Rangoli-34-Reusable Rangolis -1

I have been receiving so many requests on this. I have been wanting to do this since a long time and now that I have received calls from my friends I think I should post on it. 

Any way here it is. Every time I draw a Rangoli fill it with colours or decorate it with flowers or other materials, taking so much of time energy and creativity, I feel sad that it should be washed off the next day. So there must be a way to preserve these Rangolis. Moreover there must be a way to reuse them. So here it is......

Let us explore the possibilities of making reusable Rangolis. I will post as soon as I try out my ideas on this. You are also welcome to send in your ideas.

One of the methods is to use cellophane sheets and decoration materials. 

Cellophane sheets should be thick either soft and flexible or stiff. I have used a stiff one-one that is used as transparencies on OH projectors. Its rectangular in size. It can be cut in the required dimensions and shapes to suit your requirement. I preferred this as it is easy to handle.

If you need a bigger one you have to use the softer sheet which is sold by meters. I don't think there are any stiff sheets available in bigger sizes. I need to explore a bit in the markets.

You can use clear glue which does not show after the materials are glued.

Let us try with Kundans first. I have some stash -different sizes and shapes as well as coloured Kundans. You can buy them in embroidery shops. They are quite cheap and look grand too. First experiment a bit with the Kundans you have. Try out various designs, colours and shapes to see which looks best. Once you have decided you can glue it. If you find it difficult first draw the positions or the design on a paper and place it below the Cellophane sheet as a guide before gluing the material. Let it dry completely and use it when required.

Ok here are my trails...

This is a simple one. I used two colours and different shapes. I placed the sheet on a white background .

This is the second one. I added one more line to the previous one.

Here I added green peacocks on four sides.

Here I have used 8 peacocks. We can also add more.

I have put a white sheet under the cellophane sheet so that they photograph well. Now these reusable designs can be placed directly on the surface where we want to decorate-like the floor or table. When one sees it suddenly, it looks as if  one has done directly on the surface. 

Hope you like them. I am going to post more..So keep a watch on my blog.

Do leave your comments and suggestions please....

Bangles in Fashion

Friends these days I feel so tired after a days long work. Moreover it is raining here intermittently sometimes heavy, sometime just drizzling mostly highly overcast. All this is making me lazy. My niece also suffered from fever for the past one week or so. So I had to look after her by sitting her bed side through out the nights. With all these I dont feel like getting up in the morning from my bed...:) :).  I am unable to post much..though I have loads and loads to share with you.

My TAST10 and Butterfly Sampler have been kept on the back burner for want of time and energy. I have bought loads of beads and other material for making necklaces. Have planned to embroider my saris...Oh God I have so much to do...so many creative designs keep on churning in my mind. I don't even have time to jot them down. 

Any way just a snippet to share with you. Recently when I was scouring the markets I found some metal bangles. These days they are a rage here. they are available in rainbow colours, pastel shades regular colours, some plain, some with glitters, some with gold dots and so on. The colours are beautiful  and match our saris or dresses well.  So we have lots of colours to choose from They are very thin and we have to buy at least a dozen.  They make beautiful tinkling sound when worn. I love that. The cost is very cheap. Since they are metallic they are durable. we need not fear that they may break. You can also combine two or more colours depending upon the sari or dress you are wearing. So here is a glimpse.

See the colours and how various colours can be combined.

This is a simple metal bangles with some design on it. These are also available in many colours and designs.

Hope you like them...keep watching...some more next time....

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 16^th and 17^th 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:

http://www.kalamkariart.org/index.php?id=1&type=txt

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....