Exploring a new art path--The Mandala

I joined an egroup a while back called Mandala Oasis. I've always been interested in the mandalas created by monks from sand. My mandalas will not be quite as intricate but I am enjoying "throwing something" in the circle and seeing what results. I have used different media--colored pencils, markers, oil pastels, in addition to adding some collage elements.

I've posted my latest mandala, which I made yesterday. I was feeling out of sorts: I had what my mother called "a piss-poor mood." I decided to make the mandala using oil pastels and not care that the shapes I used weren't perfect or that the colors spread into each other while coloring. I just flung everything on the page.

Then, I got the idea to add some collage elements. I added the clock and felt there was still something missing. I kept feeling like I should find an eye in my collage stuff. Coincidentally (or synchronistically?), as I began looking through my stuff, there was an eye in one of the clear, plastic envelopes staring back at me. I never had to open up envelopes or binders to search for it. It was just there. Once I had the eye, I found three other elements that completed the piece.

It turns out that the eye was very important since it gave me the title of the mandala: "Wh(eye)?" Someone had left a comment about one of my older blog entries the other day using word play like that.

And that's how this mandala came together!

--Vicky :o)

"Wh(eye)?" Mandala
Mixed media on paper
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione