NEW YORK, NY.- As we move through the challenges and rewards of everyday life, ultimately we all need to give our minds a break. We need a chance to be alone with our thoughts and nurture our creative energies. For many, a fun and relaxing drawing method called Zentangle has become the answer. The easy-to-learn Zentangle method has helped millions achieve focus and inspiration by unleashing the artist within. But for the millions more who have yet to journey down this rewarding path the question may very well be: Where do I start?

The answer is THE JOY OF ZENTANGLE [Fox Chapel Publishing, November 2012] by Suzanne McNeill, Sandy Steen Bartholomew, and Marie Browning. This easy-to-follow guide presents the basic theory of Zentangle and shows how to create a tangle in less than 15 minutes. It goes on to teach advanced shading techniques that add color, contrast, depth and roundness. Readers will find more than 100 tangle patterns broken down into easy-to-follow steps, plus galleries of tangle art and tangle craft that will inspire both newcomers and the more experienced alike.

“Zentangle Inspirations” are peppered throughout the book to inspire readers with stories about empowering Zentangle experiences such as:

• The mother who used Zentangle to help her through the grieving process after suddenly losing her newborn son

• The man who learned to not let self-defeating thoughts hamper him while focusing on a tangle challenge on the theme of “Hope”

• An author shares the story of how tangling has helped her increase her productivity and has completed three books in nine months

• The woman who used Zentangle to find peace and resilience against the emotional onslaught of nearly losing her an entire family in a devastating car wreck

THE JOY OF ZENTANGLE will provide something for everyone as the authors offer multiple ways of creating Zentangle-inspired art with tips on using the style in journals, scrapbooks, jewelry, paper crafts, printmaking, and more. Before long readers will find themselves taking more time to relax, recharge, and create as they set off on a Zentangle journey of their own!

Suzanne McNeill has been called "the Trendsetter" of the arts and crafts industry. She was one of the first people in the industry to spot the emerging “scrapbooking” trend -- her 1995 book Family Memories, one of the first books on scrapbooking, was influential in kicking off the scrapbooking movement. Now she is at the forefront of another growing trend with Zentangle. Suzanne is the author of 230 craft & hobby books and 15 Zentangle books. Winner of the Craft and Hobby Association's Industry Achievement Award, she is an artist, designer, TV personality, columnist, art instructor, and lover of everything hands-on.

Sandy Steen Bartholomew is an author, illustrator, mixed-media artist, and a Certified Zentangle Teacher. She currently runs an art studio (Beez Ink), a teaching studio (The Belfry), and an Etsy shop (Bumblebat). Sandy lives with her two kids and a cat in their colorful, mixed-media house in Warner, New Hampshire.

Marie Browning is a Certified Zentangle Teacher and a passionate crafter who doesn’t recall how early in life her passion for crafting began, but she knows it is definitely genetic! Her family, full of quilters, woodworkers, and artists, helped her develop a respect for human creativity.