Maze of the Week #120 - Bulldog

Maze of the Week #120 features a bulldog for National Bulldogs are Beautiful Day on April 21st.

Were you able to guess correctly based on my preview ?

Bulldog Maze Preview

Here is the first version of the maze. I went with a standard color fur…and green glowing eyes - I’m not sure why.

Bulldog Maze

And the alternative version I went with a white coat and brown eyes. I feel like this maze should be colored again in a new way ? And before I posted this I did not like the green eyes so I did another version to replace it, with orange of course.

Downloads are available in the comic book style maze section. Come back tomorrow to see what the comic book cover looks like !

Next weeks Maze Preview: What do you think the maze is ?

Maze Preview

6 Labyrinths to Visit in Kansas

So you want to visit a labyrinth in Kansas. I can help. I have selected 6 of the best (there are over 30) that are accessible to the public from around the state, focusing on large population areas. If you want a full list of labyrinths in the state check out the Worldwide Labyrinth Finder.

Why visit a Labyrinth ?

Labyrinths are ancient and mysterious symbols that have been used for centuries for meditation, contemplation, and spiritual renewal. They are also a lot of fun to explore! If you're looking for a unique and challenging experience, walk a labyrinth with intention - it often leads to self-discovery. Personally, I like to walk labyrinths between dawn and sunrise or at sunset until dusk, but any time of day works. You may not realize it, but there is probably a labyrinth near where you live. Today we explore…


6 Labyrinths to Visit in kansas


1. St. Albans Episcopal Church Labyrinth

 

This painted concrete 7 circuit Chartres style labyrinth is located in front of the middle building that contains the Accent Music Academy of Wichita, Monart School of the Arts and Little Ducklings Academy. A zoom in on the satellite view of the map above will give you a good view of the labyrinth !

Location: Wichita, Kansas

Address:
7230 East 29th St. North
Wichita, Kansas 67226

2. Village Presbyterian Church Labyrinth

All photos courtesy of the Village Presbyterian Church

This 7 circuit prayer labyrinth is made from crushed granite and brick and is located at the back of the parking lot. It was built in 2017.

Location: Overland Park, Kansas

Address:

9900 Mission Road
Overland Park, Kansas 66207

3. Hollis Renewal Center Labyrinth

Hollis Center Prayer Labyrinth

Hollis Center Prayer Labyrinth, photo courtesy of the center

This grass with brick outlined 11 circuit labyrinth is located at the Hollis Renewal Center which looks like a great place to plan a retreat ! You can learn more about the labyrinth in the shared spaces section of the website.

Location: Kansas City, Kansas

Address:

11414 Kansas Ave.
Kansas City, Kansas 66111

4. Here-ing Labyrinth

I love a unique labyrinth, and this contemporary labyrinth is in the shape of a human ear ! Cut into the grass, it is a 1 mile long hike. It was designed by Janine Antoni who can tell you everything you need to know about it on her website dedicated to it. Made as a collaboration with The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas.

Location: Lawrence, Kansas

Address:
Roth Trail Head, E 1600 Road
Lawrence, Kansas 66044

5. Trinity Episcopal Church Labyrinth

A 5 circuit labyrinth made of concrete that is always open. I love labyrinths that have their own websites or webpages !

Location: El Dorado, Kansas

Address:
214 South Taylor Street

El Dorado, Kansas 67042

6. Grace United Methodist Church Labyrinth

All photos courtesy of the church

If you like to read about labyrinth building, and re-building with lots of pictures, this is the labyrinth for you. Full of pictures of the process, from the initial build in 2007, and then again during the re-build in 2019-20. The time and effort put into this is impressive ! A 7 circuit labyrinth that is 59 feet in diameter.

Location: Olathe, Kansas

Address:

11485 Ridgeview Road
Olathe, Kansas 66061

5 TIPS FOR VISITING A LABYRINTH

  1. Set an intention for your walk so you can walk with purpose. It could be prayer, reflection, meditation, contemplation, or openness.

  2. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, as you will be doing a lot of walking.

  3. Bring water with you, especially if you are visiting on a hot day.

  4. Take your time and enjoy the experience. There is no need to rush through a labyrinth.

  5. Be respectful of other visitors. This includes not making noise and being respectful if walking with other people.


5 BOOKS TO READ ABOUT LABYRINTH WALKING

I wrote a blog post reviewing the following 5 books, each that deals with walking labyrinths. You can check them out yourself at the Amazon links below or read this blog post: 5 Books about the Spiritual Aspect of Labyrinths to learn a little about what each book teaches.

  1. Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool by Dr. Lauren Artress 201 pages. AMZN

  2. Labyrinth : Your Path to Self-Discovery by Tony Christie 312 pages. AMZN

  3. Exploring the Labyrinth: A Guide For Healing and Spiritual Growth by Melissa Gayle West 209 pages AMZN

  4. Walking the Labyrinth: A Place to Pray and Seek God by Travis Scholl 240 pages AMZN

  5. Labyrinths from the Outside In: Walking to Spiritual Insight by Rev Dr Donna Schaper and Rev Dr Carole Ann Camp 187 pages AMZN

If you are interested in more spiritual labyrinth aspects I suggest the following websites:

  1. Lauren Artress website - For coaching, workshops and classes.

  2. Veriditas - The nonprofit labyrinth group founded by Lauren Artress

  3. Worldwide Labyrinth Finder - Find a labyrinth to walk near you, or while on vacation


I am a maze artist but I have never made any mazes from Kansas. If you have suggestions - drop me a note. Otherwise here are some mazes of famous buildings:

Taj Mahal Maze

The Louvre Maze

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Maze

Case Study #11 - Making Mazes with Shadows

If you are interested in maze design you have come to the right place. I have a series of case studies where I take mazes and try to improve them. Today I want to focus on a specific aspect that I think is rare for maze makers to use but seems to really improve how a maze looks, Shadows.

This topic has been seen in previous case studies (#1,#8,#9,#10) because once I started using shadows in my mazes, I found it hard to not use them because I think they make mazes look so much more realistic. In fact, when I look at mazes from a few years ago, I want to improve most of them. That is the advantage of being a digital maze artist - I can be like George Lucas with Star Wars and just keep tweaking things I don’t like from the past.


Why Shadows Make Mazes Better

I will be showing 2 options for a variety of my favorite mazes, one without shadows and one with shadows. In every case the shadows make the illustration/maze more interesting, typically by giving it more perceived depth on the page. I have set-up the galleries to transition between the 2 options for easy comparison !

Maze #1 - Museo Soumaya Maze

For this example I had to create a new version previously unseen, in color, but no shadows. The shadows give the building more shape !

Maze #2 - Heydar Aliyev Center
With such an interesting shape, this is much better with shadows !

Maze #3 - Templo de Sangre de Cristo Maze
Not as drastic a change as the mazes above, but still an improvement, especially in the nooks of the church.

Maze #4 - Lotus Temple Maze
I thought this wonderful building would make a nice maze, but when I finished it it seemed a bit bland. The shadows really help the petals of the building stand out and also show the doorway overhangs better.