I love making mandalas.
It gives me time & a space where I can be in a mode of creation, trying not to judge myself and what I put onto the page. Diving deeper, elaborating. Destroying, creating. It is a wonderful and introspective process for me.
So This is how it began. It reminded me of an atom, I remember... the nucleus.
I started this back when I was freshly out of film school, with a need to paint. I had just moved into a collective house with some of my college mates. I bought the biggest canvas I had worked on up till then and wasn't sure what to do... so I just started painting. The base level was a mix of acrylics and (oh my goodness) oils. The first time I had ever tried using oil paints too, mind you. And my concept! it was to use my body as stamps... lol. hmm perhaps oils weren't the ideal medium for that one ;P! ps: do not try cleaning up your oil palettes with water....
woo! I can tell I had fun with this one. Finger painting is one of my favourite ways to paint. I remember this reminding me of a snowflake.
In the bottom right you can get a peek of a book of African Design I was drawing inspiration from and sampling. I almost always use reference photos, I find my works get so much richer and more based in this reality when I do not solely rely on my memory, though I certainly do enjoy doing that too. :) I feel at this point I am still building up my mental image library. Kinda looks like a flower, eh?
Spinning the canvas, trying to get a fresh perspective.
I had trees and a planet in mind at this point. I love incorporating nature into my work.
Ah.. here I have now opened up my book of symbols.
ancient mandala designs...
The human journey sure is something neat
You can now see the four doors emerging... a more classic and refined mandala
This is probably my favourite stage to date. I love the way the yellow criss crosses. I was thinking of bouncing particles and emitted energy.
oo and this one...
Here it goes through a major transformation
I was really proud of what I had done and showed my father, who looks at it, and states, "it's off-centre". And then that is all I can see, Forget the charming human imperfections! It has to be centred now. So I take out some twine and measure it out, marking points where they intersect, trying to get something that is a little more geometrical.
This was also a lesson for myself: to take critiques with a grain of salt and to ultimately listen to my self, because in the end, this whole art-making thing is *really* for me?
but now!! ..
.. a better grid to work off
..
and a good reminder
in the
process of
letting
go...
painting sessions.... !
collaboration !
I love watching evolution at work.