Fleur de mon âme, translated to ‘flowers of my soul’, are my original pen and ink drawings inspired by the spiritual traditions that use mandalas as a vehicle for meditation or for marking a spiritual space. Traditional mandalas are symmetrical and balanced, and symbolize the cosmos or the universe in its ideal form, with each unique creation signifying the transformation of a universe of suffering into one of joy.

I stumbled upon the practice rather inadvertently. For as long as I can remember I was drawing, and throughout my adolescence and teenage years, my sights were firmly set on a career in architecture. Music ultimately drew me away from design, but throughout my college years I frequently found the time to draw, and it was almost always with the most divine music as inspiration. The symmetrical doodling afforded me a small and focused space for escape from the increasingly complicated landscape of my own troubled mind. As the pressures of life continued to close in around me, the drawings became larger and more complex as my restless thoughts sought solace in only the place where I felt I was in complete control.

I would draw day and night to quiet my mind, fleeing from my demons the into delicate and intent lines that blossomed before my eyes. Not until many years later did I learn about the practice of mandalas, and their use as an instrument of meditation. By that time, I had already poured myself into countless hours of drawing, while at the same time discovering and evolving what became my own unique practice, altogether unaware of the rich and vibrant history of this mindful flow.

Born from chaos and confusion, these fleur de mon âme have rarely been about the outcome, although I find an overwhelming sense of accomplishment in the ‘art’. Focused intent, practiced patience, meditative flow, and giving myself over to the potentiality of each piece along a slow and steady breath are at the heart of this work. It is not lost on me for one moment what a luxury it is to be able to find space in which I can create through the quiet focus and purposeful patience of this mindful exercise. These mandala designs call to me from my sleep, and they continue to challenge me to strive for consistency in the meaningful and ceaseless repetition of thoughts and actions from the center outward, circling around the bright and shimmering stars that make up my wondrous cosmos.