Mandalas in Nature

A mandala is a circular shape that has a central focal point. Sections made up of exactly the same parts, radiate from the central point. The word “mandala” actually means circle. Many people find drawing mandalas to be a very calming and centering. God created mandalas in nature all around us ("In the beginning God created..."). A spider's web or a sunflower are great examples. Look at these mandalas found in nature — a passionflower, sunflower, daisy, and zinnia.

Can you think of other examples of mandalas found in nature?

Objective:
In this lesson you will investigate and explore how God uses mandalas in nature and you will create a mandala.
Materials:
Scrap paper for practice, Pencils, colored pencils, markers, sharpies, Square white construction paper, Ruler, Compass, Eraser
Process:

Read through all instructions first.
Watch this video on drawing Concentric Circles

Take time to practice drawing Concentric Circles on your scrap paper.
Look at designs in mandalas found in nature. What designs can you incorporate in your artwork? Play around with adding different organic shapes and geometric patterns within concentric circles on your practice paper.
Once you feel comfortable with a design, get your square white construction paper and markers or colored pencils to create your design.
Using a pencil, lightly draw concentric circles with a compass. The circles don’t have to be evenly spaced. Some can be farther away from others.

Using a pencil, lightly divide your paper into 8 triangular sections running through the center point. You may erase the lines later, but for now they will help you line up the shapes symmetrically around your center point.

Once you have your lines in the proper place, begin drawing one shape or design in a ring around your center point. You may use a design from nature such as a flower petal, or a geometric shape like a triangle. The shapes should touch the first concentric circle that you penciled in around the center. As you are working try to make all the shapes the same size. (You can use a pen if you’re feeling bold, or you can use a pencil and go over your design later in pen.)
Continue drawing different shapes within the concentric circles. Experiment with different kinds of shapes. If you’ve done a bunch of flower-petal looking things, try some triangles or ovals. Some of your rings can be thin and intricate, some can be bigger designs and bold.
As you work, try not to worry about what you are doing. There is no such thing as a mistake in Mandalas, there is just the unexpected. Focus on being calm and allowing your creativity to flow. Remember you are created in the image of God. He is creative and so are you.

If you drew your Mandala in pencil, trace over it with pen. Experiment with using thinner and thicker lines to add visual interest to your Mandala.
Once you have traced your lines in ink, erase all the pencil marks.

If you would like, you can fill in the mandala with color. Think about how you will use color.
Be careful to keep your hands off the colored area while working so the color does not smear.

*You may also want to check out this website: How to Draw a Mandala. DO NOT draw your mandala to look just like the example.