We finished up our January mandalas for The Great Round: Stage One – The Void. We used Crayola markers and colored pencils with names like Tomato Red, Inchworm Green, Pinky Pink, Little Boy Blue, Small Potatoes, Sunwave Yellow, Green Sprout, Coral Orange, Gnarly Purple, Pipeline Green, Black Shades, Chocolate Chip, Blueberry, and Hang Ten Purple. We each chose two of the three templates to color.
FIRST PAIR: The first two are the same template. What makes them appear different are our individual color choices. The patterns that emerge with color show up more when posted side by side.
SECOND PAIR: The top mandala in this pair is another Stage 1 template. I was drawn to the organic shapes and bodies. The second in this pair is Stage 0 (zero) – Clear Light. Stage 0, the empty circle, represents wholeness. It is a place to focus, to meditate, before choosing colors and templates.
THIRD PAIR: The last two are the Stage 1 mandalas Liz chose, side by side. Mine are the second and third as you scroll down the page.
Color, color, color. We had a lot of fun with these exercises. The weekend is nearly over. Temperatures have warmed up. Day by day, spring is on the way.
-posted on red Ravine, Sunday, January 27th, 2008
-related to posts, Coloring Mandalas and WRITING TOPIC – CIRCLES
That first pair is amazing in that it doesn’t even look like the same pattern. The second one has such a different look with the blacks placed in certain places. I’m havng the most fun looking at the differences and how the color combinations create them. One looks like a kaleidoscope, the other like a sunflower. Wild.
QM, I’ll have to look at the others tomorrow. I had an unusual Sunday, spent from 1 – 7 at the Emergency Room with my mother. She is fine. She has started to have nose bleeds, something that she had five years ago. They are terrible and most of all cause incredible panic on her part.
I’ll write about it later. I’m exhausted right now.
LikeLike
ybonesy, so sorry about your mother. I am glad she is okay. You must be truly exhausted. You’ve had a really rough week. Hope you can get some rest.
Yes, Liz and I were both amazed when we compared the same two templates that we’d each done. When you see them side by side, you can really see how it’s the color that brings out the patterns. Quite the exercise. It is meditative and calming.
Again, give my best to your mother. Sending good energy.
LikeLike
QM: Thank you for sharing the bright, beautiful mandalas. Just what I needed to warm my heart on a cold blustery winter day.
I like your wonderful plan to draw or color a mandala each month. I don’t mind not having to plan my own design. Just the coloring can be a lovely meditative exercise.
Maybe next on red Ravine, a spot to “Post mandalas here!”
LikeLike
These are beautiful, QM. It’s amazing how the color choices can make the same pattern look so different.
LikeLike
QM and LIz ,Your mandalas are beautiful.I had to go copy a couple myself.
LikeLike
Thanks everyone. We really enjoyed this exercise. It is amazing how the color choices impact the pattern.
BTW, If you go to the Coloring Mandalas post (the link is at the bottom of this post) and look at the 4th photograph from the left (small squares) you can see the template for the two top mandalas in this post. It looks so generic without color!
I wanted to add – to get the full context for this post, it helps to read the Coloring Mandalas post and the info about Susanne Fincher’s book on mandalas.
And as I mentioned in the Comments on that post, she offers two mandala templates that you can download and print out, all for free, if anyone wants to try it. There is also more about creating your own mandala.
Here’s the link for that:
The Studio at Creating Mandalas, Susanne Fincher’s website (LINK)
We are living with the four we colored over the weekend for a while.
LikeLike
BTW, breathepeace, I like your idea in Comment 3:
Maybe next on red Ravine, a spot to “Post mandalas here!”
You just never know what might appear next! 8)
LikeLike
QM & Liz, the mandalas are absolutely beautiful! The first two being from the same template! Interesting what different color choices each of you chose & how incredibly different they are to fool the eyes while looking at them! I loved every one of them! D
LikeLike
QM, in your Coloring Mandalas post, you made the comment that Liz is detail-oriented in her drawing while you are not. Given that comment, I would attribute out of the first mandala pair the second one to her. Let me know if that was a correct guess or not.
The last one also had an amazing amount of detail in the color. It took me a while before I noticed the alternating lighter shades of color within the color box areas, which made the pattern seem to have a pulse to it.
LikeLike
Beautiful…and so much movement going on in them!
LikeLike
QM and Liz, the mandalas are just gorgeous. I like what you say about meditation, QM. I began teaching my daughter to meditate by coloring mandalas (i.e. at five the closest we could get was “when you are coloring pink, pink is all that exists”). It brought us much peace.
It’s really amazing how different the same pattern looks when colored differently. I truly thought they were two different patterns!
ybonsey–sorry about your mom–the nosebleeds are scary! I hope she feels better soon!
LikeLike
Thanks, Melissa. Yes, they are scary, especially when they won’t quit. I appreciate your comment.
Hey, what a great idea for helping a young child slow down and meditate! When I saw the mandala coloring kits, I flashed on the notion that it would be a fun thing to do with my girls. Jim would like it, too, I think.
LikeLike
Heather, thanks!
Melissa, great to hear from you. Cool that you used to use mandalas to teach your daughter meditation. I think kids would love doing this. It’s very soothing.
ybonesy, the last mandala on the post with the shades of light and dark is Liz’s. In fact, the last two are the ones that Liz colored. I agree, the detail in that last one, she had a lot of patience with it. That one would have driven me crazy!
Of the first pair on the post, hers is the first, mine is the second. Funny, but I saw the first as having more detail!
When she was younger, Liz used to color envelopes on her letters in all these very detailed patterns and colors. I had another friend who did that, too, as a teenager. It never would have occurred to me. And the detail on those letters! They were works of art.
LikeLike
I can not help but imagine that weekends at your house, no matter what you happen to be doing that week, are always a lot of fun.
LikeLike
amuirin, I think you might be right. 8) I can’t imagine even one day without having some kind of fun. Liz brings much joy to my life.
And tonight will have a little more fun and joy around because it’s Liz’s birthday. Well, I wasn’t going to say anything, but, you know, she did color half of these mandalas. 8)
BTW, she’s an Aquarius, the eleventh sign of the zodiac, all the way.
LikeLike
“A big Happy Birthday wish to Liz! I hope your day is as special as you are!” D
LikeLike
I imagine it was zen like creating these.
I’m not even sure which one is my favorite for they are all beautiful!
I hope your Mom is okay.
LikeLike
Thanks gypsy-heart. I’m kind of already looking forward to February’s.
diddy, thanks for the birthday wishes. Mom sent an e-card, too. And Liz’s Mom called. She also got lots of well wishes from others all day. Do you know there are two other people where she works with the same birthday?
We are winding down. But I wanted to add that Liz’s Mom reminded her that she won a coloring contest when she was a kid. I can’t remember the details, but from the looks of her mandalas, she’s still got what it takes! Night all!
LikeLike
QM, Brant is here today & when I showed him the mandalas that you & Liz did, he was eager to give it a try. We used the 2nd one that was downloaded from the link as it seemed better suited to a 1st grader! He did 3 of them himself. 2 with crayons & one with gel pens (the gel pens were tricky) He signed his name to all 3 & I promised him that I would let you know how much he enjoyed this practice! We will be doing more in the future for sure!
Hope you & Liz are staying cozy & warm in the frigid weather there!
Take care…D
LikeLike
diddy, that’s so cool about Brant’s mandalas! (Liz and I were just talking about starting our February mandalas tonight.) I love that he signed them, too. It’s good to start signing your artwork! I’ll have to see them when I’m there next time.
Did you all hang them up? I guess part of the practice is to hang them up and live with them for a while, to see what they are trying to tell you. I hung our last four over the bed. I love seeing them every morning.
Mostly they cheer up the winter mornings. It is so cold here today! It dropped tons of degrees just since this morning. It’s a real stay at home and color night. My love to Brant. 8)
BTW, did you color one, too?
LikeLike
QM, Brant was so pleased with his mandalas that he took all 3 home with him to his daddy’s house. I got to do one & he wanted it also, but he was ok with letting it here. I promised him we would do more & I have kept much of his artwork here to save for him, so that he can enjoy them when he gets older! Everything from a photo of a play dough “snow man” that he did when he was 3 years old to well, you name it! We try to keep his mind & imagination active when he is visiting us. He has several plastic bins full of various craft & art supplies here. So much for TV etc. at our house. He enjoys every moment & as we were coloring our mandalas he was humming a tune the entire time, his mouth closed, but his tongue moving outside of it from left to right constantly! You would be proud & much thanks to you & redRavine! D
LikeLike
diddy, I can picture it, Brant humming along while he was coloring his mandalas. And you coloring yours beside him. It’s a great image. I’m glad he wanted to take them home.
It’s hard to describe the things that kids (and adults) get from ART – doing art, making art, learning about art, getting out into the world and seeing what other artists have done.
Art seems to be the first thing (along with exercise) that is cut out of school programs. And I can never understand that. The artists of any time are a reflection of the conscience of that time period. And many are on the cutting edge of blazing a trail forward. Or reviving the art and artists of the past.
I feel the same way about writers. That’s why I am glad that ybonesy and I talk about writing and art. They are both so VITAL to a healthy country, a healthy world.
Thanks for sharing your process with Brant and his mandalas!
Liz and I started our February ones last night. We each did different patterns, very different. Once again, it was centering. But we were up very late. I’m getting a late start this morning! More to come on those when it gets closer to February’s end.
LikeLike
[…] to posts, Coloring Mandalas, The Void – January Mandalas, and WRITING TOPIC – […]
LikeLike
[…] to posts: Coloring Mandalas, The Void – January Mandalas, Bliss — February Mandalas, and WRITING TOPIC – […]
LikeLike
[…] to posts: The Void – January Mandalas, Bliss — February Mandalas, Labyrinth — March Mandalas, and WRITING TOPIC – CIRCLES […]
LikeLike
[…] to posts: The Void – January Mandalas, Bliss — February Mandalas, Labyrinth — March Mandalas, Beginnings – April […]
LikeLike
[…] to posts: The Void – January Mandalas, Bliss — February Mandalas, Labyrinth — March Mandalas, Beginnings — April […]
LikeLike
[…] to posts: The Void – January Mandalas, Dragon Fight – June Mandalas, and WRITING TOPIC – […]
LikeLike
[…] to posts: The Void – January Mandalas, Dragon Fight – June Mandalas, Winding Down – July 4th Mandalas, Squaring The Circle — July […]
LikeLike
Thank you for your creativity and especially for Mandalas from Big Circle, that you are created! I live in Russia and that illustrations very helpfull for me, because I have no possibility to look it from some another sourses. I’m young psyhologist (just a student yet) and try to learn much about methods of art-therapy, especially about Mandala metods.
If you have some materials, that illustrated stages, please, show it… I didn’t saw illustrations about 9 – 12 stages on that blog. “ohh, that studens”, I think you think :). But it really will be very helpfull to me and to other people – it is the way to more easily find the difference between stages. Fore example, sometime it’s a difficult to find different between st. “Labyrinth” (3 st.) and “crystallization”(8 st.)…I think you know this better, than I)
p.s. so strange language that english…)
LikeLike
Vadim, thanks so much for your interest in the mandalas I posted on red Ravine as part of my personal practice last year. The reason you don’t see Stages 9-12, BTW, is that I haven’t posted them yet! I did complete a year of personal mandala work following The Great Round in Susanne F. Fincher’s book and her recommendations for working with archetypal mandalas. And I do plan to get them posted over the early part of this year (I’m definitely the Turtle, not the Hare! And wish I were more of an Ox like yb!).
Working with the mandala archetypes was transformative and sticking with it over a whole year changed me in ways I’m sure I don’t yet understand. I’m continuing to work with them in the studio, painting and drawing, though at a much slower pace.
However, I want to make clear that I’m not an art therapist, though there are many books out there about working with mandalas in art therapy. I borrowed a few books off of Liz’s shelf when I began the practice in January of last year. I’m not clear from your comment, but do you have access to other Internet sites? If so, I’d recommend heading to the couple of sites I provide the links to below. I can also add their contact information in this comment, so that maybe you can write to each of them for more material on the art therapy aspect of mandalas.
As far as making it more clear what the different stages of The Great Round are, maybe I’ll do a wrap-up post when I complete the posting of the December 2008 mandalas, and do a synopsis of the stages from The Great Round that are talked about in Suzanne’s book, and derive from the great work of Jungian, Joan Kellogg. I did like using that structure over the course of a year. It was helpful to have it to follow.
Liz (who has a degree in psychology and is very interested in art therapy) bought another mandala book by Judith Cornell called The Mandala Healing Kit: Using Sacred Symbols For Spiritual & Emotional Healing. She pulled it out during Winter Solstice this year when we were making our bundles to let go of in the fire. I’m not as familiar with that book (also comes with a CD), but hope to take a look at it as I continue to work with the circles over 2009. Suzanne Fincher also has, I think, at least two other mandala books in her series with great templates.
So here are the links and info. I hope it helps with the art therapy and good luck with the teaching!
________________________
Book: The Mandala Healing Kit: Using Sacred Symbols For Spiritual & Emotional Healing by Dr. Judith Cornell
Link to her site: Judith Cornell’s Official Website (LINK) Note: At the bottom of her webpage, there is a video of an interview of a global broadcast she did translated in 10 languages simultaneously, including English. Looks like she also offers Webinars.
Contact Info: Mailing Address: Manifesting Inner Light, P.O. Box 22082, Carmel, CA USA 93922, Main Phone Number: 800-833-4668
_________________________
Book: Coloring Mandalas: For Insight, Healing, and Self-Expression by Susanne F. Fincher – Contains 48 sacred circle designs and goes through the Stages of the Great Round Note: She also offers workshops and Intensives on this process
Link to her site: Suzanne F. Fincher’s Official Website (LINK)
Contact Info: Susanne F. Fincher, Phone Number: 404-290-8773, Email Address: info@creatingmandalas.com
_________________________
Mandala Associates – The Work Of Joan Kellogg
Mandala Associates: Mandala Teachers & Research Associates (LINK) – This is the site that is associated with Joan Kellogg whose work and theories of The Great Round are what I followed in this personal practice. I didn’t know it until I checked out this site, but Joan Kellogg died in 2004 and left behind a great legacy of mandala work that influenced the use of mandalas in art therapy. (Go to the Links on this site for many more resources.)
I’m grateful for the gift of her life’s work which helped guide my own mandala practice. Here’s a link to a long article about her on the site In Memory of Joan Kellogg (1922 – 2004) by Carol Thayer Cox (LINK) and a little blurb:
A visionary and pioneer of art therapy, Joan died of heart failure on January 25, 2004 in Loveland, Colorado at the age of 81. Two sons and her husband of 50 plus years preceded her in death. Three daughters, a son, and five grandchildren survive her. Her ashes were buried next to her husband’s in Pennsylvania at a family memorial service in May. Before her death, Joan made a generous donation of the remainder of her library to the Art Therapy Program at Naropa University…
LikeLike
Thank you for your answer! Though, looks like its a difficult to find some book in a digital format.. But we will try to overcome 🙂
LikeLike
Vadim, yes, I bet it is hard to find some of these books in digital format. Maybe someday though; don’t give up! I’m glad you find these mandala posts helpful. Thanks for stopping by again, all the way from Russia!
LikeLike
Really detailed answer, QM. I’m so glad Vadim came back to check it. But I also wanted to say I was struck by the contrast between the ancient mandala icongraphy and the idea of a digital format for accessing information about mandalas. Seems like a good project for someone out there.
LikeLike
[…] to posts: The Void – January Mandalas, Dragon Fight – June Mandalas, Winding Down – July 4th Mandalas, and WRITING TOPIC […]
LikeLike
[…] Mandala For A New Year, BlackBerry Shots, Golden Valley, Minnesota, January 2011, photo © 2011 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved. […]
LikeLike
[…] Flying Solo (Dragonfly Mandala (Haiga & Collage), 4/52, BlackBerry 52 – WEEK 4, January 30th 2011, photo © 2011 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved. […]
LikeLike
[…] -related to posts: Best Of BlackBerry 365 — First Quarter SlideShow, BlackBerry 365 Project — White Winter Squirrel, Flying Solo — Dragonfly In Yellow Rain, Searching For Stillness, icicle tumbleweed (haiga) — 2/52, The Mirado Black Warrior, Waning Moon (Haiga), The Void — January Mandalas […]
LikeLike
[…] Stillness, icicle tumbleweed (haiga) — 2/52, The Mirado Black Warrior, Waning Moon (Haiga), The Void — January Mandalas, haiku 4 (one-a-day) Meets renga 52, Alter-Ego Mandala: Dreaming Of The Albatross (For Bukowski), […]
LikeLike
[…] Stillness, icicle tumbleweed (haiga) — 2/52, The Mirado Black Warrior, Waning Moon (Haiga), The Void — January Mandalas, haiku 4 (one-a-day) Meets renga 52, Alter-Ego Mandala: Dreaming Of The Albatross (For Bukowski), […]
LikeLike
[…] Beginnings — April Mandalas Labyrinth – March Mandalas Bliss – February Mandalas The Void – January Mandalas Coloring […]
LikeLike