Lydia mixed media mandala interview

Today, I am so pleased to share a little showcase with Lydia Eloff who joined one of my Mixed Media Mandala classes this year.

What kind of mandalas have you explored before?
I was mostly drawing mandalas with ink and coloring them with colored pencils.

What is it you love most about mandalas?
I love creating mandalas as a way to focus my attention and as a sort of meditation. I love to look at mandalas, too.

Lydia Eloff mixed media mandala

This is a mixed-media mandala on 12’ x 12” canvas done with acrylic paint, stamping, collage, stencils, white gel pen and watercolor. This was the first one I created, and I have done a number of others since.

What kind of mandalas do you love to create with the most?
I find that I love creating the collaged/mixed-media mandalas very much. The entire process with its many steps is very relaxing and enjoyable.

What excited you most about taking part in the “Mixed Media Mandala” class
I was looking to expand my horizons, as I had been creating mandalas for some years but only using ink and colored pencil.

Which was your favourite part and why? What did you enjoy most about the class?
The whole class was lovely; Louise’s kind and gentle nature made it easy to jump right in with the different methods of making mandalas. My favorite part was the mixed-media on canvas.

Lydia Eloff mixed media mandala

This is an “Easter” mandala done to celebrate Spring, which was happening at the time I was taking the course.  It was done on watercolor paper 8” x 8” with ink and watercolor pencils.

In what ways did the course open up a new world of Mandala creating for you?
The course was really helpful to me in adding to my “vocabulary” of available techniques through which to create lovely mandalas.

What are some of the areas covered in the class, that you would like to continue to explore?
I still continue to explore the mixed-media aspect, as I created a series of the 7 chakras in mixed-media on canvas. I would like to experiment more with the use of watercolors and watercolor pencils.

Lydia Eloff mixed media mandala

This is another mixed-media mandala done in warm colors on an 8” x 8” canvas which is thick enough to stand on a shelf.  It was done using the acrylic paint, stamping, stencils, white gel pen, and watercolors.

What are the top 3 things you are taking away from this class?
First would be the enjoyment of watching Louise’s creative process; second would be the idea of using watercolors on top of mixed media, which is something I never would have come up with, and it has such a lovely effect; and finally, just the enjoyment of taking part in a class that involved interacting with people from many different places who had a shared interest.

What would you say when recommending this class to a friend?
I would say that this class was affordable, enjoyable, and provided much useful information.

LydiaEloff_profileI practice law full-time in Columbia, South Carolina, where I live with my husband, who is a luthier, and 3 cats. I started creating mandalas some years ago as a way to use the right side of my brain and to become more centered. Since then, my interest in creating all kinds of art has developed. I hope to be able to continue learning and creating for the rest of my life.

Connect with Lydia here: Facebook | Etsy

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Join the next Mixed Media Mandala class!

Mixed Media Mandalas online classWould you like to explore the sacred circle and mixed media mandalas further? I would love for you to join me to dive deeply in the 4 week “Mixed Media Mandalas” online class.

By the end of class, you will have a journal full of sacred circles and at least one finished mixed media piece of artwork to hang on your wall.