QUARANTINE BACKYARD MANDALAS

The Quarantine Backyard Mandala series are created in my backyard and woodlands in northern NJ during the covid-19 pandemic. The genesis of the mixed media prints comes from placing my paintings, pastels and mixed media works with nature in situ and photographing them together.

The essential elements that inspire me are color, movement and light. In the final stage some of the archival prints are hand colored with pastels or metallic paints. Whether the patterns are extreme

or sublime, I want the compositions to give pause for beauty, balance, unity and wellness.

QUARANTINE BACKYARD MANDALAS

The Quarantine Backyard Mandala series are created in my backyard and woodlands in northern NJ during the covid-19 pandemic. The genesis of the mixed media prints comes from placing my paintings, pastels and mixed media works with nature in situ and photographing them together.

The essential elements that inspire me are color, movement and light. In the final stage some of the archival prints are hand colored with pastels or metallic paints. Whether the patterns are extreme

or sublime, I want the compositions to give pause for beauty, balance, unity and wellness.

BACKYARD CRISIS

On a micro level my backyard reflects a greater macro concern of our changing world. I've been photographing invasive plants to focus on the effects of increasing storms and massive tree loss. I've combined two vantage points: shooting above into the sky and shooting below the low-lying plants. Many non-native plants are harmful since they crowd out the natives which have thrived for millennia. They are better at adapting to the accelerating climate change and beat the native species to the new fields, mountains and valleys that would be able to support them. They also damage the diverse ecosystem that much of nature depends on. As plants and trees are forced to adapt, they must, in effect, make some sort of order out of chaos.

INTERTWINED

The act of drawing is an homage to the wabi sabi of my woods whether with a singular fallen branch or a composition of intertwined vines and trees in situ. There is beauty in the interconnectedness

and decay. Sometimes my lines are fluid and fast and other times there is a meditative quality to intentionally slowing down. The spirit of the watercolor combines with the graphite to capture opposing forces of movement and stillness.

INTERTWINED

The act of drawing is an homage to the wabi sabi of my woods whether with a singular fallen branch or a composition of intertwined vines and trees in situ. There is beauty in the interconnectedness

and decay. Sometimes my lines are fluid and fast and other times there is a meditative quality to intentionally slowing down. The spirit of the watercolor combines with the graphite to capture opposing forces of movement and stillness.

QUARANTINE BACKYARD MANDALAS

The Quarantine Backyard Mandala series are created in my backyard and woodlands in northern NJ during the covid-19 pandemic. The genesis of the mixed media prints comes from placing my paintings, pastels and mixed media works with nature in situ and photographing them together.

The essential elements that inspire me are color, movement and light. In the final stage some of the archival prints are hand colored with pastels or metallic paints. Whether the patterns are extreme

or sublime, I want the compositions to give pause for beauty, balance, unity and wellness.

qbm: climbing hydra 1, 22x22"

QBMandala_FinalWordsofJohnLewis_72dpi.jp

QBMandala_WorldDelicateBalance1_72dpi.jp

MBennett_QBMandala_FernGoddess_30x30_72d

QBMandala_BalancingDescent_Handcolored_7

MBennett_QBMandala_BlueSymphony_24x40_72

MBennett_QBMandala_SageWhiteHouse_30x40_

QBMandala_AzaleaExplosion_36x48_72dpi.jp

QBMandala_GardenOfMockOrange_36x48_72dpi

QBMandala_ATimeToCreate_AbandonedRailLin

QBMandala_SanctuaryAfterTheStorm_24x36_7

BackyardMandala3 NEW.jpg

qbm: john lewis's last essay, 22x22"

qbm: world of delicate balance, 30x30"

qbm: balancing descent, 24x24"

qbm: azalea center peace, 16x16"

qbm: fern goddesses, 24 x24"

qbm: fern goddess, 30x30"

qbm: mock orange revelation, 18x18"

qbm: home sanctuary, 24x24"

qbm: essence of water 1, 24x24"

qbm: mock orange rising, 18x18"

qbm: ascending leaves 1, 18x18"

qbm: ornamental beginning, 22x22"

qbm: ornamental glory, 22x22"

qbm: azalea head peace, 16x16"

qbm: blue symphony, 24x40"

qbm: sage white house, 30x40"

qbm: heading west, 22x22"

qbm: after the storm sanctuary, 24x36"

qbm: sage world, 30x30"

qbm: abandoned rail line, 30x30"

qbm: garden of mock orange, 36x48"

qbm: homage to greta, 36x28"

qbm: azalea explosion, 36x48"

backyard mandala 3, 30x30"

ocean mandala 1, 30x30"

backyard mandala 1, 30x30"

backyard mandala 7, 26x24"

backyard mandala 8, 26x24"