An Artist Creates Natural Flatlays to Photograph at Her Tiverton Studio

Six years ago, Firefly Mandalas started on Tiverton-native Meredith Brower’s morning walk with her dog. She would gather pretty flowers, leaves, or shells and carefully arrange them on a minimal backdrop as part of a meditative ritual. Now, you can find the mandalas printed on aluminum panels, cards, mini-notes, photographs, ornaments, and tile coasters.

“My art is impermanent,” says Brower, who is also an avid gardener, freelance photographer, and director of the Tiverton Farmers Market. “I make the design, photograph it, appreciate it for a moment, and then it blows away or dries up, and I move on.”

All of Brower’s mandalas are composed of the “ever-changing inventory of flora” she is surrounded by at Arrowhead Farm, her home and workspace. Whether it’s a delicate, spiraled stem or brightly colored flower petal, Brower is fascinated by the colors, structures, and interactions between the materials she forages.

However, Firefly Mandalas is more than just art; it’s a product of Brower’s personal philosophy. “It’s about stopping the argument between the head and the heart,” she explains. Through particular obstacles in her life, Brower has persevered with the help of “changing perspective.” Sometimes she gets stuck on a mandala, and has to step back, turn the table, and find a new view for inspiration – “Just like in life,” she says.

In the future, Brower hopes to expand her product line with a yearly calendar and a coffee table book. She also offers commissioned mandalas for special events or wedding flowers and private workshops at her farm.

Brower urges others to slow down and investigate the ground beneath your feet. “Get outside and interact with nature, pull out those shells or stones you’ve collected, dump them on the ground, and get lost in the tactile, fleeting nature of mandala-making.” Learn more at FireflyMandalas.com