I took a break from mandalas to finish a stitching project. That project got finished earlier this week, and I finally had some free time today to finish this mandala that I started earlier in the month. It's still a learning process. The paper's the right size. The marker I drew the lines with was sub-optimal. Once I stared coloring, I discovered that it ran a bit. I'm still learning about colors. And, I continue to be thrilled with how this process frees my brain to be creative in new ways. 

This time, I decided to color my creation. I'm still working on small paper, but tweaked a few settings. Again, I know it's not perfect, but I love stretching myself in this way.

Sometimes, you discover an art passion accidentally. That's what happend with me and mandalas. I needed a clear ruler. And the least expensive one came in a case with a protractor and a compass. So I ordered it. And then I remembered that a few months before, I'd seen a video from Kara at BohoBerry, demonstrating how to draw a mandala using a compass, a protractor and clear ruler. So, I decided to give it a whirl. My paper was a bit too small and my pens weren't quite right. I was still thrilled and instantly smitten with drawing mandalas. You can find Kara's video here.

This one is my first effort. And while I can see the flaws, I'm also reallly proud of it. Drawing is completely outside my comfort zone. But I find the act of sitting down to draw a mandala relaxes me and frees my brain to think creatively. ​

I took this photo last spring, on the island of Iona in Scotland. Iona Abbey is the large stone building in the background.