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.

Butterfly Circle

Butterflies are one of my favorite subjects to include in my mandalas. The symmetry and subject is ideal for pairing with my botanical mandalas.This mandala had the perfect form to include a circle of butterflies. I chose the color to compliment the foliage, and included a circle of matching "jewels".

Burning Bright

While going through some old photos that I took at a zoo I came across one that brought back a chill. Although I was perfectly safe, I distinctly remember the intensity of the tiger's gaze and disarming enease I felt. I can only imagine the surge of fear one would feel encountering a tiger in the wild.
But more than fear is the sense of beauty. I am reminded of the lines from William Blake's poem:
Tiger, tiger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night.
The mandala is a featherleaf maple in autumn. I used the colors from the mandala to paint the tiger. It is the Year of the Tiger in China and I included the Chinese symbol for tiger.

Frame Style

Unframed $50.00 Framed $80.00

Sea Turtle Mandala

Turtles are wonderful animals. As a boy, I had a pet box turtle that I enjoyed for months befor releasing him back in the garden where I found him. For years I thought of turtles as lumbering, awkward creatures. So when I first saw a sea turtle swimming I was astounded by its grace. It seemed to glide, almost as in flight. I have been enchanted by them ever since.
Drawing this turtle was a fun challenge. I found the scale patterns on the head and limbs are intricate and lovely as well as the unique coloring of the shell. I hope I captured the lovely grace of the sea turtle.

Chinese Dragon

After a recent trip to China my mind was filled with wonderful images. One of my favorites is the dragon. Depictions of dragons were everywhere in decorations, in art, and even architecture. The dragon is the legendary creature of Chinese mythology and has become the cultural symbol of China.

In ancient times the dragon was the symbol for the emperor and no one else could use the image. Over the years this changed and only the five-clawed dragon is the emperor’s symbol. Four-clawed dragons can be depicted by ordinary people. I decided I needed to create a dragon for one of my mandalas. I love the designs on Chinese bronzes, so I made the frame for this mandala with a motif that I created using a variety of bronze vessels for inspiration.

Green Man mandala

One of my favorite architectural ornaments is the Green Man. Also known as a foliate head, it occurs in a variety of cultures, but most examples are European. I find it somewhat ironic that although primarily pagan, it often adorns churches and cathedrals. One of my green foliage mandalas suggested a face, so I created this green man using the same leaves as I used to make the mandala.