Michelle Wallace

NATURE MANDALA ARTIST

Welcome and Greetings!

Thank you for your interest in my artwork. I am an artist, herbalist, gardener and photographer with a deep love and appreciation for the beauty of plants.

I live in Central Vermont and have been working in the non-profit sector for over 25 years focusing on community health, food security and local food systems. I am passionate about doing work that has a positive impact on others.

I spend my free time exploring Vermont’s natural beauty in a unique way. I stroll through the forests and fields surrounding my home and herb gardens to forage and gather flowers, seeds, leaves, stems and other plant materials to create these visual meditations called nature mandalas.

Mandala, a Sanskrit word for circle, is a spiritual symbol that traditionally has been used to help focus attention and as an aid to meditation. For me, this impermanent art is a meditation on really noticing the plants throughout the seasons, their exquisite details,  and symmetry.

I arrange the stunning colors, shapes and textures I find into circular patterns inviting the viewer to contemplate both the symmetrical design, but also the finer elements of these wild and cultivated plants.

Each piece may last only a few hours or a few days. I select one photograph, and then the mandala is cast into the winds with a one word intention, aspiration, hope or prayer.

It brings me great joy to hear that this art inspires others to look a bit closer at the beauty in our world ... and perhaps, to even create a nature mandala of their own.

 

MY love of plants is connected to my work as a herbalist

My heart opened to the beauty of the plants in a deep way when I studied herbalism with Rosemary Gladstar at Sage Mountain from 2001 to 2003. Rosemary Gladstar is a famous world-renowned herbalist and educator and often referred to as the “godmother of American Herbalism”.

I have the great honor to continue working with Rosemary here in Vermont. For the past 5 years, I have been a part of the teaching team for her Home Study Course: The Science and Art of Herbalism. More info about Rosemary and the course can be found here.