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.

Pygmy owl

A few years ago I spent several delightful days hiking trails among the sauguaros in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona. I also got a chance to visit the wonderful Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
In the outdoor wildlife section I encountered this charming pygmy owl. Its curious gaze intrigued me and I was able to get a great photograph to include in this mandala.

Blue Morpho

The flash of brilliant metallic blue always surprises and delights me. It was one of my favorite sights while hiking in the primary rainforests on the Osa peninsula, Costa Rica. And when a blue morpho would encounter the occasional shaft of sunlight that managed to get through the canopy, the blazing iridescence was astounding to see. Their erratic, wobbling flight is attributed by the locals to their diet of fermented fruit. But the luminous dance is a joy to watch.

Snowflake Mandala

Last weekend, during "Light in Winter", Ithaca's science and art festival, I attended a delightful lecture on snow crystals. It was by Kenneth Libbrecht. I have his book and it is filled with many wonderful pictures of snowflakes.
I have always been fascinated by snowflakes. Their beautiful radial symmetry make them a natural subject to incorporate into a mandala.
Years ago I made a number of drawings of snowflakes for a project. I used an old book of snowflakes by William Bentley. It contained thousands of photographs of snowflakes by the Vermont farmer. Made nearly a hundred years ago, this collection of microphotographs was an amazing achievement.
I was glad to find my drawings, and made this mandala using one of my favorites.

Gecko Song

While staying in Costa Rica, we were enchanted by a delightful little gecko. It would appear from time to time clinging to the bedroom wall of our beach hut. Over the days of our stay, we noticed a mysterious chirping. Not bird, not insect, it would sound anytime, day or night. Only near the end of our stay did we finally find out that it was our little friend. I miss the song of the gecko.

Frogs

Just back from Costa Rica and my mind is filled by creatures of the jungle. One of my favorites is the frog, and it has a very recognizable form when viewed from above. So its symmetry works very well with mandalas. The frogs of Costa Rica come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. But to me, the loveliest are the tiny poison dart frogs, which come in astounding bright colors.