The Collab Story

A couple of months back my cousin from Bangalore introduced me to a friend who had recently taken up woodworking. I contacted him and we decided to collaborate on a project. 

Last month I received two handmade boxes made by him using recycled pine wood. I sprinkled some of my creative splashes on them, and they transformed right before my eyes. From bland and boring beige, they turned into dazzling divas full of colours and whimsy, with a story hidden in the designs chosen for each box.

Here's taking you through the creative makeover of those two boxes. For more details on the makeover process, see my Instagram account @creativerumblings that carries more fun pictures and reels of the collaboration in my highlights.

For the first box that travelled back to Bangalore to its maker, I chose to paint pomegranates and lotus flowers as those motifs symbolize abundance and prosperity. 

This particular box had an unusual shape, and two small lids for its two compartments. So I chose to go with a quirky 'His and Her' depiction, painting faces on the lids.

The second box was mine to keep. Those of you who know me also know about how Nature inspires a lot of my work. So I wanted this box to be a tribute to trees, and to the ecosystem around them. After all, that is where the wood for the box came from in the first place! 

That is why all the side panels of the second box along with its hinged cover feature flora and fauna derived from my observation of trees, and the life around them.

All in all, the collab (short for 'collaboration' if you haven't figured out yet) was a fascinating experience that pushed me to try something beyond my regular painting practice. It also taught me to think of designs from a product perspective, basing my choices on the utility of the boxes. I loved how my colourful designs totally changed the look and feel of both the boxes. Looking forward to more such creative adventures!

Mosaic Garden Stake

 

Two months and zero posts - not a happy milestone, by any means! But some upheavals on the family front, coupled with the bone-chilling cold, kept the creative projects on hold for a while. Now here's starting the year's posting with a detailed walkthrough of our latest mosaic project - a garden stake created entirely using recycled materials. 

This sustainable artwork uses broken tiles/ceramics and mirrors mounted on a PVC pipe. To see the entire process, click here. 

The stake can be placed in the ground directly or planted in a container, thus giving us the flexibility to move it around, and making it an indispensable garden decor item. Love the pop of colour it adds to our garden! If you have any queries on this project, write to us at creativerumblings@gmail.com and we'll connect.

The Lepidoptera Artist Book

 

This month I'd like to bring you my 'Moths and Butterflies' handmade journal, prepared from scratch by recycling common materials around the house. Click here to see a process video of how you can also make a junk journal or artist book of your own.

Pages from the Moths and Butterflies journal

In my artist book, I am trying to capture all the pretty Lepidoptera (species of insects) seen around the area I am located in. 

Close up of the hand-painted images

Being in the midst of green open spaces, we are lucky to have a wide variety of beautiful insects not commonly seen in urban settings. There is a wide range of butterflies, right from the tiny grass ones to large beautiful swallowtails and tigers. The moths here are also larger and include hawkmoths, strikingly colourful and positively exotic.

Given the way climate change is creeping upon us, I'd like to capture the beauty of these Lepidoptera for posterity so that future generations aren't deprived of the pleasure of knowing about them.

Aceing the Distressed Look

 

This blog post is an attempt to take you through the process of giving wood the much-in-vogue distressed look. All it takes are a few coats of paint and some sanding, and voila!

So let us start at the very beginning.... I wanted to paint an old wooden display table with the distressed look. Painting this old table would extend its life as well as revamp its value as a decor piece. This is how the table looked before I started.

First, I lightly sanded the raw wooden surface and added a coat of primer to it. Giving a base coat of primer is always a good idea as it helps smoothen the painting surface, and fills in all the small gaps in the wood. Let the primer dry out well, preferably overnight.

Next I got out my acrylic paints and got to the interesting part. Achieving the distressed look basically involves removing parts of the top coat of paint to reveal the inner layer. So you should always choose contrasting colours to bring out the distressed effect. I chose white as the base coat and a dark pink as the top coat.

As you apply the different colours one over the other, make sure that each coat dries out completely before you paint over it.

Lastly, rub lightly over the dried top coat with a smooth-grain sandpaper to bring out the base coat colour. Remember that the distressed look is not meant to be uniform; at some places the effect will show up more than others. 

And TaDa! The distressed wooden table is ready for display.

If you would like to see a short video of the process described above, visit the Creative Rumblings YouTube channel. You can subscribe to my channel to view other process videos and take back loads of DIY ideas that are sustainable and environment-friendly.

Nature Journal 2020: November-December

 

January often gets to see some spillover projects from the previous year, and this year is no different. The Nature Journal 2020 project that I started last year, is finally complete. Here's a glimpse of the double spread for November-December.

November-December pages

Also, here's a quick look at the front and back covers of the Nature Journal 2020.

The front and back covers

That brings another year of nature journaling to a close. The next one will now happen in 2025! That seems so far away.... Meanwhile, hope you all enjoyed this edition. 

Click on the 'nature journal' label in the right scroll bar to see all the journal pages together (both this edition and the previous one). You can see a flip-through of Nature Journal 2020 on my Instagram.

#naturejournal2020

Mixed Media Outings

 

Happy 2021, dear readers! Hope you all had a wonderful start to the new year, and here's wishing you all a healthy year ahead.

Like every other year, my output has been impacted by the season. And my postings have dwindled since last month. I'm taking things slow, catching up on my reading, baking, and other random pursuits.

Meanwhile, here's bringing you a compilation of some mixed media pieces done over the last couple of months.

These were all previously published on my Instagram account. (Follow, follow.... don't wait till tomorrow.)

Most of these pieces are part of a junk journal that I'm currently working on, while the one below was inspired by a picture posted by a friend.

Hopefully I will pick up the pace in this new year, and will soon share more pending projects that I complete later this month.

Nature Journal 2020: August-September

Since I was in mosaic heaven last month, the August page of the Nature Journal got delayed. Then I decided it would be better to present the two months together as the layout worked nicer that way. So here's bringing you the August-September pages of Nature Journal 2020. 

Hope you enjoy the double spread of natural snippets. As I lose myself in my green wonderland to converse with my many non-human friends. :) 

#naturejournal2020

More Journal Snippets

As an artist, I find myself using journals to express myself very often. A journal is like a diary, only more visual. You are already seeing pages from my Nature Journal every month. So thought of sharing a few pages from my Transition Journal that I finished earlier this month.

The above picture is the front cover, and the picture below features an amalgamation of some individual pages along with the back cover.

In these difficult days when our world is in the grip of the pandemic, maintaining a daily/weekly/fortnightly or even monthly journal is a good way to release some pent up stress, sadness and frustration. Try it, dear readers!

Nature Journal 2020: July

Sharing with you all the July page of the Nature Journal 2020. The lack of rains in our part of the world for the first half of the month led to extremely hot and humid days. Thankfully, the rains arrived towards the end of July. 

However, this pattern of intense heat followed by equally intense downpours points to a greater issue, namely the impact of climate change. I believe it is surely creeping in upon us, and the pandemic is just one fallout of the same. What are your thoughts on this, dear readers?

#naturejournal2020

Revisiting Exhibition Memories

Five years back, today was a day of such excitement - my 3 day exhibition was to start, and I was literally living my dream. Presenting my handiwork in a large public forum at a prestigious mall; simply loved the experience and the exposure.

You can read in detail about the exhibition here, while these pictures are a happy reminder of the event.

Now given our present circumstances and the new normal that the virus has imposed on us, such events seem rather distant. No one can really predict how and when things will get normalized in the future. In the meantime, you can connect with us at creativerumblings@gmail.com for any related decor requirements. We will be happy to serve you via courier.

Mixed Media Squares

For today's post, we need to go back in time a bit. Let us revisit these previous posts of mine from February 2016 - Faces and Figures, and The Making of a Flower Girl. For a recap, those artworks were made in mixed media using a variety of techniques like stamping, collaging, and finally some intuitive mark making. 

I landed up making quite a few of these 10"x10" mixed media squares, and tucked them away in some corner of my supplies cupboard. Some personal upheavals later that year made me forget about these completely, and I did not post about them here. Till we moved houses and cities last year and I recently rediscovered them while searching for something else. 

Lined up together they looked so pretty that I decided to dedicate a much-deserved post to them finally. So I will not go into the details of the process (for that you can see the previous posts from February 2016), but let you feast your eyes.

Can you identify this singer? My hubby's favourite!

I simply love this cat portrait.

Here is another view of the ladies. They definitely brightened up our lockdown days. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Nature Journal 2020: Half Yearly Update

First, the good news - my Nature Journal for 2020 has finally started taking shape. Though this year the journal size is smaller but I'm glad I have lots of stuff to put in it, including specimens from my own garden.

Now, for the confession - I was so absorbed in enjoying my blossoming new garden at the beginning of the year, that I completely forgot to take samples or record observations for January and February. With over twenty varieties of flowers, those two months could have made for a separate flower journal. 

Meanwhile, this year's nature journal starts in March, alongside the Covid-induced lockdown. 

While the first 2 pages cover the months of March to May, there are month-wise individual pages from June onwards. Needless to say, many of this year's jottings include references to this unprecedented time in our lives, and to the impact of the pandemic.

Now hope to bring you a fresh post each month on the nature journal through the rest of the year.

#naturejournal2020

Little Miss Sunshine

When the sun plays rookie and the chill freezes your bones, this is how folks like me warm up....

Meet 'Little Miss Sunshine' who is full of beans and frolicking under the warm sun. :)

Hope seeing her warms the cockles of your heart, as creating her warmed up mine!

Garden Slab Mosaic

When we moved to a new place earlier this year, I noticed quite a few concrete slabs lying around the front garden. Dull and grey, they looked awful. So I had to unleash my creative juices... I decided to give one slab a mosaic makeover using damaged and broken ceramic pieces that I had been saving for a while.

Hubby partnered with me for this project, making it a fun DIY that we both enjoyed. We first covered the slab with a concrete mix and embedded the ceramic and tile pieces into it.

Allowing sufficient drying time, we grouted the slab to seal the embedded pieces and smoothen out the rough edges.

Next I used wet rags to buff the mosaic and clean off the extra bits of grout.

And voila! The boring concrete slab turned into a pretty stepping stone in the front garden.

To read what makes this mosaic project extra special, click here. Now I need more broken ceramics for mosaicing the remaining slabs in the garden. Who all are game to chip in?

Dare To Dream

Since the soaring temperatures of last month fried my brains, I just couldn't get any creative work done. :D A couple of downpours later, now I'm back with another spread from my journal.

So this journal includes positive messages and thoughts on each page, that one can go to and derive inspiration from. While I call it my transition journal but it really is a celebration of life itself! And that is exactly what this spread is all about.

It incorporates this lovely idea I came across on Pinterest - of cutting up a page according to the shape of your artwork.

Gives an amazing new edge to the predictable page presentation. Who says all pages need straight edges? :)

The dreamy girl on the left is inspired by a similar visual I saw. I love the effects one can create using a single shade of colour and some simple line work. Isn't it pretty?

I'm prepping for a furniture redo project that is close to my heart and on the lines of this previous project I did. Hope to finish it soon and share with you all.

And in the meanwhile, why don't you tell me what you dare to dream about? Go on, give me your responses pronto! :)

Feathered Friends

This post is totally dedicated to the feathered friends who have been visiting our garden, and keeping us engaged with their antics and birdsong.

Since the days are scorching, we put out a bird bath for our little visitors. That has only added to our joy, and theirs.... as they drink, take dips, and splash around. I can never tire of seeing them, hopping all over and chirping away melodiously, even on the hottest days.

And then they inspire such artwork. Line drawing on collaged background is how I started, but every creative piece takes on a life of its own, and before you know it, one lands up adding other elements. Really like the end result. Hope you do too, dear readers.

So how are you spending the summer? Do remember to put out some water bowls for our feathered friends.

Journal Jaunt

Almost 2 months since my last visit here, and a lot of changes have happened in my world. Mostly positive, thankfully! Though I haven't started working on creative projects actively yet but now they are seeming more doable. So hopefully you'll see me around more often...

In the meanwhile, here is a peep into a journal page that I started a few months back but couldn't finish. Glad to finally fix it and put it all together.

Working on this journal helped me deal with a period of transition that may have otherwise been overwhelming. Now that I'm in a happier space, hope to fill up the pages faster.

Monoprint Cards

'Long time no see' is becoming a recurrent theme around here owing to multiple reasons. Due to my inability to get any fresh creative work done, I decided to pull out these monoprints I worked on last summer. I tried out this series of experiments in monoprinting using material lying around the house and the studio. And the results were fascinating....

I finished the pieces with some top-layer freehand painting and added a butterfly made using acrylic skins. Tried out different colour combinations for effect.

Methinks the green-and-blue piece turned out well. Though the brown-and-beige puts a sharper focus on the actual monoprint. But the contrasts on the other one appeal to me more.

This last picture is to give you a sense of the size of these cards....yes, they are smaller than a full-size pencil. Start small and then move on to bigger pieces - that is always my mantra for all new experiments. What is yours?

Welcoming Change

Hola there! Hope you all have been doing great, and having fun. All of you who missed me here for the last couple of months, I have some news for you.

Huge changes are lined up (not related to this blog or work), and I need both time and energy to deal with those. So chances are that my appearances here will remain sporadic for the remaining part of this year, and some part of next year.

While I know that I will keep coming back to the creative life for recharging my batteries, but I can't see any major projects underway for a bit. But I'm sure you'll probably get to see some journal pages that I make in the middle of my chaos, as I transition to a calmer and more joyful state.

Hope you all hang in there with me, and keep the creative spirit alive!

From Rusty To Rustic

A few good spells of rain finally had me raring to give a new lease of life to a couple of rusty things around the house.

So there was a metal can turned into a planter that had turned rusty and required some painterly love. And an old rusty horseshoe, that once hung in the garden of all places. In case you don't know already, horseshoes are considered lucky when hanging above the main door. Anyhow, since both the metal planter and the horseshoe had lost their original colours and developed a stubborn film of orange-brown rust, I decided to give them a paint over.

The transformation pictures speak for themselves. I kept the yellow lines on the planter looking uneven to add to the shabby chic feel. And especially loved decorating the horseshoe with all sorts of bits and baubles collected in my stash. Now both the planter and the horseshoe sport a distinct rustic style of their own.

Do give some love to such old pieces lying around your abode. After all, monsoons are a time of rejuvenation... And don't forget to sandpaper the rusty parts before you cover them in some cool colours and designs.

Hope this post helps add some colour to the grey weather, even as rusty discarded pieces acquire a spanking new rustic look.