Colour is often used to represent feelings. In the following exercises I look at ways to explore this using paint. These are exercises that I use with the clients I work with, which I have explored myself in the following representations.

The first exercise is a body outline drawn on A4 paper. Emotions are then represented in different areas of the body in colour paint. The meaning behind each colour is individual and personal. For example, for me the green represents reproductive power, grounding, connection to earth; the blue represents calm, safety, barriers; the other colours have different meanings. This exercise was limited to 15 minutes. The body outline can also be done at real scale, which would mean you need a friend or therapist to outline your body whilst laying on a large piece of paper on the floor. The larger scale can release different content to that of this smaller scale exercise and would require more time.

Next is a 30 minute exercise, leading on from the body outline. This asks the participant to first draw or paint a circle on the page and then to choose the colours in the body outline that stand out to them. Using these colours, the circle, or mandala, is filled. I worked on a large square canvas, and began by swirling paint directly out of the bottle onto the canvas. I started with painting the black outer circle of the mandala, before moving into the red and blues. After this I had the overwhelming urge to use my fingers to smooth and blend the paint. To me, this represents the mixing of emotions and it appeared very similar to the stomach in the body outline. The next step was to create an environment around the outside of the mandala. Reflections can focus on the meanings behind each colour, the relationship between the different colours, and the relationship between the mandala and the surrounding environment.

Body outline with emotions represented in colour

Emotion mandala – using finger paint application