Tag Archives: mandala

Something This Way…

I love Halloween and perhaps I even like Fall. Actually, I do love the smell of fall leaves, wood burning stoves filling the crisp air and the colors of bright reds and oranges that fill the trees and skies. But I hate the dark, cold and wet, which is what fall mostly is around here. I have always loved Halloween because I love making costumes, becoming someone else for a short time. I love dark stories and poems. Like Poe and King NOT Saw and chop them up type movies.

This Fall has been a roller coaster of ups and downs for me… The teaching has been going so well, but physically I have been suffering from an endless cold for almost a month now. It has been hard with the increasing bad weather to get in the needed healthy exercise and nutrition (don’t you just crave those comfort foods that are oh so bad for you when its cold?)

What is your favorite season? What do you like about Fall?

Today’s Mandala is about Fall. Photos are some creative commons photos (one, two) altered in Adobe Photoshop Elements along with some of my own. I have a really simple mandala tutorial that my students use to create this type of digital art. If you are interested in giving it a try yourself. be sure to share the results!

Challenge #15

This is a work in progress of a WATER mandala for Stretch Yourself Challenge #15 for July 2008. The challenge is to create works of art the represent the five elements; earth, wind/air, fire, water and Aether/the void. Since the five elements are a spiritual guide, I felt that representing them in mandala style was fitting.

So far this piece is comprised of recycled party and prom dresses, a silk kimono, carpet samples and a plain white sheet. All of the dress fabric is some kind of recycled scrap that I received from my late Aunt Minnie. I still have some sequined dress that I am trying to work in and I need way more blue. Going with swirls and curls to get a wave/water type feeling. I am also trying to really incorporate texture with the unusual combination and layering of the fabrics. I believe this might become a tote bag to take to the pool for my swim sessions.

I will share more when it is finished. And the other elements as they are created this month. Still working on techniques from my Fiber arts book too.