Reading and Riding

India Sketch Journal 2013 Aug 20 by Meera Rao 

Drivers, maids, and gardeners are still somewhat affordable as household help by most middle class families in India.  Other than drivers, 'the help' usually work for multiple families. Drivers though chauffeur only one employer and end up spending a lot of time in the car waiting for instructions on the next pick up or drop off. They can be seen either chatting with other drivers, napping or most often reading in the cars while also making sure the car is safe and well guarded. I saw this driver whiling away his time reading in a car parked in the shade on a balmy afternoon making the most of the circumstance.  Reading the paper is still the most favorite activity even though smart phones are slowly displacing it! 

India Sketch Journal 2013 Aug 21 by Meera Rao 

When that ladder just has to be transported -- this pair found a creative way to handle the job :) During my outings, I delighted in noting all the things people would ferry around in a motorcycle, auto rickshaw, a bicycle or any other vehicle and was always surprised by the variety !

India Sketch Journal 2013 Page 38 by Meera Rao 

Women's Work

India sketch journal 2013 page 37 by Meera Rao 

I read just yesterday in the Indian newspaper  The Hindu: "On her arrival in India recently, the words of Gloria Steinem, American feminist and leader of the women’s liberation movement, sounded like bells tolling for all women in today’s modern Indian society. “I came [to India] and what was here a half-a-century ago is still here… and yet there is everything else.”   So true! India has come a long way yet there still a long way to go. 

I am always amazed how the old and new live side by side and these sketches give a glimpse of the hard work the women continue to do. But I also see a new confidence in the women too. I sense it the the neat, beautiful ways most dress in the colorful sarees, salwars, or pants and t-shirts, with fresh fragrant flowers in the hair and the purposeful strides. They do what they have to do and more often than not with a big smile too! I see that their lives are never easy but they go on day after and day.

India sketch Journal 2013 Aug 19 by Meera Rao

As this sketch shows, a woman's work is never done! - I saw this lady often on her way home at dusk - I am sure after a full day's work - carrying a load on her head and a bag on her shoulders. 

India Sketch Journal 2013 Aug 18 by Meera Rao

She was at the corner of the street almost every day doing the ironing for whoever dropped off a load of bundled clothes. She used hot coals in a heavy iron to press the clothes. She was very pleased when I stopped to chat with her and take her photograph. At the end of my stay I usually make it a point to make  copies of the photographs for most of them or show my sketches. Their reaction is always so rewarding! 

It is charming to see the old ways but I do hope we will soon see the status and lives of the women improve not just in India but all around globe. 

Transformations

India sketch Journal 2013 Page 36 by Meera Rao 

India sketch Journal 2013 Aug 16 by Meera Rao 

India sketch Journal 2013 Aug 17 by Meera Rao 

"The journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place.

Barbara Deangelis"

I wondered long and hard as to if there was even a link between these two sketches on the same page and then suddenly I knew -- transformation :) 

Comfort In Rituals

India Sketch Journal 2013 Aug 14 by Meera Rao

Any event usually starts with a prayer to Lord Ganesha -the god who is the remover of all obstacles. This plate with clarified butter - ghee, and the special spoon was used in a ceremony, Homa, asking for blessings- at the start of the festivities, about a week before my niece's wedding. All the rituals are filled of symbolism and are beautiful --even though in this day and age they seem long! But it forces one to stop and give thanks as well as contemplate our role in the Universe. 

I loved the patterns, reflections in the plate, shapes and the colors and had to sketch it. I wish I could have captured the sound of the melodious chanting of the prayers too.

India Sketch Journal 2013 Aug 15 by Meera Rao

August 15 is India's Independence day and Jan 26 is Republic day when you see Indian flags flying everywhere.  Here, an autoriksha driver is attaching the  flag to his vehicle to show his patriotism.  The already colorful vehicles decorated with the tricolor flags are sight to behold. 

India Sketch Journal 2013 Page 35 by Meera Rao

Grace Under Pressure

India Sketch Journal 2013 Aug 12 by Meera Rao 

Speedy delivery by motorcycle of various things is nothing out of the ordinary  in India. I came upon this fellow with bags of flowers hanging off the motorcycle handle bars. The motorcycles weave through the heavy traffic and guarantee dropping off  of parcels faster than in a car or van! I saw his bike with flowers parked by the road and started taking a few pics when he returned from his delivery and posed for me for a quick second. He did have an helmet which he wore soon after and then drove off to the next stop. 

India Sketch Journal 2013 Aug 13 by Meera Rao 

Some days I have time only for a simple sketch -- but then, here it is the trusty pressure cooker - the most important equipment in a household in India! I used one everyday  for cooking - it is an art and a science to master!  At least three pots are stacked inside each cooker with dal/lentil/bean in one, rice in the second and a vegetable or two in the third :) This  saves time, cooking gas (which is very expensive) and is super efficient.  These come in many brands, sizes  and varieties. I had to constantly consult my Mom and sisters-in-law over the phone on the finer points of using a pressure cooker - so I would not end up with either mush or under-cooked food! I really appreciated the cooker when I could not use it for a day - somehow I had miscalculated the amount of water/time needed and the valve blew due to lack of liquid.  But no worries, just down the street, in a tiny tiny shop, it was fixed in no time at all :) 

Here is a short history lesson on pressure cooker :" In 1679, the French mathematician and physicist Denis Papin invented the first pressure cooker or steam digester as he called it. The story is whilst he was presenting his new steam digester to the Royal Society it exploded, leading him to invent the safety valve. Three years later he represented it to the Royal society and gained positive reviews.

The pressure cooker title was first seen in print in 1915. In 1927, the first pressure cookers were sold in Germany and in 1939 the world’s first commercial pressure cooker made by National Presto Industries was exhibited at the New York World’s Fair.

In these early days, there are accounts of people thinking pressure cookers were the results of witchcraft because of their continued hissing."

In my home in US I now have a electric pressure cooker with a timer which I absolutely love, along with a much used stove top cooker that I have had for over three decades. 

India Sketch Journal 2013 Page34 by Meera Rao 

Stacks of Creativity

India Sketch Journal 2013 Page 33 by Meera Rao 

India Sketch Journal 2013 Aug 11 by Meera Rao 

India Sketch Journal 2013 Aug 10 by Meera Rao 

As always, I am surprised how even if I have paid no attention to have a theme for each page when I sketched them in India earlier in the summer, as I start blogging about a page, I see the connection very clearly!!!

It never amazes me to see the many innovative ways things are stacked - like the bright blue rain water harvest barrels being transported here in a little tempo or the white eggs in colorful crates at the local provisions store. I love the designs and shapes I see in the ingenious solutions people come up with - sometimes even defying common sense and gravity ;)

Only Different Kinds of Good Weather

India Sketch Journal Page 29 by Meera Rao 

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, 

wind braces us up, 

snow is exhilarating; 

there is really no such thing as bad weather, 

only different kinds of good weather.

John Ruskin

India Sketch Journal Aug 3 by Meera Rao 

The 'windy month' brings out the kites and kids.  The stores stock colorful kites of various sizes. A favorite after school activity for some is making their own kites. Regardless, many spend hours trying to launch their kites- inexperienced as they are-  in hopes of seeing their homemade or store bought kites fly high in the sky. 

India Sketch Journal Aug 2 by Meera Rao 

As the rains continue, and the temperatures dip, the blanket peddlers roam the streets.  I had to peek out of the balcony to figure out what their loud calls were for and what is it that was being sold now! I do appreciate that even now blankets, vegetables, household items, toys are sold by peddlers roaming the street --it is always nice to have the market come to you ! 

For us wind, rain etc are just different kinds of weather but check out this TED talk video on Art made of Storms by Nathalie Miebach   - She  "takes weather data from massive storms and turns it into complex sculptures that embody the forces of nature and time." The talk opens with a sculpture  and musical scores.  It is fascinating to see and hear her explain how science, art and music intersect creatively for her. “Weather is an amalgam of systems that is inherently invisible to most of us, so I use sculpture and music to make it, not just visible, but also tactile and audible.”

Home, Work and Play

India Sketch Journal 2013 Page 28 by Meera Rao

I would have to say this is one of my favorite pages from my sketch book.  The scene from the market and the billowing hammock  cradle made from  a saree hanging off a tree in the park really captures the sense of diligence and the extra mile that parents go for the sake of their children. 

India Sketch Journal 2013 July 31 by Meera Rao

I was tickled to see the three children doing homework under their father's vegetable vending cart in the market. The cart also shaded them from the evening sun. It was interesting to see that as the children worked their father was seriously 'studying' his cell phone :)  Parents know that the only way for the children to overcome poverty is  through good education and as this scene shows they make sure their children do their work. 

Just today I came across a fascinating article on Mumbai's  privately owned circulating libraries -mostly in the center of the city in tiny little shops.  Here is an excerpt from that article"Poor Little Rich Boys: The art of the Mumbai Circulating Library'  in 'The Comic Journal' by Ryan Holmberg : "Online searching turned up more than a dozen scattered across Greater Mumbai, some of which are actually in the heart of the city, near railway stations and major intersections. These latter seem to be mainly older businesses, hanging on since the 1950s and 60s. I am also told that, out in the suburbs, a number of “paper marts” – paper recycling shops – have begun doubling as lending libraries, redirecting not only junk books and magazines that come their way, but also cartons of cheap remainder books. "  What follows is an riveting account of a couple of those libraries.  I also loved the photographs that accompany the story. 

India Sketch Journal  2013 Aug 1  by Meera Rao

One day suddenly out of the blue the park near our flat was taken over by squatters from northern India who had journeyed all the way south obviously looking for work.  For a few days no one else could use the park as they had pitched their tents, and had made themselves completely comfortable! The smell of outdoor cooking wafted through the streets. The neighborhood was in a crisis, police were summoned and as suddenly, they pulled up the tents and departed leaving behind much garbage and a park in shambles.  That is when I found this saree hammock cradle that some parent had made for her baby, empty and billowing in the wind.

Make Mine Decalf

India Sketch Journal 2013 July 29 by Meera Rao 

I always debate whether to add to the stereotype vision of India about 'cows on the street' every time I decide to sketch a cattle or two (actually five out of 78 sketches this year and five out of 124 in last year's journal!). Unlike in western countries the roads are happily shared by different kinds of vehicles, pedestrians, and various animals. This is especially true in the old part of Maisuru where many households still have cows - except they let those cows loose to graze around the neighborhood. Mostly the cows are very calm and mind their own business but every now and then when the streets get busy and there is not much room to share, I get very nervous - be it an autoriksha, bus or a cow coming the opposite way but on the same side of the road as me !!!

India Sketch Journal 2013 July 30 by Meera Rao 

This beautifully battered brass coffee filter pot in a coffee shop at one of the modern malls was almost as tall as me. Coffee powder is packed into the top half of the pot with a filter in the middle. When boiling water is poured over it, thick coffee 'decoction' slowly drips to the bottom part. Add  a couple of tablespoons of this decoction to boiling hot milk, mix in sugar, pour with pizzazz into tiny stainless steel tumblers making sure there is lot of foam on top and you have delicious 'mysore coffee' to savor. Check here for a sketch of steaming cup of Indian filter coffee from my Art House Library Sketchbook Project and here from my India Sketch journal 2013 to know more about coffee history and culture of southern India. 

Here is a look at the page from my sketch book journal:

India Sketch Journal 2013 Page 27 by Meera Rao 

Tell Me What you Eat.....

India Sketch Journal 2013 Page 26 By Meera Rao

"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are."

~Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste, 1825

French gourmet & lawyer (1755 - 1826)

India Sketch Journal 2013 July 27 by Meera Rao

These little fluffy chicks were definitely very new to the world, still wobbly on their legs when I saw them by the roadside.  Mother hen was doing her job well keeping a watchful eye over them.  I enjoyed watching them instinctively scratch the earth looking for something to eat. 

India Sketch Journal 2013 July 28 by Meera Rao

As mangoes start getting scarce and price goes up, the fruit lovers all have a tough time deciding how many to buy and how much to pay! There is also the fact staring right at you that these may be the last of the mangoes until next season and no one wants to say good bye to those fruits yet!  This is where there is huge argument about need and want :)

Speaking of food and art, I am excited that next month while visiting Chicago, I will be able to see Chicago Art Institute exhibit "Art and Appetite: American Painting, Culture, and Cuisine"  You can check  here for the link from the  Art Institute and  here from the Chicage Sun Times for a preview. When food is such a big part of our lives, it is no surprise that it is a favorite subject for artists, writers and all others as well! 

My Bounty is Boundless

India Sketch Journal Page 25 by Meera Rao 

 "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep. The more I give to thee, the more I have for both are infinite."

Shakespeare~ Romeo and Juliet Act 11 scene ii

India Sketch Journal July 26 by Meera Rao

India sketch Journal Page 25 by Meera Rao

Is that cheesy stretch that I chose to quote the balcony scene for this page ?  I was merely trying to tie the two sketches  together :)

There is Only Opportunity

India Sketch Journal 2013 July 23 by Meera Rao

The man who can smile at his breaks and grab his chances gets on.

Samuel Goldwyn

I was impressed to see the entrepreneurship of this man --he had himself a bicycle tire patching business with only a few inner tubes hung on a tree trunk, some simple tools spread on a sheet under a tree!  And of course, he was busy with his little cell phone while waiting for customers.  Every time I went past his spot on the sidewalk I hoped he had enough people stopping by so he could earn enough! 

India Sketch Journal 2013 July 24 by Meera Rao

She may be living in a shack by the roadside, selling pots that she and her family members crafted right there- but she had a place to sit comfortably - a two seat bench discarded from some automobile and again a cell phone to keep her busy while she waited for customers.  What I also noticed is that her surroundings were spic and span, and the recycled materials used on the tent were very neatly assembled and tied together.  I admired the relentless resourcefulness! 

Evil Eye, Hungry Mouth

India Sketch journal 2013 page 23 by Meera Rao 

Whether it is protection from evil eye or hungry cows and goats, there is a way to safeguard what you cherish - be it magic, superstition or a practical solution!

India Sketch journal 2013 July 21 by Meera Rao 

These red masks of fierce looking faces with horns and a scorpion on the tongue can be bought on the road side from migrant artisans who camp on the sidewalks, establish a workshop and a set up a retail outlet right there :)  The whole family pitches in to make the masks from molds to which they pour plaster of paris or clay, paint and then sell them in various sizes. The masks are bought to place on  houses, buildings, and new construction sites.  What caught my eye was that the sidewalk makeshift enterprise selling talisman masks had a classic talisman of its own - that of seven green chili peppers and lemon hanging so that no evil eye is cast on this thriving business ! Please do click on the colored phrases above and you will be able to see my sketches from my art journal 2012 :)

India Sketch journal 2013 July 22 by Meera Rao 

This is little sapling by the roadside had its own fence to fend off the hungry cows and goats that wander the streets.  The effort was worthwhile as the plant still had its leaves and was showing signs of growth! The tragedy sometimes is that the sticks from the little fence can also disappear - to be used for kindling by someone.   I was attracted to the geometry of the lines, the organic shapes of the leaves, the colors and had to record it in my sketch book. 

Corner Florist

2013 India Sketch Journal July 19 Meera Rao

 

2013 India Sketch Journal July 20 Meera Rao

 

This corner florist really brightens up the dusty drab sidewalk with colorful and fragrant flowers. I was impressed by what a brisk business he had making flower bouquets and arrangements.  All he had was a bright blue tarp and a little shack with blue paint to match.  But it made for a lovely corner lifting my spirits every time I went by on my errands! I decided to sketch it on two days giving the corner and the shack its own space in my sketchbook :)

Shrines and Seams

2013 India Sketch Journal  July 14 by Meera Rao

Road side shrines dot the streets - some are just a small niche in a wall, or a small platform with an idol under the shelter of a tree, and some are little structures built with stones and bricks as proper miniature temples as in the sketch above.  These don't have a priest but the neighborhood community members take care of daily cleaning, adorning it with fresh flowers and keeping it spruced up. As always, these shrines are reminders of the spirituality, gratefulness for the benevolence of the Universe. Here  is a sketch of another shrine from my 2012 sketchbook if you are curious. 

2013 India Sketch Journal  July 15 by Meera Rao

Sewing Mends the soul - Author Unknown

There is such heavy demand for electricity that routinely people in India experience power outages. Bigger stores and offices have their own generators for times likes these but the little mom and pop stores like the tailor shop in the neighborhood still operate old fashioned sewing machines etc that don't require electricity to run. They can run their business and earn a livelihood. Check out the tailor using the old fashioned sewing machine here and a sketch of the UPS (universal Power Source) here 

2013 India Sketch Journal  Page 20 by Meera Rao

Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel ~Anon. 

Sacred and Secular

2013 India Sketch Journal Page 19 by Meera Rao

In India all living things are looked upon with gratitude since time immemorial.  Many trees and plants are held as sacred and used in religious ceremonies and many others are cherished because of their medicinal and health benefits. 

2013 India Sketch Journal July 13 by Meera Rao

 The Peepal/Aswatha/Bodhi tree -Ficus religiosa - is one of the most sacred trees in India.  Worshipers of different faiths whisper their desires and tie  either yellow or red thread, cloth around the tree trunks in hopes of seeing it realized. Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under this tree.  The leaf is dried and used by artists as a canvas with beautiful images painted on them.  My niece caught me on one of my walks doing a double take to pick up a leaf on the road side -- and here it is sketched  in my journal. 

2013 India Sketch Journal Page 19 by Meera Rao

Shigekai  - Acasia Concinna - literally 'hair fruit'   is another tree which is considered to have medicinal properties and the fruits, pods, leaves barks are dried powdered, made into paste and  then used as soap or as hair care.  It does not lather much but is considered very good for skin and hair.  I remember once when we had moved to a new house the yard had a Shigekai tree and I tried to use it to care for my hair - not much success I might add :(  Now I see that  there is a shampoo available with my name on the bottle except unlike the lady pictured, I have short very curly hair!!!! 

Price is what you pay, Value is what you get

India Sketch Journal 2013 July 12 2013 by Meera Rao

A cart by the road side, a few fruits or vegetables and a whole day to sell them makes one a shopkeeper.  They tout the freshness and how special the produce is by mentioning where its from. Absence of price tags means changing prices depending on the customer -- regulars get a break while novices and others are an opportunity to make a bigger profit :)  But it is a hard life and as the poses of the vendors show they catch a nap or rest any which way they can. 

India Sketch Journal 2013 July 11 2013 by Meera Rao

Lots of tropical vegetables are now both grown or available here in the USA but as I mentioned before something about the tropical soil and weather, they definitely taste different (better!) in the tropics.  I remember when growing up teasing my  grandmother when sighed as to how  vegetables from certain villages tasted better than others and it is ironic that now I have come to the same conclusion ! 

India Sketch Journal 2013  age 18 July 11-12 2013 by Meera Rao

Price is what you pay

Value is what you get

~Warren Buffett~

Feast for the Senses

2013 India Sketch Journal  July 9 By Meera Rao 

African Tulip tree or Nandini is probably the most well represented of any image in my journals during my stay in India- the only flower or subject that I sketched more than once.  I have sketched the tree, the flower, the seed pods, and birds sitting on it enjoying its nectar! I read that nectar as well as the water that pools in the flower cup is a favorite of many birds - their refreshing tea? 

2013 India Sketch Journal  July 10 By Meera Rao 

In an effort to cut down on my coffee drinking, and reducing milk consumption, I have been enjoying 'tulsi' tea -- hot and cold.  Now that I am back in my home in USA, I use fresh tulsi leaves from the garden to make my tea and love the flavor and aroma.  Of course it was the perfect beverage to sip these past ten days as I nursed the bad cold, cough and fever - gift of the long airplane journey! I will continue to blog the rest of the sketches from my journal slowly but surely. 

2013 India Sketch Journal page 17 by Meera Rao