Showing posts with label Painting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Painting. Show all posts

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Painted Saris-Ganesha

Here I am with one more painted sari. This is once again a pure cotton sari from the looms of  West Bengal. Very fine and soft. It is greyish green with green and yellow borders on either side. It is painted beautifully by the artisans from Bengal. 
It has a wider border- yellow on one side and green on the other. These have been painted on. 
The whole sari has been painted with these designs.
But what caught my eye was this beautiful Ganesha painted with green colour on a yellow coloured pallu. I have been wanting to paint this leaf Ganesha since long. But I was not so sure whether it is good to paint gods or goddesses on the clothes we wear. When I found this one I just bought it. But now I am having second thoughts as to whether it is OK to wear with Ganesha on it?


Monday, December 31, 2012

Painted Saris

These days fabric painting is in vogue-on saris, suits and other dresses blended with embroidery or as it is. Here is a sari painted beautifully with birds.  It is pure cotton with blue and yellow borders on either sari. I don't know what to call the colour of the body of the sari-may be grey?
Yellow border on one side. The entire sari is painted with bird motifs in blue yellow and red, like these in small size.
 Blue border on the other side
This is the pallu painted with bigger sized birds.
The borders are also painted very artistically.

The sari is the Bengal cotton sari and has been painted by the artisans from Bengal. Beautiful isn't it it? So we are preparing for the hot summers here ......

Watch out for more....


Saturday, August 4, 2012

Painting On Fabrics-Sea Creatures-2

My previous post on the topic is here.

I was talking about the sea green table cloth. These are the fishes I painted on the four corners of the cloth a little away from the fish in the center. 

 This is how it looked.

You can see that the cloth is stained, lost its beautiful sea green colour with many washes. I just use it as dust cover these days.

Watch out for what I painted on cushion covers and diwan set in my next posts



Thursday, July 19, 2012

Painting on Fabrics-Sea Creatures-1

My first passion always was and will be painting. I feel so happy when I have a paint brush in my hand. I don't mind painting a wall, a door or a window grill work, or on paper or fabric. It is somehow soothing to simply paint a surface with all your concentration. I even like it better with my favorite music playing along. Even now, when I am depressed, or feel low, I either, paint or head to kitchen to experiment some new dish. It sort of makes me forget everything.

I used to paint a lot on paper which later on I made into greeting cards and sent to my friends and relations. 

But when I discovered painting on fabric, it was a totally different experience. Painting on fine muslin cottons is different from thicker ones. Similarly painting on crepes or nylon is different from silks. Well there is lot of scope for experimentation and I did lot of experiments, learning something new each time. Of late, somehow, I don't find that much time to hold a brush, let alone paint.

This one is one from a series of sea creatures, I painted on my cushion covers, divan set and table cloth. 

There is something magical and mystical about the sea creatures and the sea itself. I love to paint fishes.

This is very old and it has been washed so many times, with lots of brushing-so the paint might have peeled of in some areas.


I just loved the expression of this fish-all jubilant and that's why selected to paint it.  The back ground fabric was a very thick casement fabric. It is very difficult to paint and if not painted properly, the paint will peel off on washing. 

The colour I chose was sea green (or blue?) since I was painting sea creatures. I used pearl colours too (for the sea grass) but its shine cannot be seen here.

This I used this motif for the center of table cloth. I will post the remaining ones in my next posts....so keep an eye on my blog.....



Saturday, October 15, 2011

Palm Leaf Paintings


We have read in history that recording of  our expressions whether pictographic, ideographic or alphabetic were first done on mud tablets, walls, engraved on stones or written on animal skins etc. 

In India at first the Vedic knowledge was passed on orally for a long time. But later on mud tablets, stones, tree barks, palm leaves animal skins and even cloth was used for recording, transmitting of Vedic Knowledge, sacred texts, epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, peotry, literature, folklore, local legends, and also for administrative and economic purposes etc. Especially, tree barks and palm leaves were more popular for recording our sacred knowledge. Apart from this, mathematics, astrology, astronomy, art, architecture and knowledge in respect of many other subjects were written on palm leaves.

They also contained paintings of Gods, Goddesses as illustrations for easy understanding and also make it more attractive.


These palm leaves were known as Taala Patras. Taala Patra Grantha(scriptures on palm leaves) and Taala Patra chitras(Paintings on plam leaves)


The exact period as to when this palm leaf writing or painting has started is not clear. However the method of preparing the leaves and writing on it has been handed down generation after generation and is still followed in the same way as it was done during ancient times.


Only the leaves from three types of Palms re suitable and used for writing; Palmyra palm, Fan palm and Dhaka or Tali Palm

The process of writing or painting on palm leaves is lengthy and requires lot of patience. The dried palm leaves were collected and sorted out according to size, shape colour etc. They are then treated with chalk and tamarind. \

However for good quality of leaves which were smooth, soft and durable, half opened leaves were collected from the trees, cut into required sizes and boiled in water. They were dried in the shade, pressed and polished and again cut into even shape. A number of leaves depending on the size of the content were then chosen, holes were made at the center of the leaf or on either side using a hot metal wire. 

A string or cord was passed through them and two wooden panels covering these leaves on either side of the bunch and then tied around the bunch. These panels would have beautiful carvings or mother of pearl inlays or were painted and then treated with herbal or mineral oils which were natural insect repellents. This was then tied in a piece of cloth to avoid dust and stored carefully.

Writing on palm leaf require lot of skill, patience and practise. Professionals known as Lipikaara  used to write the content. There are two methods of writing. One method was to write with a pen or a brush. The other method, most popular in South India was writing with a metal stylus. In the second method, an incision is made on the leaf with the stylus. Then these grooves were filled with ink or a mixture of charcoal and oil or other herbal material, so that the letters become visible. After the ink sets into the grooves, the excess oil/ink was wiped off with a cloth. In case of paintings, the required areas inside the black outlines were filled with vegetable dyes for giving colour. But mostly the figures were done in black colour.

The details of the painting, the colour scheme, the figures of Gods themselves differ from area to area. In Orissa, Lord Jagannath was the most popular deity. In other parts, it was Lord Rama or Krishna or Vinayaka,  Lakshmi etc.

Even writing with stylus was in two ways. One method was where the stylus was held in right hand and the nail of the left thumb (either it had a whole or a groove to hold the stylus) guided the stylus as the leaf was moved while writing. In another method the stylus was moved over the leaf like a pen.

One had to be very careful and concentrated while writing as there was no way for correcting errors and striking off any error would not only look ugly but also waste the space on the leaf.

Here is the link where you can see some palm leaf manuscripts:


The palm leaf manuscripts could be preserved up to 300 years. Once when they started to deteriorate, they were copied onto fresh set of leaves. The old ones were burnt using ghee or thrown into running water bodies like rivers.

Big paintings were broken into sections to fit into each leaf, carefully painted on each leaf section by section with intricate and minute details. The leaves were tied and then spread out to reveal the entire painting.

These days, writing and painting on palm leaves  uses both traditional and modern motifs. Here are some paintings on palm leaves:
In the above you can see that a number of leaves have been used to draw the painting. It shows an elephant on which Lord Krishna is sitting playing his flute. See carefully, the elephant is made of Gopis-belonging to cowherd community who loved Krishna a lot. See how cleverly and beautifully the artist has drawn the piece. The tail of the elephant is in fact the braid of a lady adorned with hair accessories.
These are book marks. in the first one it is Ardha Narishwara-meaning half man and half woman. It is Lord Shiva who has merged his consort Parvathi(or Skathi) onto his left side. It symbolises, man woman or husband and wife. With out a man there is no woman and with out a woman there is no man. Both are equal in the universe. 
The second one is Lord Krishna.

just how how minutely and intricately the details have been drawn. this art is centuries old and is carried out even today in the same way.

Hope you like them.



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Monday, July 26, 2010

Kalamkari-The Art of Painting fabric with a Pen-1


India is a treasure house of various Arts and Crafts since ancient times. These have been handed down from generation to generation, each time not only preserving the past traditions, but also creating and adding new techniques or forms due to the influence of people, culture and arts from other countries who came to India from time to time as well as changing tastes according to the times. This has refined the art or craft forms in the process, such that today we have such exquisite and priceless creative techniques.

I myself am discovering so many different Arts N Crafts every time I visit a place or meet people from different regions. In this post I am going to share with you one of such traditional art form-“KALAMKARI. I did not know much about this art until my aunt married into one of the oldest and well known families from Machilipatnam. My uncle is connoisseur of arts and crafts and through him I learned more about this craft. Still my knowledge is very little.

Origin and History:

Kalamkari was originally known as VrathaPani. Vratha in Telugu means writing or drawing and Pani means hand-so it means hand drawn. Later on it became popular as Kalamkari. In Urdu, Qalam- Kalam means pen and Kaari is art or work. So Kalamkari means art drawn with pen.

In ancient India, the story tellers played a very important role in spreading the culture and keeping alive the Indian Epics of Ramayana and MahaBharatha. This was one of the forms of entertainment the people had in those days. The story tellers, consisting of singers, musicians and other artists like painters, roamed from village to village, reciting stories, from Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Puranas and other folklore legends. Later on, in order to attract the attention of audiences, the painters in the troop used to paint pictures on cloth, paper, leaves and other such media using naturally and locally available vegetable dyes. This was done on the spot most of the times. So basically picture of Gods, Goddesses and other Mythological, folklore characters, etc were painted.

More over banners and scrolls painted were also used for adorning temple walls or chariots (temple cars used for religious processions) during festivals and other religious functions. Kings, land lords and rich would get these paintings done and gift them to temples or for adorning the walls of their dwellings. In fact most of the Indian folk painting forms originated and survived because of this.

Kalamkari a very ancient form of painting might have been developed as such. Later on it enjoyed the patronage of Mughals and Golconda Rulers. The painted articles were good sources for earning income through trade and export.During 16th and 17th centuries, this art form was quite popular. Later on it declined but was said to be revived to some extent by the British. However the modern day Kalamkari owes its existence to Smt. Kamaladevi Chatopadhyaya, the first Chairperson of All India Handicrafts Board.

Styles And The Materials Used:

These are the distinct styles of Kalamkari:
  1. Srikalahasthi Style-Painted with hand with the help of a pen like instrument
  2. Machilipatnam Style-block printed
  3. Karrupur from Thanjavur in TamilNadu is done on hand woven gold brocade fabric
Cotton fabric was and still is being used for this purpose as it is most suitable and cheap. Silk fabrics were/are also used but are quite costly. In the present day scenario, other synthetic materials are also being used. Still cottons and silks are more suitable and look beautiful, being natural fibres.

In the material produced by Srikalahasthi artists, a pen made of bamboo or palm wood, sharpened at one end is used for drawing the motifs. In Machilipatnam, wooden blocks carved with the designs are used for printing. The outlines and main or important features are first printed using these blocks. Later on the finer details are filled in using the pen. This allows for mass production. However, the finer details are not much clear. So the products from Kalahasthi do stand out as unique and beautiful.

The colours used are natural dyes extracted from vegetables or plants-leaves, roots, flowers, minerals etc. Cow dung, milk and other natural products are also used in the process.

Artisans and Patronage:

The designs and motifs used in this art have been quite distinctly been influenced by the patronage of different rulers like any other art form. There may be many similarities between the styles but there are also some features unique to each style which sets them apart.

In Machilipatnam, weavers were involved in this art form. They were patronized by the Golconda Sultanate and the Mughals. This form consists of motifs, designs reflecting the influence of Persia. These designs are intricate and remind us of those on the walls or Tajmahal or other such Mugal constructions and Art.

In Kalahasthi, the Balojas, who were bangle makers, took up this art. They were patronized by the Hindu rulers. Hence they catered to the needs of the temples and other religious ceremonies. Their art was centered on the themes from Hindu Mythology and Epics. Gods and Goddesses, scenes from Ramamyanam,  Mahabharatham, Bhagawatham, figures of deities, elephants, divine birds and animals etc were painted surrounded by intricate borders.

In Karrupur, Kalamkari was used to embellish the gold brocade edges woven fabrics. These were under the patronage of Raja Sarfoji and Shivaji. The Royal family members used to wear these fabrics as dhotis and saris.

Under the British Raj, the use of Kalamkari fabric was entirely different. They were used for furnishings-bed linen, curtains and also for making garments. So floral designs preferred by the English were brought into use. They even painted portraits of English men in Kalamkari. These fabrics also constituted one of the varieties of the Chintz which was much in vogue during that period.

It became almost extinct at one time. After India gained Independence, our Handicrafts Development Board took up the task of reviving this art. Today our crafts men have not only retained and revived the traditional motifs and designs but are also evolving new ones to cater to the needs of the modern age. Quite recently we have seen a surge of huge demand for this work being used as patches or appliquéd on saris, and other dress materials.

In every textile and craft exhibition you see there are some stalls selling Kalamkari products. Here you can see a wall hanging of Arjuna and Lord Krishna on their way to the famous Mahabharatha war and some patches of peacocks.

For those who want to know more..Here is the link:


I have been collecting quite a few pieces. So brace yourselves, I am going to post more on Kalamkari...Keep a watch on my blog friends....

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Painted Sari

This is a sari which I painted long back. I loved the combination of  off-white and orange. Its pure cotton very fine quality, hand woven and had a light silk yarn border border. It looked bright yet not too loud. There was not much choice for me in the colours that could be used for painting on this sari. So it was orange, olive green, brown and white. I dint want an elaborate design as I wanted to finish it off early.  Just used a few strokes to create a floral spray.

 
 This is how it looks the Pallu half orange and half off-white with floral bunches.
  
 The sari had an orange border  on both top and bottom edges.
  
 A closer look at the pallu.
  
 The floral bunches all over the sari at regular intervals.
  
 A closer look at one of the bunches.

Hmmm not quite a master piece. I know. But the colour combination of the sari made it stand out among the crowds.


Sunday, November 29, 2009

Folk painting from Bengal

Today I am going to show you some folk painting from Bengal. Bengal is very famous for its Kantha work, beautiful cottons and silk textiles, Batiks and  terracotta among many. But very few know that it is also famous for its paintings specially on fabrics. The motifs and designs are of coarse folk, but have been beautifully adopted to suit the modern tastes.They are so beautiful, especially on silks not that the cottons are any less.

The fabrics used are basically silks and them fine cottons. These days they are using fabric colours or dyes for painting.


This sari was painted using fabric paints. I have used a fine cotton sari . I was apprehensive of using costly silks. Though I am passionate about painting, especially on fabrics and used to experiment  a lot, my   painting skills  are very limited and  I have picked up my brush again after a very long time. The design - I have shamelessly copied from one on my friends sari which she bought on a trip to Kolkotta. I could not come any where near the original one painted by the artist from Bengal. It was so beautiful that I copied the design, but I think I have failed to capture it as it was.

Here it is...
This is the pallu ...design showing Lord Krishna...with his beautiful lotus eyes and peacock feathers...
 
 Closeup look
 
 Another one
 
 Motifs worked on the other part of the sari
 
Different motifs.

With all my other obligations, I took a long time in painting this. It was  difficult since I was copying the design and wanted it to look like the original..LOL! I dont think I want to do any more of these elaborate ones..though I am passionate about painting...