LEBANON — Even if you’ve spent your whole life believing you have no artistic skill, you can make Zentangle art.
Zentangle is an easy-to-learn drawing method that uses repetitive patterns and shapes to help practitioners tap into their creativity, increase their focus or just relax. The art technique is abstract, not representational, so there’s no need to worry that it doesn’t look “right.”
The only tools involved are a piece of paper, a pencil and perhaps a blending device called a tortillon. No eraser is required.
“We have a no-mistakes philosophy,” said Lora Gerard, a certified Zentangle teacher who is leading upcoming classes at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Aging Resource Center in Lebanon. “It’s a method, not an end result.”
Gerard, who is also a project manager at the Aging Resource Center, said that many seniors told her they’d always wanted to do something artistic, but were either discouraged years ago by a parent or teacher, or they just didn’t have time to pursue their interest.
“This is a very inexpensive, portable and simple way to get your toes wet in art if you’ve been wanting to get started,” she said.
Participants will learn to use lines, dots, curves and orbs to create their designs, “but not circles,” Gerard said, “because circles are perfect.”
“It’s a little bit of a metaphor for life. Sometimes we end up with things we don’t expect, but we adjust and go forward from there.”
Zentangle was founded by a Massachusetts couple — a graphic artist and a former Buddhist monk — who noticed that doodling helped them achieve a kind of “flow state,” in which they became calm and focused. They subsequently formalized the process, and now there are books, classes and websites devoted to making Zentangle art.
Despite the “zen” in the name, there’s no religious basis to the method, Gerard said. Rather, it’s a mindfulness tool.
While accessible to beginners, Zentangle is also used by professional artists, along with other creative people like musicians and writers.
“It can be really helpful with breaking through a block,” said Gerard, who also sews, knits, makes mosaics and teaches a mandala drawing class.
The beginner Zentangle class will be held on Thursday, Oct. 10 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Aging Resource Center. Two additional sessions, for those who have taken the prior introductory class, take place on Thursdays, Oct. 17 and 24, also from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
All classes are free. For more information or to register, call 603-653-3460 or visit agingcenter@hitchcock.org.