"Deco" Mandala - 03/25/07 - Finished

The "Deco" Mandala is complete. For the two vertical columns I colored with canary yellow, gamboger, diox. purple and a little lemon yellow. Between the 'gold' columns, above the red section, I colored it so that it would like a continuation from the orange-y sections that are part of the red/blue. I colored it with beige, orange, diox. purple, and gamboger. What I also did, which is difficult to see in this photo, is drew 90% cool gray lines into the center yellow section, as if threads coming down for the red projectiles and crossing the center and connecting to the red projectiles opposite.

"Deco" Mandala - 03/23/07

I finished the four red sections. I used the same 'gray' technique of coloring the gray values and then adding the color, which in this case was crimson red. Of course I also used the diox. purple and colorless blender to complete the mix.

"Shine On" Mandala - Installation #10

This will probably look only slightly different from the last photo. I added a wash of vermilion to each of the 'flames'.
It's been awhile since I've painted this...I've been busy with the "Deco" mandala. I'm submitting that one to a show and it needs to be done ASAP.

"Deco" Mandala - 03/18/07

I finished coloring the bottom blue section with the same color combination as the top blue section.

WARNING: If psycho-babble is too much for you or if you'd rather just stick with the "how I colored this" aspect of my blog, then stop reading and go onto the next thing you were going to do...ie: read on at your own risk :)

As I was prepping this photo for this entry, I was looking at it as this smaller view which actually gave me an even bigger perspective (which seems rather ironic). This design was initially created as a therapeutic process for me to heal my relationship with my dad...totally from my perspective. It has to do with how I see him and how I have seen him. What I'm starting to see, now that the two blue sections are colored in, is two triangles, or rather two halves of a diamond; a left side and a right side. Both sides are identical except for the light/shadow perspective of the green meshy sections. Both are having the same experience; except their light/shadow perspective is exactly opposite. However, if I was to rotate this 180 degrees, it would look exactly the same as it does here. Meaning if I were in his shoes, I'd have his life experience and he would have mine.

My dad and I have been at odds with each other for most of my life. Over the years I worked through a lot of issues with him, strictly from my point of view. In the last year or so, our relationship has grown better and easier. As long as I stay away from his trigger topics, we get along great; and if I should happen to stumble onto one of them, I've learned to just breathe and let it roll over me like a warm summer breeze.

Now looking at this, it feels to me that my dad and I are identical, we're just seeing things from a different perspective. It's actually very cool and quite simple. To quote Dr. Phil, it's a "defining moment" for me. I eagerly await any additional insights that this mandala has to offer.

"Deco" Mandala - 03/17/07 - 2

I had some more time to color, so I proceeded on to the blue section on top. This was colored in the same way as the left/right green sections. I colored with all 6 percentages of cool gray, the indianthrone blue, and the colorless blender.

If you read yesterday's blog regarding my use of light and shadow, you'll notice that I'm doing it a little different. This section is colored as if it is sitting still. And if you were to have a close-up view of the entire piece you'll see other exceptions to my shadow/light rule. I lack any rhyme or reason as to why this is...it just is :)

"Deco" Mandala - 03/17/07 - 1

As promised, here's a close-up view of the left side green section. As I stated in my last blog entry, I used all 6 percentages of cool gray and then olive green in the middle one and prussian green on the middle and back sections.


I completed the right side green section. Using the same colorations as the left side...except...I changed the direction of the light. My method (and there truly is one) is that I treat the mandala is if it is rotating and that we are viewing one spot on the page. Looking at the piece as it is still, will look a little off to someone who is knowledgeable about light and shadow.

As each section crosses our view it will look as if the light is always coming from the same direction. For instance if you always look at the 11 o'clock position of the mandala, and the mandala is spinning around, as each spot hit the 11 o'clock position the shadow and light will be occurring in the same place.

So in this piece, looking at the left side, it would appear that the light is coming from the top, creating a shadow below it. Looking at the right side, it is reversed. However, if you were to image the piece rotated 180 degrees, the left side (which was the right side), will have the light coming from above and the shadow below. See??? A method to the madness :)

"Deco" Mandala - 03/16/07

I finished coloring the left side green section. Now that it's done, I love the way it looks like it's coming up off the paper. The only change in the colors I used from yesterday's session, was that I used prussian green instead of olive green.

"Deco" Mandala - 03/15/07

I started the left side green section. It took me a day before I could even start it. I struggled with how exactly to color it. For the first time in a long time I was afraid to ruin one of these. Thoughts like "what if the colors I use clashes with the rest of the piece"..."what if it looks like crap"...yada yada yada. I spent most of my session of "coloring" on 3/14 practicing what I would put in this section.

I ended up by using all 6 prismacolor cool grays to create the gradient from dark to light and then overlaying the whole section with olive green. Using the colorless blender helped smooth it out and gave it more of a brushed metal effect or the look of a tightly woven material. It's easier to see up close. In a future blog, I'll include a close-up photo of this section.

"Deco" Mandala - 03/11/07

I colored in the red section of the outer folded-fan shape. It really makes this section stand out and give it power. I colored with crimson red, diox. purple, and the colorless blender.

"Deco" Mandala - 03/10/07

The next section I've colored is the folding-fan shaped yellow section around the outside. I used gamboger (goldenrod), lemon yellow, burnt ochre, and the colorless blender. Having the yellow coloring where it is, really shows the primary colors (red, blue, yellow) in alignment, which was a happy accident. When I started coloring this mandala, I was clueless as to what colors I was going to use. I pick them as I go along.

"Deco" Mandala - 03/09/07

Was able to do some more coloring on "Deco" last night. I added the blue edges. I was a little hesitant to color in the blue; it felt like a bold move and one that if it looked bad, it would be difficult to change. As soon as I finished one small section of it, I loved it! To me it looks like the sea or the ocean off in the distance. I used prussian blue, indianthrone blue, diox. purple, and the colorless blender.

"Power Strip" - 03/09/07

I started another design, which was originally created about 3 or 4 years ago. For the last week or so, it's been bugging me that I have yet to color it. So I pulled out one of my 13x13 "color your own" print of it and started coloring it. For this design, I've decided to color this with markers (Le Plume II and Tombow brands). Markers go a lot faster and give a different look to the designs from colored pencils.

I have this and other 13x13 "color your own" prints available for sale on my web site (www.maiahcreations.com/prints_cyo)

"Deco" Mandala - 03/07/07

I finished the red sections and the ring portions in the red sections. The red was colored with crimson red, diox. purple, white, and the colorless blender. For the ring portions within the red section, I colored with diox. purple and the colorless blender.

"Deco" Mandala - 03/04/07

This is starting to take on a Native American look. Eventually you'll start to see the "deco" . Today I added the perpendicular segments using beige, orange, diox. purple, goldenrod, and the colorless bender pencil. I also started on the first of 6 red sections; I colored it with crimson red, diox. purple, a touch of white, and , yes, you guessed it, the colorless blender. It's a toss up as to which is my favorite pencil: diox. purple or the colorless blender.

"Deco" Mandala - 03/03/07

I finished the green background columns. I also colored in the blue ring segments that are at the top of each row of green. The blue rings are colored with cerulean blue, diox. purple hue, and the colorless blender.

"Deco" Mandala - 03/02/07

Well...on to the next one. I apologize for the poor photo quality; I'll do my best to improve them in the future.


For this mandala, I'm using Prismacolor lightfast series pencils. In the center of this piece, I used gamboger (goldenrod) and lemon yellow. For the blue diamond around the yellow, I colored with cerulean blue, diox. purple hue, and the colorless blender. Each green section was colored with prussian green, diox. purple and the colorless blender.