h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

thankyou JEllenJ42 for this wonderful mandala ..

.. and I love the title! ... is the title as important as the graphic to you? which comes first? (I'm a title geek ... I love titles ... ) ...

the graphic reminds me of Buddhist art ....

...and the hours in childhood I spent with my spirograph ... ...

amazing rose! ..

yet it also makes me think about the enduring and universal image of the mandala ...as the jewel at the centre of the soul .... or something like that ... ..

I await your next work with anticipation

Helen

hi there Cactus Cafe! You're very welcome.

The artwork came first, the title came second. In fact, the folks at the Post came up with the "Encircled" part. It fits nicely.

I should clarify that the rose itself is taken from Photo Impact clip art, and pasted on top of my original design. I'm not skilled enough yet to paint a rose that realistically. Not yet, but I'm working on it. I also paint with oil paints, and have been doing some florals.

All the color shading in my Mandalas is done using Photo Impact, a very nice program. It's a rather tedious process picking out all the little diamonds to shade in, but the results are worth it.

There are many more of my circular designs in line to be shown in the Post, so enjoy!

Thankyou JEllen for your reply and insights into your art process ..how fascinating ..

....

Photo Impact sounds interesting .. I must confess that I am not that adept at computer ..(being a rather eccentric middle aged lady .. well .. that's my excuse ... which isn't really that good an excuse ..) .... so art and photography programmes are always imbued with a wonderful mystery to me! .. like uncharted territory in a landscape .. and I therefore enjoy it when artists like you bring back treasures from these lands .. kind of like travellers ..




I wonder how painting in oils compares to working on computer? .. different textures and other sensory experiences I expect... I tried to paint in oils once ...then I went onto watercolour .. with oils I loved the smell of all the paint and white spirit etc .. our neighbour is a painter and sometimes I just go into her studio to inhale the atmosphere! ...

then a few years ago I gave up the painting .. as I was called to attempt to paint with words .. which I love ..

very interesting isn't it .. different artistic mediums .. and peoples' uses thereof ..




Anyway .. I will stop rabbiting on ... .. I really appreciate your work! and thankyou again ... and look forward to your next mandala .. this week? I think .. and for future editions also ..

cactuscafe (aka Helen)

Your posts are so nice, CactusCafe. I'm going to add you in as a friend, if that's okay. Feel free to add me as well. Then you will be subscribed to my journals, if you like.

yay! nice idea JEllen .. ! and thankyou ... and now I will do some rusty navigation of my PS and remember how to put you on my friends' list also ....

H