Oh my! I cannot begin to tell you how excited (and a little nervous!) I am to share the information of a new book project I am working on! I finally said YES to this….
An art instruction book all about ‘Botanical Mandalas’
For many years, I have been fascinated with organic patterns in nature, sacred geometry in nature and mandala designs that we find in the natural world around us.
Nature is such a huge inspiration to my art work and I have had a dream to write and publish a book with mixed media projects combining nature and mandalas for a few years so this is exciting to say the least!
The book will be much more that an art instruction book. I want to celebrate the healing energy that nature has on us and combine this with the relaxing, meditative process of creating mandalas. This will truly be a creative book close to my own heart. So, now that I have said yes, I am going to let the universe guide me along to see where it takes me.
A summer bouquet mandala in progress
I have been creating mandalas for many years in many different mediums and in 2014, when some of my lovely readers were asking about creating them using similar techniques to mine, I launched my ‘Mixed Media Mandalas’ online signature program shortly afterwards. This class was packed full with lessons, tutorials and lots of inspiration from the natural world.
There was so much in this program, that I decided to morph the one class into three smaller classes which are the Mandala I, II and III class series. These are now available as self-paced lifetime access classes. I have exhibited my mandala artwork, written articles on the subject for magazines, books and also showcased 100 mandalas as part of the 100 day project in 2015.
Then in Spring 2015, as I was contemplating the idea of submitting a mandala book proposal to a publisher, I was invited by Walter Foster Publishing to co-author the ‘Mandala for the Inspired Artist’ book which was published in April 2016. It was so much fun to work on this project but meant that my Botanical Mandalas book idea was put on hold.
The cover of the lovely collaborative mandala book – published in 2016!
Over the last year, ‘Botanical Mandalas’ have been whispering in my ear again and now I am listening! The publishing date is set to be Spring 2018! So this year will be spent creating artwork, tutorials and lots more for the book and some wonderful online offerings and offers to accompany its release.
Black and White Mandala Inspired by the Dahlia
What is a Mandala?
The word ‘Mandala’ comes from Sanskrit language, loosely meaning ‘circle’. Most mandalas are circular, with a central point from which various motifs and patterns radiate outward. (similar to the one above) They can be freeform or structured creating beautiful symmetrical designs. If you are new to mandalas and would like to find out more, please check out my page here where I offer resources and free downloads/classes on creating them. I also had an article published in the UK Magazine ‘Spirit and Destiny” on how to create a mandala, which is also a great starting point, so please download a pdf of the article HERE.
What is a Botanical Mandala?
Botanical Mandalas celebrate the beauty of nature. These can be the mandala like form of a single flower such as a rose or a mandala design created with various floral designs and motifs inspired by flowers and fauna, similar to the one in progress below. The book will be full of mixed media projects and many different approaches that anyone can try!
I believe we all feel a deep love of the natural world, whether that be for the flowers in our garden, being at the beach, poppy fields in the countryside or birds singing to greet the day. It is so important for us to spend time in nature, go barefoot and connect with the natural world around us.
Spending time outside can often be limited due to our busy lives these days and the ‘Botanical Mandalas’ book will encourage more time to be spent outside, feeling the benefits of nature, observing and creating mandalas inspired by the natural world around us.
The projects will help us connect with the world around us through nature and the world within us through mandala creating.
Getting involved
I would love to hear your thoughts on the project as I work through over the coming months! I will also be asking my lovely community to get involved in helping me choose the subjects and projects! AND if you have taken one of my mandala classes, I will be inviting you to submit artwork for a special mandala student gallery section of the book!
I would also love to hear what you think about the book. Is this something you would love to read and be creatively inspired by? Please do comment below.
For regular updates on the art I am creating, book news and other news from me, please sign up to my mailing list here, or follow me on Facebook and Instagram!
I am a little nervous as this is the first time I have embarked on such a project by myself, but my heart is telling me it is time to make it happen and I know I will put my heart and soul into it.
I look forward to sharing the journey with you! Thanks again for all your continued support.
Hey there, if you are new to my website, I’d love to connect with you! I am a mixed media artist inspired by nature, mandalas and color. My art studio is on the south coast of Spain where I spend my days creating, writing and inspiring others to cultivate their own creativity.
If you are looking for ways to be more creative, please come and join my mailing list here to get regular news and access to my Creative Inspiration Library full of downloads, audios and a free 5 part mandala drawing series. I hope to see you in a class soon!
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