Doing a little business

Time to talk some business. For the art walk I had prints made of my five Chakra paintings. This one is of the Root Chakra. It's dimensions are 22 " by 30". The original is $450.00 and the print is $90.00. The prints have a gloss finish and can be easily mailed as they are protected in a mailing tube.

Friends and Family

Some pictures here of friends and family who came by. In these pictures are my daughter Jacquelyn and my good friend Sandy, her mom and her daughter. On the second day my good friend Joanie arrived as well.

The Art Walk Adventure

It was a very interesting weekend during the art walk on Whyte Avenue. I had a very good spot right in the heart of the avenue. For those of you who don't know, Whyte Avenue is the 'funky' street of the city. A lot of older buildings, a huge variety of shops and great places to eat and drink. It being so close to where I live makes a big difference to me, as I don't drive and can easily get there by walking or a short bus or LRT ride away.

The first day started with having a lot of last minute things to take care of. My husband was so very helpful and I couldn't have done as good a job without him. He made my display and also picked up various important items for me, like my prints and the containers for them. We were in a bit of a panic mode those last two days before the art walk, but thankfully, everything came together in time.

My husband was with me at the art walk for the majority of the time. This is very helpful if you need bathroom breaks, for instance!! :) We were very close to a coffee shop, as well...and my husband really liked that! This picture shows my first set up, and I say first because it changed each day.

During the first day we met so many interesting people. Some from as far away as Africa! I find that a lot of people who are from other countries are much more open to my type of art. Most of them know what a Chakra is, and that's very nice for me! I did have explanations written down for people who where not familiar with it.

I must admit, I do enjoy having a compliment or two about my paintings. It was very satisfying, especially since, as an artist, you don't get a lot of feedback when you are painting by yourself in your studio! I had some very lovely people say some very nice things to me and it made my day!!

Mandala - Male and Female

The Triangle, like the circle and the square, is a frequently appearing symbol in mandalas. The pointed up triangle represents male energy (fire). The pointed down triangle is the female energy (water). The combination of the two triangles brings out something different all together in the middle of the mandala. I like to look at this as a puzzle...as people can be very puzzling in their relationships to each other and the world around them.

This mandala is 8 x 8 and is painted with acrylics on canvas.

Mandala - Circle and Square

The square symbolically stands for earthly life, earthly matter, stability, order and rational thinking. It represents the balance between the four seasons and the four cardinal directions. When a square appears with the circle of a mandala, it is harmonizing the earthly and the cosmic.

I love to draw and paint shapes. I like to see if I can make up shapes and combine shapes to make up something I haven't seen before. I just liked the unusual look of this mandala...and I loved painting it. And that's what it's all about, right?

Much of my information about Mandalas came from the book "Mandala Workbook - For Inner Self-Discovery" by Anneke Huyser.

Mandala - Tree of Life

The tree is rooted in the earth and its branches reach toward the sky. Therefore, the tree can stand as a symbol for life. I painted this with the perspective of looking down on a tree...but the tree has four sides. The birds are trying to find a spot to land but it looks almost like they are swirling into a vortex. I like to 'play' with different ways of seeing things. I realized after I was done that this could be taken as an image of a cross. Although that was not my original intention, I would like people to see what they want to see in this mandala.

This mandala is a larger size at 12 x 12 inches.

Mandala - Butterfly

The Greek name for butterfly is psyche, the symbol for the human soul. A butterfly that appears in a mandala can refer to beauty, impermanence, immortality, rebirth, or a change of appearance.


This mandala was also done with my youngest daughter in mind. After she moved out, I thought about creatures that fly. I love the Monarch butterfly especially for it's vibrant red-orange colour and black and white background and spots. I was going to add more to this, but thought better of it. I think it says exactly what I want it to say.

This is an acrylic painting on canvas. Size is also 8 x 8.

Mandala - Sea and Sky

I went a bit further with this one. I decided to add seashells to the outer edge of the circle to add texture and also to 'bring home' the feeling of the ocean. I can't think of anything more relaxing than the ocean and looking at the clouds in the sky. This was created so that any person who looked at it could feel the peace and tranquility.

It is also painted with acrylic on an 8 x 8 canvas and has broken seashells added to it for texture.

Spiral Mandala

This is my spiral mandala. The spiral symbolizes life and death, expansion, and turning inward. A spiral that turns clockwise, like this one does, refers to something from the unconscious that wants to manifest itself. I did this mandala when I was trying to come to terms with my youngest daughter moving far away. To be a mother is a wonderful thing. To see your children grow and mature is also wonderful. For the mother, though, it can be extremely difficult to let go of that child. This has been a big part of my life for over 23 years, and trying to just ...let it be...let go...was so hard. I found that creating these mandalas was very helpful in my recovering my sense of 'balance'.

This mandala is also 8 x 8 and is painted with acrylics on canvas.

Mandalas

I am now showing the Mandalas that I have produced for the art walk which is in only 4 days from now. I am trying to get organized, and it is quite a task! I am sure that I am not the only artist who is a bit stressed at the moment!

I will tell you a bit about what each mandala signifies to me.

This one is about loving the earth. The four 'figures' in the middle represent people who have come together to protect the earth and make us all realize that the earth is fragile. This is indicated by the glass grit that I have used in four of the spaces alternating with the trees.

This mandala is 8 x 8 and it is painted with acrylic on canvas.