The Fighter

My second illustration for The Hindu's Open Page, where readers get to contribute stories...this was a piece on dissent and democracy...8 hours, 3 mis-sketches and no food later, I managed to arrive at some semblance of Arundhati Roy :)

Need to keep at the portraits and get better! :)

For the story, here's the link.

(Telepathic plea to boss: Gimme more illustration assignments!! :))

Happy South Indian :)

A friend had been meaning to check out Dakshin Chitra for ages, so off we went last month. I've been to this beautiful cultural showcase/artists' village/generally awesome place twice already...but the craft bazaar and the wonderfully eerie houses set up in the tradition of each of the four Southern States keep beckoning :) Not to mention some super fun activities (like pottery and glass-blowing) and things to buy...this time I returned with super noisy clay rattles and a bamboo bow and arrow set (coooooolness) :)

Stocked up on lots more thread-bangle goodness at the bangle stall :)

Gorgoeusly painted wooden baby cribs at the Tamil Nadu House.

A beautiful wooden spice cabinet in the Kerala House (eeriest of the lot...said friend swore that she 'saw something'...oooh) Spice cabinet, I COVET.

I couldn't stop staring at this balck-and-white photograph of some lovely girl from the past. Ghostly, but so so beautiful.

A ratha/chariot thing :)

Kitchen in Tamil Nadu House!! Nicely recreated...you can almost smell the imaginary dishes :)

A detail from the carved ratha...very intriguing lion/dragon-ish fellow whose likeness eluded the struggling artist. Must go back for closer look :)

And my favourite place...the Room of Dolls from the Karnataka (or was it Andhra?) House. Just a light-filled room full of handmade wooden dolls hanging from the ceiling in circles. Just hanging there. Oh well. I FELL IN LOVE :)

A view and some memories.

The view from my loverly little terrace isn't exactly painting worthy, but this was one of the first few everyday sketches I began (drawn from camera phone pic taken while waiting for the noodles to cook...yes, I live in a hostel with a rooftop kitchen :))

Lately (that is, over the past few months and a slightly-more-productive-than-hitherto-wasted-life) I've been so inspired by The Urban Sketchers and a ton of drawing sites/books/awesomely creative people that I decided to keep a sketchbook propaaaly filled...in other words, just to keep drawing, drawing, drawing, even it means just a little bit everyday. It's paying off, in a way...I'm a lot happier, for some reason -geee- :)

Now I need to start doing on-location sketches to improve technique and skills in general...leisurely dabbling in glorious pools of watercolour while sketching from photos isn't exactly the same :)

And there was this squirrel...he really had attitude :)

This last one is one of the buildings in my old college (for you initiated Gits, I think it's the Fine Arts block :)) as seen from our much beloved and oft-remembered-in-teary-sessions hangout, Shirdi's.

Ahhhh, Shirdi. Where the Aloo Paratas contain the entire output of South America's annual potato crop. Where the Lassi is a gooey, creamy meal in itself. Where the Pav Bhaji has an entire Amul Butter packet floating in it. Sigh. Just isn't the same eating there now. Still...thanks for the memory :)

A sketchy future

So much for all the talk about motivation elsewhere nearly a year ago. The creative spark finally decides that it's time to do something about lighting the fire (mind wandering to perverted territories...but now now, back to business) and I've decided to start a regular (haaahaha) update thingy of all the random sketching/creating I do.

To begin the festeeeevities, a random collection of motley hooligans! And fireworks! Tis' the season to be jooooolly people! :)

And a new banner (wheeeeeee!) inspired by The Exquisite Book!

And I start to complain when there's no raaaain..

The things I do to my umbrella...ella...ella...

:)

A Silver Anniversary, and a daughter who can't do faces.

Reactions to above portrait, a late gift of lowe and affection for parents on their 25th anniversary:

*Mother: My nose is awful! And I'm not fatter than him!! (pointing to hapless Father). And we are not Caucasians!!! ...(afterthought) Thank you, what a beautiful gift!

*Father: Um, thanks. My hair is silver, not white. We are not Caucasians.

*Colleagues/mild critics: Improve the face-drawing love. (afterthought) What a naice gift!

*Not-so-mild critics: Duuuuuuuuude, you 't CAN'T draw faces!!

*Self: I know. Sigh. I'm getting there world :)

In my defence, it was the first attempt at a portrait AND a pastel painting. Hence the chalky bad colour-mixing :)

Post script: You put our picture on your blog???! Aaaaaaaarrrggggh my nooooooooooose!