Artist Focus: Anja Meeter

 Hello and welcome to the tirelesstangler.com! This week’s artist profile highlights South African artist Anja Meeter. I haven’t had the chance to get to know Anja on a personal basis as I have many of the other artists in profile, but I’ve been very excited by her work. Anja’s art is full of lines and Earth Tones and beautiful tangles. Little did I know when I started writing that Anja has 39 published patterns! I had to go and look them all up to see if I had some favorites! I found I hadn’t used any before but I certainly have tried many now and I think amoung my favorites are Flower Power, Bracelet, and Pod de Pois, but the 2 I enjoyed the most are Triline (good name Jess!), and Insomnia. All of Anja’s patterns can be found at Pattern-collections.com.

Here are some of my favorites from Anja’s gorgeous art. I couldn’t choose between them so this post is art heavy but I really like that!

I just love the way she uses stippling on her Tipple (Tipple is the name of the pattern of circles) instead on drawing lines!

 

The hints of browns and golds in her work draw the eye and give the pieces a very earthy appeal.

Let’s get to know the amazing artist behind this wonderful art!

 

The lovely Anja Meeter!

 “A Tangle a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

 

My name is Anja Cathrin Meeter and I was born, to German parents, in Johannesburg, South Africa on the 16th June 1967 (yesssss…. I have the big 50 coming up next month).  For the last 17 years I live in the beautiful part of South Africa called Somerset West, Cape Town.  I am a single and proud mom of two children, my daughter Jessie who is 15 going on 21 and my son Nico who is 12 going on 18 :-).

 

I have done many things in my life from studying psychology and counselling to running a medical company with my ex husband, to selling steel plant equipment, fresh fish, hair straighteners and much more. Being a Gemini I constantly need new challenges and have had a variety of hobbies from designing crossword books, calligraphy, painting pottery, beaded T-shirts and many more that have quietly landed up shelved in boxes in my garage. 

 

Two years ago I hit, what I would consider, one of the lowest points in my life.  I was jobless, in deep depression and struggled to get through daily life.  It was in this time that I realised the importance of family and very good, loyal friends.  Slowly I picked up the pieces and basically restarted life again.  It was also in this time that I saw up a posting on Facebook from an old friend of mine, Tasmin Rootman.  It was a stunning drawing and I asked her if she had done it.  She replied yes and it was done through an art form called tangling.  

Well from that day my life changed. I was never an artist and couldn’t draw anything that looked like something. However, Tasmin taught me all the beginning things I needed to know and of course all the tangling language.  I mean a tile, a string, tangleation, monotangle, grids, auras….. these words were like a new language to me.  I slowly started all the adventures with her. Monotangle Adventure, Duotangle adventure and bit by bit I became confident enough to join more groups, in particular Pattern Collections with Ina Sonnenmoser and Zen n Zia with Shazzia.  

With Ina, I did a number of journeys and more and more I became completely passionate and obsessed about this beautiful form of art.  I amazed myself daily and slowly but surely became a tanglaholic.  I had to do at least 3 tangles a day :-).  In this time I submitted patterns to Pattern Collections and have had about 39 patterns published.  I made new friends and became part of this wonderful, caring and inspiring worldwide group of tanglaholics.  My self belief and self love grew in leaps and bounds – exactly what I needed to live life to the fullest again.

 

 

About 6 months ago I looked back on the last 2 years and realised what an affect tangling had had on my life and changed my eyes on the world in a way that was unimaginable.  I was determined that I wanted to share this therapy with more people and set a goal to start teaching and growing tangling as much as I can in South Africa (it is VERY unknown here). As well as my current job, I work in a British shop selling British goodies in South Africa, I now also do tangling guidance lessons every week from home and slowly but surely my path in this direction is widening.  I have classes for adults and kids and I am elated and inspired after every single session.  To see people in awe of their tiles and eyes sparkling in disbelief that they have created what is in front of them. I emphasise mindfulness, slowness and appreciation in all my lessons.  I also firmly believe in creativity and that tangling is abstract. It does not need to look like anything except a flow from your heart. It is awesome  to see my own children producing beautiful tiles and learning how to zen. Instilling a way of being through mindfulness to adults and kids is so important and I can see this happening after just 3 lessons.

 

Top are daughter Jessie’s tiles, age 15, below, Son Nico, age 12

Currently I am displaying my works of art in our local art gallery– Bright Street Gallery for their theme called landscapes of the mind – that is perfect for my art. They have also asked asked me now to become their in-house tangling teacher which will further spread the interests and benefits of tangling. I felt honored. 

 

I want to thank the group admins (you know who you are) for helping me to this point and to all the group members who have encouraged me every day and given me goosebumps and a huge smile on my face.  I am glowing at this point in my life and without you all I would definitely not be here.

 

Here is to Tangling South Africa and growing this worldwide family with students from here!

My words to you all out there…..

Enjoy tangling and live it through the ups and downs of every day life.  

Your tangling is your soul…… let the pen flow. Have fun with it and never be shy.  In our modern day hectic world tangling is mind yoga.  It brings calm and soul growth in a simple yet powerful way.

 

Lots of Zen hugs”

 

“Everything is possible….

step by step….. 

day by day”

 

Every one of these I write seems to be perfectly timed to be encouraging in my own life! I’ve been trying to Tangle for days but one read through Anja’s profile has me reaching for my pen again! It is wonderful that South Africa has you there! I sincerely hope that you have the opportunity to attend CZT training someday, although as a single mom myself, I know what an undertaking that is!  Thank you, Anja, for sharing your art and your story! It inspired me to keep trying even though my creative spark seems to be missing!

The remainder of this post contains no words, just incredible art!

 

 

 

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