Archives for April 1, 2016

HW due 4/5: Dickinson and More

April 1, 2016 By

1. 20-30 minutes of free write poetry in your journal!

2. Read and annotate the following Emily Dickinson poems:

I Felt a Funeral, in my Brain
My Life had Stood–A Loaded Gun
Success is Counted Sweetest

3. Poetry Presentations–Remember, all groups should meet with me at least once the week before they present. Next Thursday, we have a presentation on Imagism. Please print out and read the the guidelines for the oral and written (<- click the links) presentations.

4. Poet Study–Your PBA for this class will be a poet study. Here you will find a list of poets to choose from. This will be first come first serve. So, as soon as you know which poet you would like to study, let me know. Details of the PBA to come soon.

HW due 4/4: Mandala

April 1, 2016 By

FYI: There are many great mandalas in the header photo for this page!

Mandala Project due April 4
You are also expected to turn in an artist statement wherein you explain what each aspect of your mandala represents. The artist statement should be one page and single spaced.

Be sure to visit this link to get a sense of the process of making a mandala. This is the beginning step of the Mandala Project! 

Mandala notes:

Carl Jung and the mandala:

“I had to abandon the idea of the superordinate position of the ego. … I saw that everything, all paths I had been following, all steps I had taken, were leading back to a single point — namely, to the mid-point. It became increasingly plain to me that the mandala is the centre. It is the exponent of all paths. It is the path to the centre, to individuation… I knew that in finding the mandala as an expression of the self I had attained what was for me the ultimate.” – C. G. Jung. Memories, Dreams, Reflections.

If we agree that the center of the mandala represents this center of the universe, thus the center of the self (the true self), then what would reside at the center of you…your true self. As seen in many of the examples, much, if not all, of the mandala is abstract expression. Certainly the center of the mandala should be abstract as it is a representation of your Self; yet, as you move beyond the center, closer to the edge, your visual may become more concrete as you are closer to your persona/ego, that which is tangible/material. So how will you represent your true self… We understand that the mandala is an expression of Self at the moment of its (the mandala’s) creation as the Self is always a work in progress.

How to Draw a Mandala

The Mandala will be worth 150 points and count as a project/essay grade. Keep in mind:

  • Your base structure of your mandala should be a series of geometric shapes. The primary, and largest, shape must be a geometric shape.  Within there must be an arrangement of smaller geometric shapes.
  • All geometric shapes must be PRECISE. The craftsmanship in general should be precise.
  • The Mandala should use colors meaningfully. Meaning, you should be able to explain why you chose the colors you chose.
  • All visuals beyond the base structure should be purposeful and powerful. Meaning, there should be a rationale for everything present in your Mandala and that rationale should be of great significance to you. Further, the images should be aesthetically pleasing in presentation.
  • The Mandala should reflect great creative effort!
  • The Mandala should reflect great overall effort!
  • The Mandala should reflect you!

Ultimately you should create a mandala that you will be proud to share with the entire class!

As for dimensions, there is flexibility here: if square 12-16 inches on each side; if circular, appx. 12-16 inches in diameter. Once again, there is flexibility here.  Review the following link to get another sense of the creation process. Note that the structure of the mandala should consist of precise geometric shapes.