Perfectly Imperfect Mandala

Perfectly imperfect mandala (larger)

This mandala, made from a photo of a natural process, is called “Perfectly Imperfect Mandala” because:

1) I much prefer somewhat asymmetrical mandalas to rigidly constructed, perfectly circular ones.
2) Life, to me, is both “perfect” and imperfect. Don’t ask me to explain that one!!

I make my digital artworks in several different ways; the category, Art Methods (in the header) explains several basic methods for those interested. In the case of this post, because the method explains the name, I’ll tell you here. It’s simple: I notice something. I take a photograph of it. I play with it … and something else “arrives”!

I have a small, square black plate. I don’t have a dishwasher, so sometimes a few dishes may remain on the counter by the sink overnight! In the morning I noticed that as the plate dried, it had grown some crystals, flat ones like frosted glass, probably from a bit of salt or soda and probably a splash of detergent. Where there was a glass standing on it, a circle appeared. I started to wipe the plate then realized that the circle was somewhat mandalic and I could make something of it. So I did!

This way of working appeals to me because it involves three things: the offerings of the world, chance, and whatever I make out of it. ( As we all do every day: just what we do with what we are given!)

All the added parts are cuts of various tiny crystal formations on the photo. The picture below shows the black plate with the crystals. Unfortunately I wiped off the bottom part before it occurred to me to save it.

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