Project Statement
In this mandala, I activated harmony as my design principle and used a gradient of values to meld many different patterns into one cohesive piece. By using symmetry and line weight, I kept the individual elements of the piece solitary, while combining them to create a pattern that the viewer can see when they step back and view it as a whole. I named it Stained Glass due to the different opacities of each segment, and how they come together to form one image. While I intentionally made my mandala segmented, not only into four part symmetry but also by the diagonal lines dividing the circle further, I believe the viewer can still see how each of the segments works together with those around it in order to form the image. By using a brick overlay, I enabled the segments to contain different values while still accentuating the original lines of the patterns, such as the spirals taken from the nautilus shell in Orton Hall. I also used shading itself to show another pattern: the checkered squares of the sewer grate in the Oval pathway. I feel that this technique gives my piece more depth without making it too visually overwhelming, which is often a tough balance with mandalas. By removing the solid outline of the circle grid, the viewer’s eye is allowed to wander, guided by the implied outlines rather than forced into the center and becoming overwhelmed.
Process
View detailed project process at Pattern, Activating Form, and Color Studies: Process
Reflection
I really enjoyed working with color in this project. While experimenting with greyscale helped me to integrate gradients into the piece, color encouraged me to make the composition more playful. Being required to choose from the patterns I found was limiting, but also gave me direction and a structured starting point. I would love to iterate more with the patterns I chose to see the diversity in the mandalas I would be able to create. With these iterations I would experiment with different color harmony rules. Learning about the harmony rules was very interesting and I will keep these in the forefront of my mind when working with color in the future. Because my mandalas were colored by hand, much of my time was focused on my craft, so experimenting with other project objectives such as color and pattern more closely would be interesting and enlightening.