Several months ago I began working on a mandala project to forge some creative relaxation time. I have been enjoying it so much that this month I hope to design a few new mandalas of my own as I graduate to more personally intuitive designs.
A mandala is a circular design that grows out of the urge to connect with oneself and one's place in the cosmos. Mandalas are used as sacred signs and mappages by spiritual traditions all over the globe.
The mandalas I have been working with were designed by a fellow mandala lover and focus on Crystallization, one of the 12 stages of the Great Round. They were drawn in outline form and left open for painting and personal interpretation. I colored these mandalas here using various markers and paint sticks.
Crystallization is associated with the completion of a cycle of growth that began in the Void (Stage One). It is the point in the Great Round where growing energy is perfectly fulfilled in a unique creation. Imagine a fully opened rose in a sunny garden, releasing its fragrance as it gently bobs in a summer breeze. This is the feeling of Crystallization.
Crystallization is a time of reaping rewards and benefits from the work we have performed, of realizing and appreciating our achievements; of resting in the pleasure of having fulfilled a personal creative aspiration. Time seems to slow to a relaxed, enjoyable pace. Crystallization is also a time of significant spiritual understanding, when our spiritual nature comes together in harmony with our physical nature.
info on crystallization and mandala designs by Susanne F. Fincher
colors and artwork by Alexa
I enjoyed painting these very much. Here are a few of my favorites:
