Yvonne Westover on pattern, presence, and letting go

cgoucher
Jun 1
5 min read

Before meeting Yvonne Westover, I had never heard of Zentangle.

A pen, a small square of paper, a series of repeating patterns. That’s the structure. What happens inside it is something else.

Yvonne describes a way of drawing where the thinking mind steps back and the hand keeps moving. No plan, no pressure to get it right.

Over time, it became more than a creative practice. It became a way to stay steady, to build confidence, and eventually, to navigate something much bigger.

What first pulled you into tangling and pattern work?
In 2012 I took a Zentangle workshop at the Creative Festival in Toronto. It was just a time filler in between the longer courses I was taking. Within those two hours I quickly became intrigued by this simple method that exercised my drawing skills. I have a B.F.A and drawing was never my strength, I was always more comfortable with a brush in hand. Zentangle pulled me in with basic pen strokes in mesmerizing combinations. I realized that this method of drawing patterns could lead to some interesting work and build my confidence in drawing.
When you’re in the middle of drawing, what does your process actually look like? How do you begin?
In the middle of drawing my process is just pushing and pulling the pen across the paper. Often I'm familiar with the tangle (pattern) I'm drawing, so I just relax and let the pen strokes build the pattern. As my muscle memory takes over my brain just shuts off and the only focus is my hand moving across the paper. You can never really draw the same pattern the same way twice, so exploring the tangle in new ways becomes captivating.

I begin with the same simple tools every time, a 3.5 inch square of good quality art paper, a pen and sometimes a pencil. I carry these with me everywhere in a small CD sized case. That's the beauty of this process with simple tools, I can create anywhere anytime!

Idea wise, I begin with a tangle that stuck in my head that I need to work out on paper or a pattern I've seen on something somewhere that has inspired me.
When you’re feeling stuck or uninspired, what helps you come back to it?
I have been tangling for 14 years and I have rarely been stuck. There have been many times when I've been unhappy with my tangle work and that's usually been when life has become overwhelmingly busy and my focus during tangling is distracted. In Zentangle there is a motto "no mistakes", so when I am unfocused and I feel my tangling is not at its best, I don't stress about it. I recognize why I'm not focused and I know that my pen strokes are just recording the time and (head) space that I'm in. This one tile is just part of my larger mosaic. I can look back at these and recall what was going on ... almost like a journal without words.

When I do need a bit of a kickstart I have loads of photos I have taken of logos, architecture, vintage dishes that inspire me or I'll draw on a round tile instead of a square.
As a teacher, you get to share this practice with others. What does a really meaningful creative exchange look like for you?
There are always two things that happen in a workshop that I find most meaningful.

One is when a participant has that "AHA" moment. When an instruction I have given has sparked their imagination in such a way that they draw something they thought they couldn't do! I love these moments because the excitement over this discovery is just so much fun and confidence building!

The other moment is when I walk around the room looking at the drawings and something someone has done surprises me. Their interpretation of my instructions is so unique, that I am inspired to see how they got there. I ask to take a photo of their work, have a discussion about how they arrived at that interpretation and within a few days I try to work out their inspiration into my own tangle work. That's truly where a meaningful exchange happens, I'm not just a teacher but a fellow creative inspired by another's work.
What’s surprised you most along the way, about Zentangle or about yourself?
Really how therapeutic tangling can be. As a lifelong artist, I have always been familiar with the flow, the getting in the zone when you're busy with your hands creating, how it can soothe and relax you. I felt that early in my Zentangle practice. Half an hour of tangling could make my worries go away and improve my mood. Five years into my tangling I suffered a brain injury and spent a year and a half in Neuro-vision therapy. I lost the ability to read, along with my 3D vision and depth perception. As frustrating as that was I was confused as to why I could still tangle but not write down three items for a grocery list. My neurologist explained the benefits of how being creative helps the brain recover and highly encouraged my tangling.

The whole experience really brought home the "art as therapy" ideology. The lesson for me was not to only use Zentangle as an art making activity but also a self-care practice. And that's where the small case of supplies comes in that I carry with me everywhere.
Right now, what’s lighting you up creatively? What are you excited to explore next?
I have a very personal project I would like to work on. My background is Czech and my grandmother was a traditional Moravian Folk Art painter. The patterns in the Moravian region are specific to each village, and she taught them to me when I was a child. There is a resurgence in the region to preserve and teach the younger generations these hand painted patterns and it's done in the Czech language. I would like to work on English lesson plans and introduce the tangle community to this art work of Moravia.

Bonus Question: What’s one pattern you find yourself returning to again and again, almost like a creative comfort food?

A tangle named Mooka is my Mac n' cheese tangle (we use that term in tangling to refer to our comfort tangle) I was first introduced to this tangle in my Certified Zentangle Teacher training and funny enough it's inspiration comes from the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha. I knew immediately that I would love this tangle.

It's complete second nature for Mooka to come out of my pen, it's an easy way for me to warm up, to get started or to just add a little extra something to drawing when I'm done. Oddly enough, it's a tangle that's a love it or hate tangle amongst the tangle community.

A tangle named Mooka. Her “Mac n’ cheese” pattern. Familiar. Easy to return to. Something that works when nothing else does.

Not every part of a creative practice needs to push. Some of it just needs to be there when you sit down.

That’s what keeps it going.

Check out more of Yvonne's work at ywestart.ca

This series grows through word of mouth and the creative people who nudge me toward the next conversation. If someone comes to mind, send them my way.

Until next week, Christine