Work in Progress - Large Mandala

I've made some progress on the first mandala and plan to have an updated photo soon.

Here is a second mandala: 16 x 20, acrylic on canvas. This one is about 20-25% along.

The blue outline around the circle is painter’s tape -- the stuff you use when painting around the moulding in the living room. I’ll remove the tape when the mandala is finished.

I’m struggling with the image inside the circle. My understanding of mandalas is that they should be Significant and Important; after all, they have spiritual and psychological connections. You just can’t treat those things lightly, right?

Those thoughts are making me afraid to touch it.

I’m not feeling all that spiritual about it, just fond. It’s never a good thing for me to get too fond of a partially finished painting. I become afraid of messing it up, so I either never finish it or continue too timidly and mess it up.

I love the colors and shapes inside the circle so far. It has a nice three-dimensional feel so far, and I like those blue fingers that reach into the center. I like it too much and am afraid to ruin it.

The interior of the circle is painted with an "interference" color -- the color changes based on the angle at which you view it. This paint appears white in some directions and blue in others.

Just had an idea for it. Hang in there. It may look very different next time you see it.