Sacred Geometry - Geometric Art -  Mandalas -   Lesson Plans

"The term 'sacred geometry' is used by archaeologists, anthropologists, and geometricians to encompass the religious, philosophical, and spiritual beliefs that have sprung up around geometry in various cultures during the course of human history. It is a catch-all term covering Pythagorean geometry and neo-Platonic geometry, as well as the perceived relationships between organic curves and logarithmic curves."

Sacred Geometry  - site by Bruce Rawles. "In nature, we find patterns, designs and structures from the most minuscule particles, to expressions of life discernible by human eyes, to the greater cosmos"  Sacred Geometry Links 

Native American Geometry -- a physical, proportional geometry that originates from the simple circle.

Definition of Sacred Geometry: This site defines sacred geometry - however the author lacks respect for the cultures as the writing progresses. Examples are given how the term sacred entered into geometry in different eras and cultures (after that the writing digresses).

Sacred Geometry-- Sacred Places: An exploration of how and why places become invested with SACREDNESS and how the SACRED is embodied or made manifest through ART and ARCHITECTURE - Web site by by Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe

MANDALAS: SACRED CIRCLES

"In his own magic circle wanders the wonderful man, and draws us with him to wonder and take part in it." ~ Johann Wolfgang Goethe          

Mandala: A symbol of wholeness -- Mandala is the Sanskrit word for circle. In religious art, the mandala is used to symbolize wholeness - the circle of eternity. However, the pattern of a mandala -- a circle with a center -- reaches far beyond a two or three dimensional art form. Examples of mandalas are found in nature. Every cell in our body, for instance, is a living mandala. So is the iris of our eye, a snow crystal, a bird's nest --even a bicycle wheel. Look around - CAn you see more mandalas in nature? in your surroundings?

American Indian Medicine Wheel  Native American Indians believe that each person chooses to make himself well or unwell-- Read more about this topic.

Early Tibetan Mandalas - Beautiful images and background information. Early Tibetan Mandala: Rossi Collection (home page). See also Art of Tibet  

Savannah Now - slideshow - Mandala  (no longer on line). See the completed mandala.

Mandala Construction- Ackland Art Museum - Beginning February 26, 2001, the Ven. Tenzin Thutop and the Ven. Tenzin Deshek, two Buddhist monks from the Namgyal Monastery in Ithaca, New York constructed a five-and-a-half foot Medicine Buddha sand mandala in the Ackland's Yager Gallery of Asian Art. Mandala was dismantled June 8.

Hiamalayan Art: Explorations Great stories for "kids of all ages". These stories contain lessons about good and evil, often focusing on the importance of kindness, generosity and compassion.

Meaning of symbols by Jytte Hansen, Albertslund, Denmark

Temple Designs - by April Vollmer The four prints include elaborations on plans for the basement, ceiling, main floor and dome of Bramante's Temple. Scroll to the right to see the art. April Vollmer's Virtual Gallery

The Mandala Project  a non-profit project dedicating to promoting peace through art and education. Mandala Gallery is composed of art work from people all over the world.

A Children's Guide to the Buddha's Art of Healing  Project done by 5th graders: Pocantico Hills School. See the Student's mandalas - mandalas created by children for this project.

Earth Mandalas- Digital Mandalas from a photographs of nature. This is a simplified overview of the process, the actual steps you would take using Photoshop and your computer are a little more complex. Tutorial

Mandalas on the Web  -  Mandala links and digital mandalas (Clare Goodwin's Mandala Page)

Mandalas By Ray Rasmussen These images where created on a computer by Ray Rasmussen - using Adobe Photoshop and Kai's Power Tools. Coming soon - complete instructions on Making Mandalas

Mandalas by Barry Stevens Here are some more Mandalas to see. Beautiful, colourful and luminous mandalas by contemporary mandala artist.

Old Masters Art Mandalas - On site by Linda Papanicolaou. For a copyright lesson, teachers will want to use images in Public Domain. 

GaiaStar World Gallery. "The sacred images of David Todd and Bonnie Bell are not only stunning art pieces with which to illuminate one's living space, but are powerful contemplative portals into new dimensions of being, seeing and expression."

Byrd Tetzlaff Polymer clay (Sculpy/Fimo) Mandalas: This is an assortment of Mandalas, made of Polymer Clay on Tile.  Neat project idea for your students.

Art of Elizabeth Zaikowski acrylic and air brush mandalas. California artist.

Blanche Paquette - Mandalas done in acrylic - reproductions available. Site is in English and French. Blanche is from Quebec, Canada

GEOMETRIC ART

"Beyond Geometry" Exhibit from Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Bathsheba Grossman - Bathsheba Sculpture -  steel and bronze works - mathematical sculptor from Santa Cruz, CA.

George W. Hart: Geometric Sculpture Sculptor of constructive geometric forms--  work deals with patterns and relationships derived from classical ideals of balance and symmetry.

Allen Linder: Geometric Sculpture - Maryland sculptor. Site features spherical divisions of space carved in stone (geometric forms) and abstract stone figures - some spherical bronze forms.

Geometric Arts by Ghee Kim. 3-D illusions (Structures), Tessellations, Op Art, Patterns and more.

Portfolio of Ralph Berko  Geometric hard edge acrylic paintings. (background image on this page was adapted from one of his works - thanks Ralph) More on Ralph Berko - images

Also see the work of Victor Vasarely (More Vasarely -  More images)

Wassily Kandinsky - links page. See how music and geometric shapes inspired Kandinsky.

Hendrick Baartman View his galleries of geometric art.

Buckminster Fuller Institute  

LESSON PLANS: MANDALA

A look at the Mandala as an art form Lesson plan relating art and math - by Pippa Drew and Dorothy Wallace, Dartmouth College. A look at the Mandala as an art form.  

Mandala Lesson Plan a high school painting lesson by Shari Fried. Includes Internet resources.

Sacred Circles - Unit -- designed by Sharon Kennedy. Presentation of sacred art from many cultures. Thorough lesson! See some Sacred circles by Bunki Kramer's students and some by Gina Grant's.

Mandalas by St. John's Lower School Lesson plan by Linda Wood, teacher.

Personal Mandala Ice Breaker Students will construct and illustrate a mandala that reflects their personalities and ideas about the world. Hand-out included (lesson for printing) 

GeoMath Connecting Math and Art Web Quest created for high school students by Barbara Lierly and Elaine Sullivan. Task is to design and present a lesson that integrates art and geometry -- researching material from a variety of online web resources.

Geometry through Art - Math Forum. What children can learn about Geometry and Art - by Norman Shapiro

Tutorial: Digital Earth Mandalas - created from sections of nature photographs.

Mandala unit in Computer Arts.  To see the lesson unit plan and 7th grade student work by - Alix E. Peshette, Technology Coordinator, R. W. Emerson Junior High School.

Make your Own Earth Mandala in PhotoShop  Beautiful examples using PhotoShop. Site created by Elizabeth Badurina.  Mandalas by  Ruth Temple - made using this method in PhotoShop. Radial Designs using nature.

Sand painting lesson In this activity, students learn about mandalas and create sand paintings.

Mandala Approach to Teaching The Mandala Project supports an integrated approach to education and is a proponent of the Multiple Intelligences Theory developed by Howard Gardner.

Do you have another link for Geometry in Art? Send your suggestions to Judy Decker.

LESSON RESOURCES: GEOMETRIC ART

Paper Models of Polyhedra - Polyhedra are beautiful 3-D geometrical figures that have fascinated philosophers, mathematicians and artists for millennia. On this site are more than eighty paper models available for free.

Background image on this page is from a painting by Ralph Berko