Today, I am so pleased to bring you a lovely interview with Natasha Devaud. Natasha has taken a couple of my classes and is such a prolific and talented artist. She took the Mixed Media Mandala class earlier this year and I am so pleased to be sharing her work and mandala insights below.
What kind of mandalas have you explored before?
I took the Creative Colour Energy Workshop last Summer, a last minute idea when I was looking for something fun and inspiring, and I just loved it. That’s when I did my first mandalas, mostly based around colour themes.
What is it you love most about mandalas?
Mandalas have something very soothing and meditating about them. Once the base is set, I can let my pen wander without thinking too much, and it’s always a treat to see the result, they kind of take their own direction and you just follow along.
What kind of mandalas do you love to create with the most?
I love doing intuitive mandalas, pen first, then play with the colours, with or without a structure to start with. I also enjoy making mandalas with little characters or animals, even if they don’t always turn out the way I had planned (like a camel mandala which ended up being a dragon mandala).
What excited you most about taking part in the “Mixed Media Mandala” class
Giving myself the freedom to explore, with no excuse to not find the time to do it. In my very busy life, it helps me set aside time for my “homework”, which is actually a perfect excuse to slow down and focus on something creative. I also know from the Creative Colour Energy Workshop that we would look into various techniques, which is something I really wanted to explore. Also, the community and Louise’s energy make the class a really fun and welcoming environment.
Which was your favourite part and why? What did you enjoy most about the class?
Playing with shapes, colours, let my mind go wild and just have loads of fun doing it, no restrain. It’s very liberating.
In what ways did the course open up a new world of Mandala creating for you?
The most obvious opening comes in the shape of the fun children and animal mandalas I started doing. I can see how to make them into unique items (plates, pillows, paintings, clocks, some of which I already explored). Then, it’s a wonderful way to keep your stress level under control. I have a pretty intense day job, but often doodle on mandalas for a few minutes during my day, it makes a big difference on my mental wellness.
What are some of the areas covered in the class, that you would like to continue to explore?
I will definitively explore some of the mix media techniques more, to use either with my mandalas, or with other artwork.
What are the top 3 things you are taking away from this class?
1. So much fun, it allowed me to just play, explore and create without restrain
2. The class taught me to be a lot more free and confident about my creative abilities
3. A great environment, where I was eager to share my explorations and discover what the others had done
What would you say when recommending this class to a friend
Try it, you’ll love it. You will learn a lot while having fun, and it’s wonderful for the soul. Plus you get fabulous pictures at the end, and inspiring meditation sessions to keep you in the groove.
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Originally from Switzerland, I have been in the US for almost 20 years, working as a computer graphic artist in special effects for movies at Lucasfilms/Disney (filmography here if you’re curious).
I also have a background in fashion design and never stopped designing clothes and textiles, drawing, painting, and creating all kind of fun things on the side. An avid traveler (preferably on horseback, in remote areas of the globe), I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my Canadian husband and our two young children.
Connect with Natasha here: Website/Blog
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Join us in the next class!
Would 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.