2012 Mandala

Mandala, a sacred circle, creations have been a discipline of mine to connect with myself. I began these way back when I was in a masters program in art therapy and learned that Carl Jung began this method of self-discovery.

What I really enjoy is the freedom and meditative state which occurs when creating mandalas. I guess the process is most important to me regardless of the product. Process versus product is the continual tension of art therapy theory.

After several inquiries about mandala paintings on my website, I realized that I had abandon this practice. Why?

Why not! Even though I sat down to create a mandala in December, it has sat uncompleted at my drawing table until today. Being in an introspective couple of months, I was open to what transpired in the process of creativity. I know frogs represent cleansing, but I am still wondering about the meaning emanating from this creation.

Frog, kaleidoscope, rocks, grounding..........hmmmmm?

"Arts to Remember"

Today was my last day creating art with residents at various assisted living centers in Olympia as part of the "Arts to Remember" program. Selected art pieces will be on display at the annual Arts Walk in downtown Olympia October 7th and 8th.

This year I went to two locations, Merrill Gardens and Olympia West. We created mandalas and several different still lifes in craypas and watercolor. The challenge was to relate that everyone can do art and that the art does not need to be realistic. I even got to a point where I "outlawed" any negative talk about one's art creation. But, that was short lived.

Today, I brought a bouquet of strawflowers from my garden. First time I have grown them and what amazing plants. The shape of the leaves and flatness of the stems are as as unique as the flowers themselves.



Here is a close up view of the strawflowers



The bouquet that became the subject matter of today's session.


Closer view



I attempted to explain that we would be doing an Impressionistic version of this bouquet; my demonstration....


Anyways, they said that they had fun!

Reviving The Mandala

I have the honor and privilege to work with a practitioner from Sri Lanka because I am on the faculty of the International Trauma Treatment Program. My role is to facilitate the exchange of information in trauma treatment using art therapy.

My approach is to engage the practitioners in creating art and learning from the process how art therapy might benefit their work with traumatized people of their country.

This is the second practitioner in the program who works at the Butterfly Peace Garden in Sri Lanka. The Butterfly Peace Garden (BPG) is a non-governmental organization established in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka in 1996. Children are brought to the BPG each day from surrounding villages in groups that are mixed with respect to gender and ethnicity (e.g. children from Tamil and Muslim villages). A typical program cycle runs one day a week for nine months and involves activities drawn from a range of visual, dramatic and musical arts. Activities are conducted by adult animators skilled in one or more artistic discipline, who have in many cases experienced psychological wounds similar to those of the children who come to the BPG. The BPG has for several years served as a model for innovative and effective programs for war-affected children, families and communities.

Today, I was feeling a bit "traumatized" from the rushed day I had been experiencing. I explained to the practitioner how "centering" it is to create a mandala especially without any preconceived image. Drawing a circle and creating shapes, lines, and forms with colors inside the boundaries of the circle can be very therapeutic. It is calming and very similar to meditation.

When creating a mandala, I find that images may appear and I can choose to bring forth that image, or not. What appeared today was the image of a female dancing. I wondered if it were a message to me........

to dance with the flow of life rather than to react? There is a free feeling; a sense of joy and power to this movement.
It makes me smile.


This mandala has awakened my intuitive nature and I know that there is more to come. It is posted on my wall so that I can see and hear its message.

It has revived my interest and love of creating mandalas.

Mandalas and STARS

I will be doing four art sessions with the participants of the STARS Program at the Senior Center in Olympia, Washington.

The STARS and Respite Care Program offers supervised therapeutic activities in a group setting for frail seniors and disabled adults. With excellent staff and volunteers, STARS is able to offer fun and creative client focused activities along with excellent personal care. While their family member is enjoying the day at STARS, caregivers are able to receive a needed break, enabling them to continue to give loving care.

Today was the first day of my art program with the group. I brought in books with photographs of mandalas and shared about how to create a mandala. The media we used for this activity was colored markers.

Enjoying being creative........


STARS Program Director, Cheri Knighton, assists one of the seniors

Divine Forces - Art That Awakens The Soul

I just learned that Paul Huessenstamm's book, Divine Forces - Art That Awakens The Soul, is now available.

Paul who creates incredible mandalas believes in the mystery of the artist. The action of the artist involves surrender, letting go, allowing, opening, petitioning, prayer, and inner supplication. Paul believes that a transformation takes place spontaneously without conscious participation of the individual. He or she simply wakes up to the fact that something larger than his or her own sense of self is operation inside and expressing itself through action in the world.

Paul shares the spiritual path of the artist in his book. The artist, according to Paul, is truly an instument It is not a choice or a willed expression.

I cannot wait to read more.

ordered a copy!

ArtRageous

ArtRageous: Artists in Action Art Fair presented by the City of Auburn Arts Commission in celebration of its 25th Anniversary and generously supported by 4-Culture Site Specific Network.

It is held Saturday, July 25, 2009 from 11AM to 4PM at LesGove Park, 11th and Auburn Way S., Auburn, Washington.

It is a FREE EVENT!

There will be over 30 activities to encourage your inner-artist. It is for ALL ages and ALL skill levels in a fun art festival atmosphere in the park.

I will be one of the participating artists, and will provide watercolor paints and paper for fair-goers to experience creating mandalas with my guidance. I will also have prints for sale, ceramic tiles, and cards.

Come join the fun!

Sand Mandala and Deconstruction

This evening for the last class of the Create Mandalas for Personal Expression and Awareness which I taught at The Evergreen State College, I brought colored sand. We talked about the Tibetan Sand Mandalas and how the Native American Indians create sand mandalas. Then we let loose ourselves.

I watched as different techniques were invented; from paper tubes such as decorating cakes to dispersing sand from the palm of your hand. Of course every mandala was unique.

The mandalas were created on a large, thin piece of cardboard. After we discussed our mandalas and found the significance in our lives, one of the students began to tap the edges of the cardboard and the mandala transformed. We all tried this technique and were fascinated with the process.

I know that the idea behind sand mandalas is an exercise in impertinence, but I did bring my camera. We were so intrigued with the transformations that I documented them. Here is my sand mandala and its deconstruction.

What FUN!

World View of Mandalas

What is a Mandala?

The word "Mandala" is from Sanskrit, a classical Indian language developed over 2,300years ago. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model of the organizational structure of life itself-a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.

Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community. Tibetan Buddhist believe that the mandala is "a matrix or model of a perfected universe," says noted Buddhist scholar, Professor Robert A.F. Thurman. "Every being is a mandala.... We are our environment as much as we are the entity in the environment."

The integrated view of the world represented by the mandala, while long embraced by some Eastern religions, has now begun to emerge in Western religious and secular cultures. Awareness of the mandala may have the potential of changing how we see ourselves, our planet, and perhaps even our own life purpose.

Vertical Mandala

Having been away a long time, before beginning to create a mandala watercolor painting, I felt the urge to place my watercolor paper vertical. This was unusual as all previous mandalas have been painted horizontally. I laughed! I had dramatically made some changes in my life and my spacial orientation wanted to change with it.

I began this mandala similar to the previous four painted in my studio; the colorful line snaking across the center of the circle. I talked about this line symbolically representing me and taking form since my mother's death. In the last painting the shape began to sprout branches, but this time a human shape appeared to me. Yes, I was floating! Yet, from my hand vibrant, abundant life was blossoming (nearly overwhelming by its size and weight). I thought I was floating in water, but instead the water turned into clouds and I added the peaceful ocean scene below.

Needing more support, the mandala image became embodied by the suggestion of hands lifting it to the sky. I am open, receiving, while gently being held.

Watercolor Pencil Mandalas

Although I have been painting with watercolors for about twenty-seven years, using watercolor pencils is a whole new experience.

It is drawing with colors. I found with my set of thirty-six pencils plenty of color options and no need to mix colors. The final mandala looked soft and light before I added the water. Using a small brush, I basically painted over each color individually, allowing a little bleeding and mixing of the colors.

This was totally different!

When I paint with watercolors, I look for the happy accidents that occur through the bleeding of colors. I wonder with more experience using watercolor pencils if my approach will change???

First mandala:



"Urchin by the Sea"

Second Mandala:



"Calle by the Ocean"

The portability of this medium and easy set up makes it ideal for travel. I plan to create more mandalas on my next trip to Mexico at the end of March. Until then, I am heading back to the studio to paint with watercolors.

Watercolor Pencils

What a GREAT portable art medium!

I just returned from 10 days in Mexico..........FABULOUS!!!
Best of all I managed to find time to create two mandalas paintings while sitting by the ocean listening to the sounds of the waves crashing as well as being visited by dolphins.

I cannot expound enough about the simplicity of carrying along a set of watercolor pencils, field watercolor pad, a couple of brushes, and some water.
You can literally set up anywhere!

Here is the spot I chose.



See the flat area overhanging the water? That is where I painted. Nice, huh?!

I will post the mandala paintings as soon as I find a day in Olympia, Washington that it is not raining or snowing. I hope I do not have to wait until Spring! I did photograph the paintings while in Mexico, but total sunshine washed out some of the color........can you believe, too much sun!

Mandala Insights

Hooray for Fridays! It is my day in the studio and I was looking forward to creating another watercolor mandala painting before I slip off to Mexico to pamper myself.

Mountains and a body of water appeared in my mandala today in addition to the free flowing image that has threaded its way through my previous mandala paintings. The image has been my starting brush strokes which seems to take me into the painting. Landscapes and especially active bodies of water accent the last three mandala paintings.

Today it came to me that the floating image is a self-image; amorphously taking shape. In the third mandala I was budding and in this mandala I am reaching out, growing and branching. The first mandala I am enmeshed in emotions and blurred, and the second mandala I am small and thin barely there. I see myself transforming as I continue to process loss.

In addition, the background of the past three mandalas have watery feelings which give each mandala a floating quality. Again I return to the symbolism of the ocean and a returning to the womb......so much meaning!

More Mandalas

I have been enjoying creating watercolor mandala paintings this past week as a barometer to my emotional well-being. Usually I create a mandala in one painting session and sometimes add the background color the next day.

Exception; I repainted the background on this mandala after living with it for a few days. At first I wanted a yellowish glow which is not so apparent when posted on an earlier blog, but the painting called for blue. I like it much better.

What do you think?

On another note of blue, I found myself contemplating the depth of the ocean and all the symbolism associated with the ocean in relation to Mother Earth. I thought about the deep connection with my mother.

Here is the mandala which came out of this meditative painting session.

I have yet to understand the floating orange image, but I know it will be revealed in due time.