Title: "Revelation"
Radii: 8
Size: 12” x 12”
Media Used: Strathmore Gemini 300lb. cold press 100% cotton watercolor paper, Prismacolor colored pencils, water color, pencil, pen, compass, straight edge
I approached the creation of this mandala with an emphasis on the process involved. Before starting, I created several others on paper and on canvas as an exploratory exercise.
With the projects' criteria being based on the complexity (the more complex the better) I decided to use pen and pencils on paper. These materials allowed me to create many shapes with the compass and straight edge while holding up to the repeated use of the compass' point.
I worked on this mandala for several days. I was surprised at how much concentration and time it takes to create all of the constructions. It was very time consuming, but very enjoyable. I started out by created the a vesica piscis (birth of creation) and let things unfold from there.
I would step back away from my construction every now and then to assess what shapes I was attracted to and to decide which ones I would draw out from the construction.
I seemed to really like the flower shape that creates the hexagon and decided to create that pattern as it naturally unfolded all over the paper.
The hexagon with Venus as its ruler (aligned with the number 6) represents harmony, balance, sincerity, love, and truth. Six naturally reveals solutions for us in a calm, unfolding manner. We invoke the Six when we need delicate diplomacy when dealing with sensitive matters. The spiritual meaning of number Six also deals with enlightenment; specifically “lighting” our path in areas we require spiritual and mental balance. Sixes beckon us to administer compassion and consciously choose forgiveness in a situation.
I also liked the equilateral triangles (representing a statement about relationship, balance, and reconciliation) that presented themselves, so I emphasized them as well.
Keeping up with all the lines of the constructed shapes and their relationships with each other was challenging and rewarding. The lines started to remind me of the connecting flight maps that you see at the airport, which I thought was a relevant analogy to how this mandala reveals its unlimited connections through the lines of its construction. It was amazing to see the patterns take shape and difficult to decide which ones to emphasize- as there are so many possibilities.
As for the color, I tried not to consciously choose the colors ahead of time, and instead just be inspired and let one choice lead to the next. At first I was not happy with my selection and thought that maybe I should have been more deliberate, but after I figured out that I would have to layer up the Prismacolor pencil to get the intensity that I was looking for, I loved it!
I was surprised at how much time it took to color the mandala as well. I had to build up the color of the Prismacolored pencil in order to get the coverage that was pleasing to me. I then decided to use a grey water color for the background in order to allow the mandala to remain the focal point.
The resulting colors chosen for the mandala represent the following:
Fuchsia (red pink center point)- Unconditional love and nurturing. This color represents compassion, nurturing and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing.
Purple - Embodies the balance of red’s stimulation and blue’s calm. It uplifts, calms the mind and nerves, Offers a sense of spirituality, and Encourages creativity
Blues/Greens/Turquoise - Communication and clarity of thought. In color psychology, turquoise controls and heals the emotions creating emotional balance and stability. Also represents balance and calmness, renewal, growth, and health
Yellow - Represents the mind and intellect. Being the lightest hue of the spectrum, the color psychology of yellow is uplifting and illuminating, offering hope, happiness, cheerfulness and fun.
The number eight revealed itself through the creation process of this mandala. The number eight symbolizes perfection, and the infinity. As in the book, A Beginer's Guide to Constructing the Universe by Michael S. Schneider, states that the Octad reflects our “ability to apply self-renewal and limitless growth”. The Octad has roots in the Monad, Dyad, and Tetrad. In this way, it exhibits wholeness, cycles, polarity, and manifestation. Moreover, it represents the principles of self-renewal at a higher stage. This is perfect for me considering some very difficult personal issues I am working on recovering from.
Another thing to note about the process is that through the long tedious work of creating the ultimate simple-looking mandala form, the creator knows (is aware) of the many infinite shapes, patterns, and connections that lay underneath and are now unseen. This provides a great analogy to viewing the universe. This is why I decided to leave the subtle ruminates of the constructions in my background. I think they are fascinating and provide a glimpse into the complexity involved in creating the mandala that takes center stage.
