Here is the first in a series of lovely interviews with my Mandala class participants. I am so pleased to showcase their work and hope you will gain some insight into their approach to mandala making and into the online class I run.
So today, our lovely interview is with Barbara Crompton. Barbara is a stitch and textile artist and this was her first online class which is fantastic! 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?
None!
What is it you love most about mandalas?
I love circles and spirals and it has been in my head to work a series of decorated circles. The thing I like most, I think I can best describe as ‘freedom with limits’ in the sense that you can add anything that you want but the boundaries you create for yourself within the circle give the whole thing cohesion.
What kind of mandalas do you love to create with the most?
I’ve discovered I love collage and making backgrounds using paint and stencils. I have always doodled, but working within a sectioned circle has given me a structure.
What excited you most about taking part in the “Mixed Media Mandala” class
Do I have to choose? I loved all of it. And I enjoyed the way it was taught (thank you, Louise) starting with loose, free drawing and moving into mandalas of different materials – natural materials, paper, and of course I will add fabric and stitch to that. I now see mandalas everywhere.
Which was your favourite part and why? What did you enjoy most about the class?
Playing with drawing mandalas featuring different shapes. I didn’t consider myself to be someone who could draw. One I did was all the letters of the alphabet.
In what ways did the course open up a new world of Mandala creating for you?
It has made me see mandala designs all around me. I now carry my camera everywhere to capture pictures of the ones I can use to develop.
What are some of the areas covered in the class, that you would like to continue to explore?
Adding paint and stencilled backgrounds to my fabric pieces, stamping designs over fabric.
What are the top 3 things you are taking away from this class?
Using more ‘art’ materials in my work – fabric paints, paintsticks, stencils, stamps. The number of shapes that can be used to build up a design. I have always thought of drawing as needing to be something representational, so I thought I couldn’t do it. I’ve discovered it isn’t and I can. A very big step for me.
What would you say when recommending this class to a friend
Go do it – it’s fun!
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My background is in stitch and textiles – mainly patchwork and quilting with embroidery both by hand and machine. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and, for me, it was a steep learning curve. I haven’t used paint or collage since being at school – and not much even then.
I have several dozen quilts to my name and the purpose of doing the course was to give me some stimulation to help me move on from making traditional patchwork into mixed media/textile art.
Connect with Barbara here: Blog | Facebook
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Next class starts: Monday 30 March, 2015
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.
Hi, I'm Louise and thank you so much for visiting me here. I am a mixed media artist, who is passionate about combining the healing energy of nature and color with the meditative process of mandala making
