Prairie Mandala in Progress

I'm currently working on a mandala using only plants naturally found in Northern IL. 

in progress - common milkweed seeds and their silky hairs that are meant to carry them in the wind.

                

center images - canada milk vetch seeds. bottom image - common milkweed seeds. 

     Plant materials I've included so far are common milkweed seeds, canada milk vetch seeds, sweet black eyed susan petals, and sumac berries. It's a tedious process gluing the seeds to the board, but the intricate details of the mandalas are part of their appeal. I'm interested in mandalas as symbols of wholeness, and representations of ourselves and the world around us. I consider nature a kind of sacred place, and working on the prairie has shown me it's beauty and how rare and fragile this ecosystem is compared to the built up world people have made.