2013 India Sketch Journal page 39 by Meera Rao
"There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate"
~ Robert Brault~
A small celebration as I post the last page of my 2013 India sketch journal. It was my second year of doing the sketch book. I am amazed and tickled to see over 200 sketches of everyday scenes and incidences in the two years. I hope some of them will end up as full paintings soon. The biggest lesson I learned is to just plunge in and draw rather than try for that perfect sketch. As I have mentioned before, the best thing I discovered is looking at everyday things with new sketching eyes as I look for ideas. I became adept at squeezing sketching time when I was in India. Now to make that happen everyday the rest of the year !
2013 India Sketch Journal Aug 23 by Meera Rao
The wedding venues are usually a riot of colors elaborately decorated with fresh flowers and foliage. The creative and labor intensive designs are often awe inspiring - sometimes bordering on gaudy. I definitely did not do justice in design or perspective when I sketched this one and as I was finishing it by memory, my skills lagged behind :)
2013 India Sketch Journal Aug 24 by Meera Rao
Basava - decorated bullocks and his master go house to house asking for alms in -between farming seasons. The bullock's bells and the woodwind instrument the master uses signals their arrival at the doorsteps. Rice, money or old silk sarees are donated by most the householders. Sometimes I think this has become a way of taking advantage of the sentiments towards holy cattle and make quick bucks - especially when I see the master curse when he is asked to just move on! The animals though, are decorated beautifully and it is a pleasure to look at the peaceful majestic beasts.
9 comments:
Hello Meera, Your thoughts on the subject are probably correct. It is the way things are today. Instead of gratitude people are apt to get cursed at or made to feel bad. Lovely drawings you've done, and I always learn something new when I visit.
Your sketches were all spontaneous and touched a chord, have enjoyed them all so much! Now look forward to how many of them may become full fledged paintings. As a coincidence Kole Basava is right now almost complete on my easel!I dont know when I am going to call it done though since I am not happy easily :-)
Wow Meera what an amazing way to record life, history, culture... Truly inspiring
sketching everyday is good for the soul and love peaks into your India sketchbook.
Meera what an amazing record of culture, life, color and history. I can't think of a better way to make a moment eternal
Thanks Carol! It was pretty enlightening for me too as I started looking into things I had taken for granted!
padmaja, thank you :) I look forward to seeing your painting of Basava!
@introverted art, Thank you very much for your comments! Keeping a sketch book really helped me enjoy my stay in India and gave me some art time which I otherwise would not have had :)
Erika, thank you! yes, sketching every day is good for the soul but I am yet to follow my own advice diligently! Hope to this year!
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