Bear Mandala

When I think of bears I think of their beauty, majesty, and their power.
But I also think of their playfullness. I was once at a zoo watching polar bears play. One threw a beachball across the moat directly to me. I caught it, and the bear stood there looking at me expectantly. Of course, I threw the ball back to him. He skillfully caught it, then resumed playing with the other bears.
While I was touched by this interraction I was nevertheless glad for the moat.
When I drew this bear for my mandala I thought of the bear's significance in Native American culture, so I included some symbols that I have seen on petroglyphs.

Hydrangea Treecircle

The deep blues of this hydrangea mandala suggested the night sky to me. I drew a circle of winter trees to set against the stars. I also included a small circle of my glyphs in the center. The blue of the hydrangea is lovely, but a bit monochromatic, so I added a circle of jewels in a complimentary color.