This past weekend, I attended a Zentangle art retreat at Kripalu in Massachusetts. I began my journey by taking the ferry to Connecticut and then driving the rest of the way to Massachusetts. Normally, I’d drive the entire route, but with my health being unpredictable, I opted for the ferry to make the trip more relaxing—and it was. During the ferry ride, I started drawing a tile, allowing myself to ease into a calm, zen-like mindset.
Friday evening, we kicked off our first classes. I loved the diverse mix of participants, ranging from beginners who had never tried Zentangle before to seasoned tanglers. This blend created a wonderfully supportive and creative atmosphere, with everyone helping and inspiring one another. We began with a warm-up Bijou tile featuring the Crescent Moon pattern.
We also created a tile using the pattern Aura Knot, which I really enjoyed. This design offers wonderful opportunities to incorporate filler tangles. Later that evening, back in my room, I continued exploring Aura Knot and also experimented with another pattern called Singapore Sling by CZT Stephanie Jennifer. Inspired by the original Aura Knot, Stephanie added her own twist by giving Singapore Sling curved edges, making it uniquely dynamic and fun to work with.
Saturday was a full day of tangling, and it was an absolute blast. I decided to try something different this time—I usually prefer sitting in the front row, but instead, I chose a seat in the back. I wanted to take in the energy of the group, watching everyone work and soaking up all the positive vibes. I’m so glad I made that choice. I still had plenty of opportunities to meet amazing people and form new friendships. We kicked off the day by working on a four-tile composition, each tile featuring a pre-made ink splatter as the starting point.
Bijou Mosaic
Aura Knot mosaic.
We spent Saturday and Sunday morning working on our four ink-splattered tiles. It was so much fun adding pen work in black and green, then enhancing the designs with General’s chalk pastels. The end results were absolutely spectacular. What made it even more special was seeing the unique touches everyone added to their tiles, showcasing so much creativity and individuality.
The theme of the class was Oh, the Tangled Webs We Weave, where we explored various spider webs and the intricate patterns spiders create. I especially loved the quotes Molly and Martha shared about spider webs—they added a thoughtful touch to the experience. Each of our four tiles featured a web-like pattern, and my favorite was Dreamcatcher. It was such a fun and inspiring session!
Below are the other 2 tiles.
All four featured below.
Here is my completed collection of work from our sessions.
I started feeling silly and tangled a tile with Dreamcatcher and spiders.
Molly and Martha teach and tangle at the perfect pace, accommodating all skill levels beautifully. I love having a bit of time between sessions to work on individual pieces, and I also enjoy taking inspiration from the classes back to my room at night to continue the creative process. Here is my entire collection, including what we created during class and the work I did on my own.
I almost forgot to mention my trip to the art gallery! I love visiting the Hoadley Gallery on each trip and adding a piece by artist Julie Spako to my collection. Her hand-built pottery is truly amazing. This time, I brought home two functional pieces: an espresso cup for my husband and a cappuccino cup for myself.
The plate is from a previous visit.
Food tastes better on nice dish ware.
I truly appreciate the safe, supportive, and creative atmosphere that Molly and Martha foster for all the Tanglers. I’m already looking forward to my next tangling adventure with them. This weekend was incredibly inspiring, and I came home feeling energized, motivated, and brimming with creative ideas. Thank you, Molly and Martha, for everything you do for the Zentangle community!
Danigirlart 
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