A couple of days ago, I came across a T-shirt company whose slogan is “Perfectly imperfect”. I gaped in mild dismay “That should be my slogan” I thought ” They have my slogan!! Imperfection is definitely MY thing!” It’s true, I do like my design a little under-cooked, which is why I love printmaking so …
Ink and Courage
When I was 19 years old, I convinced my parents that I was mature enough to travel around Northwestern India on my own. I obviously possessed greater powers of courage and persuasion then.
My idea was to travel around with a sketchbook and camera, and produce an amazing portfolio of work that would help me to get into an Art college of my choice.
It worked.
While on this trip, I often ran out of art materials in places where there were no stores that sold them, so I improvised. I painted with spices such as turmeric and chilli, and used old pieces of fabric and packaging to draw on. But my favorite of these ad hoc materials by far was a stick from a neem tree that I had carved to a point. I happily filled sketchbooks with big, drippy ink drawings, and actually had a period of mourning when the stick finally broke, exhausted by my furious scribbling.
Many years later, I would range around woodlands like a crazed yeti, collecting sticks and branches for my students to dip into ink and draw with at school.
I have recently rediscovered the joys of drawing with ink. It is really so much fun.
It is hard not to relax when you draw with ink, because you have less control over the sorts of marks you produce, every line has an unexpected beauty to it. Try it.
Loosen up lady!
A blog about drawing and un-drawing…. I have produced some pretty uptight drawings, and now I’m going to have to unravel them a bit. One of the things I like most about henna, or mehndi, is the fluid way in which it is drawn. Henna artists don’t really plan out their designs in advance, they …
Ode to London
I am in London, and all is well with the world. It is fantastic to be back in the city where I grew up, where everything is so familiar and comfortable. I feel like a missing puzzle piece that has finally been popped back into it’s place. I grew up in a leafy part of South …
A Very Silly Post about Mosquitos
I have been in Chennai for five days now. The mosquitos don’t seem to have forgotten me. They follow me everywhere, and completely ignore my companions. I think that they have actually been anticipating my visit. Maybe they arranged some sort of convention. Maybe they put out an advertisement announcing my arrival. If they did, I would imagine …
Keeping the Ball Rolling
Greetings from Chennai, India. I was supposed to write a post a week ago about my upcoming trip, but I didn’t manage to. I was supposed to write a post a few days ago saying good bye, but I didn’t manage to. During the past week or so,I have been totally immersed in the mammoth …
Leaving some spots uncolored
I have become a White person. No this is not a statement about my racial identity. It is purely aesthetic. I have recently discovered my love of the color white in all it’s variations. Ivory, cream, jasmine, titanium, I love them all. The simple pop of a clean color print on a white background can …
Broken Glass, Unbroken Spirit
So here is a little story about my experience at the Ballston market, and what a tale it is too, full of pathos and tragedy, with a dollop of humor added in and, of course, a happy ending of sorts. It was a lovely sunny day. No rain, I am happy to report. My booth …
Small town splendor
I’m a city girl. I grew up in London, and spent my adolescence fantasizing about working in New York, Paris, or Tokyo, or maybe even Sydney. These fantasies made sense professionally as well, the aforementioned cities being hotbeds of art, design, and general grooviness. Perfect places for a young designer to live and work in. …
Viva Vendors!
And now for some more fascinating things that I noticed, while working as a vendor at an outdoor market… Booth blindness This is a serious condition that affects many people at fairs and festivals Booth blindness is when a person does not even realize that your booth exists, because they are busy looking at/thinking about …