STRUTTING YOUR STUFF

Strutting Your Stuff Mandala (Mandalas for Peace series) © Sue O'Kieffe 2009
source image - peacock feather

I have been looking for peacock feathers for almost three years. I wanted feathers straight from the bird instead of ones that had been handled and processed and had who-knows-what-done to them. I love the story of how the feathers I used for this mandala flew into my life.

I was recently introduced to pediatric physical therapist Jackie Mast, who is joining with Icelandic physiotherapist Anna Katrin Ottesen to put on an international conference Called Healing the Healers in October '09 in Reykjavik, Iceland. I have decided to enter one of my mandalas in their silent art auction that helps raise funds for the healers to come to the conference. During our correspondence Jackie and I shared our mutual love for feathers; Jackie shared with me she had collected peacock feathers when she lived in central California. A few days later I got an email from Jackie asking if she could mail some feathers to me, and voila! here we are.

There is so much I loved about creating this piece. I have been learning how to make Photoshop brushes, a technique that takes a little bit of practice. Veerle has a great tutorial explaining the process. I created all of the brushes I used in this mandala piece for adding the extra texture around the image, and I must say I'm mighty proud of what I have accomplished. When I researched information about peacock medicine, this is what I found:

The peacock reminds us to see the beauty in all aspects of life. Its eerie call sounds similar to a laughing screech and reminds us to laugh with life and not take things so seriously. As it presents itself with confidence and awes us with its beauty it teaches us how to keep the ego under control and to set all vanity aside...By observing the peacock we can learn to strut our stuff with dignity and grace. ~Sayahda

Going further, I learned that the number 5, ruled by Mercury, is a dynamic number that signifies change. Lots of that change stuff going on here as well. In the next few days I will tell you more. It's all good.

~Sue O'Kieffe




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