Zentangle Zendoodle Art Play- Hand in Circle Mandala by Milliande

How to Grow a Mandala

The Mandala Blueprint

Inspiration ~ Mandala: Sanskrit word for Circle

In the Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions, their sacred art often takes a mandala form. The basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a complex abstract design that is usually circular in form, but the square type is created with four gates containing a circle with one identifiable center point, from which emanates an array of symbols, shapes and forms. Each gate is in the shape of a T.

Mandalas can contain both geometric and organic forms. They can also contain recognizable images that carry meaning for the person who is creating it. In essence, mandalas represent the connection between our inner worlds and outer reality. Creating these mandalas is inspirational and therapeutic.

These mandalas, concentric diagrams, have spiritual and ritual significance in both Buddhism and Hinduism. The term is of Hindu origin and appears in the Rig Veda as the name of the sections of the work, but is also used in other Indian religions, particularly Buddhism. In the Tibetan branch of Vajrayana Buddhism, mandalas have been developed into sandpainting. They are also a key part of anuttarayoga tantra meditation practices.

In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.

MANDALAS

I have been creating mandalas since November 2010! Take a peek at my very first mandala that I created on a wood panel! I was inspired by an exhibit that I stumbled over at the Armour Hammer Art Museum while in Los Angeles for my daughter, Dana's, official UCLA gymnastics visit!

sending you some 'em love...xoxo.

i send you love...xoxo.

Owl City - Fireflies

Catch Fireflies in a Mason Jar!

Most of us have fond memories of catching fireflies or lightning bugs on warm summer nights. Many people kept them in jars—sometimes a jar full of fireflies can produce enough light to read by. If you want to catch fireflies, here are a few tips that will help you along.

Where to Look

Fireflies are easy to spot—just look for the flashing lights. They typically love long grasses, marshy areas and regions near the edges of ponds, lakes, streams and other bodies of water. They can thrive under low-hanging trees, in forests and fields, and even in your yard or vegetable garden.

Watch Your Light

Fireflies communicate using their flashing lights. If you want to catch one, you have to act like one. First, turn off your exterior house lights—these may confuse fireflies and make them less likely to respond to light signals from other fireflies. Then take a flashlight outside.

If you are having trouble getting near the fireflies in your yard, imitate one of them by shining your flashlight directly up and down, or by repeating the light patterns you see fireflies emitting. This may or may not work; many scientists who study fireflies have better luck with LED lights than with battery-powered flashlights. Never shine a light directly at a firefly; it’s likely to scare them away rather than attracting them.

In addition, you may have better luck catching fireflies if you place a blue plastic disc or piece of paper over your flashlight to turn the light blue. Scientists believe fireflies don’t interpret blue light the same way they see other colors, so the light won’t disorient their flash patterns.

Catch Carefully

When you get close enough, catch your fireflies using a net. Place the fireflies you catch into a clear jar with a lid that’s been pierced to let in air. You should also place a moistened paper towel inside to keep the air in the jar humid. This way, your fireflies will have air to breathe and won’t dry out.

It’s often more effective to work in pairs when catching fireflies, with one person to hold the jar and another to use the net. Be sure to use care when catching them; fireflies can be fragile.

Let Them Go

Once you have a jar of fireflies, don’t keep them for longer than a day or two. Let them go, preferably at night because that’s when they’re most active and able to avoid predators. If you keep them for longer, the fireflies are likely to die.

Some people remember crushing fireflies in their fingers to make their hands glow and keeping them in unventilated jars for several days. While this might not have caused serious damage to firefly populations in times when they were more plentiful, today’s firefly numbers are dwindling—so each one matters. Catch fireflies carefully, treat them gently and release them into the wild again when you’re done, and you’ll be able to enjoy these fascinating creatures without causing any harm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psuRGfAaju4

Transformation of a Barn into an Art Studio!!

My dream is to transform a barn into an art studio! I am peeking left & right, up & down, diagonally, in circles, upside down, and in every which way to come up with when, where, what, and how to make my dream come true! I will paint it kelly green with chocolate brown and white highlights! The inside art studio will have chocolate browns, pinks, sky blues, and kelly greens! I would love to move back to my hometown, Alameda, California...BUT can I have a small barn in the backyard? That will be the question! Cross your fingers and hope that a place will cross my path! xoxo.

Welcome to ViVienne's gReen baRnhouse aRt giRlie giRL blog on this Eleventh March Madness Day of TwentyEleven!!

For two years to this day, this girlie girl has been dibbling & dabbling...hankering at springing up a blog! Sooooooo, on this Eleventh March Madness Day of TwentyEleven, ViViennesque has a gReen light to break the ice and fling forward her gReen baRnhouse aRt giRLie giRL blog!! WOWzers!! Finally! And she has Margarita Moesch to thank! Take a peek at Margarita's blogger blog to learn how to start your own blog! http://howtoblog-spot.blogspot.com/ Wait no more...take the plunge and DO IT NOW!! We all want to know what you are up to! xoxo.