Hi, and welcome back to the Chrissie Murphy Designs Blog where I am always exploring.
On Saturday 15 August, I spent the day at the Mindful Marks Workshop, hosted by Heidi Froelich, CZT. The theme was “Off the Grid” and with three very different sessions, it was a day full of grids, galaxies, botanicals, and plenty of tangly experimentation.
Most importantly, it was a day spent creating alongside so many other Australian tanglers. That always makes for a pretty good day in my book!
Mindful Marks Workshop Session 1: Floating by Heidi Froelich, CZT
The first session was taught by Heidi Froelich, CZT, and I have to admit, this one made me nervous.
Anytime someone suggests tangling over work I have already created, my brain starts shouting, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
We began with a Huggins-based grid, using light grey ink. We then filled the grid with patterns before adding botanicals that floated above the original structure – “Off the Grid”
For my tile, I chose warm browns, burnt oranges and mustards for the botanical elements. Those colours felt much more like me.
Heidi is fast becoming a grid-tangle expert. Every class I take with her gives me a new appreciation for grid-based tangling. This session also helped build my confidence. I am beginning to trust that I can tangle over my work without completely ruining it. And that feels like progress! Thank you Heidi 🙂
Mindful Marks Workshop Session 2: Off the Grid, Onto the Orb by Ashe Lan, CZT
Next came a completely different experience with Ashe Lan, CZT. This session was fun!
We created our own little spiral galaxy, complete with Alien Glow Worms as rulers and Worted Tubes guarding our boundaries. Yes, really – that’s exactly how I saw it!
At one point, some orbs had to be “killed off” because they weren’t going to make it into the galaxy. Others were promoted to planets, the lucky ducks. Honestly, there was a surprising amount of drama in this tiny universe – we were totally “Off the Grid“.
I barely thought about what I was doing. Instead, I simply followed Ashe’s storytelling and let the tile develop.
Ashe has a wonderful, inclusive way of teaching. She made the whole process feel relaxed and playful and the finished tile still makes me smile. I think that says quite a lot about the experience.
Mindful Marks Workshop Session 3: Pattern Remix: Walking Away from the Grid by Katrina Etherington, CZT
The final session was taught by Katrina Etherington, CZT, and this one grabbed my systematic business-analyst brain. Katrina introduced the idea of taking familiar grid-based tangles and allowing them to leave the grid.
I loved it!
Rather than simply following the structure, we broke the tangle down into its individual elements. Then we started letting those elements wander away from their usual home.
Katrina worked with Bales, while I decided to experiment with Dex. I broke Dex down into the elements that create it. Then, following Katrina’s lead, I began walking those elements away from their normal grid structure.
It was such a different way to tangle. I also loved considering which other patterns could complement the broken structure. Most of all, I really enjoyed the way this approach made use of space.
A Wonderful Day of Creative Exploration
All up, it was a fantastic day.
There is something rather special about getting a group of Australian tanglers together. Somehow, we manage to produce an impressive amount of tangly art while having a great time doing it.
Heidi was a fantastic host. She kept the day moving and made sure everything stayed on track. That is no small achievement when a room full of tanglers can happily disappear into a tile for hours!
Each session offered something different. One challenged my confidence. Another encouraged me to play. The final one appealed to my love of structure and systems.
Perhaps that is what I enjoyed most. There wasn’t one “right” way to approach the day. There were simply different ways to explore.
And that is exactly what I love about continuing to tangle.
Before you go….
Thank you for spending a little time with me today.
If you’d like to keep exploring together, I’d love to welcome you to Always Exploring.
It’s my occasional letter from the studio, where I share new artwork, creative adventures, behind-the-scenes moments, and the little discoveries that make me smile. Every now and then, you’ll even get a peek at what I’m working on before it’s shared anywhere else.
The kettle’s usually on.
The Milo certainly is.
And there’s always room for one more around the studio table.
🌿 Save Yourself a Seat at the Studio Table
Until my next blog post, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” Ephesians 4:1.
In peace always
Thank you so much Chrissie for the glowing praise! These days are a joy to organise and as the tangle community here grows I hope it continues to provide interest and challenges.