The eighth graders have been working on an intensive printmaking/radial design project involving the creation of mandalas. From the Sanskrit, “mandala” means essence or center and is closely related to the idea of a circle. In many Eastern religions, mandalas have been used as a spiritual teaching tool to help focus one’s thoughts and evoke peace. Most impressive are the ephemeral Sand-Mandalas, painstakingly created by Buddhist monks as a form of meditation on the concept of impermanence. The sand is carefully arranged into an intricate pattern, and then it is symbolically swept away. The students started their mandalas with an eighth of a circle. They created a design and then carved it into a printing block. If the design was symmetrical, they were ready to print. If not, they had to carve the reverse of their design onto the back of the block. They then printed eight times in a circle to complete the pattern. Next, they designed an extension of the image in the margins of the paper. This image was then copied over and over until the radial pattern was finished. The mandalas are then colored with markers and chalk. View the students’ mesmerizing designs below and experience the sense of peace they bring.