Linda Laino

Painting

I began creating mandalas many years ago, both as a result of my own meditation practice and a desire to integrate my art making into that practice. Rather than traditional symbols or deities, my mandalas focus on kaleidoscopic details of nature, which are often mandalas in their own right. We are governed by circles and cycles that connect us to nature. The seasons, the moon, menstruation, the rise and fall of our breath, and the circle of life and death itself all remind us that we are constantly in motion; our bodies, minds and emotions all being connected to the endless flow. We are always beginning and ending and beginning again. These cycles bring a certain order to our lives and whether we are conscious of it or not, we find comfort in their certainties. Moving back and forth between the mandala work and my other paintings allows me a visual flexibility in my art practice that spills over into my life helping me to become more spontaneous in my daily experiences. This is my profound practice.

Linda Laino is an artist, writer, and teacher who has been making art in one form or another for over 35 years. Holding an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, she enjoys playing with words as much as form and color. Since 2012, she has resided in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where the surreal atmosphere and sensuous colors have wormed their way into her paintings. Finding beautiful things on the ground is a favorite pastime.