How To Make a Mandala Drawing

Did you enjoy my How To Make a Rainbow Leaf Drawing Tutorial from 2016? I've created another! This one shows you how to draw a relaxing, meditative mandala shape. This circular form I show is a very simplified version of a traditional mandala. A real mandala drawing represents the universe in both Hinduism and Buddhism and is drawn as a spiritual ritual.

What I am showing you here is how to draw a geometric pattern that derives some of its shape from this practice but whose goal is simply to give you a couple of hours of relaxing activity. You will need the following:

Paper (printer paper is OK)
No. 12 Pencil with Eraser
Thin Black Sharpie Marker
Color Pencils or Crayons

The outer circle is about 8" in diameter.

If you aren't comfortable drawing 2 circles by hand

use a cereal bowl for the outer circle and a clear glass for the

center circle (so that you can see that it is centered.

Do not worry about pencil marks.

You will erase them after you ink your drawing.

After the ink is dry (a couple minutes)

erase all pencil marks.

Time for Color!

I decided to go with warm colors -

yellows, oranges and reds.

To add a nice contrast I filled in the area around

my warm colors with a lime green.

Even though the green is a cool color it adds warmth to the drawing.

That's because lime green has a lot of yellow!

If you are having a stressful week entertaining yourself with a little drawing exercise like this can be very relaxing. It's a great activity for all ages. And, because you don't need a lot of materials you can do this anywhere - on the patio, at the park, in bed. Wherever you like. I hope you enjoy!

Artist Profile - Andy Goldsworthy

Are you an avid hiker, naturalist or just like to sit out on in the fresh air? Or do you simply enjoy beautiful sights? Of course, beauty can be found just about anywhere. Because I am lucky to live in a wooded community I am treated to a daily concert of sights and sounds and no day is the same. The Artist Andy Goldsworthy Source: Kidzworld.com As someone who has always enjoyed nature and art I was thrilled to discover the art of Andy Goldsworthy. Although I've known his work since the mid-nineties he never ceases to enchant me. If you don't know who he is, prepare to be amazed. Goldsworthy is a man who enjoys the colors and textures of nature and presents them in a way you likely have never seen before. And, you don't have to be a nature-lover to appreciate his art. Rowan Leaves & Hole Source: Morning-Earth.org Goldsworthy is considered a pre-eminent "Earthworks" artist. This trend in art-making was popularized in the 1980s and 9...

Color Cues: Driftwood Beach

Do you love color but are overwhelmed by choice? Or you need help pairing colors or determining a color theme for a room you are decorating? Crafty In Cobb presents "Color Cues", a regular post that demonstrates beautiful color combinations inspired by photographs from around our amazing country. We are so fortunate to live in a union of 50 states where we have beaches, oceans, mountains, lakes, deserts, rivers, valleys, flatlands and farmlands - often within a few hours drive. The first of the series is a palette derived from a recent trip to Jekyll Island, part of the Golden Isles of Georgia. If you are in the area you cannot miss a pre-dawn photo trip to the locally famous Driftwood Beach. Occasionally referred to as a graveyard for enormous oaks and pines, a visit to this beach as the sun rises is anything but. Unusual and inspiring it's hard not to feel totally alive there. Colors by Glidden.

Gardening in Cobb - Platycodon, or the Chinese Balloon Flower - An Indestructible Beauty

Photo from: http://www.backyarddiva.ca/chinese-balloon-flower/ If you live in Cobb County or anywhere in the Atlanta area you know that we all love our flowers. And we have a climate that accommodates some variety or other pretty much all year long. I love a good flower and a good garden but I don't want to spend a huge amount of time tending to them. If I have to water them every day they're done for. Maybe even every week... A bit over 10 years ago we were in a bad drought and I looked into drought tolerant flowers. The drought was an opportunity for me to learn about what plants need less water. Less watering means that if there's another drought I can do my part and leave my garden alone. There are two lovelies that I discovered - sedum and platycodon. Today I'll talk about the latter. Platycodon are commonly called "Chinese balloon flowers". They are a perennial and in Georgia start growing in early spring and bloom until late summer. They conti...

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