A Mandala Coloring Book: Featuring Original Hand Drawn Artwork by Kyle Bowen (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781466463950)

I've always loved to draw and paint, ever since I was a kid, but I really started getting passionate about my artwork after I had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while skateboarding. After the accident, my perception of reality began to change dramatically and I became really paranoid and scared of everything. At the time I didn't realize I had sustained a brain injury because following the accident I couldn't remember exactly what had happened. That's when I turned to drawing and painting as my own form of art therapy. Over time everything changed again, but this time in a positive way. I met an amazing girl who became a sort of spiritual guide for me and I began to heal. My mom also had an enormous effect on my recovery because she knew better than to put me in a hospital when I "went crazy". She provided a natural alternative to mainstream medicine called Homeopathy, and that made a big difference. As my perception and experience became more positive, mystical, exciting, and profound, my artwork become more colorful and abstract, with deeper blending techniques. I feel now like I was perfectly expressing some of my experiences by using these new, more intense colors and flowing shapes. I was also given two amazing books by my grandmother entitled "Man and His Symbols" by Carl Jung, and "Divine Forces" by Paul Heusenstamm and I was inspired to make my own Mandalas which I began to paint on smooth rocks. People kept asking if they could have them, so I began to sell them at seasonal art fairs at my old school, The Waldorf School of San Diego. I've painted something over two hundred one-of-a-kind rock Mandalas, and recently I've branched out a bit creating Mandala coloring books, large canvas Mandalas, as well as Mandala inspired objects, including the face of an acoustic guitar. I've found the power of the Mandala is Great and extremely healing for the brain and soul. Now I'm 22 years old, recovering from ACL reconstruction surgery in my knee (also from skateboarding!) painting Mandalas and teaching at a nearby art center for kids. I'm also planning on visiting Hawaii where I'm looking forward to surfing, hiking and hanging out with the girl who helped save me from the dark side of my own mind. See more of my artwork at: http: //www.zazzle.com/kylebowen