Mandala Patterns

Inspired by my Indian heritage and my deep love for henna artistry, I hand drew these lovely intricate designs and just let my pencil wander where it wanted to ! I had no idea what colours I wanted to use but then that was part of the fun! I dont know about you, but I often seem to paint and then wander off if something doesn't feel right or I want to re-think about designs or mediums so that when i do return to my work, I have a whole new perspective or different ideas. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but I love how this method works for me. 

Anyway, I was thrilled with how it turned out and settled my mind for a week (I still overthunk - wait is that even a word? - but much less than normal !)

Try it. Let your mind wander, grab a pencil and plain paper and let your mind and hand wander across the page. You'd be surprised what beauty comes from just letting go!

Commissioned work

This was a commissioned painting last year- my first and I was absolutely delighted!!! 

The customer wanted it to be a surprise so I asked her the colours she wanted and she picked these. 

At first I didnt like the blend of colours I was using as it was too dark. I also wanted the henna design to stand out so I lightened the background base colour and started drawing! 

I had an idea to have the pattern continously along the 3 panels and just to add a bit more of a depth to it, paint it so that the panels have to be slightly higher than the previous one for the pattern to align. 

And here is the end result ! 

 

  • Rainbow Feather

This painting was one of my very first ones I sold for a customer on a website for my local town. It was so much fun to paint and I just took inspiration from my culture as I wanted vibrant, happy and bold colours. At first I had drawn it in painted it with a black posca pen but it just didnt look right and didnt stand out for me enough, so I tried it with white to make it pop and it did! I was really happy with how it turned out and wondered whether anyone would be interested buying it locally so I put a post out on a local website and sold it within an hour !!! I was practically giddy when the fella came to pick it up. It took all my might not to throw my arms around him and say thankyou !! In the end I opted for a very casual, "oh yea, I have sold a few paintings lately, business is really good!" You know, like its a regular everyday occurance for me (!) 

NB - the client made my week when he very very kindly sent me a message and a photo of how it added colour and made him one happy camper ! Aawww! 

  • Om, Shanti Om

I remember this design came to me just before I fell asleep and it was such a revelation I wrote it down on my phone before I forgot. The next day I was so excited to start drawing her but it was the summer holidays, the kids were flagging and irritated and whiny in the sweltering heat, and I was in desperate need of some downtime. I got my pen and paper out and set to work drawing- in the bathroom!!!! It was the only place I could think of where the kids wouldn't bother me lol! 

I named her Shanti because it means quiet / silence in Hindi and she certainly helped silence this overactive, overthinking brain of mine!  

At first I loved the look of her hair all wavy and originally i was going to paint the different sections different colours but then I walked away to think and returned the next day with a fresh idea of using materials and sequins to add depth and texture. 

I got all that I had out on the kitchen counter (I had no art table at this point so the kitchen counter had to suffice) : glitter, string, beads, the lot. Only thing I struggled with was drawing her face as I am not good at drawing faces for some reason and lordy have I tried! - oh and she was causacian at first, which is ironic because she had mandala-fied hair so it just didnt look right (PS : for example have you ever seen an Asian with blonde hair? You get my drift) . So she went from Shantal to Shanti practically overnight. I was very pleased how she turned out and is now on display at my local art Gallery in Grantham. 

 

Let's connect and create community

My art is not just about visual appeal; it's about fostering connection and building a community. If my work resonates with you, if you have ideas to share, or if you're interested in collaborations, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm always eager to engage with fellow art lovers, artists, and patrons to explore new possibilities and conversations.