A Prairie Bouquet Inspires Mandalas & More
October 12th, 2021
A Prairie Bouquet Inspires Mandalas & More
A freshly picked bouquet of native prairie flowers picked by Christine was the inspiration for mandalas and other art created during a recent mandala circle.
Prairie Bouquet from Christine’s Native Prairie Gardens
The flowers were Golden aster (Heterotheca villosa), downy gentian (Gentiana puberulenta) obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), wild sage (Artemisia ludoviciana) and side oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula).
We started with a guided meditation that centered on the beauty and essence of the flowers. To honor them, we chose watercolors, ink and markers to express the colors and shapes through our creativity. We played with wet watercolor paper that flowed with color as wet paints were applied. The abstract shapes became flower shapes as details were added later.
My Mandala honoring golden aster, blue downy gentian and pink obedient plant
The above mandala with the large yellow aster shape radiates from the painting’s center. The center of this flower is its own circle mandala with yellow petals bursting out in all directions forming another circle.
My second mandala with yellow, blue, pink and tan flowers – details below
This second mandala shows a dance of the four shapes and colors of the yellow aster, blue/purple downy gentian, pink obedient plant and tan side oats grama. The strong colors of yellow and purple are complimentary colors. Complimentary colors intensify each color. They appear brighter and stronger when next to each other.
Linda Massie’s Yellow Aster Painting
The sunburst of the yellow aster was the inspiration for Linda Massie’s painting. The yellow petals are accentuated with white lines of words. This explosive radiance sings with these written words.
Close up of words in Linda Massie’s painting
Christine’s Torlina’s exhuberent abstract colored shapes of free flowing watercolors became specific flowers as details were added. She created two versions of the prairie bouquet.
Christine Torlina’s Prairie Bouquet – Version 1
All five flowers are shown in this painting. The large loose watercolor areas became specific plants with the added details.
The second prairie bouquet painting has new “imagined” details that may seem unreal, like the diamond shapes. But perhaps not. Often shapes and patterns seen in nature are as real as any imagined in our creative expressions. (See below)
Christine Torlina’s Prairie Bouquet – Version 2
Christine flower markings are as real as the checkered petals of the “checkered lily” below, botanical name Fritillaria Meleagris. This perennial flower blooms in the spring and its leaves disappear shortly after.
Nature is so magnificent in its beauty, it’s an honor to be inspired by all of it in our creative expressions.
Photo from BBC Gardeners World magazine
