Artist’s Statement

Mandala is the Sanskrit word for circle. Mandalas are symbols of unity and wholeness, and are often used for meditation and healing. They give us access to the Sacred Source from which arises all wisdom, power and love. A mandala may represent a metaphysical concept or truth, an archetype from the personal or collective unconscious, or may simply be an expression of personal feeling or awareness.

In 1996, when I began to draw mandalas, I had had no formal art training. And although I had a longing to draw, I felt baffled and intimidated by a blank sheet of paper. I had, however, a love of geometry, and when I discovered this particular method I found safety and freedom within the structure and support of a geometric form.

Preparation includes creating a ritual space, asking for guidance and inspiration, blessing the materials, focusing the attention, and opening to receive without judgment. Then, beginning with a white circle on black paper, a geometric form takes shape, sometimes something from a book on sacred geometry, other times a form flowing from intuitive inspiration. I continue to layer the pigment — first white, then colors — sometimes seeing in the paper a shadow of the lines I should draw, other times, simply following the flow of a line or inner guidance.

Most mandalas take about 40 hours to complete. Some are swift, like an unimpeded stream, and come to completion within a few days. Others are fierce, requiring courage and perseverance over weeks or months. Sometimes a mandala remains unfinished for a year or more, hanging on a wall where I can see it as I wait for clarity about the next steps to take.

The mandalas presented here were unplanned. They arose from some formless and numinous source of symbols and meaning. Each represents a process or a state I was in touch with during the time in which it was drawn. Each was, and remains, a journey of revelation, discovery, and delight. I invite you to view them, open to your subjective perceptions, and experience whatever revelation, discovery, or delight may await you.