Some Old, Some New

The blog turns four this weekend, and what a journey it has been! I thought the time was appropriate to share with you all that one painting which started it all....

Yes, this was the first glass painting I created, when my first-born was a few months old. And then, as I got hooked to the beauty of the medium, there was no looking back. This painting now hangs in my kids' room and I recently created a fishy, underwater-themed pencil holder to match with it.

Pencil holder by day, and if you feel so, can turn into a lamp by night!

The kids loved the double surprise, of course. What better way to celebrate! :)

For The Olympic Truce

I was recently invited to a group called the Olympic Truce started by Don Mc Burney -Director, A Ray of Hope - UNESCO Youth Ambassador for the Culture of Peace. It promotes the United Nations call for the traditional age-old truce to be observed during this summer’s Olympics in London, urging warring parties around the world to lay down their arms as the Games’ ancient Greek founders did some 2,700 years ago.

The group offers a unique platform to showcase our personal art interpreting the portrayal of peace. I have decided to submit two pieces to this platform. Both represent the flight of birds, which to me is a compelling image of peace and freedom.


The first one is my tribute to the Mumbai massacre, done in pen and acrylic. Here the flight of the birds represents our ability to rise above the anguish and bloodshed unleashed by a terror attack. Read more about this here.


The second one represents the graceful flight of the gulls above a serene sea, their large wings flapping rhythmically. This one is glass painting on a bottle. For the entire artwork, see here.

Hope you all like these different portrayals of peace.

Purple Sunbird On Gulmohar

After seeing trees laden with Gulmohar (Flame of the forest) flowers on my daily walks all through spring, I had to paint them again. The bright red and orange flowers with their pretty leaves were transferred on to a bottle earlier this month.

But this time I added a new element - the purple sunbird. That little blue bird with a long curved beak that sucks nectar out of spring flowers.

Every morning as I sat under the shade of the Gulmohar, the sweet call of the purple sunbird was sure to reach my ears. Turning to look up, I could see it flitting from branch to branch, and flower to flower.

So now when you spot a flash of blue in between the red and green of the Gulmohar, you'll know the purple sunbird visited you! :)

Coastal Vacation

Summers are here and it is vacation time. Why not head for the coast? This bottle takes you right there.... come away with me on a coastal vacation.

Where the sun shines bright amidst tall palms

An imposing lighthouse stands at the edge of the rocks

And the seagulls brighten the skies with their graceful flight

So have you been on a vacation lately? Are there any special place memories you'd like to cherish?...

...Then get them captured on a bottle, and add them to your decor for posterity. Or gift one to your guests as a takeaway. They'll surely love it!

Experiments With Fabric

Nothing spectacular, just some simple experiments I tried out recently at the insistence of my daughter.

A kurta neck embellished by freehand design.

Ladyfinger printing on a kurti.

Idea and execution of both by yours truly! Random summer pastimes....

Green Duo

Drying on my bedside today morning...

...this pair of green bottles, with simple floral vines adorning them.

Sometimes, less is more.

Wish all my readers a happy weekend!

The Owl And The Bees

Strange title for a bottle, isn't it? But there is a story behind it, so read on...

This bottle is inspired by a huge Peepul tree that stands right in front of our house. Throughout the year this Peepul tree is a hub of activity.

Come spring and the bees are busy building up their hive, stealing nectar from the flowers in our garden and other surrounding flowering trees. In fact, this year I got to taste some of that honey, and it was delicious.....Mmmmmm!!! So one half of the bottle depicts that experience.

When the tree sports dense foliage, and the weather gets cooler, the nocturnal visitors appear. Noisy bats hanging upside down I have seen many a time. But what I'd really love to see is a cute little owl, with its wise face and round eyes, just like the one on this bottle.

So, on the occasion of World Environment Day today, this bottle is my ode to the Peepul tree and the creatures it is home to. Unless we care for our flora and fauna on a daily basis, what is the point of marking such days! What do you feel, dear readers?