7th Annual Ornament Hop with Mandalas

mandala ornament

Mandalas – ritualistic shapes within a circle or a square that represents the universe or connects to it mainly during a tantric ritual. They can be self expression circles created by doodling as developed by the psychologist Carl Jung as a part of Art Therapy.

Its the season of harmony; it is the season of self – realisation. It is the season when cultures around the world celebrate Divinity. December is here – the month which when utilised to the fullest can give us the time and space to accomplish the deeds that we want to accomplish this year without postponing it.  Two of the things on my to-do list for 2017 was to revisit an old hobby and to do a big workshop where I teach a new skill or a technique. I was able to finally accomplish both this December with my Mandala Jewelry workshop .

I started to draw mandalas and zen doodle once again after many years. I also created a process of creating mini wearable mandalas. As the Art Bead Scene Studio’s 7th Annual Ornament Hop is here, it felt natural to show you Mandala themed ornaments and jewelry in this hop. Find here the ornament that I created Favecraft’s contest last year –DIY Upcycled Bohemian ornament, in case you missed it.

mandala ornament

I started to write all I know about Mandalas and this post slowly turned into a serious research paper. By that time my computer, my internet connection and yes wordpress all started misbehaving. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get the post up for the hop. So here is a narrative rewrite that is hopefully an easy read. I hope that, soon, I can finish the original article and get it published in a magazine or a journal. I would be grateful for readers input’s on the magazines that would accept such articles.

Types of Forms

Divinity in design is one of my all-time favourite topics and the iconography and symbolism of mandalas fall right into that category. Designers, architects, and artists who study forms know that there are four types of forms. I’ll tell you why they are important to this topic in a minute.
The four types of forms are

  •  Natural (realistic or how they appear in nature)
  • Geometric – bound by the rules or geometry or represented by geometrical shapes
  • Abstract – representation of the essence of the form in its truest sense without irrelevant details
  • Stylised – portrayed in a particular style

What are Mandalas

Imagine that you are standing in the lobby of a tall building waiting to go up. You would require a portal through which you can travel – an elevator right? Similarly, a Mandala is just a form, a portal that connects our world (earth) with higher dimensions or our individual mind with the collective consciousness. A mandal is a space that houses divinity. So if the Divine energy (God/Goddess) is the abstract form and idols are stylised versions of the divinity (represented in a human, animal, bird or liminal forms), then Mandalas are geometric portrayals of the Divine.

types of mandalas
Types of mandalas: A Buddhist Mandala in a Thangka painting, Sri Yantra, Tibetan Yantra with a deity, Jain temple ceiling, Hindu temple ceiling, Zendoodled Mandala

From being used a mythical maps to create portals to other worlds in the Pre- Vedic and Vedic periods or becoming design elements such as sculpture, fixtures, and murals mandalas have evolved and mutated over time. These depictions showcased the mindset or the emotions an individual felt in search of the Divinity. In later periods, they were used to define the aesthetics of the area surrounding the temple. However, the drawing of Buddhist and Tibetan Yantras (tools) and Mandalas by itself is a ritual used to attain enlightenment even today.

Contemporary Mandala Art

The practice of drawing a mandala is a journey of self-realisation. Clearing out a space and preparing it in anticipation of the ideas that you want to manifest in your life and then creating art that you know will be erased once its solved its purpose is a beautiful thing. It gives you time to collect your thoughts, calm yourself, and check your flaws. It also helps you think about remedial measures. This is the reason drawing of kolams, sand art or other types of transient art was prescribed in ancient cultures. In the last 5 years doodling has become the “in thing” in the West. Mandalas soon followed and now you can find them as graphics elements on several products.

Mandalas in Jewelry

This got me thinking about Mandala jewelry and by extension ornaments using Mandalas. In the spirit of true mandalas, I started with the preparation of the space or the surface with paper, canvas, and gesso. The designs originate in the center focal (Adi moolam – i.e origin) and radiate towards the boundaries. I chose colours that symbolise creativity, inquisitiveness, learning, and calmness to record what I wanted to manifest in my life.

mandala jewelry

I added looped beads once the pendants were finished and sealed. Including hte beads, they measure about 6″ in length and are great as mini wall hangers. However, My house is a complete mess at the moment due to a construction job so they are tucked away safely. They will eventually become pendants for necklaces in the true spirit of evolution. But for now, they remain as tokens of self expression, as attempts of mine to connect with something greater than myself.

Before I conclude I would like to show you some Mandala Jewelry that I made. Looking back, each piece is like a visual journal that speaks about my state of mind the day they were made.

mandala jewelry

Above: Mangalam – Red and Green necklace with hand painted Mandala pendant. Below: Smrithi – Pink and purple crystal and glass bead necklace wit ha blooming flower mandala

mandala jewelry

A day before my workshop, I noticed that my mom was visibly disturbed. After what seemed like an internal debate she asked me “Are you sure you can teach them to draw a mandala in an afternoon?” I nodded my head and said that it could be done in 2-3 hours. She was shocked and whispered, “but those monks take 10-12 years to master it”. I burst out laughing which perplexed her even more. She was obviously referring to the Buddhist Mandalas drawn in Thangka paintings and I to the doodles that are in vogue at the present.

Yes Amma, the path to enlightenment is long drawn out but afterall it begins with that one moment of self realisation. Putting thought to action or this case brush to canvas can lead us one step closer to finding ourselves amidst chaos.

Happy Holidays to all those celebrating winter festivities!

I hope you found it interesting
Cheers

24 responses to “7th Annual Ornament Hop with Mandalas”

  1. Erin L Prais-Hintz avatar

    I have always loved mandalas, before I ever knew what they were called. When I was a teacher I used to do a unit on World Religions and we would do a mandala art project on these round pieces of paper that I would laminate and add to throughout the year with different classes that ended up looking like a big quilt! That was one of my favorites. I have actually been concocting a new class using some sort of mandala that I will be experimenting with this winter, so this is all such great information you have shared! Thanks for joining in the blog hop. Your ornaments/pendants are delightful! Enjoy the day! Erin

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      I too loved (and drew) mandalas ever since I was a child. My mom used to doodle as well and I was fascinated by that. When I thought of doing mandala jewelry, clay was the first material that I thought of. But then, I am not a clay expert so I turned to canvas. I am sure, you would be able to create a fantastic class based on mandalas and clay. Looking forward to seeing what you create

  2. CraftyHope avatar

    I knew those ornaments looked familiar, they’re like the class you just taught! Duh! I can’t believe I didn’t consider that you might use them as ornaments too. Best of luck on getting that mandala research paper published. I’m sorry that the internet is being so wonky for you. It happens to everyone at some time or another I believe. I do hope your house renovations don’t take too long. Wishing you well!

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      Haaaa 🙂 I am super sly right? I made Mandalas as pendants and thought what else I could do with them. Ornaments were the obvious choice, esp with this hop coming up. My house repairs have been going on for over 2 months now and I am super frustrated. I was just negotiating with my painter after a long day at work. so to log on to my blog and read these positive and delightful comments makes me super happy

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      Thanks Susan 🙂

  3. Lisa Caryl avatar
    Lisa Caryl

    Lovely work, they will be wonderful if worn or on your tree. Very much enjoyed reading about your process and the history of Mandalas.

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      Thanks Lisa, I love studying about iconography and sharing my knowledge. I invite you to subscribe to my blog is you are interested in such research based articles

  4. Maya avatar

    I followed your mandala workshop on instagram. The mandalas you incorporated in your necklaces as pendants are amazing and truly make the pieces stand out.

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      Thanks Maya. I was skeptical at first about mandalas in jewelry. But it really worked out well in the end

  5. baymoondesign avatar
    baymoondesign

    Thank you for sharing the information about the meaning of Mandala and the influence it is in your life. Your drawings are marvels to me. All beautiful works! I hope your construction goes quickly and well.

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      These mandalas are really very easy to draw. I can help you with it if you are interested

  6. Linda Landig avatar

    These mandalas are stunning. And I love the necklaces you made with them, too.

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      Thanks Linda. I originally started with the necklaces. Then I realised I could make ornaments with them too. They are very simple to make

  7. Heather Powers avatar

    These are beautiful and I loved learning more about Mandalas. Thank you for taking the time to share those insights.

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      Thanks for visiting and commenting Heather. I just love looking at your beads as pictures. I hope that I’ll own some oneday.

  8. Rozantia Petkova avatar

    Divine ornaments! They are beautiful both as a spiritual expression and Christmas decoration with all the colors and patterns!

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      Thank you 🙂 As a school kid, I found Christmas to be a highly spiritual holiday as I studied in a Convent school. It was celebrated with decorations, a mass and cultural programmes. There was no concept of buying new clothes or gifts so there was no commercialism. I am happy that the spirituality shows through my work

  9. Susan Kennedy avatar

    What an awesome post – thank you so much for the mandala information! Your last years’ ornaments are awesome! I love your mandala ornaments as well, you are very talented!

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      Thanks Susan for checking bout both the posts. I am glad that you found the information interesting

  10. Sarajo Wentling avatar
    Sarajo Wentling

    These are really lovely! Thanks for sharing your ornaments, necklaces, and interesting information about mandalas with us!

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      Thanks Sarajo 🙂

  11. Sarah Raines avatar
    Sarah Raines

    Your ornaments are truly tiny works of art! They are breathtaking in their detail and graphic presentation.

    1. jewelsofsayuri avatar

      Thanks Sarah, I enjoyed making them

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