sandpaintings
Temporary pigment pictures
Sandpaintings are images created by pouring colored sand onto a flat surface.
The term is most associated with Navajo ceremonial art, where intricate designs are made on the ground as part of healing rituals and traditionally destroyed afterward.
The practice appears in other cultures, including Tibetan Buddhist mandala traditions.
The medicine man worked on the sandpainting for hours.
Flowing in volume
- sprinklingSmall scattered amount
- tricklingFlowing in thin stream
- freehandDrawn without mechanical aids
- geometricRelating to mathematical shapes
symmetry · radial · mandala · concentric · intricate · pattern · precision · fingers
Circular spiritual diagram
- BuddhistFollower of Gautama's teachings
- monksCloistered religious men
- dharmaCosmic moral order
- monasteryReligious seclusion dwelling
meditation · enlightenment · cosmos · dismantling · Dalai Lama · thangka
Formal event marking occasions
- healingRestoration of health
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- shamanIndigenous spiritual healer
- chantsRepeated rhythmic phrases
spiritual · purification · offerings · ancestors · divination · consecration · altar · destruction
Lasting very briefly
- temporaryLimited in duration
- impermanentNot meant to last
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- swept awayRemoved by force
Color-giving compounds
- gypsumHydrated calcium sulfate
- charcoalBurned wood residue
- pollenFloral reproductive grains
- cornmealCoarsely milled dried maize
ochre · mineral · bark · natural dyes · powdered · white clay
Native American earth dwelling
- medicine manTraditional indigenous healer
- sacred mountainsPeaks with spiritual significance
- creation storiesAccounts of existence's origin
- eagle featherBird-of-prey plumage piece
Pueblo people of Arizona
- ApacheSouthwestern indigenous nation
- dreamtimeSleep phase with visions
- Native AmericanOriginal inhabitants of America
- tribalOf a clan
traditional · cultural heritage · oral tradition · Southwest · sacred knowledge
pouring
Flowing in volume
- sprinklingSmall scattered amount
- tricklingFlowing in thin stream
- freehandDrawn without mechanical aids
geometric · symmetry · radial · mandala · concentric · intricate · pattern · precision · fingers · funnel
mandala
Circular spiritual diagram
monastery · meditation · enlightenment · cosmos · dismantling · Dalai Lama · thangka
ceremony
Formal event marking occasions
chants · spiritual · purification · offerings · ancestors · divination · consecration · altar · destruction · impermanence
ephemeral
Lasting very briefly
- temporaryLimited in duration
- impermanentNot meant to last
- fleetingPassing very quickly
swept away · dispersal · dissolution · transformation · momentary
pigments
Color-giving compounds
cornmeal · ochre · mineral · bark · natural dyes · powdered · white clay
Hogan
Native American earth dwelling
- medicine manTraditional indigenous healer
- sacred mountainsPeaks with spiritual significance
- creation storiesAccounts of existence's origin
Hopi
Pueblo people of Arizona
- ApacheSouthwestern indigenous nation
- dreamtimeSleep phase with visions
- Native AmericanOriginal inhabitants of America
tribal · traditional · cultural heritage · oral tradition · Southwest · sacred knowledge
sandpaintingsfrescoes
Paintings on fresh plaster
stone carvings · bronze sculptures · oil paintings · petroglyphs · marble statues
sandpaintingsoil paintings
Artwork using pigmented oils
acrylic paintings · watercolors · frescoes · glazed ceramics · stone carvings