Karen believes strongly in the potential of the individual, and the strength of community.

The arts have long been recognized to have the potential to promote health and wellbeing. They provide a different format to express oneself within, other than words. One of the most powerful contributions to health is that they reflect and create an inclusive sense of community. The sense of belonging and being part of a creative group empowers people. It creates a sense of wholeness and oneness.

The mandala in one of the greatest symbols of human experience. The word Mandala comes from the ancient text, Sanskrit, and translated means the centre and outer edge of the circle simultaneously. It represents the inner world of the self as a reflection of the universe. Mandala's are used in many cultures to express and explore the relationship that we have with our world and our selves and how that connects and inter-reacts.

The creative Mandala process allows parts of the unconscious mind to appear visually and fragmented parts of the psyche to be healed, either by creating Mandala's or meditating on them. Mandala's are easily accessible tools to use in self discovery and exploration.

They are particularly useful with children and young people because this form of creative expression does not require words.

Karen facilitates this healing in her work with

• Schools -   primary and secondary
• VCAL students
• Youth at risk – ‘Connectus’,’Mission Australia’
• Terminally ill
• Corporate work
• Health and social workers
• Psychiatric units
• Family groups
• Government funded bodies – Vic health, Education Department etc.
• Community Houses
• Private work
• Artist in Residence

PROJECTS

Mandalas exploring leadership.

25 young people came together to experience the art of mandalas, to express the unique qualities that each had to offer, and to work as individuals and then as part of a team.By recognizing individual strengths and qualities they revealed that they were more able to help others, set examples and become leaders in the wider community. As a group they offered the mandalas that they created integrating them into a large mandala to represent that we are all a part of the 'bigger picture'. Each person is a valuable contributor to our society.

Forgotten Australians

For larger images see students page.

COONARA COMMUNITY HOUSE MOSAIC

Created and refreshed by many hands of community members aged 12 to 78 , from diverse cultural backgrounds, this mosaic mural welcomes all to Coonara, house of learning and community support.

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE – LILYDALE WEST PRIMARY 2007

Grade 4 and some grade 5 students a Lilydale West Primary School were selected to create a large mosaic mandala (3 meters diameter) to represent the relationship between students and their world, suitable to blend in with a garden in six weeks.

Students chose images to represent concepts and explored their ideas before creating the design. The project ‘grew’. Each week saw new ideas and further developments demonstrating a greater field of creative expression and exploration.

The Mandala was blessed by an Indigenous Elder and a Tibetan Lama in the opening ceremony.

ARTIST BY INVITATION – Wantirna Secondary College 2007, 2008 and 2009

Karen has been the guest speaker and visiting artist of the year 10 program for the second half of this year. This is an exploratory art and personal expression program involving 25 students at a time. Each student creates a 50cm diameter mandala, over a series of weeks representing their individual passion – what is motivational and inspirational.

SPRINGVALE HEALTH AND COMMUNITY CENTER 2007

Nine schools, both primary and secondary were involved in this project to paint a large wall mandala mural, and a set of mandalas (stepping stones) to represent the different cultural backgrounds of students from this area.

Designs and symbolism were selected by the participants.

• The ‘stepping stones’- 12 of differing sizes - show the diversity of pathways which we can follow to get to our destination.
• The wall mural depicts the world surrounded by hand prints with different flags in the palms. They represent the cultural experience and knowledge that each person brings and offers to this centre.