Tag Archives: Mandala Magic

Participation in Circles Cycles Symbols Event

Originally my plan was to blog about my daily experiences in the Circles Cycles Symbols event as noted in my previous post. However, due to some different issues, I was not able to follow through as planned. On the bright side, I completed all of the exercises by the last day of the event (today).
Rather than making separate posts for each exercise I will summarize them below. Here goes!

Exercise 1 – Circles
Basic circle geometry
Basic circle geometry
 
Back to basics with Circle Geometry. This was a good refresher. The photo above is from my art journal entry and shows my efforts with this exercise. I like how adding splashes of color to highlight information made this simple exercise more artistic.
 
Exercise 2 – Concentric Rings
Concentric Rings
Concentric Rings
 
The exercise was to draw concentric rings starting at the center and radiating outwards. It helps with focus and is calming.
 
Concentric rings with descriptive words
Concentric rings with descriptive words

The prompt was to create a two page spread of concentric circles with matching descriptive words. I thought about tree rings, and how using tree ring dating can tell the history of a particular time and place.

 
Exercise 3 – Connections
Connections with radial lines
Connections with radial lines

A basic mandala grid can be formed by connecting the center and the circumference with radial lines.

 
Radial lines and concentric circles
Radial lines and concentric circles

Sections can be made large and small. The rays suggest the sun.

 
Exercise 4 – Combination Grid Mandala
Combination Grid
Combination Grid

Combining concentric circles, radial lines, and connections creates a more complicated and interesting mandala. Adding color can also create patterns. There are endless possibilities for different combinations with this star symbol mandala.

 
Exercise 5 – Two page spread
Twin Mandalas Spread
Twin Mandalas Spread

The final exercise was to draw  twin star symbol mandalas on facing pages. They are both variations on the same combination grid mandala from exercise 4. Notice how variations in lines, shapes, and colors can create different looking results!

The most important takeaways for me are:
  • Be present, and stay focused.
  • Don’t forget to breathe.
  • Let go of  worries about not being perfect. There is beauty in imperfection.
  • Stay true to your self and to your aesthetic.
  • Don’t be afraid to experiment.

This was a valuable learning experience for me, and I hope that anyone else who participated in the event found it rewarding! I highly recommend Mandala Magic School to anyone interested in learning more about the mandala art form. And definitely take advantage of any FREE workshops offered in the future.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Mandala Magic Taster Event

Have you ever wanted to learn the basics of mandala-making, or to find out about the symbolism and history of the mandala? Here’s your chance!

Circles Cycles Symbols
Circles Cycles Symbols Mandala Course

Right now there is a FREE taster event being offered at the Mandala Magic School. It will run from December 5 – December 15, 2023. To learn more and to sign up follow this link.

Currently I am participating in the event. My plan is to blog about my progress. Unfortunately I got a bit of a late start last night, but hope to catch up. At any rate, all of the lessons will be available for the entire length of the event.

Mandala Magic – Flower of Life

The final lesson of the 5 Days of Mandala Magic workshop concerned sacred geometry. We were introduced to the Flower of Life design, which simply put, consists of a series of same size circles being placed at regular, overlapping intervals. Very cool and quite pretty! Thanks to Julie for some fascinating information on this element of design!

Geometric mandala
Flower of Life Mandala #5DaysMM

The exercise was to create a mandala featuring the the flower of life design. For my mandala I used a black Sakura Pigma Micron 01 pen to do the inking. Coloring was accomplished using Tombow Retro dual brush pens. At the centers of the flower elements I used a silver Pilot G2 metallic gel pen for nice highlights.

While I’m late in posting here on the blog, I uploaded this same mandala to my Instagram account back in November.

 

 

Mandala Magic – Hamsa Mandala

In the next day of the 5 Days of Mandala Magic workshop we learned about the symbolism of the Hand and the meaning of Five. Very interesting! The hamsa (hand) form is a protection  symbol which has significance across many cultures. The hamsa symbol features five digits (thus the symbolism of the 5). To create a hamsa you can either trace your hand (the simplest way), or do a more stylized form (as I chose for my mandala).

The exercise was to create a mandala featuring the hamsa symbol. For my design I wanted to go with a henna style. Use of a Renaissance zendala tile seemed appropriate. I also  thought use of a sienna Sakura Pigma Micron 01 pen was perfect. Shading was done using a white pencil. Continue reading

Mandala Magic – Concentric Circles Mandala

As I discussed in my previous post, I recently participated in the Five Days of Mandala Magic workshop with Julie Gibbons. The next exercise was to make a concentric circles mandala. As pointed out in the workshop, the construction of a concentric circles grid is a bit easier than that used for the lotus flower pattern.  Drawing concentric circles of varying depths allows for a lot of variation and originality. My mandala was done in black and white, using a basic zendala tile with the patterns drawn with a black Sakura Pigma Micron 01 pen.

Starting in the center I made a spiral. Going outwards from the middle to the next two rings I drew orbs and filled u-shaped loops respectively. Next I included a ring of parallel lines which looked like a series of bars going around the circle. For the penultimate ring I went with the tangle pattern Hua by Mei Hua Teng CZT. In the outermost ring I drew a pattern of wavy C-shapes.

I’m not sure if this mandala can also be considered a Zendala, but it certainly has elements thereof. I like how it turned out!

Concentric Circles Mandala
Concentric Circles Mandala #5DaysMM

 

 

Mandala Magic – Lotus Flower Mandala

This past week I participated in Five Days of Mandala Magic, a free online workshop offered by Julie Gibbons. Ever since I first found out about this workshop two years ago I had wanted to sign up.

I highly recommend taking the workshop the next time it is offered! If you are interested in learning about mandala/zendala then I suggest that you go right now to Julie’s site and sign up for her newsletter. That way you will receive a timely notification regarding when her next free workshop will be offered. She also teaches a year long, paid Mandala Magic course. Julie Gibbons has a great teaching style and you will learn a lot about the symbolism and emotionality of the mandala art form, as well as how to construct different types of mandalas. Zentangle aficionados will love it too. Continue reading