Wednesday, 26 April 2017

Green meditation...




In recent years, I have seen an increasing number of colouring books for grown-ups pop up in book stores everywhere. They are often designed to offer a form of meditative, anti-stress art therapy, or mindfulness, and often contain different mandala shapes for you to colour in. I completely see how they could offer all of the above, but have personally not been drawn to them. 


However, when I recently stumbled upon stunningly creative Hanna Wendelbo, (click on her name for link to her website and here for a link to her instagram account) a Swedish designer with a passion for all things floral and who, among other things, designs beautiful wallpaper and offers workshops in what I would call floral art, something clicked in me and I could not wait to experiment a little myself. 

A large black sheet of paper, a few leaves and buds snippety-snipped from my garden and I found myself absorbed in meditative petal positioning and a wonderfully symmetrical adventure that is right up my street! These first attempts are perhaps not so advanced or elaborate, but the marvellous thing about creating something for yourself is that it does not need to be advanced or elaborate - it can be what you would like it to be! I already have ideas for many other patterns and petals, and with any luck I will find the time for some more green meditation...

I will finish this blog post with one of Hanna Wendelbo's photos of one of her amazing flower art creations. For some reason, this photo has really stuck with me and I find these gerbera petal angel wings so breathtakingly beautiful.


(Image shown with Hanna's approval.)

So, dear friends, go on, pick some petals and try for yourselves. But a small warning might be appropriate here... I cannot guarantee that you will not become slightly addicted once you start! 😊

Love,
Helena

Ps. I just saw that another hugely talented and creative designer and influencer, Helena Lyth, recently attended and wrote about one of Hanna's workshops on her blog, where she also shows some of her own beautiful flower mandalas.

Ps 2. Thank you so much for your kind words on my last blog post and for welcoming me back so generously to the blog world, despite my long absence!

10 comments:

  1. Åh, vilka ljuvliga mandalas! Är sĂ„ inspirerande att se hur mycket vackert som gĂ„r att skapa pĂ„ det sĂ€ttet.
    Å.... sĂ„ roligt att se dig pĂ„ bloggen igen.
    Varmt vÀlkommen tillbaka och mÄnga kramar.
    /Charlotte

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  2. Your attempts are great...it's really beautiful!

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words and nice to "see you" again! :-)

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  3. Thank you. I can highly recommend this type of "meditation". So simple, yet gives so much pleasure. x

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  4. Wowww this is so beautiful.....love Ria x ❤️

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  5. Liebe Helena,
    Deinen grĂŒnen, selbst gelegten Mandalas gefallen mir sehr gut! Überhaupt stöbere ich schon lĂ€nger hier auf Deinem Blog herum, und er gefĂ€llt mir richtig gut...Noch viel schöner wĂ€re es fĂŒr mich (ich spreche leider kein englisch...), wenn Du ein Übersetzungsprogramm auf Deinem Blog installieren wĂŒrdest...
    Hab eine gute zeit und alles Liebe
    Heidi

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  6. Lovely indeed, but not such a new thing as Karin A Fotografi (another Swedish blogger!) once ran a monthly meme on her blog which I enjoyed joining in with, making and sharing such arrangements which are simple works of art and I agree with you, it is very meditative.

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