O is for Online Learning

One of the many benefits of this Art Everyday for a Month Challenge has been the opportunity to spend time on other people's blogs - looking at their work, reading their posts, and sometimes, following through on their suggestions and recommendations.

Today's art is the result of a link I found on an AEDM  blog (I am sorry I don't recall which) for a free online class   "The Mandala Free Class, A class to introduce and teach you how to do great Mandalas from a simple template."

The class is taught by Guadalupe Brizuela Cabal.

I love mandalas, and I love to take classes, and I love to learn online. Most of all, I love something FREE. So,  I clicked through, signed up, and waited until the class was scheduled to begin - this morning.

On the site, as promised was a terrific video, as well as a materials list, templates I could use, and a discussion group. Who could ask for more? I learned so much from watching the first lesson that I did not even need to use a template. I dug out my excellent compass, ruler and triangle and drew a very light square on a sheet of drawing paper and designed a mandala following the directions I had just watched.

Gualalupe suggests coloring with watercolor pencils. I have a fine, and underused set I bought in Paris, and though I love them, I do not think they gave enough visual punch. Since it is suggested that we post images of the mandalas we create to share in the class discussion, and anyway, since this was going to be posted here too, I took a digital pic and brought it into Photoshop where I really went to town trying out lots of effects to strengthen the image. These are the results.

There are several more lessons still to come online - and others are invited to log in and join the class, here is the link again 

 I recommend the class, and I believe that online learning is ideal for visual thinkers - so check it out, sign up, and if you create anything, post a link here too.