2017-226: A Whole New World Mandala

My painting and coloring progress for today:

[Select an image for a larger view]

A Whole New World: 1 – start here

2 – dry watercolor sticks: magenta and yellow

3 – start adding water to dry watercolors

4 – finish adding water

5 – while waiting for paint to dry, prep wood panel with yellow and iridescent gold

6 – with wet brush, clean up the edges of the green orb

7 – add more water to orange background to brighten it

A Whole New World: 8 - with markers, enhance darker areas with dark turquoise

8 – with markers, enhance darker areas in green orb with dark turquoise

9 – add metallic greens around outside edge of green orb

10 – add “water” with different shades of blue gel pens

11 – add green gel pen dots to green orb

A Whole New World: 12 - add yellow gel pen dots to green orb

12 – add yellow and white gel pen dots to green orb

13 – add “copper ribbons” around green orb

14 – add white to “copper ribbons” around green orb

A Whole New World: 15 - add gold gel pen to "copper ribbons" and lines around green orb

15 – add gold gel pen to “copper ribbons” around green orb

A Whole New World: 16 - add black marker to "copper ribbons" and lines around green orb

16 – add black marker to “copper ribbons” and add lines around green orb

17 – add white dots – all done!

Last Sunday I played with watercolors by wetting the surface and then dabbing in colors with a wet watercolor brush to see what happens as the colors bleed, spread, pool, and mix with each other. A dear friend calls this style of painting “Happenings” because you never know what’s going to happen.

Image #1 shows what happened on Sunday when I played with green, teal, and yellow. Today I decided to improvise with my happenings result, to just go where it wanted to go. I started by filling in the background (images 2-4). Dry coloring two colors together (magenta and yellow) and then adding water which always gives me a lovely surprise, as was the case again today.

From there I fine tuned some of the elements within the green orb, giving them more definition and clarity (image 8). Then with the gel pens, I just doodled away as the spirit moved me (images 9-17).

About half way through painting/coloring this piece, I began hearing the Aladdin song, “A Whole New World” playing over and over again in my head. That’s why I gave this mandala its title. It reminds us that whenever we’re a wanting changes to happen in our world (individually and collectively), it must start from within. The outer always reflects the inner in some way, shape, or form.

Simply put: change our thinking, change our lives.