" We are all artists, painting our lives upon the canvas of reality" - Cristen Rodgers

I came across this beautiful quote by Cristen Rodgers which reads,

" We are all artists, painting our lives upon the canvas of reality".

It's a wonderful way to articulate the interplay between reality and perception, from an artists stand point I've often noticed that many a time inspiration or events in my life have a strong influence on my artwork and sometimes I guess,when I paint my artwork  it subconsciously plays an integral role in shaping or changing my perception of reality. Just the other day a friend of mind was asking me about the creative process behind my designs and artwork, I still need to delve deeper to be able to have an answer that is all encompassing.

Mulling aside I'm thrilled to share some vibrant behind the scenes pictures of some of the designs I've been working on over the lsat couple of weeks. Welcome to my little sunshine desk and into the little bursts of colour it holds!

From the bowels of Gods own country- Kathakali dancer

Kathakali, an Indian classical dance form that found its roots in the temple towns of Kerala, is truly one of the most vibrant and enigmatic dance forms. The heavy caked layers of makeup, the over exaggerated facial features, the heavy  rich layers of clothing and the tantalising long silver nails makes for a treat for the eyes. I remember watching a Kathakali performance at one of my cousins weddings in Kerala and every graceful move and facial expression left me awestruck. Another influence or  rather a memory I have of Kathakali as a dance form is a movie I watched - ' Vanaprastham' with the South Indian actor idol 'Mohan Lal', thank God for subtitles for us pseudo- mallus, the movie wouldn't have made much sense without it. It unveiled a side of the art form that most people don't get to see, a melancholic tale riddled with alcoholism , caste discrimination it's definitely a movie I recommend.

From an artist point of view, the Kathakali dancer is a challenge because it goes against the fundamentals of proportions and aesthetics. Starting with the almost ghoulish base colour of a face which is green, to add to it there are facial features that are over exaggerated, like the bloodshot eyes, the heavy kohl and almost unrealistic lip shape. There is many a Kathakali artwork I've come across that lands up making the dancer look unappealing.

The challenge is capturing the beauty in the non-conformity. It's not an easy task and I'm not sure I've been able to do so, but every Kathakali dancer kettle I've painted tests that.

When I'm feeling blue, all I have to do, is take a look at you.

With a city bathed in a myriad shades of blue, as raindrops pelt down from the skies above, my Blue Peacocks hand-painted teapot captures  the mood natures set. Blue in all its brilliance as peacock dance on the teapot to the rhythm of the rain!

'When I'm feeling blue, all I have to do
Is take a look at you, then I'm not so blue'
-Phil Collins

 

Customised order-Gypsy

I love doing customised pieces,this one was a mash up of two of my older designs ,its on its way to settle down in a new home in the UAE.The customer also wanted to incorporate certain features to look of the lady's face and my most favourite part was subtly adding her friends design in the artwork!!

Love that i could be a part of  creating something personal for someone!!Happpp happy happieeee!!

To place a customised order ,please feel free to mail me at pyjamapartydesigns@gmail.com,i'd be more than happy to paint a kettle.

Kathakali dancer hand-painted teapot/kettle

Chanced upon this poem a while ago,thought its a total fit for this post.

We dance for laughter,
We dance for tears,
We dance for madness,
We dance for fears,
We dance for hopes,
We dance for screams,
We are the dancers,
We create the dreams.

If you haven't seen a Kathakali performance in the flesh its something you must do!!Flamboyant costumers,wild wild make up,brilliant emotions and sheer passion is what each performance is.I'd been lucky to have caught a couple of performances in the past and each on blew my away.

Us pseudo mallus sometimes find our way back to our roots so here's a Kathakali dancer kettle paying homage to the culturally rich and vibrant land i hail from.

"To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak"

Dragonflies!!

I love painting dragonflies,theres something mesmerising about how fragile and delicate they are!I guess a large part of my love for them is the fact that i can do some really detailed design work on the dragonfly.Just the other day i realised i have done quite a dragonfly designs in the past so heres a the update so far,I'm sure there will be many more to come in the future!