Squirk is a tangle pattern by Virginia Beach tangler Lena Ulses.
Lena’s steps for drawing Squirk include a whole host of variations (see Step 6) and I used one for my example. As you’ll see from her Zentangle®-inspired birthday card below, you can stop at the third step and leave Squirk without an embellishment. As she suggests below, there are many ways to vary this tangle.
I came across this pattern accidentally. I didn’t have a plan, I was just creating a birthday card. I ended up adding circles and connected them with lines. It turned out to be a wonderful pattern, the difficult part was deconstructing it to create what I wanted. I didn’t want a crazy pattern name so I combined Square and Circle to call it ‘Squirk’.
I love the variations with this pattern, from larger circles to larger squares, patterns inside the circle or patterns to connect the circles. Shading can highlight the circle or the square, triangles/diamonds inside the pattern or create a new look all together. It can be a grid pattern or a free form pattern. There are many ways to create the step out so I chose the method that seemed easiest to follow. My favorite end result is still the Birthday Card with Squirk in the corner with a simple color variation.
I have loved Zentangle and the inspiration to create new and original pieces of art because I never considered myself an artist. I enjoy tangling Birthday Cards, shoes, frames, mugs, and any surface that will hold some form of ink. Another benefit of Zentangle is being able to share my ZIA pieces and create original gifts for friends and family.
Lena illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing Squirk here and shows several variations. She also sent along this colorful ZIA birthday card using the basic Squirk and colored inks.
Image copyright the artist, used with permission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Check out the tag lenau for more of Lena’s patterns on TanglePatterns.com.
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February 19, 2014 | 
More like this: 
Love to see someone in my town adding to our awesome tangle library! Go VB!
I am so excited to try this one I can tell this one is going To be a lot of fun to work with and so many different Variations to be had here. I just love the birthday card so cute. Thank you for sharing this one.
I really like your easy deconstruction. This pattern reminds me of a wedding ring quilt pattern. I toyed with something similar when I saw the ceiling tiles at a Salt Grass Steakhouse. I doodled but couldn’t seem to get it simple and since it wasn’t simple it wasn’t very zen. I gave up frustrated. I am so extremely happy that you did this one. Thank you,
Dena
Love the Birthday Card! On my first attempt, I had circles going everywhere, but finnally got it! This is very creative and fun. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks to everyone for publishing such inspiring zentangles. I only discovered this amazing art form about 3 weeks ago! I’m so excited!!
Is there anybody out there who lives in east Kent in the UK that is hooked also? Would love to meet up.
To Angela – I’m not in East Kent, but West Sussex, if that’s not too far away. I’m disabled and can’t travel, but you would be very welcome to visit.
From Judy
Hi Judy,
It’s a fair way, but I do sometimes come to Crowborough as my daughter-in – law’s family lives there. Is that close to you?
Judy do you do classes is West Sussex? I like in West Sussex and would love to learn, thanks Carol
Go, VB girls! I’m a NN girl myself, but it’s nice to see that VA is represented by such wonderful talent.
I’m in East Sussex and would love to meet up with other UK tangles. Love this site- not many days go by without a tangle or 3!
Hi Angela, I’m in Essex and am wondering how far away you are from me.
Paulein
I’m beginning to regret moving to Ireland from East Sussex now. Before I moved I had never heard of tangling. I don’t supposed there are any tanglers in north west Ireland? Good luck with your tangling you Sussex and Kent girls. I hope you manage to get together.
oh Jo, I am sure you will make friends soon! Perhaps you could start a tangle group? Good luck!
I am surely enjoying the squirk lines. Still working with it. I am just enjoying where everyone lives. I am in Montana, and of Irish decent. I read everything I can find on Ireland.
Jeanne,
I am in Montana, Billings to be exact! I am just a beginner learning to tangle with no real artistic talent, but I am having fun with it!
Lynda
Jeanne
I am a beginner to tangling and have found that starting with a number gives me inspiration, I try to do one a day. When I have finished with the March dates I am going to start on the alphabet. I live in Donegal, have you been there? Haven’t found anyone who tangles here. I’m enjoying hearing where everyone lives too.
I live in annapolis maryland USA. I’m new to tangling just started in january this year. I’m really enjoying it and learnign a lot..
Hi there, I am fairly new too and am absolutely hooked. I see patterns in everything these and hoping to do a great masterpiece one day!!
Once I got the hang of this one I loved it! I’ve become a tangle addict in a month.
Always amazed by everyone’s talent
Congrats…
I found myself looking at the flower pattern on a paper serviette yesterday and wondering how I could make a tangle pattern from it! Totally addicted!
Jo
Nothing at all shows up when I click on the “here”–no photos, no instructions, nothing but very irritated comments from others who are also trying to find the step out for Squirk. Never had this happen before.
Hi Joyce, the link works fine for me so I have no idea what’s going on there. I can’t see the comments you’re referring to either. I tried using a different browser where I wasn’t logged in (I have a flickr account) and it came up with a blank page first but I used the Refresh icon (to reload current page: Ctrl R) and the page came up fine. Please let me know if that works.
Hi Linda. I did go back in and try it, and this time the link worked. I’m sure it’s my computer, which, while only a little over two years old, has been the bane of my existence since I bought it–brand-new, no previous owners–in March of 2016. There are issues I can’t resolve, so I’ll have to take it to someone who knows what they’re doing.