mandalas

Tonight, I am the "presenter" for a breast cancer support group.  I have the great pleasure of sharing with them my enthusiasm for the healing qualities of personal expression, especially through the visual arts. Because that is what I know best.  This is the fourth time that they have asked me to participate, but each time there has been a different group of women. 

I have introduced them to soul collage, visual journaling, working with the non-dominant hand, and mandalas.

Tonight, I will share mandalas with them, and everyone will have a chance to create their own and finish it with watercolor.

Mandalas (mandala - from the ancient Sanskrit for "sacred circle") as I teach them, are artworks done within the safe container of a circle.  Using simple shapes, and colors, we can symbolically depict feelings, emotions, memories, whatever your story is, within the circle.  These mandalas can help one to feel more balanced and centered, simply serve as a emotional release, or just be fun.
This is one of my most favorite topics to teach, and also to create for myself.

This mandala was created with watercolor, and is 11 " x 14".