Mandala Case Study #1 – Shaine Dyus
Shaine first contacted me at the end of 2022, interested in having a mandala tuned and tailored to her energy and aspirations.
She wanted to grace her office with a piece of art that had great meaning – and had been meaning to have a mandala painted for sometime, and was waiting to find the right artist. She saw my first mandalas and was one of the very first few mandalas that I painted.
Shaine’s intentions behind the commissioned the artwork to remind her of her roots in South Africa, bring healing, invite colour healing to various chakras, and provide inspiration for the business direction she is heading.
Quite a mean feat to achieve in one mandala.
But this is what I love! The detail!!
This level of detail and directive is what spurs me on.
I am a person who thrives on creative constraint, so the more that it is in the briefing – the better for my creative kindling to be set on fire!
We then had to work out the size that would best suit her and the room - and she went for the full 100cm mandala to fill the space with colour and inspiration!
An additional part of the inspiration for the design of the mandala – was a South Africa crafted beaded piece of artwork. I took this on board for the colours and the kind of toning that Shaine wanted in the piece.
The colours are also inspired by nature and pick up on communication between the throat and heart chakras (blues, greens and turquoises) and around sovereignty and identity – particularly owning ones value, bringing in more boundaries in one’s life, and relationships with others (oranges and yellows). These colours feature strongly in the piece.
After scribing Shaine’s birthday (coming to a numerology of 3) , intentions and the additional numerology of 6 (representing love, harmony and connection) and 8 (representing having ones skills and talents be reciprocated with energy flow in the material world – auspiciousness, abundance) onto the raw 1m round board, I added a layer of primer and then two coats of black base coat.
It was boxing day 2022 I started on this piece – and once I start a piece, I find it very hard to stop until the mandala piece is finished. Designs and colour combinations download and occupy my mind until they flow out of my paintbrush.
My Mum was staying with us (also from Adelaide !) at the time, and would keep me company for hours each day watching the dots unfold on the board. She said she found it mesmerising to watch. I enjoyed the company – and the coffees and teas that came my way. Thanks Mum !!
I think I would have painted around 5-6 hours a day for the following 6 days – and as I expanded into each new layer. My daughter (who LOVES maths) would work out the percentage area of circle I had covered, and how much to go. I completed the piece on the 1st January 2023... in time for Shaine’s birthday later in January.
Shaine adores her mandala (read her testimonial here) and she sits in pride of place in her office now.
The large 100cm mandala makes herself known and provides an incredible presence in any room – or place of business.
I look forward to painting more of this size for our own house – and clients (perhaps you?) in the future.