Finished

Here the mandala is finished.

I painted 3 yellow lotus flowers. The flowers are open which symbolizes enlightenment. (a closed blossom signifies the potential for enlightenment.)

Here I also added the silver lining round the 9 lotus petals ,2 purple lines around the purple star. They have just a touch of sparkle (click to enlarge) and a silver line around the gold triangle, these are just some finishing touches.

Thank you so much for all your positive comments along the way.

Some of you asked some questions. Here are a few answers:

Lori asked where I did learn this . I learned the principal of a booklet I bought from the lady who made my birth mandala. And the rest I learned along the way. It is like with a lot of other things in life that practice makes perfect. Every time I learn new things in my technique of painting and things which are handy .

For example in the beginning I always sketched my subject with a pencil and those lines were sometimes hard to erase or left dirty marks. Now I sketch with watercolor pencils in the color I will use. This way the lines will resolve when I paint over them. Just a little trick.

And yes Lori I think you should give it a try!

Lori also asked if this was done with watercolor. No these are painted on canvas with acrylics.

And when I know a mandala is finished. When I have painted the whole date of birth and the life path number.

Julie asked if I had any idea why she loved the Monarchs. Could it be because they are orange? Wild guess Julie;)

Patty asked if the animals I picked fit the person I am painting for. Most of the time I pick them intuitively and yes, most of the time they fit. Sometimes I know they will but sometimes I paint for people I don't know. And I have heard the most amazing facts afterward.

Like Marja who told me butterflies were very important to her. I swear I didn't know that before she told me a few magical stories when she received her mandala with butterflies.

Marja told in one of her comments when we came back from Hong Kong last year a Monarch butterfly came out of her suitcase. Could it just be her mother has been traveling with us?

Sometimes you have to believe in magic :). A mandala is a little bit of magic.

Have a magical mandala day!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥