Hello! I’m Allison Manheim Caplin.
I’m a full-time artist (at last!) and wearer of many hats (mama, wife, daughter, sister, friend, home cook, gardener, beach comber are just a handful of them). I transform beach rocks and other upcycled functional material into one-of-a-kind dot mandalas using acrylic paint, dotting tools, time and patience. Each dot mandala I create is imbued with love and joy, which I hope is communicated to those who see my work. I’m happiest when I am creating beauty and sharing my artwork with others.
A bit of my creative background:
I have always been interested in healing through art, and in understanding the creative process. Over the years, I’ve explored beadwork, mask making, quilting, decoupage, sculpting and painting… but nothing has inspired my soul like dot mandala painting. When painting dot mandala, I become entranced, fully captivated by color, design, simplicity, intricacy, and the joy of the creative process.
Painting dot mandala requires me to calm down & focus my breathing, while I catch the flow of creativity. Bliss!
My thesis research in grad school focused on the role creativity plays in personal growth and development (yep, there’s a correlation between art-making and self-actualizing growth!). After receiving my master’s degree in Art Therapy from Hahnemann University (now Drexel University), I worked as an art therapist, and then in human services. But my heart’s desire was always to blend my art therapy background with my training in Integral Yoga and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Today, painting dot mandala has allowed me to come full circle to the roots of education and training (pun intended – mandala means “circle”). In addition to selling my artwork, I lead workshops and classes in art mandala and mindfulness.