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!

Still Life Compositions

 

Sharing with you all a few of my still life compositions and tablescapes - some old and some new, some real and some imagined.

These two were painted earlier this year in summer.

Snake Plant in Green Teacup

Milk and Wine Lilies

While these two were painted almost ten years back and were sold recently.

White Petunias - 2

Red Hibiscus in Orange Can

Can you find any changes through the years? It is good to revisit old work as that gives one a sense of how much progress has been made over time. The one thing that I find has remained constant in my work through the years - my bright and bold style. 

Write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com to purchase my work.

Having Fun With Gouache and Ink

 

The last couple of weeks I have been making a series of pen drawings accentuated using gouache and ink. 

Some of these drawings use paper collage in the background.

Both gouache and ink are pretty fluid media, and very responsive to how you handle them. 

Being water soluble makes them easily adaptable, but unlike watercolours, once dry they are permanent. I found both media well-suited for botanical drawings. What do you think of the outcomes?

April Bouquets

So that special month of the year is here, my birthday month. That calls for celebrations.... and all special occasions deserve some bouquets. Sharing with you these collages of floral bouquets made in the abstract style a few months back.

These flowers are not still life portrayals of real flowers. Rather just a pure play of colours leading to imaginary flower groupings.

An exercise in loosening up, a slapdash style that focussed on negative painting and was fun to try out.

 

So which one should I place on the table on my special day? :)

 

 



Serving Tray Makeover

So there was this old serving tray lying around the house. It had been gifted long back by some relative and though I hated its tacky looks right from the beginning, my mother refused to part with it. Sentimental reasons and all that mushy nonsense! It lay around in our shelves for years, getting used occasionally.

Till finally last weekend I gave it a much-deserved makeover. See the transformation yourself.... now the tray sports a Poppy theme, and looks (hopefully) more elegant.... at least to my eyes. 

I have used combined techniques of decoupaging, layering and sketching - using a photograph clicked by me and some newspapers - to give it the present look.



 

 

The last picture shows you a close-up of the tray surface, where decoupage and paint come together on a background of newspapers treated with gesso. I finished the tray with a generous layer of sealer so it could take spills and occasional washing.

Hope this post encourages you to try making over any such unused items lying around the house, giving them a fresh lease of life just in time for Diwali. Now tell me, which version of my tray do you like better -  the Before or the After?

Curio Bottle

So who says bottles are only meant to hold flowers or money plants? See how perfect these found bird feathers look in the small curio bottle.

The abstract design (that many folks at the exhibition called the Tiffany stained glass effect) is eye-catching and attractive. Simple yet beautiful.

I absolutely love how you can view the design on the other side superimposed on the side facing you.

And of course, a single floral stem would look equally nice in that bottle! So what's holding you back from getting one? :) Write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com to get yours.

Wholesome Breakfast

Another still life I created recently - a table setting for a wholesome breakfast. Care to join in?

This is a mixed media effort, with many details done using paper collaging. I especially like how the flowers, the juice glass and the table cover came out.

Seasons Greetings

Diwali Countdown: Rangoli Diya Trays

Diwali is the one festival when we like going traditional. And  putting up pretty rangolis at distinct places around the house is such an integral part of this festival. But wait! Time is always at a premium during festivals, and rangolis require not only time but loads of patience too.... now what?!?

Well, we have the perfect solution to your rangoli decorating woes. Just check out these beautiful, hand-crafted rangoli diya trays. In one go, they will add a dash of bling to your décor, and infuse the traditional quotient too. Display them with some marigold and rose petals strewn around, and see the magic that they create around your home.

So let your home sparkle and shine this Diwali, with these hand-crafted rangoli diya trays. To pick one or more of these, write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com. Or even better, catch me at the Ardee City Diwali Mela in sector 52, Gurgaon today as I have lots of pretty designs available. Happy decorating!

Diwali Countdown: Bottlemania

With the festival of lights just a week away now, can this blog afford to be in snooze mode any longer? ....Well, I am back and promise to share with you some easy-breezy décor ideas over this week. So that by the time Deepawali dawns, you and your abode are more than ready to welcome all - your family, friends and the goddess of wealth!

To start with, I have a bunch of bottles ready in a festive combo of pink, white and silver. While one has been inspired by traditional henna motifs, the other two are more modern in their design. Display these singly or as a group, they are sure to add a touch of classy appeal to your festive décor setting.

Want one or all of these? Write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com or catch me at the Ardee City Diwali Mela in Gurgaon on the 19th of this month. And yes, keep your eyes open for more decorative items and décor ideas on this page all through this week. Happy decorating! :)

Collaging Capers

Playing around with papers, that is what I mean by collaging capers! :) Yes, paper collaging has been something I used to enjoy doing even as a college kid and suddenly the love seems to have resurfaced.

So an old half-finished painting that lay unwanted in a corner of my art supplies cupboard got a new lease of life last month as I gave it a collage makeover. The half-painted version looked uninteresting and drab; must say the papers added quite a bit of verve to the piece. I finished it with a glossy coat.

The process of first selecting the right papers, matching the shades, tearing up the papers to the right size, and finally putting them on is definitely tedious.... but I find it almost meditative. It gives me the opportunity to put my patience to test, almost willing myself to push my limits and learn to stay calm. Maybe I should try collaging on larger pieces now....

Seashell Paperweights

Remember that old tongue-twister that we all mumble at some point during our growing-up years: "She sells seashells on the seashore." Okay, now say that five times in quick succession before you read further! :)

Hah, no one sold us any shells but since we came back from a beach vacation, we brought along a bagful of pretty seashells. So naturally it was crafting time using our new-found treasures.... and we made these seashell paperweights, a reminder of our beachy vacation.

Good thing we got these done, for I always seem to have loads of loose paper strewn on my work desk. Finally, they won't keep flying off.... and maybe the hubby can be gifted one for his Father's Day gift.

Am planning to make more crafty things using our seashell collection. Meanwhile, for the how-to of this project, you can go here. Do drop in a comment if any of you try this out, and sharing pictures will be even more fun. You can find my email in the right sidebar. Hoping you all have a creative weekend!

Festive Hangover

Still recovering from the festive hangover, hence the paucity of posts. Promise to buckle up in November, and bring you more creative fodder.

Here are a few images of our handmade and hand-painted efforts during Diwali. Wish people could keep things simple and traditional instead of the mindless blitzkrieg it is made out to be nowadays.

Diya painted by yours truly.

Little urns painted by my kiddies (aged 6 and 8).

Candle and diya drawings made by the kids to add to the Diwali decor.

Finally, a festive tablescape using my hand-painted tealight holders.

Hope all my readers had a cheerful festive season with their loved ones. Enjoy the afterglow and I shall see you next month! :)

Monochromatic

Being away from my colors these last two months has given me a monochromatic vision!

When the mind is clutterred with too many things but the hands want to doodle anyway, this is the result.

Apologies for the single post last month despite promising otherwise. Sometimes the plan just doesn't work....

Hope to make up for that this month so check back for some of my painted bottles soon. And many thanks to all my lovely readers for hanging in there with me.:)

Lemon Tea In The Shade

The summers are here, with afternoons turning real warm. The last of the spring blooms are flowering in a hurry before the heat wilts them away.

Wouldn't it be nice to sit in the shade and enjoy some lemon tea at midday? Come join me for a refreshing break....

Another quick tablescape painting to liven up things; hope you liked it. I especially enjoyed the cool pastel of the table setting. So summery in its feel! :)

Picnic By The Lake

Dreary winter days make me feel confined, and so I'm yearning for a picnic in bright sunshine. We were lucky to catch such a picnic last month... but now that seems a whole year behind us!

So maybe we need new settings. Umm, let's see, a lovely lakeside with clear blue water reflecting the azure of the skies, some multi-hued foliage, and of course, a table laden with goodies. Something like this maybe...

Tablescape inspired by a picture I came upon while blog crawling. Totally forgotten the source, again! :( Shucks, I really need to do something about my memory...

Meanwhile, hope you all will join me in this lovely setting for some cheese chomping and wine drinking (or is it champagne? Nah! no bubbles). :)

Tea And Cakes

I'm in experimentation mode. So I decided to do this one.... it is a little different from my usual landscapes.

Though an acrylic on paper again, this painting doesn't come from any photograph but has been entirely conjured up in my head. Not a very difficult thing to do for a woman, given the subject! :)


I have always been charmed by the round-bottomed traditional ceramic teapot that comes along with its matching set of cups. This painting is simply an ode to one of the biggest pleasures that we take for granted - sipping tea while nibbling into a piece of cake. Mmmm...

Hope you enjoy this as much as I loved painting it.