Relaxed, approachable art workshops centered around watercolor, pattern, texture, and a little bit of mindfulness.
ABOUT ZENLAPSE STUDIO
Zenlapse Studio grew out of more than 15 years spent teaching in-person and virtual workshops, alongside my own fascination with watercolor, repetitive pattern, texture, and mark-making.
The name is a nod to that peculiar way time seems to disappear when we’re absorbed in the creative process. Hours slip by almost like a time-lapse as we settle into a creative headspace,
lock in, and lose track of the clock. Before we know it, we look up to find that somehow hours have passed and something entirely new has taken shape in front of us.
My classes are relaxed and approachable, but never short on technique.
I want you to leave with plenty of inspiration, new skills to keep practicing,
and enough room to experiment, follow your instincts, and develop your unique style.
lock in, and lose track of the clock. Before we know it, we look up to find that somehow hours have passed and something entirely new has taken shape in front of us.
My classes are relaxed and approachable, but never short on technique.
I want you to leave with plenty of inspiration, new skills to keep practicing,
and enough room to experiment, follow your instincts, and develop your unique style.
WATERCOLOR MEETS ZENTANGLE®
The Zentangle® Method was developed by artists Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas as an approachable, relaxing way to create art through structured, repetitive patterns. The method breaks seemingly intricate patterns down into simple strokes, encouraging you to focus less on the finished product and more on the process of making one mark at a time.
I became a CZT® (Certified Zentangle Teacher) in 2011, and while my own work has evolved quite a bit since then, that way of thinking about pattern, repetition, and mark-making has stayed with me.
If my name happens to look familiar to longtime tanglers, it may be from a couple of patterns
I created along the way. The two you’re most likely to know are "Narwal" and "Crease",
both of which have made their way into the wider Zentangle community over the years.
I created along the way. The two you’re most likely to know are "Narwal" and "Crease",
both of which have made their way into the wider Zentangle community over the years.
In my workshops, those ideas often meet watercolor, illustration, and subjects from the natural (or fantasy) world. Rather than creating traditional Zentangle art, I like borrowing from the method to build texture, pattern, and a little personality into painted creatures and other illustrative subjects.
That said, I still teach a traditional Zentangle class from time to time and am always happy to nerd out over patterns, new and old, with the best of them.
If you’re curious about the original method, its history, or the worldwide community that has grown around it, you can learn more directly from Rick, Maria, and the Zentangle team at Zentangle.com.
JOIN ME ONLINE
I started teaching workshops online during the pandemic as a way to get out of my own head, connect with others, and stay creative when gathering in person wasn’t possible.
It turned out to be a format I really loved.
It turned out to be a format I really loved.
Virtual workshops are taught live over Zoom, so you can join from your own workspace with your own supplies. I demonstrate each project step-by-step, answer questions along the way, and leave you with plenty of inspiration to explore further and new techniques to keep practicing.
All students receive a suggested supply list, a template when needed, and access to a recording of the workshop afterward, so you can revisit the class and work at your own pace.
JOIN ME IN PERSON
I also teach in-person workshops! I regularly schedule classes through Marsh Harbor Studio, just outside of Beaufort, NC, along with occasional workshops and special events in other spaces.
Interested in hosting a private workshop, gathering a group of friends, or planning something creative for a corporate team? Get in touch.
To hear about upcoming classes, join my newsletter or follow along on social media for new workshop dates, projects, and other studio happenings.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Hi, I’m Sam! I’m an artist and designer from coastal North Carolina, and I’ve been teaching art workshops for more than 15 years. Over that time, I’ve taught across a pretty wide range of mediums, including marbling, precious metal clay, jewelry fabrication, watercolor, and plenty in between.
I became a Certified Zentangle® Teacher in 2011 and have been teaching the method in one form or another ever since.
These days, my workshops mostly center around watercolor, illustration, pattern, and texture. Watercolor, in particular, has become one of my favorite mediums to teach. There’s something incredibly therapeutic about the process, and I love giving people enough technique to feel confident and enough of a challenge to keep things interesting, while still making the experience relaxed and inspiring.
Over the years, I’ve taught both in person and virtually, collaborated with art supply companies like Sakura of America, been invited to teach at multiple education and art conferences, contributed to Zentangle-inspired publications, and was once invited to teach Zentangle at a symposium of astrophysicists in Melbourne, Australia.
All of which is to say, you never quite know where art might take you. I’d love to invite you to come make something with me and see where it leads!
PUBLISHED WORK
The Beauty of Zentangle: Inspirational Examples from 137 Tangle Artists Worldwide
Suzanne McNeill & Cindy Shepard
Design Originals, 2013
Suzanne McNeill & Cindy Shepard
Design Originals, 2013
Original artwork featured, pp. 117 & 154
Zentangle: Beseelt und entspannt zeichnen
Beate Winkler & Friends
Irisiana
Beate Winkler & Friends
Irisiana
Original artwork featured, pp. 122–123