 4:49 am

Beautiful 🙂

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Michele ºÜº September 24, 2015 at 4:12 pm

I love that you tangled on music composition paper and that you didn’t completely fill it. It’s a really nice composition. 🙂

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Debbie September 25, 2015 at 9:18 am

I love the idea! The lines would make it a good choice for grid type tangles. I trust your class went well!

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Roz Warren September 28, 2015 at 9:36 am

Love picturing Mr. Excitement as Vanna White. I recently did a reading to promote OUR BODIES OUR SHELVES: A COLLECTION OF LIBRARY HUMOR http://ow.ly/LpFgE at the Ryerss Museum & Library and Mark came along to play Vanna White for me. (He shlepped the books, then smiled at me very encouragingly as I read.)

Should I pitch you as a Zentangle teacher for the library where I work? Do you charge a whopping fee or do you teach for free?

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