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?

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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....

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Painting On Fabrics-Sea Creatures-2

My previous post on the topic is here.

http://summersofindia.blogspot.in/2012/07/painting-on-fabrics-sea-creatures-1.html

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

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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.....

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My Fabric Painting

These days I am spring cleaning. I am going through everything, books, my papers, most of all my clothes-weeding out what I feel is not necessary or worn out. But you know what- some how most of it again creeps back into my closet or storage space, Some I feel I can't throw and some my mom feels so. It happens every time I start spring cleaning. But this time I am really weeding out some of it.

Well during the process I am organising my hobby projects-many unfinished but some finished ones. I am trying to draw a to do list so that I can finish off all my pending projects.

Here is one of my finished projects-fabric paint on odhni(scarf) done for my sis long time back. I even forgot it. Actually there was a time, I was much into painting- any sorts-from doors, windows, grills to fabric, paper....:). It is easy to paint than hand embroidery. These days, I don't have the time and I prefer to use natural light for painting.

Hmmm the above was a scene from  ancient Egyptian murals. I used very bright colours. My sis wanted something unique to wear for a get together in her college. I painted this on a white cotton scarf. Hope you like it.

I should take up painting once again....I love the feel of the brush on my fingers and playing with colours..there is a something soothing  in the act of painting, body, mind and soul...engrossed in it...I miss it very much...

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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.

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...