Revisiting Josephine's Mandalas: #9 of 21 / "Spirit Birds With Dark Clouds Lifting"

My mother’s 9th mandala speaks for itself.

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Mandala #59: Spirit Birds With Dark Clouds Lifting (January 2021) from my Fearless and Asymmetrical Mandala Series:

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Continuing in chronological order from my Retrospective 1966-2008 is the fourth in a series of six life drawings in 6B pencil done in 1982 or 1983 during an informal life drawing group which met once a week in the evening in the Art Department of Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA:

Just realized that these life drawings were not done on a newsprint drawing pad as I had stated in earlier posts. They were done on a slightly higher quality pad of white drawing paper.

As I was looking at the above drawing again, I remembered that the way I did life drawings was to start somewhere in the person's face, usually the eyes. I would make a beginning mark and then from there begin the measuring process I had learned. I didn't sketch in the whole person, as is usually advised, and I certainly didn't reduce the person to geometric shapes, which is sometimes recommended. I slowly developed a drawing that I was pleased with. The process was deeply meditative.

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From Wendy Martyna’s Substack:

Seven Months On . . . - thoughts on what is certain, and what is not -

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Just because:

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First read in 1961 when I was 11 years old. Re-read a public library copy this past week and was moved to tears and gratitude for the two significant experiences.

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Thank you everyone for your presence and witness here. It is deeply appreciated.