Earth Mandalas at Knebel's Flower Farm

"A mandala is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. A mandala generally represents the spiritual journey, starting from outside to the inner core, through layers." — Wikipedia

About a month ago I saw a post by my friend Theresa Gates Kuhr that she was offering an Earth Mandala class at her sister's property, Knebel's Flower Farm.  The class would include learning about Ayurvedic philosophy and morning rituals, building earth mandalas with flowers, breakfast, and picking our own flower bouquets from the farm.  Everything about this was right up my alley, but my one hesitation was that we would have to meet EARLY on a Saturday morning.  As many of you know, I am not a morning person.  But it seemed silly not to do it for that reason...so I signed up.

On Saturday at 6 am I woke up with the thought, "I am one lucky girl."  It was a strange thought because I haven't felt very lucky lately.  As I got out of bed I noticed it was lightly raining, but the weather forecast said it should clear up.  When I headed out the door at 6:45 I saw my phone battery said 26% and I was so sad because I knew I would be wanting to take a ton of photos that day. I ran back in and got my phone charger, hoping to charge it once I arrived. 

It took me a little over half an hour to arrive at the road to the farm.  I turned onto the road and headed up and up and up.  The road was pretty rough and I thought I should have put the car in all wheel drive.  It reminded me of my old bear project days and I thought to myself, "This is going to be quite an adventure!"

When I finally got to the top of the road I was reassured I was in the right place when I was greeted by these signs.

As I got out of my car I was welcomed by Barb, the owner of the flower farm, holding an umbrella.  It is funny how in just a few words exchanged you know you like someone.. and that was how it was with Barb.  I asked it I could plug my phone in and she pointed to the plug next to the water heater for tea.  As I sat down to drink some tea, I was also surprised and happy to see my fellow printmaker and friend Nancy Turner show up for the class.  Nancy's presence is like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.  

Once we were all assembled, we each got to choose a basket with a vintage tablecloth in it.

Below you can see Nancy and I happily holding our basket of fresh flowers. (Thank you for the photo Nancy!)

When everyone had their flowers, I grabbed my half-charged phone and we headed off to walk the property.

We headed around the flower fields and down a beautiful dirt road through the woods until we came to a clearing.  We then made a circle and spread our vintage tablecloths out to sit on.  Theresa gave a short talk and we went around the circle to introduce ourselves.  

There is something magical about women gathering in a circle.  Somehow, there is always laughter and tears and a sense of being held by the group.  And although our intros were brief, I couldn't help but find myself falling in love with each person.  I so enjoy hearing people's stories and find myself wanting to know more as the time is always too short in these situations.

After we left the circle we were instructed to wander the property while gathering any items we might want for our mandala and to look for the perfect spot.  As I wandered I felt extra happy to find five perfect osage oranges, plus goldenrod, berries, and several unidentified plants.
 

When I took the photo above, I could tell my phone was starting to act funny again.  It would turn off every time I took a photo.  At this point I knew I would be lucky to get any more photos...so I turned my attention to finding a spot for my mandala.

I wandered around the lake but found myself close to where we met in the circle.  I wanted to find a bright spot and I decided to make a little space for my mandala near the woodpile in the middle of the field.  The woodpile was surrounded by lots of tall snakeweed, but there was a spot where there was a natural break in the weeds.  Theresa had told us that it was easiest to make the mandalas on the dirt, but I thought maybe I could cut the vegetation down a bit to make it flat.  Plus I knew the osage oranges were pretty big and that I would have to make my mandala "thick" to accommodate them.  I also liked the idea of my mandala being nested into the arms of the bent-over snakeroot.

Theresa had instructed us to think about the purpose of our mandala.  Would it be symbolic?  Would it honor someone or something?  At first I thought about honoring a family member, or my family.  But in the end I decided to honor my self.  I decided to take this class at the end of a difficult month and as a way to do something for me.  So when I started building it I knew I wanted to make it more of a wreath...because you all know I am obsessed with donut shapes and shapes that having "nothing" in the middle.  Below you can see my final mandala nestled into the snakeroot.

Looking at it now as I write this blogpost, the mandala reminds me of a swirling hurricane with a still point in the center.  It made me think that we are all like human hurricanes walking around, not knowing our own power.  And not realizing that at our core we can always find peace.  We are both the swirling storm and the calm at the center. 

“The center of the Mandala is the Now-moment, where, through the quality of attention, we constantly create ourselves anew.” — Richard Moss

After finishing my mandala, I hurried back to meet the group.  At this point my phone died...so I missed photographing everyone with their mandala.  But I did enjoy walking to see everyone's mandala and listening to the descriptions of each one.  It truly was a lovely surprise to come upon each person's lovely mandala on the ground and to see how each one was different and the materials used.

When we finished our walk we headed back to the flower field where Barb and Theresa (and their husbands) had prepared quite a lunch for us.  I quickly plugged my phone in at the house and ran back to eat lunch.  Nancy let me use her photo of this incredible spread.

After lunch both me and my phone were recharged and I got to take a couple more photos of the day.

Below you can see each of us got an empty jar for our bouquets and how every little detail of this experience was delightful.

I can't tell you how much fun it was to walk the rows of this field cutting flowers for our arrangements.  And there is nothing more merry than a bunch of women arranging flowers.  And if you are interested, Barb offers "pick and pay" experiences for people or groups (check out her website!).

Barb truly is a master at what she does.  It was fascinating to listen to her tell us about growing flowers and what is involved.  And I learned so much from watching her make a bouquet.

As you can see below I had such a good time in this class.  The flowers, the people, the mandalas, the food, the scenery...the whole experience was such a joy.  I am so happy that I pushed myself to wake up early and try something new.  

“Each person’s life is like a mandala – a vast, limitless circle. We stand in the center of our own circle, and everything we see, hear and think forms the mandala of our life.” — Pema Chödrön


After saying our goodbyes I wandered back to each mandala and took a photo.
Here they are in all their loveliness.

Theresa's mandala

Alicia's mandala

Sue's mandala

Janet's mandala

Nancy's mandala

Krista's mandala

Barb's mandala

The leaves of Barb's mandala had already started to crinkle by the time I made it to hers.  It reminded me of how these will fade and return to the earth over time.  I wish I could return to all of them in the coming days to see how they  might change.     
 

When I got home and was looking through the photos I remembered my first thought of the morning...that I was lucky.  It gave me pause when I considered the day.  My mind immediately searched for evidence to the contrary.  I had been so disappointed that my phone didn't work correctly.  One of my favorite things in the world is to take photos of an event like today and my phone chose today to freak out.  I sat with that for a while.  And then I also realized that my phone had worked just barely enough for me to document the day, even allowing me to walk back and take photos of each person's mandala.  It just barely had enough battery for me to finish the class.  So in that sense, I had been very lucky.  

"Luck is believing you're lucky." — Tennessee Williams

I don't really know how much we get to control in this life.  But I do know that we can sometimes control our responses to situations.  Or maybe it is better to say we can control how we view a situation.  I would not describe myself as someone who sees the glass half full or empty all the time.  But I know I have work to do in this area.  If there is any truth to the idea that we make our own luck, then I want to be there planting those seeds.  

A big thank you to Theresa and Barb for such a lovely day.

If you are interested in learning more about Ayurveda or taking a class, please visit Theresa's website, theresagateskuhr.com. 

And if you would like to pick yourself some flowers or have a group event, visit Barb's website, knebelsflowerfarm.com.  

"La Alegría" - Variations on a theme

For the past four years I have participated in a show called, "Think Square."  The show features local artists and the premise is that all artwork must be five inches by five inches.  The first year I carved a "Cat and Mouse" linocut, the next year a "Blue Corn" linocut, and the third year was the "Medicine Buddha" linocut printed on a stone woven into a hanging basket.

This year I knew I wanted to explore an idea I've had for a while which was simply painting a folk design onto wood.  Because I have never done this before, I wanted to work the design out completely beforehand.  I picked three flowers from one of my favorite books, "Decorative Flower and Leaf Designs" by Richard Hofmann.  These black and white images are free for use and the "designs were originally intended for a wide range of uses, from hand and machine stitching to stenciling, on materials such as leather, silk, and lace."  

I probably went through about ten to fifteen iterations playing with my design.  Below you can see I started with a leaf-edge border...but when I printed the design out, I felt the flowers were too small.  In order to make the flowers larger I dropped the leaf border.  In the end, I added a green line border.

Working digitally also allowed me to play with color options.  I may eventually try printing a green version.

My original idea was to ask my friend Mark if he could cut me a scallop-edged five inch square.  He has an amazing array of woodworking tools in his basement and has helped me in the past with my crazy projects.  I sent him the file and he said he thought he could do it with his shaper tool, but asked me what was the latest date I needed it.  I told him I would need it a week before it was due.  Little did I know a family emergency would take me out of town for most of the next month.  About 10 days before the project was due I decided I just needed to make something and have it done while I had a few days at home.  So I decided to change plans and transfer my design to a linocut.

LINOCUT

Below you can see the design carved into "Safety-Kut."  

I used a drill bit to make most of the small circles.  

After carving the design, the final step was to cut out the scallop edge.  My trusty helper Bubo was always there to help.

Below is a video of me pulling a quick test print using a stamp pad.  I don't always do this, but it is helpful to get a quick peak to see what needs further carving.

The actual printing went amazingly well.  Working with a small plate like this is so much easier than my usual large plates.  Below you can see my setup.

The video below shows me inking the plate, hand-burnishing, and pulling a print.

I knew I only needed one good print for the show, so I only printed 8.  I may go back and make more at some point...maybe in another color.

Once the prints were dry I pulled out my watercolors to paint the flowers.

This print is now available on my website, NessyPress.com.

WOOD

The day after I finished my linocut my friend Mark told me he finished cutting my scallop-edged wood.  When I saw it, I couldn't believe how perfect it was!  It seemed like a work of art all by itself.

In a way, I hated to paint it.  In the very beginning I had toyed with the idea of carving the design and I did stop to re-consider that option, but I knew that would take me a long time so I proceeded to paint.

As you can see from above, I didn't like my first color.  The blue above was straight out of the tube.  For my second coat I added a little black to produce a more muted navy color. 

To transfer my design to the dark surface I used white Saral paper.

Here you can see the painting about halfway through.

And here you can see the piece mostly finished.  I used acrylic paint that I have had for twenty years.  It worked amazingly well, but the yellow/orange color was a little thick and left a lot of lines.  If I had to do it again I would buy new acrylic paint that comes in the short squeeze bottles that would be a thinner consistency.

“It relaxes my mind to paint flowers." — Pierre-Auguste Renoir

I thought about calling this piece "La Diversión" which technically means "fun" or "hobby, pastime,"  but also references the idea of a diversion.  I painted this piece while under a great deal of stress and the activity of painting was a life-saver.  The act of focusing my concentration on making precise brush strokes forced me to be in the present moment.  And when you are in the present, the mind cannot be thinking about the past or worrying about the future. 

It also occurred to me later, that the idea of being present could help me in the longer term.  I realized after the immediate crisis was over and I returned home, that I was carrying the weight of the situation around with me all the time...it felt like carrying very heavy mental luggage 24/7.  Once I saw this, I tried to ask myself the question, "What is happening right now in this moment?"  This helped me see how my mental luggage was preventing me from feeling the sun and breeze on my skin while sitting on the back porch, or feeling the soft fur of my cat.  It reminds me of a story Rick Archer sometimes tells on his podcast about a person who gets on a train carrying heavy luggage on each arm.  Once they are on the train, they keep holding it tight until someone says, "You know you can put that luggage down and let the train carry that weight?"  Somehow, holding tight to that luggage makes one feel in control, but in reality only wearies the holder.  Plus, it is harder to enjoy the view while holding all that luggage.  I am slowly learning to let life help me carry that weight... I am learning to put down those heavy, controlling, worrisome thoughts that pull me away from the present moment.  I am certainly no expert, but I can see how liberating it can be and how joy is often waiting for me on other side.

“Your life situation may be full of problems — most life situations are — but find out if you have any problem at this moment. Not tomorrow or in ten minutes, but now. Do you have a problem now?”

― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Below is a photo of the final piece.

If you would like to come to the show, the opening reception is Friday, September 16th from 4-8 pm at the Think Shop in Newport, KY.  The show is also up from September 16th through November 18th.  The show has been known to sell every piece so it is a good idea to go early!

I loved how the shadows of the scallops and the frame emphasized the depth of the piece.  Overall, I think this foray into folk painting on wood was a success and I hope to do more in the future.  

A big thank you to my friend Mark for cutting my wood and always supporting me in my artistic endeavors.  Also a big thank you to George for listening to me debate everything and for feeding me delicious food throughout.  It takes a village!