The meaning of mandala comes from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘circle’ and is a representation of the universe. They are A LOT of fun to create and children just love colouring them in!
So…this is an activity for Mums and Babes on those cold, wintry days when all you want to do is be quieter, calmer and drink cups of tea! You don’t need much to get started, just a compass, eraser, pencil, ruler, white paper and nice artline pen. Plus colouring in pencils for your little ones. You can buy all of these very simple items from your local stationary shop.
So, Mum’s…be warned this activity is highly addictive and you may find yourself making mandalas for all the neighborhood children as well!
Start by ruling up your paper as follows:
Circles first…any sizes as long as you use the same compass point
Rule your circle grid into eights…they do need to be equal, otherwise your mandala will look uneven the bigger it gets
Then create the same pattern in each grid, using the points, lines and intersections for reference (I find it easy turning the paper around as I go).
If you are unsure of your marks, use a lead pencil first and once you are happy, go over your lines with an artline pen – as all things look better with a black outline!
Then…pass on your artwork to your little ones for them to colour in as they would still be sitting in amazement next to you watching you create your mandala. A team art work!! If you are anything like me, then you will instantly start on your next mandala!
Namaste X
PS. My 13 year old son LOVES creating mandalas, so share the love with your big people too!
As the warmer weather is approaching and we are able to enjoy our parks and beaches again I want to explore two of my favourite things…art and mindfulness! We can create art anywhere! It is such a great medium to allow us to be ‘present’ or ‘in the moment’ as we are thinking and concentrating on creating, allowing the pace of the world to just slow down. So welcome to the first part of Mindfulness in Art! Nature Mandalas A Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘Circle’ and represents harmony and balance. Nature mandalas can be made anywhere, with anything! I was lucky enough to spend some time on the beautiful Kangaroo Island in the holidays and collected shells and plants with my boys to create mandalas on the beach. You need to start at the centre and place your collections in a pattern, from the middle and working out to the sides. As my canvas was huge (the whole beach) I just needed to decide when it looked balanced and in harmony. During this quiet time, we were also able to observe (due to the silent time) a pair of nesting oyster catchers quietly going about their business…
We explored Mindfulness in Art with our last instalment on Kids in Adelaide with Nature Mandalas, with objects collected from the beach and the dunes. Thanks for the great images that came in with your beautiful mandalas…..amazing!! In this instalment of Mindfulness in Art we are using all the beautiful shells we collected for our nature mandala to create a mobile. A project like this is even more satisfying when you are on holidays, creating beautiful memories and you can bring home an artwork to hang on your walls forever! You will need the following: * Shells from the beach – it is so much easier to collect shells that already have a small hole already in them…. * Small metal skewer for poking holes, or even a thick darning needle or tiny screwdriver (Mum’s you will need to do the hole creating as this is an extremely hard task….not so much mindfulness in this part, just patience!!!) * Piece of drift wood * Fishing wire * Scissors Have all of your beautiful shells cleaned and dry. Talk with your child about the type of pattern you would like to create with your shells. We used 4 lines with three…
We explored Mindfulness in Art with our last instalment on Kids in Adelaide with the Shell Mobiles you created from your slow walks along the beach…or fast walks if your children are smaller and faster! In this instalment of Mindfulness in Art we are using nothing but our own bodies and our imaginations. This activity can be used from children as young as three to your teenagers, boy or girl! Regardless of age, it is engaging and teaches the pattern as a visual element of art through the slow and repetitious repeating structure of line and form. This echoes the elements of an artwork to communicate a sense of balance, rhythm and movement. My 13 year old son created the following art work and found the experience satisfying and soothing, especially with his favourite music playing in the background. Children in the art room from Reception to Year 6 also find this activity engaging and the noise levels drop rapidly as they all start focusing on patterns and colours. Bliss! You will need the following: * A pencil and eraser for drafting, * A thin black F-pen or something similar for the outlines, * Pencils or textas for colouring, *…
I am a Mum of three gorgeous teenage boys, residing in the beautiful Adelaide Hills. As a visual arts teacher I am surrounded by creative, young minds that continually astound and inspire me. I love being active and enjoy holding Sister Circles in the Hills than enable women to connect, find clarity and calmness in their lives.
“The painter has the Universe in his mind and hands” Leonardo Da Vinci
