Tibetan Monks - Part II - Deconstructing the Mandala

On Friday evening, April 23rd, we were treated to a performance by the Tibetan Monks of some ritual songs and dances with the monks wearing traditional costumes for some dances. There was a Snow Lion dance with 2 monks inside the large lion which was a lot of fun to watch. They also played their long brass and copper horns that telescope out from about 4 ft. to about 10-12 ft, shorter horns, a drum on a short pole, cymbals & bells. They also do a form of throat-singing where they can sing 3 notes at one time. Several ceremonial songs and rites were performed, as well as a demonstration of their form of debate between senior monks and more junior monks. Unfortunately, we were prohibited from taking photos during the performance.

Following this program, several hundred of us crowded around the mandala (which took the monks 5 days to complete) for the deconstruction ceremony. To demonstrate the impermanence of the universe and life, the monks performed a ceremony to dismantle the mandala. They wear their large golden yellow hats and beautiful brocade outer robes as they surround the mandala. Then one monk uses his finger to draw segments in the mandala, dividing it so it looks like an orange slice. Then the monks use a wide brush to sweep all the sand into the center of the table. They put small amounts of sand in little plastic bags to give out as souvenirs. The last pile of sand is placed in a small cup. Then everyone went outside to the bay where they poured the last of the sand & some tea used in the ceremony into the bay as we all watched. It was a beautiful event & we were so glad to have been able to see this firsthand.

Tibetan Monk Workshop - Van Wezel - April 21, 2010 - Sarasota, Florida

On Wednesday, April 21st, Judy Levine did a very informative presentation on Buddhism and the Tibetan Monks. Judy and a friend traveled to Tibet, Nepal, and surrounding countries eight years ago. They were able to visit many Buddhist monasteries and other buildings in Tibet, Nepal, India, and Indonesia. Judy included many of the photos she took during that month-long visit.

At the end of the presentation, everyone was invited to see the Tibetan Monks who have been working on a five-foot diameter mandala made of colored sand applied a few grains at a time using specialized instruments. They construct this mandala over a five-day period. At the end of this time, they hold a special ceremony and then deconstruct the manadala. The sand is placed in cups, given to participants as a blessing, and carried to an open, flowing body of water to be dispersed. The mandala represents life and its impermanent nature.

Fusion Art Jewelry Has First Solo Gig

On Saturday, April 17th, Fusion Art Jewelry designer and artisan, had her first solo exhibit and sale in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. She set up an awesome display with her fabulous jewelry spread out over three tables and she almost ran out of room.

It was a lovely day for an outdoor event. She took a great photo of one of her larger multi-strand necklaces and had it enlarged to use as a framed sign, which she hung toward the back of her canopy - it looked very professional.

She used a number of small and medium signs to let people know they could request custom orders, etc. And she also had some very cute miniature polymer clay couches she used to display her new business cards. Way to go!

We're Still Learning

Three of us are continuing in our quest to learn more and different jewelry techniques and have recently begun a class in Bronze Precious Metal Clay at our local adult education facility in Sarasota, Florida . The class instructor is Colleen White, a wonderfully talented jewelry artist and silversmith who has learned all the ins and outs of using precious metal clay and has a studio and gallery in The Village of The Arts in Bradenton, Florida.

Judy Levine, Sue Herring, and Judy Pirkey, along with the rest of the class, made pendants the first week, and then a pair of earrings the second week. It's a real challenge as you have to make sure you do everything according to instructions or risk problems with your work. The clay has to be kneaded to make sure there are no air bubbles that can burst when the item is placed in the kiln to be fired. And then there are the little cracks that occur when the clay is a little too dry. Sometimes they can be fixed using slip, and other times you just have to ball it up and try again. And if you press too hard while you're sanding a piece before it's fired, it may break. But we're all determined to have new beads and components to add to our ever-growing jewelry collections.

Jewelry Artisan Cooperatives' 1st Show March 28, 2010 at JJ Arts

Above two photo's, our venue

JJ Arts

Setting up is hard to do...

SOLD!

Judy Pirkey Sets Up, While Judy Ramlow

and myself continue photographing.

Pirkey Chat's With Customer

Lake's Amazing Assortment. So many pretties!

Judy Ramlow's Big Girl Ba-LING!!!

Hello Gorgeous Makes A Sale

Group Road Trip to Arcadia, Florida

Today, seven members of our group took a road trip to visit the antique shops and have lunch in the central historical area of Arcadia, Florida. Arcadia is located about midway between Sarasota County on our West Coast and Palm Beach County on our East Coast. The weather couldn't have been better.

On visiting our first antique/consignment shop, the owner liked the necklace Debbie was wearing so much that she asked her to leave it with her on consignment as the owner has a customer who loves larger jewelry. She also asked Debbie to bring in additional pieces and possibly leave them on consignment as well.

We had lunch at Mary Margaret's Tea Room on Polk Street (the lunch bunch). While the menu is limited, everyone thought the food was delicious, and the desserts were well worth the extra calories (Lake with Tea Room Server in top hat and tails). Then we spent several more hours scouring the antique/consignment stores on Oak Street. Finally, it was time to head home with our treasures after a long and exciting day.