Balance Piece

Above is a picture of a mandala I created during Orientation for the graduate program in art therapy at Lesley.

Directive:
Create an image of balance.
Time limit 30 min.
Setting: Outside up a large tent with other art therapists.

While this could of been accomplished many different ways I went with the trusted process of making a mandala. I have used mandala making with adolescent children and the process did seem to calm them down from my observations.

I began this process with 2 objects that I found: a piece of foam and a cup lid. Just as in I offend do in my regular art making, I like to begin with an object to make an object. Perhaps it is the sculpture in me. Next I decided I needed to define the outer circle, so I found a bucket, traced the large white circle and began assembling on top of it. Then came the smaller orange circle. Finally the found objects where put in the center and then the flower element cut out and glued on top.

The following day the group of art therapists were asked to perform in some way at the closing of orientation. As a group we choose to wear our artwork and lead the group back to a gallery area where more of our artwork was displayed. For this I added a string long enough to go around my neck and I wore my mandala.

Below is a group photo of all of the new art therapists coming in this year and our art "gallery" space.