My first attempt

Finally I managed to get a result with this rotoscoping stuff. Got the idea from Quiche. Thanks! Quiche is a real pro at this. You have to see her work; very beautiful. And she wrote a kind of tutorial about it, so check it out! I followed her advice but I ended up trying this technique in Illustrator, because I couldn't get it done with Inkscape (shame on me....). On the internet I found a tutorial by Aaron Sacco Aaron Sacco is a freelance illustrator who recently finished working as an animator on "A Scanner Darkly." He also works as a portrait artist and mural painter in Austin, Texas. Check out more of his work at www.aaronsacco.com. It took me hours! Also because I'm a bad reader, I don't like reading (I am dyslectic) and I tend to read only half of what's there and start too early, than I make mistakes and in the end I have to read the instructions after all......... Anyhow I think this is fun and I certainly will practise a bit more. I hope that in the future I will be able to make images as beautiful as Quiche does or as the one below, which is awesome, or is it Keanu who is awesome?

Green

Green is common in nature, especially in plants. Many plants are green mainly because of a complex chemical known as chlorophyll which is involved in photosynthesis.Some animals are green: these include some frogs, toads, some turtles, some lizards and amphibians, some snakes, some birds such as parrots, caterpillars and some insects such as praying mantis. Green algae and green plankton are important food sources at the bottom of the food chain. Frogs often appear green because light reflects off of a blue underlayer of chemicals and through a yellow upperlayer, filtering the light to be primarily green. Green is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan. There is a huge quantity of variations of green and they all have a name, I didn't know that (click on the image above and you'll see) there is even a Kelly Green (this one is for you Kelly! I found Kelly's Web log by this beautiful mandala, which you have to see!) Kelly green is a shade of green that is popular in Ireland and among most Irish-Americans as well as most people of Irish ancestry wherever they reside. The name kelly green for the color originated in Ireland. The name derives from the fact that the first name Kelly, as well as the color green, are both popular in Ireland. The first recorded use of the term kelly green as a color name in English was in 1935. Culturally, green has broad and sometimes contradictory meanings. In some cultures, green symbolizes hope and growth, while in others, it is associated with death, sickness, or the devil. The most common associations, however, are found in its ties to nature. For example, Islam venerates the color, as it expects paradise to be full of lush greenery. Green is also associated with regeneration, fertility and rebirth for its connections to nature. Recent political groups have taken on the color as symbol of environmental protection and social justice, and consider themselves part of the green movement, some naming themselves green parties. This has led to similar campaigns in advertising, as companies have sold green, or environmentally friendly, products. Green The Nature Lover If your favorite color is green you are a natural, down to earth person who enjoys the outdoors. You are lucky and are likely to experience wealth. Calm and creative, you have a deep understanding of life. You have a healing spirit. Green is associated with the number 4 and is the color of the Heart Chakra, also known as Anahata. This chakra is located at the center of the chest area and is linked to the heart, lungs, circulatory system, cardiac plexus, and the complete chest area. The Heart Chakra bridges the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds. Opening the Heart Chakra allows a person to love more, empathize, and feel compassion. Gemstones that will aid the Heart Chakra include jade and malachite. Links: All About Green, Wikipedia, Variations of Green, Kelly Green, Key 2 Healing, Green Collage

Om Mani Padme Hum

In the centre of this mandala (Joris) I painted the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, in Tibetan syllables. Translated it says "The All is a precious jewel in the lotus flower which blooms in my heart". According to Gen Rinpoche The mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is easy to say yet quite powerful, because it contains the essence of the entire teaching. When you say the first syllable Om it is blessed to help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity, Ma helps perfect the practice of pure ethics, and Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Pad, the fourth syllable, helps to achieve perfection of perseverance, Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration, and the final sixth syllable Hum helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom. So in this way recitation of the mantra helps achieve perfection in the six practices from generosity to wisdom. The path of these six perfections is the path walked by all the Buddhas of the three times. What could then be more meaningful than to say the mantra and accomplish the six perfections? Other symbols used in this mandala are Lotus flowers, the yin yang symbol, the laughing face of the Buddha (in the 7th purple circle), fish (Koi) and lotus petals. Click to listen to the mantra Link: Dharma Haven

need for a cleanse ........................

uhhhhhhhhhh no, Troelie is happy just the way she is!

My First Orange

Today I ate my first orange after 8 days of The Stanley Burroughs Master Cleanse. 8 days I have been drinking water with lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. And of course lots of mineral water and herb tea. I do this every year in January, but since I didn't feel well I postponed it. Today I'm allowed to eat oranges and drink fresh orange juice beside the lemon drinks. Tomorrow some fruit and the day after salad with raw vegetables. Thursday the 10 days Cleanse will be over. 10 days without my favorite food, without a glass of wine, no French fries, no snacks, no grease, nothing bad. Happy and proud I persevered. Hope I can keep up the healthy lifestyle a little bit. Links: Maple Syrup, KwaliteitsKunst, The Stanley Burroughs Master Cleanse, Lemon Cleanse

Fonts

Looking for a certain font? Sometimes you are looking for something what already exist in your head and you don't know what it's called, so you search on the Internet. Thousand s of sites with free fonts. With almost as many pop-ups and redirects. Large lists of names of fonts, without examples. Clicking everything? That's boring. While searching I found Fontcraft; a beautiful site, lovely images, wonderful design.With interesting information. Just fun to read and look! Fonts divided in categories, so easy to search for something. Another nifty site is Simply the best. Font crazy? Take a look at this blog links: i love typography, simply the best, fontcraft

Happy Valentine !

I once painted this mandala for Anna, my dear cousin from Sweden. She loves hearts! And I love her! (acrylic on canvas with goldleaf)

Age of Aquarius

Beautiful music and mandalas!

My Town

Last night I dreamed I wrote a story for my blog about the town I live in; Zierikzee. So let's make it a predictive dream. I was born and raised in Rotterdam . I have lived half my life in the south of the city. I love Rotterdam and always will. Meanwhile I have lived on Schouwen Duiveland, an island in the province of Zeeland, for more than 20 years. Usually replanting a mature tree isn't such a good idea, but I manage to root here quite well, especially after we moved from a terrible village, where we lived 17 years, to the town nearby. It all started when the white house at the entrance of the harbour of Zierikzee was auctioned. The house needed a thorough renovation and we didn't dare to take the risk. We decided to sell our own house first, which was finally finished after renovating it for 17 years. We sold it within half a year and the world was at our feet again. We looked at houses in Rotterdam also, but Rotterdam was not "my town" any longer. After searching a few months my dreamhouse came for sale. I have driven past this house once and told myself; when this house ever gets on the market I'll buy it! So within one week the deal was made. I live in a lovely house with deer in the front garden and behind the house a stunning view on the Nobelpoort, one of the most beautiful monuments of Zierikzee. I live here now for 4 years and I don't want to go back to Rotterdam ever, although I still love that city. For me my dream came true; my dreamhouse became for sale when we were able to buy it. and Zierikzee is now "my town". links: Rotterdam, Zierikzee

Art Journal Mandala

Other Bubbles

The bubbles made me think of the mandala I made for Marga, where bubbles with stars and butterflies are floating around. This is the first mandala where I felt the freedom, and used it, to leave the boundaries of the circle. Anyway this mandala became different than any other mandala I created before; a special one. I always say that a birthmandala is a blueprint of someone soul, so this can be true; Marga is a very special person!

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough ~ Chinese proverb ~

Butterflies are a symbol of change, joy, and color. Their flight appears as dancing, and a reminder not to take things so seriously. They have a sense of lightness and joy. They are reminders to get up and move, for if you can move you can dance, and dance brings joy. The butterfly is a powerful symbol for transformation. It leaves the safety of the cocoon in it's new form. This is an excellent image for anyone contemplating, or in the midst of a major change. A butterfly is a strong symbol of metamorphosis, with distinct stages. The butterfly is a reminder to make changes when the opportunity arises. Change and transformation are inevitable for us all, but it does not have to be traumatic.Butterfly symbolism is also closely tied to the idea of spirits and souls. It has been used in many religions and cultures. Link: Butterflies