About | Mandalas, Fractals, and Digital Art by Kelly Dietrich

Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning "sacred circle." Buddhist, Native American, and Hindu cultures have created and used the mandala for thousands of years, mainly as a tool to facilitate meditation or as an expression of an enlightened state of consciousness.

The mandala has an almost magnetic quality which holds the eye and draws it inward towards the center. To me, a mandala's intricacies are revealed slowly over time, offering a new experience and more insight into its patterns, colors, and depth with each viewing.

I began making photographic mandalas in 2002 after viewing similar works on The Mandala Project's web site. I create my photo mandalas using a multi-stepped process beginning with a photograph. Portions of the photograph are selected and then digitally manipulated in Photoshop to produce the finished piece.

"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

I began exploring fractals in the summer of 2004. I was looking for ways of creating interesting shapes and textures to utilize in a new kind of mandala. At the time, I never considered that the fractals themselves would be the art!

Soon after I really began working with fractals, however, I became enthralled with their intricate, spiraling structure. After some online exploration, I discovered wonderful fractal artists whose work now serves not only as inspiration, but as motivation for me in the creation process.

There are seemingly endless possiblities for creation when exploring fractals, and to me, that is the fascination and the challenge.

"The spiral is a spiritualized circle. In the spiral form, the circle, uncoiled, unwound....has been set free." — Vladimir Nabokov

My husband, son, and I traveled extensively throughout the United States in the summer of 2006. During that period of travel, and no doubt influenced by the ever-changing landscape, it occurred to me that it would be fascinating (not to mention, fun) to create a digital version of a kaleidoscope. The result, moving mandalas! They are created in Flash using my fractal art as a base for the kaleidoscopic images.

Shortly after I began creating my moving mandalas, I was struck with another idea which became "Mandala Meditations." Mandala Meditations are one-minute mandala animations that I create in Flash and set to music created by my husband, Tim. These moving images are excellent for meditation, and since they are developed especially for the iPod, you can take them with you wherever you go!