| The Art of David Rankine |
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the Mandala Experience
The Mandala Experience has finished its 20 event run at the Otherside Cafe in Newmarket, Ontario . It was initialized on May 4th 2005 . We are currently searching for a new venue. Please read on to learn about the event.
The first main purpose of the Mandala Experience is to get a regular group of people meeting together to draw mandalas. The second purpose is to discover what comes out of it all. This is an experiential process and no two weeks are the same , with regards to participants, outcome, music and transformations.
A very important element of the Mandala Experience is the use of live music to create a " feedback loop" between sound and image - musician and drawer. Dulcimers, drums and Tibetan singing bowls have been used and at times there have been multiple musicians involved.
Presently, the participants number between 9 - 14 with people representing many age groups and backgrounds. As this is not a "goal" oriented event, no previous art training is required. Often groups of participants will get together to create a group mandala - an excellent example of community building
A Note on Mandalas
Although many people think of Tibetan Buddhist mandalas when the term, mandalas are created by people across the globe - from all cultures. It is as if it is a creative urge which is "hard wired" into humans.
Mandalas are healing tools , they help to develop new self understanding, improve links between the two brain hemispheres and improve skill groups and thinking processing which the individual may be weak in.
The purpose of mandala drawing is the process . The finished picture is beautiful in itself and the act of viewing it after it is done may trigger responses in other people or even further emotional responses in the maker, but the true reason for doing the mandala is in the DOING. It is the act of drawing - a moving meditation, wherein the real work and healing takes place.
For more information on mandalas and the vast network of mandala artists, visit Clare' Goodwin's Mandala Page.
Mandala samples - historic (left three) and contemporary (right three)
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| Indian Irish Hebrew | contemporary mandalas |