The Process

Thought today I'd share with you a glimpse of the process.... that whole journey of turning my imagination into reality.

First I doodle around on a paper till I finally have a design I am satisfied with.

Then I translate the design into reality with paints, making changes along the way depending on the shape and size of the bottle.

Currently working on this fun bottle that tells a story.... Got any owl stories to share yourselves? :)

New Warli On The Block

Had to move on with my work despite the unpleasantness of the plagiarism episode. So there is a fresh Warli motif bottle hot off the studio table....

And it goes very well with the books at the bedside. What say?

Love the flying bird on this one!

Plagiarised!!

Yes, dear readers, I discovered earlier this month that my work (that you have been seeing on this blog for the last 3 years) is now actually good enough to be copied! What a shocker it was to unearth this.

A certain lady from the southern parts of our dear nation has lifted ideas, terms, and phrases right off my pages and created her own little virtual space. Of course, she came into being (I mean her online presence) only recently.... as recently as July 2011. And not just my blog, I can see stuff she has used from other popular art and design blogs too. Combining all stolen ideas, she thinks she is creating some magic masala!! It sucks, really.

Now copying is not right, whichever way you look at it. And the only reason I'm treating this issue with a dash of humour is because my anger won't hurt the plagiarist at all. Rather it would wreak havoc on my sense of well-being and balance, upset my flow of ideas, and obstruct my imagination.

So, dear sneaky lady (since you will come back to read this), thanks for the left-handed compliment. You have only proved with your actions that my work is good enough to be copied! And you perhaps kick yourself for not having such inspired thoughts yourself.

So while I'm looking for how best to deal with Ms. Plagiarist, you better make sure you get your stuff (especially the bottles) right here. Else you'll only land up with a second-hand imitation, and that too at higher prices!

Childrens' Day Gift

November 14 is celebrated as Children's Day in India as the date marks the birthday of our first prime minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. He was known to be extremely fond of kids, and was fondly called Chacha Nehru (an informal reference, much like Uncle Sam). Children's Day is celebrated across most schools, with cultural functions and other shows for kids.

This year I decided to give my kids a surprise by making them a painting for the occasion. It hangs right across their bed so that they see it first thing in the morning when they wake up.

I know the kids love the theme of the painting. Especially how the caterpillar reaches out to peer at the butterfly. And the glittery lining of the clouds.

I hung it over the weekend so that the hubby and I could share in their pleasure when they first set eyes on it. I call this the simple joys of parenthood. Watching the expression of joy on your childrens' faces on such occasions is priceless!

Pretty Pansies

Made a real, formal glass painting after ages. Only because a stray piece of cut glass couldn't be wasted, of course! So I gave it a new avatar...

Good I chose to mix acrylics with glass paints for this piece. That explains the different shades of purple. Using colours of the same family help make the flowers closer to their real counterparts. Now to get this framed, and it'll be all ready to hang.

What are your views on this one?

A Second Autumn

My newest ode to the gorgeous colours of Fall.... worked on another Autumn-themed bottle sometime back. This is one theme that never seems to lose its freshness and appeal.

The profusion of dried leaves that softly crunch and crackle as you walk on them. The myriad shapes, sizes, colours and patterns on the leaves makes it ever so interesting to paint them.

I love how these bottles help bring a slice of Fall colours right into our homes. Especially here in India where such changing colours are hard to find.

Don't hesitate to drop me a line if you want to own one!