Mandala Monday – An Interview with Atmara by Nine Tomatoes

by atmara | Jun 6, 2011 | Art, Creativity, Mandala Monday, Mandalas

This interview originally appeared on Nine Tomatoes blog on February 18, 2010. Nine Tomatoes is owned by mandala artist Dana Weekley.

Nine Tomatoes: How did mandalas become a part of your life?

Atmara: I started creating digital art in 1996. The first few years I was creating more figurative visionary art. I can’t remember what gave me the idea to try making some mandalas, but in 1999 I created a set of 12. Gradually I was drawn to create more and more. Now I do them almost exclusively. I also create personal mandalas which you can read about on my website. Recently I’ve started creating video mandalas, which are quickly becoming my main passion. There are examples of these on my Youtube channel.

I would say the mandalas called me to create them, rather than me deciding to create them. Every piece of art is a “living being” in my experience, and they create themselves through me. I don’t really know how it all works, but I love being used in this way by the Universe.

Mandala 3 © Atmara Rebecca Cloe

Nine Tomatoes: Describe your creative process.

Atmara: When I get the urge to create a mandala I first create kaleidoscope images, using software designed for that purpose, of pictures that I am drawn to energetically. I’m pretty much guided intuitively in the whole process. Then I take 2 or 3 of these kaleidoscope images and combined them in Photoshop. Each is a separate layer in Photoshop and I blend them together with different blending modes, play with filters, color adjustment, etc. I just play. Eventually something will gel and I know the piece is finished. I never know when I start out what a mandala will look like when I’m finished. I just let the ideas of how to play with the images flow through me and eventually I recognize that the image is done, both visually and energetically.

Mandalas of Healing & Awakening, No. 6 © Atmara Rebecca Cloe

Nine Tomatoes: How has creating mandalas affected your life – artistically, spiritually, psychically, and emotionally?

Atmara: Well, they certainly bring me a lot of joy in creating them. The way the guidance of what to do next just flows through me in their creation has become my prayer for my whole life, to be used by Love in each moment, not know what the outcome will be, but being the conduit for Love to flow into whatever I am doing.

Crop Circle Mandala 5 © Atmara Rebecca Cloe

Nine Tomatoes: Anything else you want to add?

Atmara: All my work is available for licensing. I am also available for creating personal mandalas and mandala videos on a commission basis. I hope soon to have a video mandala DVD available for sale and online downloading. That’s a project that’s just beginning, but I’m very excited about. Prints of all my work are available through my website as well. Thanks, Dana, for including me in this blog. And let me say I’m a great fan of YOUR work! Blessings to you!

Mandalas from the Heart of Surrender @ Atmara Rebecca Cloe

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I look forward to your thoughts and comments!

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