Welcome! I'm Joanne

The certified Zentangle teacher behind the Teesside Tangler.

My inspiration for the name comes from my teenage years as I was a member of the Teesside Travellers local folk dance group, that travelled the country (even as far as Virginia, USA) performing country dance displays at festivals. I couldn’t resist the alliteration and those fond memories.

I have always been interested in crafts and being creative. At 14 I made my own clothes which saved a fortune! Later in life I got into scrapbooking which was closely followed by art journaling. I love the sense of accomplishment I get when I create a piece of art. Zentangle also provides you with that sense of accomplishment in that doing one stroke at a time you create something beautiful and the process is mindful and calming.

I was a secondary food teacher for 30 years and unfortunately reached burnout in the autumn of 2021. I had always had a passion for well-being and art was a way of delivering calm and reducing feelings of anxiety in my job for years.

I had been aware of zentangle but had always felt that it was too difficult and I wouldn’t be able to create those complex patterns. How wrong I was!

One day I did a class through the Ollie foundation and I was hooked.  I realised it was not difficult at all, in fact as zentangle.com say it is “one stroke at a time!”

I was looking for a way to continue my teaching career and decided to do the CZT course online in October 2022. Now I want to share my knowledge with you and help others discover this way of creating a moment of peace. To help with reducing anxiety and helping mindfulness.

Don’t worry about the ugly stage, all art goes through that stage. Just persevere and you will have a genuine sense of achievement and appreciation when you look at your tile. 

I am currently working with Pimms and Needles (a not for profit organisation) delivering introductory sessions in zentangle. Watch this space for online and in person classes happening soon.

Book Your Zentangle Class

Click through to see what Zentangle classes are available in the North East of England