Happy Winter Solstice & Merry Christmas

With thanks to Mr Printables for the colour-in xmas tree, winter wonderland animal templates and tutorial for wooden peg people!

Have a fantastic holiday season, whatever you are up to.

Mandala Magic ~ Hamsa Mandala

More catching up with Mandala Magic. Here's my Hamsa Mandala.
Thank you Julie for an excellent course.

I look forward to taking part in Mandala Magic 2015.

Mandala Magic ~ Manifestation Mandala

Just catching up with Julie Gibbons' 5 Days of Mandala Magic course.

Here's my Manifestation Mandala.

Mandala Magic

I'm currently taking part in the wonderful, free, online workshop 5 Days of Mandala Magic with Julie Gibbons.

Yesterday Julie demonstrated how to create a lotus mandala. Here is my first ever attempt at a lotus mandala.

I took to this like a duck to water! I've always been fascinated with geometric patterns and although I've been aware of mandalas, something about their traditional form always felt a bit inaccessible to me.  But Julie explains how to create these in clear terms without losing any of the mystery and magic behind them. Thank you Julie!

The middle way

Photo by me, words by Pema Chodron.

Something I'm working on...

for my art course.  Illustrating a memory from childhood.

Initial pencil sketch.

Just DO it

I'm doing an art course at the moment.  It's a little bit terrifying.  I'm in the company of some amazing talent.  So amazing that comparing their work to mine is just ridiculous.  At first this made me wobble and wonder whether I was really cut out for such a course.  Maybe I wasn't ready to put my stuff out there for criticism, even constructive criticism, by people of such immense skill.  But it's turned out to be a good thing.  Because the intimidation I felt turned quickly to awe and then to the realisation that I have the privilege and good fortune to learn from them.  It's not a competition, it's a learning experience.  Everybody has to start somewhere, and I AM ready.  Because I'm more excited about learning and improving, even if it means I have to expose myself, my weaknesses, my lack of technical skill, than wanting to stay 'safe' in my own little bubble.  Most of all, I'm excited about DOING, about making, rather than just thinking about it.   The act of making, of creating, really is transformative.  This post says it rather well. 

And here's something I made earlier...

I finished

Today was the last day of my 365 circles project.  This was the last circle.  

And that's about all the profoundness I have to say about that.