Mandala ...and the Spiral Process

As I spent time working on this mandala during the week, I reflected on my last post here, where I was a bit discouraged about flitting around from one art project to another and not losing myself deeply into one experience.  I realized ...or rather had a rather large epiphany that like the center of this mandala, I was deeply into the Spiral Process at this point in my life.  When one is in the spiral process, they are engaged in experimentation, moving from experience to experience,  seemingly going around in circles, but actually moving into different levels of awareness.  Change is the constant and is what is needed for growth and healing.   

So in my Friday Medicine Art group this week, I shared this awareness as well as Angeles Arrien's 5 Universal Shapes Experiential, which is explained in depth in her beautiful book The Signs of Life.  Realizing this changed my perspective around how I spend my time these days, and shifted me from judgement to joy. This mandala is still not complete, but its getting closer to the essence of where it wants to be.  I will post it once again when it is truely complete.  

For those who do not know of Angeles Arrien, she is well worth finding out about.  She is a cross cultural anthropologist, Basque Mystic storyteller.  She has written many wonderful books on myth and symbol as well as researching rites of passage and tying them into contemporary life.  She is an inspiration to hear speak and is truly a wise woman teacher.  More information can be found on the link to her website.  

Mandala Emerges as I flit from project to process

The Mandala that I began on the solstice slowly emerges as I flit like a butterfly from thing to thing. Without a structure of consistent work in my life, one would think I would be more productive. In many senses I am accomplishing alot creatively, but it is in a scattered way. More like a butterfly flitting from flower to flower.   Drawing Mandalas is centering and focusing, but only if one spends a bit of engaged time doing it.  I go from drawing, to making jewelery, to photographing items to sell on my new etsy store....and then do a bit of carving on my encaustics,  some collageing in one of the 3 journals I have going and then dash out to the Y for a swim.  Ahhh, life in the scattered lane.  I am loving it, but feel I need to focus on just one thing. Or do I?

So far, so good...more to come, maybe..

Here is my encaustic challenge piece with a bit more detail, some collage elements and lots more copper.  It is begining to get there...maybe it is done, or maybe not.  But the articulation of the archway is a bit more honoring of the playful and happy young women they were at that time in their lives.  I will post a more completed version when its done, but I must sit with it a bit and  see what calls to me...and what the piece seems to be asking of me.  I really enjoyed working with the nylon and pattern piece.  Nylons actually are a very good sculptural element for encautic...who would have guessed.  

Encaustic Challenge Process

Where to begin....what to do?  Here is what happened

As part of the etsy encaustic artist "Beeswaxteam Challenge"  I received a panties pattern and a nylon stocking in the mail from another encaustic artist on etsy.  The challenge and it was one to start with, was to create an encaustic painting incorporating any part of the items received.

At first I really had no idea where to go with these seemingly random but connected items.
Then I started going through some vintage family photos thinking something might click and I came across several of mother as a young woman with her friends.  I vacillated between two photos then decided I like this one of my mom and my "aunt Margie"  under an arbor.  These two were life long friends. 
The other image I considered was one of my mom and her friends actually in their panties outside probably on vacation somewhere.  I saturated the cradled hardboard with encaustic medium and dipped the nylon in it as well.  The nylon began to form a sculptural frame for the image...hmmm,
I began to apply some transparent colors of encaustic paint....ie R&F paints very diluted with encaustic medium.
I wanted the words from the pattern piece to show through.  However I wasn't really enthralled by the colors at this point.

The center where I was planning on tranfering a copy of one of the photos was too lumpy over the pattern so I scraped it down to the medium.
Placing the copy onto the board I burnished and then peeled away the layer rubbing it with water.
Here is Addie and Marguerite peering through...I love the mystery of photo transfer.

From this point on I kept adding color and playing with possiblities
Hmmm, not sure about the gold rickrack but it needs something...
Its a bit dull and needs more contrast and something more done to it
Taking it another step with more color and starting to carve into the wax a bit here and there.
Then I decided to darken the blue a bit...This is where I left it after the first day of working on it. One thing is for sure, this challenge has challenged and inspired me.  It has been a while since I heated up my hot plates and worked at it again, and this really got me engaged and excited.  More to come..

My Slowly Evolving Mandala

I have been slowly working on the Mandala I started at the last Illuminated Mandala summer retreat day.  My focus was creating a visual prayer for the earth.. It has changed a bit and will continue to evolve over time.

As color has come in, the central focus has been come a spiral at the center of the earth rather than the earth itself.   It always amazes me how images have a life of their own and take form of their own accord.  I just follow the inner prompts and see where it takes me.   I have to remember to stay out of judgement and into the witness.  I guess just getting out of the way.
I will post more images of this mandala as it evolves.