Dragonfly Wheel

Dragonflies are wonderful creatures and they are an excellent design feature to incorporate in my botanical mandalas. Like butterflies, their symmetry is easily recognized when viewed from the top and are also an attractive and pleasing form.
The intricate,lacy wings were a fun challenge to draw.

Detail.

Rex Begonia Zodiac

One of my favorite subjects for my botanical mandalas is the begonia. The variety of colors, the variegation, and the detail in the veins, all combine to give fascinating and intricate symmetries.
This begonia mandala inspired me to include the symbols of the zodiac and frame the mandala with a variety of astrological symbols.

Crow Wheel Mandala

I always enjoy watching crows when they come to forage at the bottom of my bird feeder. Their interactions are fascinating and suggest an intelligence and social structure that is complex. The form of the mandala also allowed me to draw a circle of crows in flight to surround the pair.

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