Maureen Zwier’s art represents her personal journey to discover the deepest essence of both landscapes and living things. A former microbiologist, she traded her microscope for a camera and then turned to digital art when she found there was so much more to her subjects than could be captured by a lens alone. Maureen started creating mandalas in 2012 as part of an experiment to see if she could find more depth in her photographic subjects. The almost meditative process of manipulating images to create new designs helped her settle on the mandala as the perfect shape and symbol of how the inner richness of nature could be expressed in an abstract as well as literal way. She continues to discover and work to preserve the natural world through her art, developing her native landscaped backyard and by contributing to local conservation efforts.
What is a mandala? The word mandala is a Sanskrit term meaning essence. It may also be translated as completion or circle. Circles appear in all aspects of life, whether heavenly as in suns, moons, and planets, or conceptually as in circle of friends and family. A mandala is typically created with concentric patterns and diagrams used to draw the eye inward. Mandalas are used to focus attention and may aid in biofeedback, guided imagery, self-relaxation, stress reduction, and meditation. These colorful designs make perfect accents for any interior decor, from homes to workplace.
Maureen’s mandalas from shots taken at Waikoloa, Hawaii and Hawaiian Gecko
