Every once in a while you read something you've read years ago and it takes on a whole new meaning.This ones an excerpt from the book. "The Invitation" by Oriah Mountain Dreamer!Happy reading!

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesnt interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon...
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if have been opened
by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn't interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."


It doesn't interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.


It doesn't interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.


It doesn't interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.


I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Paint splattered!!

Painted a Mexican border design for Uba Tuba the other day, the experience had its share of ups and downs, of course there were the unwanted opinions, from every Tom, Dick and Harry who hadn't lifted a paintbrush in their life and there were the wonderful moments where random people passing by stopped to say something nice. My favourite were the little kids who passed by after school who were somehow wowed by a little triangular Mexican border!! Had two adorable girls who stopped by and one little girl asked me why i wasn't painting anything pink!! How cute!!Can't help but love the little ones

The Sound of Silence

I'm not really a fan of heavy metal music but, 'Disturbed' totally nailed this cover of 'The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel!! What a voice!! Just brilliant!!

When the walls speak to you

I love strolling down the by lanes of Bandra, especially the lanes that transport you back in time, where you are witness to the peaceful blend of the old and new, co-existing in harmony. If you are an artist or artistically inclined the wave of quirky wall art is a delightful surprise,I personally love the artwork that creeps up on you where you least expect it or the random artwork that might not make sense and even go unnoticed!

Paint me the shade of sunshine!

This month has been a hectic one, with quite a few canvas painting commissions, restaurant decor and signages, a whole new bunch of projects. Through all the chaos, what I've realised is thanks to all the work I've hit the canvas again, with the constant stream of product related Pyjama Party Studio orders have landed up not having the time to really work on canvas pieces, so in celebration of hitting the canvas again, here are a bunch of pieces I've done in the last couple of weeks, some are work in progress and some finished artworks

It's getting hot under the sombrero!

I've been working on a project with the spanking new Mexican restaurant that's just open in Bandra called 'Uba Tuba', they wanted a bunch of quirky Mexican themed decor items and signages to add a dash of mexican flavour to the restaurant.Here's some of the designs done so far with the infamous Day of the Dead skull candy motifs, bell peppers, chillies, lovely vivid Mexican patterns and colours!

Might also be painting a wall this Monday, so if you happen to see a paint splattered artist at the restaurant its probably me!!

Baldy's got hair

My awesome brother knowing my love for quirky,offbeat things and my love for gardening brought back the cutest gift ever.Its a tiny little bald fella who has little seeds for brains and all you have to do is place him in a glass bowl, fill it with water and wait for him to sprout hair.

I was so kicked to see him finally have a few strands,waiting for his full head of hair soon!!

More pics when he hopefully sprouts a full head of hair!!

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Stumbled across this today,so true!!

Sugar coating everything!!

This month has turned out to be a month of canvas painting,something I haven't really focused on for a while now.A very enterprising baker friend of mine just set up her own baking business in New Jersey and wanted me  to paint a canvas piece that captures all the elements that go into baking.
This commissioned piece couldn't have come at a better time in the year,theres something about Christmas,the nip in the air,the gifting season,I can't quite explain it,its just a lovely feeling which makes me want to bake too!I'm no great shakes at baking but I have baked some killer chocolate chunk cookies and cakes in the past.

So here's the canvas painting I'm working on,still need to do the final touches,will upload the final artwork when its ready!So much fun working on a customised piece!It's almost set to fly all the way to the United States and find a warm new home on her wall!

The Alien in us

Have you ever felt like a misfit or an alien on this planet?Like the things you do,or the way you think doesn't necessarily make sense to everyone around you.I feel that way quite often,so instead of mulling over why I am the way I am,I thought lets go crazy with it on a canvas piece.This is a visual representation of an almost human looking person who's not,if that makes any sense.

Its still work in progress,loads more to do,but I'm feeling like a misfit smug today!! :)

My Slice of heaven!!

Theres something magical  and soothing about growing plants in your home,I remember a time where I was obsessed with it,I'd even have plant growing competitions with other friends who also shared the same interest we'd exchange samplings and seeds and tips even[but never really giving away our secrets,silly little fools we were]

I love everything about gardening,the mixing of the soil,the feel of the coarse earth on your bare hands,the smell of parched soil when you water it,the potting of the plants or seeds,pruning and watching them grow.They feel like my little babies who I help survive the turmoils of a  chaotic city that has no space for them.

Being an artist I love finding unique containers that i could paint on or unique objects that i could use as pots.Here are some of the pics of my home when i lived in Bandra.A lot has changed since I moved homes plant-wise but I still have a thriving garden,just need to work a little more on the growing from seed bit of it :)