Mandala Gallery

Alchemical Image by Lyn Ryan

Compass by Lyn Ryan

Dartboard by Lyn Ryan

Dolphin Tail by Lyn Ryan

Flower Wheel by Lyn Ryan

Ouroboros by Lyn Ryan

The Space Betweeen by Lyn Ryan

Yantra (1) by Lyn Ryan

Yantra (2)

Peace by Lyn Ryan

This mandala reminds me of something medieval - perhaps a mysterious alchemical symbol? It hints to me of the balance between mineral and organic. I like the ribbon like blue line that dissects the circle into two halves. It gives the drawing a directional feeling without being too symmetrical.

This drawing reminds me of a compass, or even the wheel of a ship. There is something strongly directional about it.

A part of the joy of making mandalas for me is to remember how much fun I used to have as a kid with drawing, and with cutting out and pasting. I love the way children are completely uninhibited with drawing or making art. They are untroubled by their drawings not resembling reality. It is the experience of creating something that is important. As adults, we need to learn to leave our egos behind in order to regain some of that innocent fun and joy.

This mandala looks very much like a dartboard to me but with the odd twist. It also has a snake curled around the inner circle of the dartboard, a sort of ouroboros. The snake is a non-threatening looking snake, in fact, it looks very peaceful just hanging there. Also it has no eyes. Perhaps it more like a worm than a snake?

You could also imagine that you were looking up into the inside of a dome, where the snake looks down on you. If you stare at the inner circle, the gold segments seem to recede away, whereas the orange segments seem to stay firmly in place.

This mandala has a marine feeling to it. There are shapes like fish tails, waves, birds and undersea creatures within it. I had the feeling that I captured a lot of deep sub conscious goings-on when drawing this picture. To me it has a feeling of completeness and even though there is a lot of action and movement, it has a feeling of peace too.

I always find this mandala calming and peaceful. There is something about the gentle colours and the symmetry that has a restive effect on me. more importantly for me, the gaps in the golden edges remind me that I need to be open to others, something not always easy for an introvert like myself.

The central feature of this mandala is the ouroboros, an ancient symbol of disintegration and reintegration. The snake grows, weds, impregnates, slays and then consumes itself. It is its own beginning and end, a totality, an eternal cycle, infinity. The mandala has also a strong feeling of four-ness, with the focus on the four cardinal points.

This mandala reflects what happens when two people begin a relationship; their psyches or personalities need to be vaguely interlocking. The closer the interlocking, perhaps the closer the relationship, in the initial stages anyway. In the drawing, the two people are symbolised by the green and the red shapes. The gap between people, symbolised by the black river in the middle of the drawing, is the space for growth for both people. When you reach out to another, when you experience intimacy with another, you have the opportunity to grow and change. In order to grow, you have to take a risk, step out into the unknown, take a leap of faith and be vulnerable.

This mandala was created in the style of a Hindu Sri Yantra, incorporating upward and downward pointing triangles in the central circle. Although the central design is not a traditional one, I like the way that both warm and cool colours they merge into each other. The inner circle and triangles have great energy, while the outer circle has an earthy feeling of tranquillity.

This design is based on the Hindu Sri Yantra, with what seems to me a particularly feminine form. This is balanced by the strong blue around the circle, and the tiny blue-green dots between the petals. I especially liked the way the colours blended together in the points of the inner triangle. I think there is something of the holding of the tension of opposites shown here.

This mandala was created early in 2003 when it was obvious that there would be (another) war in Iraq. I felt very strongly that the war was unjust and wrong on every level, and I worked to try to stop it. Unfortunately in spite of the biggest peace protest in the history of the world, the war still happened.

In a more personal protest, I drew several mandalas with peace as the theme. The colours are also symbolic of how I felt. The apparent inevitability of the war and all the evils that war unleashes are symbolised by the black paper. The fragile white doves on the four cardinal points carry our hopes for peace, and show the interconnectedness of the world. It is not possible to attack one corner of the world without effecting the rest of the world. As soon as one group of people are considered less worthy than another, and liable to invasion and conquer, we are all violated, and peace is a only forlorn hope.