Exploring the 5 Universal Shapes -Spring Mandala Workshop

Yesterday Patricia and I facilitated our Spring Mandala Retreat Day.  We incorporated Angeles Arrien's process with the 5 Universal Shapes into our mandalas.  The energy in the group seemed to hum with contentment as we welcomed the Spring through creating mandalas in community.  

Here are the  photos that were taken of the days creative process.  

 These are the scale of light experimental doodles that we did at the begining of the day,  each of us exploring the circle, square, triangle, equal distant cross, and circle in our drawings.

                              
                                  Shapes Mandalas with just a hint of color coming into them.

 It is magical to see these in process photos of this drawing process.
Look at the magical, emergence of color and light in Marsha's mandala.  So luminous!!

                           It is amazing to see how each persons drawing essence presents itself.

I feel so honored to witness this creative emergence drawing process, and sharing it here is also a shared pleasure..

                                                        Everyone working away.

 I loved the energy in the room in the afternoon, after we had been deeply drawing for a while. The focused joy of drawing was almost  visceral.  Both calming and energizing at the same time.  The healing power of art and the focusing energy of drawing mandalas, intertwined.  How lovely.

 This is me drawing the my mandala.  I was working with the circle, spiral and triangle.

            Here are everyones mandala's at the end of the day.  Each one so unique and whole.

 Everyone agreed to send me images of them when they are complete, so I will post them when they arrive.

I personally started a color wheel mandala, and I really look forward to playing with it and letting it emerge into what it will become.  I will post its evolution eventually..Until then, happy drawing.

Fall Mandala- Process of a Drawing....

About two weeks ago, myself and my working partner, Patricia Water's, led an Illuminated Mandala workshop, focusing on the change of the seasons, from Summer to Fall.  

We are both facilitators of the late Judith Cornell's Mandala Process.  The workshop was a wonderful day and I have shared the groups process in my last post.  I have finally finished my mandala and am sharing the process of the drawing here.  

This is my original drawing, using white prismacolor pencils on the black paper.

In this second image you can see how I add the scale of light (reversed shading) to the images on my mandala, illuminating the shapes with light.

  

 In this drawing I have begun to add color, in some cases going over the white and in other areas, leaving the white light uncolored.

 Each step of the way is primarily unplanned, and whenever I do something I don't particularly like, I go with it, letting it take me where the drawing wants to go.  Allowing it to change and evolve organically.

Here is the final pieces, a lot more subdued than the last image, but still illuminated.  The intention of this piece was release as well as trusting the process of life and change to guide me, as we move into the winter, the dark, the unknown of the cycle of life.

This mandala, along with many of my other mandala's will be available as a matted print on my etsy store, for purchase.  Patricia and I take these workshops on the road, so if you are interested please get in touch, here.  Our next scheduled Illuminated Mandala Seasonal workshop will be a New Years Intention Mandala Day in January of 2010. Please check our website at the Creative Arts Studio for updates on the details.