Mountain Laurel Mandala

Completing a circle, finding peace in a Mandala

[heading size=”2″ color=”e.g. #000″]Completing a circle, finding peace in a Mandala[/heading]

The word Mandala (pronunciation mon- dah- lah) means “circle”. According to one online source, a Mandala “represents wholeness, a cosmic diagram reminding us of our relation to infinity, extending beyond and within our bodies and minds. It appears to us in all aspects of life, the Earth, the Sun, the Moon and more obviously the circles of life encompassing friends, family and communities.”

Mandala, signed.

Mandala, signed.

It was this circle of friends and family that brought juried artisan Elaine Russell and her family back to her hometown in rural Potter County in late 2013. As artists often do, she turned to the world of creating art to help the transition of moving, work, family… and all those life-changing events that go along with it. Along with her jewelry making and all the other thoughtful items she creates in her home-based studio, she began exploring various ways of making art as a meditative process as well. What she discovered was her own way of making her original photographs into mandala designs. It became not only a relaxing thing for her to make, but also for those who saw them as she began sharing these beautiful images online.

Elaine at Work.

Elaine at Work.

Dark Skies Mandala.

Dark Skies Manadala.

She states, “I use several different photography programs to alter the (usually botanical) photos into colorful, peaceful art. It is this combination of art and the natural world, that I feel helps to make the person seeing the mandalas, feel a sense of comfort and rest, cheer and optimism… or at least, that is my goal. There is no better compliment as an artist, than knowing something we helped to create, brings another person joy, comfort, and impacts their life in a positive way.”

Elaine has her mandala prints available in 4×4 or 5×5 inch prints in her Etsy shop, at Firestone Forge just outside of Galeton, PA and at the Elk County Council on the Arts Gallery in Ridgway. Each print is $10.

Contact Info:
Elaine A. Russell
email: [email protected]
blog: http://moongipsies.blogspot.com/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/moongipsies
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moongipsies/

The Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania profile; http://www.pawildsartisans.com/Sys/PublicProfile/27615951/3733480

 

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