Luminous Mandala Work/ One on One/Session 2

In this session I worked with my student on "Chapter 2:  Our Bodies As Conduits of Light" from Judith Cornell's Mandala:  Luminous Symbols for Healing book.  We started with a meditation entitled, "Bringing Prana Through the Hands" which was followed by two exercises:  drawing an outline of the hands and then illuminating them with the white pencil using the scale of light shading technique.  The purpose of these exercises is for a person to will learn to strenghten their will and mental powers so they can distribute inner healing energies throughout their bodies.  The hand drawing is a simple biofeedback device--a visual mirror to the eyes and brain-- by making the invisible energies visible and more real to the conscious mind. As a person draws thier prana(life force), physical body and paper and pencils all will be linked in an alchemic healing process.  I have displayed above the drawing of my student.  Here is what she wrote about it: I have plenty of energy from Source to use on myself first.....then others.  The energy directed to me feels really good and has much power in it.  My focus right now is on me first- to fill and sustain myself as an energy being residing in physical form."  Great Work!

Making a Translucent "Float Frame" Sun Dappled Leaf Collage

I diverted from my card making process to work on this collage.  I read the current World Wide Pressed Flower Art Newsletter and pressed flower artist, Barbara Hallman shared instructions on how to make a sun dappled leaf collage.  Barbara owns and operates Natures Gifts, a business located in Washington, D.C.   It was an interesting process because it involved using 4 layers of sheer art paper and gluing leaves down on each sheet.  This layering process gives dimension to the pictures and when the sun is shining through it looks like leaves blowing in the wind as they fall from the tree.  I want to make another spring collage using this technique using panseys.  I have always loved panseys and their bright faces and sturdy constitutions.
Thanks so much to Barbara Hallman and the generosity of her sharing!

Card No. 6

In this card I used the poinsettia petals that I pressed after Christmas and covered them with a sheer paper and added perfect paper adhesive and this process created a soft look.  It is hard to see in the picture but the sheer paper has flecks of gold and silver which gives it a nice touch.  I just love the color combinations of the petals with the background paper.

Card No. 5 Made with Faded Flowers

This card was also made with some flowers that were given to me by the son of a flower artist who had passed away.  When I got them I didn't think I would ever use them and then I was encouraged by another flower artist to keep them.  Now I am growing to like them and when I use them they give a nostalgic and sentimental look to what I put them on.  I don't know what they all are because some of them were not labled.

Spring 2012 Luminous Mandala Advanced Workshop

Luminous Mandala Advanced  Workshop

This workshop is for those persons who have completed the basic Luminous Mandala class and have learned the techniques of drawing and coloring luminous mandalas, or for persons who have previous art experience.  This workshop focuses on providing a safe and healing space in which to create luminous mandalas for healing, and provides choices for expressing healing of self, healing relationships, making a sacred connection with nature, or expressing the soul's divinity.  There is time for participants to create a luminous mandala and to process it with group feedback(if desired).

When:  May 5, 2012, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where:  2972 Bailey Ave., Medford
Fee: $90 with a $10.00 fee required in advance to hold a space.  Scholarships may be available to offset part of the cost.  Contact one of the facilitators for more information.
Facilitators:  Diane Tibbitts, M.Ed., L.P.C. and Janet London, M.Ed.

Bring a sack lunch and colored pencils including white.  Snacks and beverages will be provided.

To Register Call:  Janet 541-608-9238 or Diane 541-779-1840 or e-mail Janet at hummingbird710@msn.com

Diane and Janet are also available to do private workshops if you can gather a group of 8 to 10 interested people.  For more information call Janet or Diane or e-mail Janet at hummingbird710@msn.com

The mandala images shown in this blog post were created by one of the Fall 2011 Luminous Mandala Class Participants after the class ended.

"The Luminous Mandala class was incredibly helpful in moving me forward with my future goals.  It helped me to accept me and my health problems and to embrace and encompass all parts of me as not good or bad, just me.  Pure acceptance.  The Luminous Mandala class helped me break through a creative block and move with it instead of just frustration and depression until the block was over."  Jennifer, Luminous Mandala Class Participant, Fall 2011

Card No. 4/ Valentine's Card

Here is card No. 4.  I had some left over hearts from a former card project and so made a design with thyme, verbena, coral bells and some little wildflowers.  This process is quite a challenge, especially the part of coming up with a new design.  It is easier to keep doing the same design if I like it.  This is stretching my creative imagination to the max.

Luminous Mandala Work/ One on One

We didn't have enough people to do a Luminous Mandala Class this time and one person really wanted to do the class so I decided to do the class with her one on one.  We met this morning and began the process.  We did the first two exercises from Chapter 1, Mandalas as Patterns of Light and Sound from the book,
Mandala, Luminous Symbols for Healing, by Judith Cornell, Ph.D.  The first exercise was "Creating a Scale of  Light".  I began with a meditation to set the scene for drawing and then had her do the drawing.  When she reflected on her drawing she said she discovered a seed of something new within her that she has had a protective "cyst" around that that has prevented it from coming out.  We then did the next exercise in the chapter "Expanding the Light Within" which began with a meditation and then followed by drawing.  In this drawing she felt like she freed the seed from her first drawing from the casing and energy flowed out with unlimited possibility.  She said the class was different than she thought it would be and had more to do with healing than she thought it would.  She said the meditations in the class really helped her free her mind.  This is such a profound book and step by step method of using luminous symbols for healing. 

Card No. 3- Zinnia

This process I am going through is so interesting....making cards using only what I already have.  It speaks to the notion of wanting what you have rather than having what you want.  It also speaks to me about aging and how our culture encourages us to go after things that are shiny, new and bright.  In the process of making these cards I realize I am using some old flowers and yet I am finding a way to make them look beautiful.  The look is different than something brand new but equal.  Today I found some zinnias I had pressed years ago and never know what to do with them.  I found some cardstock that was a soft orange and art paper that had some leave and orange and rust flowers.  I also found some cream paper for a backing.  I put it together and used some botanical glue as a sealer and it brought out the beauty of the soft orange of the zinnias. 

Card No. 2

I decided that I didn't like the way the poinsettia mandala looked in the black frame so I made it into a card.  I like it better with red backing the green.  It also gave me an opportunity to make card No. 2.  All comments and suggestions are appreciated.

My Creative Spirit Has Re-emerged

During the holidays I went through a dormat period in terms of my creativity.  Now with more Oregon sunshine my creative juices have begun to flow.  The first thing I did was to create another coaster set using the Laurel Burch material and collaging it on a wooden coaster set.  At my holiday sale I had only one coaster set and it was snatched up at the very beginning of the sale so thought I would make another one.  I love the Laurel Burch jungle material as the animals have such pleasant looks on their faces and she uses such bold colors.  Above is shown the top of the box with parrots and a few of the coasters.  There are 12 coasters, each with a different picture of jungle creatures.

My next decision was inspired by one of the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild Members who made 35 cards and shared them.  I decided that I have so many paper scraps that I would challenge myself to make 35 cards.  I am not quite sure how long this will take but I have No. 1 and it is pictured above.  I will post each card I make.  Part of my self-imposed challenge is to make each one different from the others.  We will see how I do on this challenge.  I love the above card because of the neutral colors.  I had received some pressed flowers from the son of a flower artist who had passed away.  Some of them were brown and I was disappointed.  I shared this with my friend from the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild and she said to keep them as there would be some used for them.  Now when I use them on the cards with the beautiful art paper they look wonderful.   I  gave one of this type of card to my friend who is an accomplished water color artist and she loved it and still has it displayed in her living room.

The other peice I have recently done is a small, 5"x5" mandala picture using poinsettia leaves and petals.  I cut the petals and leaves smalled for this tiny picture.  I used a wide variety of the colors from the poinsettias that I had pressed.  I even used the real centers from the poinsettia for the center of my mandala.

Well I guess it is time to work of card No.2.