The brief said "shades of yellow, ochre and rust" were required along with "some vines". What I thought was a four-sided bottle turned out having eight sides - four slim sides and four broader ones. The expansive neck of the square-ish bottle only made things more difficult. And to top it all, not only was time at a premium but I also had guests at home. ...Phew!!!
Yes, these were the circumstances in which I started work on this bottle. After agreeing on daffodils and tulips with the client, I tentatively created the flower outlines, one type on each alternate side. As I diligently filled in the appropriate shades according to the brief, things started looking up. The four broad sides were covered; so far, so good. But what next?
I still had no idea about what to do with the upper part, the neck and those slim sides. And how were the vines supposed to be incorporated? Traditional and leafy green vines would have made the bottle look too cluttered. So one morning, very hesitantly, I started making vine-like designs using the colours of the outlines - yellow and black. At least they would fit in well with the colour scheme. But I wasn't sure if my unusual take on the vines would go down well with the client....
....Till that lovely Saturday morning when I actually met her to hand over the commissioned bottle. It was with a mix of relief and satisfaction that I saw her joyously accept what I handed her. And yes, as she very succinctly put it, my vines added a "vintage look" to the cherished bottle.
Believe me, there is no greater happiness than to see the look of wonderment when you hand over a finished bottle to an appreciative client. Thanks, dearest J, for giving me this opportunity!
