The shoe project.

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decorate, doodle, gingko leaves and birds, Shoes

A brave friend recently gave me a pair of shoes to doodle upon. Below are the results of how that little experiment turned out.

Would love to hear your thoughts!:)

 

Fireflies, Bugs and other happy friends.

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bug, fireflies, flies, Insect

“What would be left of our tragedies if an insect were to present us his?”- Emile M Cioran

Temple Coasters

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coasters, story, temple

A while ago, I designed these coaster sets as gifts for the guests at my nephew’s religious ceremony in India. Each coaster represents a temple that has special significance to his family with details of the story printed behind.

Enjoy!

Time for a cat nap.

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Alpana, black and white kitten, cat, cat nap, Kolam, sleeping cat illustration

Do you want to hear a cat joke?? Just Kitten!!:)

Pawsitively catastrophic! Apologies.

Kolam-gator.

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Alligator, Alpana, dots, Gator, Kolam, patterns, rice flour

Below is an alligator inspired by an age-old South Indian tradition called “Kolam” which always reminds me of home!

A Kolam (also known as Alpana, Rangoli, Muggulu across India) is generally a pattern guided by dots drawn at the entrance of a house with rice flour powder. These designs are made with bare fingers and the dots connect to form shapes or loops are drawn encircling the dots to complete a motif. The rice powder is said to invite small birds and ants into one’s every day life symbolic of harmonious co-existence. Occasionally, cow dung, believed to have antiseptic properties is also used to wax the floor and provide some protection. Kolam’s are associated with ritual value and special occasions call for limestone and red brick powder to afford greater contrast and a celebratory flavor.

Enjoy the kolam-gator basking in a summer swamp!:)

Beetroot.

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beet juice, Beetroot, natural dye

Many sources of natural dyes can be found in our own backyard. Today’s post is of a beetroot sketched against a watercolor sheet layered in beet juice. Such a vivid and simply gorgeous natural color makes me want to stay true to my roots !:)

Bear-igami

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Bear, bearigami, origami

Before I break into more un-bear-able puns, lemme leave you with today’s illustration:)

Two origami inspired explorations. Which one do you prefer?

Pancha Tantra by Walton Ford

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birds and beasts, Inspiring. water color, large format, Pancha Tantra, Walton Ford

Normally, I do not blog about books but this time I simply could not resist!:)

Over a short trip out-of-town, I stumbled upon the most gorgeous book filled with large format highly detailed watercolors of animals by Walton Ford. On first glance, it is an irresistible production of rich, beautiful and utterly captivating images. A closer look reveals glorious animals with a murderous intent in Ford’s world of splendidly savage birds and beasts. This book is worth every penny and more!

Abashed ape.

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monkey, pin the tail

Earlier this week, I helped create a “Pin the Monkey’s Tail” for the sweetest and happiest baby boy’s first birthday bash. Just received this image from the party and looks like the kids had a wild time pinning everything from his eye to his most delicate behind:)

Topsy Turvy

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bat, cat, cow, Deer, topsy turvy, upside down

I introduce to you Bat-cat, bat-cow and bat-deer. Have you ever felt as if the world were upside down, and you needed to stand on your head to make sense of it all?:)

Topsy Turvy World by William Brighty Rands

IF the butterfly courted the bee,
And the owl the porcupine;
If churches were built in the sea,
And three times one was nine;
If the pony rode his master,
If the buttercups ate the cows,
If the cats had the dire disaster
To be worried, sir, by the mouse;
If mamma, sir, sold the baby
To a gypsy for half a crown;
If a gentleman, sir, was a lady,—
The world would be Upside-down!
If any or all of these wonders
Should ever come about,
I should not consider them blunders,
For I should be Inside-out!

 

A little flower

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Flower, ink, lotus, pen, watercolor

“Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”- Hans Christian Andersen

Even Spidey has to go.

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city, maze, Restroom, Spiderman, Spiderman eyes

Last week I had gone to watch the “The Amazing Spiderman” with some friends. After sitting through forty minutes of avoidable trailers, the fire alarm in the theater went off and we were all asked to leave 10 minutes into the start of the movie. Of course, there was no re-entering the place…not even to use the restrooms!

Today’s illustration is of a city maze cause everyone, even Spiderman, needs to answer nature’s call. Please help him get to the restroom in time.

Sunrise Sunset

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stole, sunrise, sunset

“Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears”- Fiddler on the Roof

Below is a hand painted wax resist silk stole of the fiery forest sun cause I guess everything else in life can wait but the sunrise never will!:)

Different strokes.

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"I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree", Joyce Kilmer, Tree

A friend recently asked me ” Why are all your illustrations predominantly black and white with such excruciating detail?” I couldn’t come up with a convincing answer.  I did ponder about this later though and wonder if there is any truth to an article I came across in this search. Apparently, huge canvasses or papers filled with bright colors and bold strokes are usually associated with confident, expressive, extroverted individuals while detailed small pen strokes is more representative of a slightly reserved, introverted, contemplative nature. I suppose that this is a sweeping generalization but it does largely hold true in my case. Does anyone else believe in this theory? Based on your art/ painting how would you describe yourself?:)

At a pub quiz my husband and I frequent with some friends, we were recently asked to fill in the blanks of Joyce Kilmer’s poem-” I think that I shall never see… A poem as lovely as a ——–.” The correct answer ( which we obviously didn’t get in time) was tree. Today’s illustration is in memory of that quiz we miserably failed:)

Drowning in Ideas.

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drowning, ideas, swim

After an action packed, fun weekend I now have so many new ideas racing through my head. Looking forward to all the new illustrations the week ahead brings!

Caption contest!

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animals, caption, contest

The wittiest one will win a print of an illustration of choice from the blog (11×16″).

Think. Write. Win. Receive. Gloat. Enjoy!

 

Up on my wall

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3D, Birds, flapping, flock, Interior, paper, wall decor

And finally its complete! A flock of 3D flapping birds now decorate our wall. This artwork is the culmination of my previous two posts.

Sneak Preview

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artwork, Birds, detail, guess, pen and ink

“Be like the bird that, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings.”- Victor Hugo

Work in progress.

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Birds, flock, ink illustration, texture detail

Can you guess what’s coming?

Woven together.

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Of being woven, Rumi, Weave

Excerpt from “Of being woven by Jalaluddin Rumi”

“When ink joins with a pen, then the blank paper can say something.
Rushes and reeds must be woven to be useful as a mat.
If they weren’t interlaced; the wind would blow them away.
Like that, God paired up creatures, and gave them friendship.”