Mandalas the Sacred Circle

"People have used mandalas ( meaning "sacred circle") for meditation and prayer for thousands of years. To draw one, gather a pencil, paint , paint brushes, colored pencils or drawing tools and paper of your choice. Draw a circle on the paper. Empty your mind of thoughts, especially negative ones; if you're trying to overcome a problem, focus on the solution. Then just begin to paint or draw random shapes inside the circle, letting the paint or drawing take you where it will. Once you are finished drawing or painting, don't allow yourself to make any more marks; just contemplate your work. Perhaps it will teach you about the rhythms of your life. Perhaps it will solve a mystery, and perhaps it will just give you a great resurgence of joy. - Betsy Dillard Stroud, author of Painting From the Inside Out.

The above information was from the February 2006 issue of Artist Sketchbook.

This is my mandala out of watercolor, since this is my medium of choice. I am not yet sure how to read what I painted. To me it kind of seems like a exercise from the 60's. But to tell you the truth, it feels good and I will try more of it. It also seems like a great way to warm up before a serious painting session. It is a very meditative way to just let go of everything. Give it a try and check out www.mandalaproject.org for more infomation.

God's Little Creatures

The warm weather brought the squirrels out of their slumber this week. I sketched this little fellow who was outside my office window. I do have to admit that I threw some nuts out there so I would have a good subject to sketch. This was a 3 minute sketch. I concentrated on the overall shape or silhouette. With very little detail, you can tell what it is. This is a great way to sketch and to learn how to describe shapes by their edges. Give it a try, it only takes minutes!

February Workshop

Images from our February Workshop. Pictures courtesy of Janine Kennedy.

Still LIfe

The image above is a still life drawing from our last workshop. The artist is Mackenzie Paschke. There was some great still life artwork created at the workshop. Mackenzie was kind enough to share hers.