Art Nouveau Mandalas to Color: Beardsley Collection No. 1

These aren't your typical mandalas. In fact, some of them are downright odd.

Between the covers of this 8 1/2" x 11" book, you'll 51 mandalas to color... with a twist. All of these mandalas are based on Art Nouveau illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley, one of the leading creative influences of the 19th century.

No matter what level of detailing you like, or what style of mandalas, you'll probably find what you're looking for among these 51 hand-crafted mandalas. They vary from fine lines and narrow spaces to bold and simple designs.

Most of these mandalas are non-representational. None are from Beardsley's more lurid illustrations, but some of these geometric patterns still evoke a luxurious, sometimes sensuous feeling.

The artwork is printed on just one side of the paper. Many of the mandalas are best colored with markers. Others will shine with the subtle variations of colored pencil. (As with most coloring books, it's smart to place a sheet of paper underneath whatever you're coloring, to prevent bleed-through of ink or pressure marks from pencils.)

This is the first of several books featuring mandalas based on Aubrey Beardsley's illustrations. It's also the first in a series of books based on classical art from the 19th century and earlier.

If you're ready to escape to a quirky world, these mandalas are a fine place to start.