This fourth mandala entry comes after a long weekend of activity and travel, so the calm and relaxation of drawing was very much needed and appreciated. I find that through these personal projects, drawing has become something I do more often, not solely to complete the bi-weekly entry. Sometimes, in between reading or studying, to de-stress, I will draw a mandala or any other image. Now most of these are not masterful works of art, as I would classify them as doodles – but the positive effects or at least feelings are certain. On top of this, I never considered my self to be especially artistic. Regardless, mandala drawing is enjoyable relaxing, and even give a sense of freedom because they are so abstract and can be made in so many different ways.
Over this weekend in Philadelphia I encountered homelessness all over the city. When I had money and/or spare change on hand I gave out some to those who asked and especially those who tried to perform some kind of job (e.g. holding doors, playing music). This mandala was influenced by this charity and is seen in the collections of coins in the four quadrants and the links between them.
Aidan, it appears that drawing mandalas allows you periods of meditation and reflection. I’m assuming that while you made this mandala you were able to think about the problem of homelessness that has plagued so many of our major cities. I think that if you elaborate more on what your thought process was when you drew this mandala you could help bring more awareness to the issue you observed (homelessness). Moreover, I’m interested in what the other features of this mandala represent, what do the leaves and flowers represent? Are they related to your experiences in the city? By the way, it was very nice of you to be charitable, especially to those that appear to be making an effort to improve their situation.