A zentangle Mandala and some zentangle knots

I can't stop zentangling. I've bought the perfect book for it with perfect paper in it and it's gorgeous and I love it! My new pens, Pigma Micron fineliners are the best! The only trouble is that my neck and shoulder hurt after a while. It's so hard to take breaks and suddenly two hours have passed and I haven't even noticed it :)

I made the zentangle mandala the day my daughter left Sweden for the Greek island Rhodos for five months. The boarder of the mandala is full of hearts even if that can be a bit hard to notice. I really like making mandalas, it's a great way to deal with feelings. It's nice to put my thoughts in the zentangle and kind of having them safe in a circle.

The zentangle with the knots was so fun to draw! Really easy to make and it only took me an hour.

The third and last Mandala assignment - Mandala as a dream catcher

I'm so into this mandala making that everything else at home is neglected. I needed time on my own to really get into mandala thinking and making mandalas part of my life, so there was never any other option. However, now it's Easter and I will be more available to my family :)

This third assignment was to make a mandala based on dreams or images or elements that are part of your life. I new exactly what would be included in my mandala. Waves, as I think the sound of them a warm summer day is so soothing and they are forever, whatever happens in the world, no matter if I'm happy or sad, they are still there with their irrepressible strength. Owls, because I love the sight of them, the coolness about them and the smartness they stand for. I feel respect and humility for them. Rays of sun surrounding them. That just felt right and bright and brings hope for the future.

So, as you can see I'm not good at drawing, I'm more of a "pattern person" but when I draw it always gets kind of childish. In any case I like it and I've decided not to get into the comparison game, which is easy to do when I see all the incredibly talented artists around me.

The text around the rays is about owls and waves. I also had to write down this wonderful poem of an owl that I just love. I have no idea who wrote it.

The Wise Owl
The wise old owl sat in an oak.
The more he saw the less he spoke.
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we be like that wise old bird?

Thank you Lisa for this workshop! As you already know you've given me the mandala fever and I'm grateful for that :) Also, thank you for that wonderful meditation session. I will surely come back to it, over and over again. Love!

Had to take a closeup because I've used water colour with glitter in it and it's so sad that it doesn't show properly on the photo. In this closeup you might see it in the blue and green (the green outside the mandala).

Playing in your Mandala garden - Lesson two by Lisa Hofmann

This assignment was to create a mandala from the center outwards. I tried to paint directly with watercolour, without drawing lines first, but that was too difficult to me. It became a mess. I definitely have to practice more on doing that. I cheated a bit and instead drew patterns from the center outwards and then coloured them with watercolour.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the process and mandala making is such a great way to just let go and get in the wonderful state of just being and not thinking. I surrounded my little mandala garden with flowers and leaves.

So, in the next mandala lesson we will be exploring the mandala as a practice or tool for gathering healing insight and as means of deepening self awareness. So exciting!!!

Circle play - Lisa Hofmann, the second assignment in 21 Secrets

Ok. I have to admit, I had no idea what a Mandala was. I loved the introduction that Lisa Hofmann did to this meditative form of art. I've noticed that almost every piece I make is full of circles and I tend to always make a circular motion and I believe it has been a subconscious action for me, and I guess circles really mean something in my life.

So, guess if I liked this workshop??? I've only done the first part, circle play, and I actually made three pieces :) I wrote on the first one, the second one got kind of crazy, the third one I'm showing you here.

As a child I had a kaleidoscope which I had completely forgotten about. When I made this piece I suddenly remembered how much I loved it. I could be in bed at night looking in it, feeling amazed over the great patterns and wonderful colours that showed up. Always new patterns and it felt like I was in another world. This Mandala took me right back to my childhood and I feel greatful for that. That is what the text around the Mandala is all about.

It actually made me order a build-my-own-kaleidoscope-kit! Crazy, I know, but I am the kind of person that act upon my feelings, immediately. Now I cannot wait for it to be delivered so that I once again can disappear in the beauty of patterns and colours! And this time I get to build it myself :) I want to see how it works (I was a child who loved playing with Lego, so maybe that explains my urge to build things myself) ;)

I coloured this piece with my ProMarkers and filled in the lines with Sharpies. Maybe I should have stopped there but I wanted more so I went on with way too much glitter stickles and finished it with some bling stones. Who said less is more... :)

Thanks Lisa for a wonderful workshop and I'm looking forward to step two in Mandala-making!