Ni Hao Part 11 Some Everyday Scenes

Rental Bike with a solar panel ink and watercolor by Meera Rao

I noticed little things affected welfare of mind, body and daily living. There were dozens of bikes or some places just a solitary one with QR codes on the handles parked on the sidewalks. They are easy to rent  with just an app on the smart phone. People ride them to their destination and leave them by the sidewalks when they are done. The bikes are then ready for the next person (with an App on the phone) ! 

Country is Home ink and watercolor by Meera Rao

There are panels with cute illustrations and sayings on walls along the sidewalks all around the cities. I wondered if they were advertisements. We were told that they are government sponspored and convey pride for the nation and civic duties of the citizens. Once again I used my translation app to read this panel.   

Buddhist Lamas at Temple Gate  #directwatercolor #nosketching by Meera Rao

Buddhist temples are oasis of beauty, calm and quiet in the middle of the buzzing cities.  We saw groups of monks, visitors and devotees paying respects, praying or just enjoying the premises.  

Daily Tai Chi Practice #directwatercolor #nosketching by Meera Rao

Daily Tai Chi Practice #directwatercolor #nosketching by Meera Rao

The parks and gardens are lush and lovely. In all the parks in every city, many people - mostly retirees, get-together in groups or singly to practice Tai Chi or other martial arts, exercise to music,  give mini concerts, enjoy ballroom dancing,  take care of babies and children, play board games, walk and talk or meditate!  

Flying Jewel

White Throated Kingfisher watercolor and ink by Meera Rao

India Art Journal 2015 

Everyday at the same time this kingfisher perched conspicuously on a thick cable wire by my window. With a clear view of the road below and all the neighboring yards, it could look for its pray of small rodents, earthworms, large insects, snakes, fish and frogs, but I never saw it catch anything.  Mostly it looked like the bird stopped to rest for just a few minutes on its way from or to someplace else - probably to the huge Kukkare Halli Lake a few miles away. With its brilliant colors of teal, chestnut, and white body with a red beak it looks like a flying jewel! Here is a link for the Kingfisher calls if you want to listen how it sounds like :) I had hoped to catch a glimpse of the bird flying off so I could see how the teal wings looked like but never managed that :( 

This is one of the subjects I had to sketch more than once - as I was never satisfied with how the colors looked on the paper. The brilliant beautiful shimmering colors of the bird are a sight to behold.  

White Throated Kingfisher 5.5x8" watercolor and ink on 140 lb Strathmore visual Journal

Cool Blue

Cooling Off  Ink and Watercolor sketch 2015 5.5x8" by Meera Rao

Your acts of kindness 

are iridescent wings of

divine love  

which linger and continue 

to uplift others 

long after sharing.

~Rumi~

It was one of those very hot summer days.  I was hurrying home to escape the heat from an errand that had taken longer than anticipated. On one of the side streets outside a marble warehouse, I was most impressed by what I saw: someone thoughtful had filled  a big old blue bathtub with water for anyone who wanted to cool off by splashing water on feet or face ! 

Chilling the pulse points by running cold water over the wrist for a minute or so, splashing water on the temples or face are age old ways of combating the tropical heat. The amazing thing is that bath tubs are extremely rare in India but somehow one was out there propped up on old tires, filled with water !  Many men stopped by, scooped out water on their face and feet to cool off before continuing on their way.  Since then I have noticed the bathtub leaning against the wall dry and empty on other days when the temperatures were bearable.  

Sketching it later was very gratifying and even now the memory of the blue bath tub brings a smile to my face. 

India Art Journal 2015- Strathmore Visual Journal, watercolor 140 lbs, 5.5x8"   

A Way of Life

Embracing The Ephemeral India 2014-15 Moleskine Japanese Album(large) Sketchbook By Meera Rao  

"The real voyage of discovery consists not on seeing new landscapes but in having new eyes"

Marcel Proust. 

So here is whole book in all its glory :) I am very pleased with the way my second sketch book from last year's India trip turned out. Took me a while to post them!  Ever since four years ago when I decided to keep a sketchbook/journal while I spent time in India each summer taking care of my mother-in-law, I found life and surroundings reaching out to me in generous ways.  The daily vignettes I sketched and painted helped me remember more than what I saw every day with my new 'sketching eyes' ! The sketches are not perfect - I found remembering a quote from Salvatore Dali : "Have no fear of perfection, you will never reach it!"  let me just enjoy the process! 

The format of the Japanese album let me decide how many panels to devote to each idea as I sketched along.  The cream color of the paper did not bother me but I did not like the feel of the paper- it did not take watercolor washes well. My first sketchbook from last year was a smaller Moleskine Japanese album which I posted from July 29 2014 to November 30 2014 in my blog. This year I used Strathmore mixed media journal with 140lbs watercolor paper for one sketch book which I will start posting once I get back to US.  I hope to fill up a second book this year - a multimedia 340 gm USK Sennelier accordion book -- may be then i can decide whats the best sketch book for me or my favorite way to sketch :) 

Service to the Devotees

For Sale - India Sketch Journal 2014-15 by Meera Rao

Festivals and devotees means an opportunity to sell - from beetle leaves for 'puja' or pleasure to colorful plastic pots, earthenware and sundry household goods galore. The streets are lined up with vendors who anticipate a brisk business around holy days. 

Devotee will get Hungry! India Sketch Journal 2014-15 by Meera Rao

And of course, there has to be freshly made mouthwatering delicacies! A simple stove, couple of gas cylinders, a big black cauldron with hot oil, a pot or two and some utensils are all that was needed for this enterprising cook to open a stall by the footpath! The smell of hot 'pakodas' was inviting and a line was forming even before the first batch was out of the oil! If only I could have scratch and sniff strip right here to complete this vignette!  

Mehendi For the Lady - India Sketch Journal 2014-15 by Meera Rao

A few tubes/cones of 'mehendi' paste and this fellow was in business drawing beautiful elaborate designs on the hands and arms of ladies eager for the stunning look.  I stopped to chat and found out the girl was a muslim bride happy to be taking advantage of the opportunity around a Hindu festival to have 'henna' done couple of days before her marriage ceremony. 

The sketches are done on Moleskine Japanese album (large) in watercolors and pen. 

sharp focus

Sketch of my thumb reflected on a shiny knife blade as I cut a mango

 by Meera Rao

The mind of the painter must resemble a mirror, which always takes the colour of the object it reflects and is completely occupied by the images of as many objects as are in front of it.

Leonardo da Vinci

Earlier in the year looking for ideas for daily sketching I came across many suggestions : draw your thumb, a reflection, sharp edges, a fruit etc.. Of course I could not make up my mind. As always, stalling the decision making I stepped into the kitchen.  Cutting a mango  for lunch suddenly I knew what to do :)

Everyday is a Celebration

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. 

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 :)

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!!!! 

To Savor The Tropics.

2013 India Sketch Journal Page 16 by Meera Rao

A major perk of tropics is the variety of delicious fruits and vegetable that are available throughout the year!  Just google tropical fruits and vegetables and you will amazed at the variety, colors, shapes and sizes of the produce! And the number of creative ways those fruits and vegetables have been cooked or prepared and served is mind blowing :) 

 2013 India Sketch Journal July 7 by Meera Rao

The Jackfruit is the king of fruits because of its size and that means ingenious ways of consuming it too! The fruit leather is delicious, and the desserts prepared from it seems endless.  My aunt often prepares these special sweet dumplings wrapped in teak leaves that gives it a wonderful aroma, color and flavor. A sketch of jackfruits and vendor from a few pages earlier can be seen here. 

 2013 India Sketch Journal July 8 by Meera Rao

More and more seedless varieties of fruits are available in the market and when I cut this pappaya I was pleasantly surprised to see the star shaped black seed studded center with orange around it.  I quickly took  a couple of photos and then pulled out my sketch book for a hurried sketch before I proceeded to cut it for breakfast :)  My mother-in-law usually likes her food at the allotted time but now has come to accept that I might pull my camera or the sketch book right in the middle of cooking or other chores and has come to accept that food, snack or drink may be delayed because of my passion and obsession :) 

Fresh and Handmade

2013 India Sketch Journal Page 13 by Meera Rao

The pace of life in Mysore is laid back and a bit leisurely  - especially in the old part of Mysore where our flat is located.  Things just can't be hurried!

2013 India sketch Journal July 1 by Meera Rao

These ladies were waiting patiently for fresh ground flour at a made to order grain grinding place. Food tastes different/better when one uses fresh ground flour, fresh produce from the farms brought in each morning and ofcourse is eaten away right  :) I hope these tiny, tiny Mom and Pop specialty shops won't disappear as more and more stores sell factory prepared and packaged flour and other goods and western style supermarkets take over. 

2013 India sketch Journal July 2 by Meera Rao

The shop selling earthenware pots is very small and the pots were stacked to ceiling. Grandma in charge was sitting very comfortably on padded gunny sacks. She was selling pots of all different sizes.  My childhood memory is that, the water kept in those pots stay really cool and food cooked in them is especially delicious! I am tempted to try using them rather than the stainless steel vessels that my kitchen is stocked with. 

Staying Connected

2013 India sketch Journal June 29 By Meera Rao

 I found it very interesting to watch this worker patch a neighbour's garden wall. He was there for a couple of hours taking care of different holes and damages and spent the entire time on his cellphone - one hand to the ear and working with the other one on the wall, getting sand, mixing cement  etc. :) I suppose thats how he keeps connected and gets his news as opposed to the folks in the following sketch  of a roadside newspaper stand.

2013 India Sketch Journal June 30 By Meera Rao

This sidewalk stand had a temporary look to its permanent makeshift arrangement ! The newspaper stand had nonfunctioning wheels, was propped upright with a few wooden poles and there was a line going from the rickety rain/sun cover to the near by tree on which hung some magazines. Some newspapers were stacked on a couple of wooden crates. There were a few bananas in a basket and a small bunch hanging off a string from the same rickety rain cover. I noticed there are always a few elderly men milling around but hardly any buying and selling happening.....

A look at page 12 from my sketchbook : 

2013 India sketch Journal Page 12

Creative Solutions

2013India sketch Journal Page 11 by Meera Rao

One of the most interesting things to observe while on the road is how and what things get transported ! People use all modes -carrying by hand,  loads on head, on motorcycle, bicycles, bullock carts, 'lorries', trucks, auto rickshaws and anything else with wheels ! They get very creative as to how something/anything is transported from one point to another.  Here is one from last year's sketch book. And another

2013 India sketch journal June 27 by Meera Rao

I never cease to be amazed as to what I see transported in auto rickshaws and the clever ways it gets loaded and carried.  I caught this one carrying a ladder slipped and resting on the handle of the side view mirror on one end and being held by the passenger on the other end. 

2013 India sketch journal June 28 by Meera Rao

Motorcycles and scooters are affordable for most people and those vehicles get a good workout. Most common are where  whole families- father, mother, two kids can be seen traveling happily :) - one kid in front of father the driver and the other on mother's lap both riding sideways -not mounted on the seat ! I chuckle when I see someone carrying a huge desk top computer or old version TV. This guy was carrying two enormous gunny sacks full of cauliflower balanced precariously.   

I am way behind in posting  and don't see myself catching up anytime soon. I somehow manage to sketch something everyday. They are never perfect and am learning to accept whatever I sketch.  But I relish the fact that I am sketching and practicing each day despite the hectic schedule here in India.  

Call or Write?

2013 India sketch Journal Page 10 by Meera Rao

Staying in India for months means I had to get a cell phone number. They are pretty strict about cell phones since the tragedy in Mumbai Taj Hotel. After gathering up and submitting all the required documents, I acquired a new sim card and a new number.  I was really excited to open the cell phone, replace the sim card and activate the phone for India. I sketched the phone, and the simcard (tracing around the actual older card that I took out) while I had it open.  Then I went googling for information about 'sim' cards.

2013 India sketch Journal June 25 by Meera Rao

Wikipedia gave me the following information: A subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module (SIM) is an integrated circuit that securely stores the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) and the related key used to identify and authenticate subscribers on mobile telephony devices (such as mobile phones and computers).

A SIM circuit is embedded into a removable plastic card. This plastic card is called a "SIM card" and can be transferred between different mobile devices. A SIM card follows certain smart card standards.[1] SIM cards were first made the same size as a credit card (85.60 mm × 53.98 mm × 0.76 mm). The development of physically smaller mobile devices prompted the development of a smaller SIM card, the mini-SIM card. Mini-SIM cards have the same thickness as full-size cards, but their length and width are reduced to 25 mm × 15 mm.

A SIM card contains its unique serial number (ICCID), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), security authentication and ciphering information, temporary information related to the local network, a list of the services the user has access to and two passwords: a personal identification number (PIN) for ordinary use and a personal unblocking code (PUK) for PIN unlocking.

You may read more fascinating stuff about SIM cards, its history, design,  formats etc here.

2013 India sketch Journal June25 by Meera Rao

As I had mentioned earlier, I have a clear view of the family across the road in their daily chores from my third floor balcony. I have sketched the various members past summer and this year in various activities [sorting rice, combing hair, etc  - check the four links for now :) ] almost every evening this girl does her homework sitting on the front steps. On this particular day she was wearing the traditional long skirt in silk with gold and red brocade border, and flowers in her.  Right afterwards, I saw her leave with her Mother to attend some function.

Regarding "call or write", I guess for me now its partly 'sketch' -  how about you?

Flights of Fancy

2013 India Sketch Journal June 21 By Meera Rao

Everyday the parrots in the neighbourhood dart around following one another, frolicking, squawking and chirping away.  I have a movie of it but unfortunately can't share it as it is not loading right into the blogger :( Last year the parrots used two coconut trees on a neighbour's yard as their base.  This year they have chosen a tree with a few dead branches in another yard as their perch as the coconut trees are dead and felled. I love watching their green bodies, red beaks and long tail feathers as they streak by and wonder what they are really doing! Is this a game, an elaborate social ritual, hunting for a meal or something else altogether?  I zoom in on the ones that land on a branch for a few minutes with my camera lens so I can see what they look like up close and still for a moment and of course, admire them a bit !

2013 India Sketch Journal June 22 By Meera Rao

I pass by this 'compound' most days on my daily walks or errands. The locked up classic 'old Mysore house' now with its overgrown garden/yard lush from the monsoon rains, fence wall and gate in ruins conjures up all kinds of drama in my head ;)  Painting the beautiful birds and then this yard made me acutely aware of the cycle of life. Many of these classic old houses are slowly being renovated and I am hoping some day this one will get a new lease on its life! 

Below is page 8 as it is in my sketchbook: 

2013 India Sketch Journal Page 8 By Meera Rao

And Thank you- each and every one for stopping by,  for leaving comments and coming along with me on my trip :)   

Toys and Pods

2013 India sketch Journal June 15 by Meera Rao

Between Bangalore and Mysore is the town of Channnapatna where a particular form of wooden toys are made from Aale mara/Ivory wood and lacquered in brightly colors.According to Wikipedia "This traditonal craft is proteced as a geographical indication, under the World Trade Organization and admistered by the Government of Karnataka" Every town, city, and village around here sell these toys with colorful road side displays. Please do check out the links and a get a glimpse of these brightly colored toys! 

2013 India Sketch Journal June 16 2013

The tree lined streets of Mysore are also littered with various kinds of seed pods. Sadly, I found the people around are also ignorant of even colloquial names or which pod belongs to which tree!I have been scouring the internet in search of name of the long pod for a while now. If you know what these are, please let me know! 

Once again the page in almost full view :( I realized I cropped the top of the page while photographing !)

d

2013 India sketch journal Page 5

Lessons From Keeping An Art Journal

India Art Journal Oct 26-Oct 28 2012

This is the last page of my India Art Journal -- four months and 124 sketches later. I am incredibly happy with the way the journal evolved through my stay in India. Now it surprises me as to how  unsure and hesitant I was to commit to such a project before my trip! 

I had finally gotten the courage a few days before I my trip to India in June 2012  to come to keep a journal of my stay there. It then took a few visits to the art store, going through the catalogs etc before I settled on Strathmore Mixed Media Visual Journal (5.5"x 8") 34 sheets/68 pages, 90 lbs wt. paper. I calculated that it would give me just enough space to do 124 vignettes at sketch a day, four sketches to a page and three extra pages in case I mess up :) I still have one blank sheet  at the beginning and end of the journal! I shared one sheet with a young nephew. 

My sketch kit consisted of Koi watercolor sketch box, two  waterbrushes(one Aquaflow and one Koi), pilot G-7 pen , one graphite 4B pencil and a knead-able eraser. All this fit neatly into a plastic zippered bag ( that  pillow covers that I had purchased a while ago came in. ) I added a small box of 12 oil pastels in India. 

India Art Journal Oct 26 2012

By the time this last page came along, I was quite relaxed and confident about sketching. Nothing like sketching each and every day for four months straight to feel comfortable with drawing.  I knew by then not to expect every sketch to be a masterpiece, not to judge but just sketch every single day. I was attempting all different subjects knowing that each only had to fill in a space of 2.5"x 4". My plan was very simple.  I think keeping it small, and not worrying about size or orientation also helped me just draw. I worried and wondered only about the subject each day-That was the only decision I had to make and I didn't follow any theme.

India Art Journal Oct 27-Oct 28 2012

Even with my busy schedule of keeping a house, cooking, entertaining, marketing, caring for my m-i-l, etc... keeping aside time to sketch each day was something I did for just myself and I always looked forward to it. This 'sketching time' was very crucial to keeping an art journal every day.  Sharing my sketches made it special, made my activity legitimate and made me accountable to my intention. In the end it meant a lot to my dear Mother-in-Law too that I had made time to sketch every day!  Looking for subjects meant I was seeing the world around with new eyes and developed a deep appreciation for the beauty in everything.  I noticed things in new light.  In retrospect, keeping an art journal was the best decision I had made as a part of my journey.

India Art Journal Oct 28 2012 (India) by Meera Rao

Since returning, I have tried to sketch or draw or paint something almost everyday. I don't have a compelling reason other than I should and that has not worked very well!  I wondered and worried if I would be able to draw and paint in bigger sizes or even have enough patience to work on a large piece.  I am happy to announce that I did complete a full sheet painting that I am very  pleased with ( I will post a photo soon!)  

India Art Journal Oct 28 2012 (USA) by Meera Rao

Next, I am hoping to combine my blog posts on the sketches with the vignettes from the art journal and put a book together.  Meanwhile I can't wait to dream up another project to work on! The finished journal is a big boost to my confidence and a wonderful memento of my four months in India.