A Busy Year

 

Waiting for Lunch watercolor pen &ink by Meera Rao

Boarding in 15 minutes watercolor pen &ink by Meera Rao

This has been a very busy year - lots of traveling, happy meetings with far away family, too many photographs, as many sketches as I could squeeze in, a few paintings, good number of shows, but not enough blog posts! I am way behind in posting my sketches and paintings and hope to get back to regular schedule (I know I sound like a broken record!!)  I ought to make creating and sharing a priority in the coming year. It is always a issue to post when traveling and that seems to carry on when I return. But I am grateful for a full life and continued creating in my life. 

'Being behind' is not real

We are simply where we are 

~Trish Blackwell~

Way of the Warrior

Edo Samurai Armour with Swan crest watercolor & ink by Meera Rao 

I was very impressed with the ceremonial samurai armor from the 1700s at the British museum. The colors and the ornamentation were very impressive. The elegant Swan crest on number of the artifacts also caught my eye. 

Edo samurai armour by Meera Rao 

From the label I gathered that metal, lacquer, leather, and horn were used to craft the beautiful suit. It made me wonder if Darth Vader’s black suit was inspired by this and other Japanese armors! I read in their blog that it took the restorers over 8 months and 250 hours to restore and repair the armour.  Do check out their blog for photos of restoration in progress and detailed notes about what was involved. 

A very interesting article Beauty in Battle: the refined artistry of samurai armor and photographs of a few different armors are at LA county museum of Art exhibit website.  There is also a great pdf  Samurai: art of armor.  for educators and students.  Here’s a little fact from there : The name “samurai,” stems from the word saburafu, meaning “to serve by one’s side.” These warriors followed a code of idealized behavior known as the “way of the warrior,” or bushido, which focused on seven virtues: honesty, courage, respect, benevolence, rectitude, honor, and loyalty. Bushidō also prescribed acceptance of death, as exemplified by the fact that samurai preferred to commit ritual suicide by disembowel- ment, known as seppuku or harakiri rather than seem disloyal or suffer a stain on their character.

 

Lunar New Year

NewYear Celebration, China Town, London watercolor ByMeera Rao 

A year ago we were in London in January. We bumped into a Lunar New Year celebration as we got out of the tube at Westminster Bayswater area to head to the Hyde park - a favorite playground for our grandson.  The ‘dragons’ danced in front of Chinese Restaurants and stores. The owners ‘fed’ lettuce to the dragons and then gave money in red envelopes.  I captured the festivities on video and later sketched in my travel art journal.  Fun fact is that an American of Indian heritage enjoyed a Chinese dragon dance celebrating the Asian Lunar New Year celebration in London, UK :)

“Chúc Mừng Năm Mới”

“Gong hei fat choy”

 

Fierce Colors

Fierce Colors watercolor Meera Rao 

Before covid put a stop to all travel, we had visited London and this watercolor is from my travel sketchbook. I realized  I had forgotten to share those sketches. This Lion etched in glass graced the doors of British Museum in London. I loved how colors outside the door shone through and it showed me a way to paint the glass lion:)  So it’s a full circle as illustrated by a quote from Leo Steinberg : “Whatever else art is good for, it’s chief effectiveness lies in propagating more art” 

 

A Fleeting Moment

A Fleeting Moment Ink and watercolor by Meera Rao

A fleeting moment 

impermanent

transient 

suspended

in time

 a memory floating

in a watery image 

~Meera Rao~

We were early and not knowing how long the wait will be I took out my sketch book to keep me occupied. I was assessing the stained wall, the broom, two red and green lanterns and other miscellaneous items  on the low long storage shelf. And then, a person stopped right in the beam of sunlight at the far end to check his phone long enough for me to capture the moment on my phone.  I knew then what to sketch. I always find it challenging to balance the book and draw while standing but I managed to I sketched the scene in front of me. Months later I added the person using the reference photo and finished the sketch with watercolor! 

A Rock, A Temple, A Tree and A Wish

The Wishing Tree watercolor and pen by Meera Rao

After a morning spent at the Sri Rangam temple, we took an autoriksha to see the Rock Fort Temple in nearby Tiruchirapalli. This temple is visible for miles and is a landmark in the area.  As the name suggests the temple and the fort are on an 273' high ancient monolithic rock formation (according to my research about 3.8 billion years old!) A fort, three beautiful cave temples at different levels are cut away in the rock.  Temple at the foot is for Ganesha, the Ucchi Pillayar Temple is at the top,  and the Thayumanavar Temple between them. The Thayumanavar temple, the largest of the three, is  for Goddess Amman as well as Shiva. There are around 350-400 steep steps to climb to visit all the temples and reach the top most Ganesha Temple.  A marvel in construction, the temple complex was originally built more than 1000 years ago by the Pallavas. It was later reconstructed by the Madurai Nayaks and Vijayanagara rulers. The major complex in the temple are believed to be built during the 8th century by the Pandyan Empire.  

I was amazed to find this huge tree on top of the huge barren rock! A few feet below the entrance to the top most Ganesha Puliyar Temple, this tree is a wonder in itself.  The tree has many colorful cradles in wood or cloth hanging from it. There were many towers of bricks too. The story goes that an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva could not have her mother come to help her during pregnancy and delivery due to heavy rains and flood. Lord Shiva took pity on her, came down disguised as her mother and  she of course, had a safe and painless delivery.  So the devotees now come, tie the cradles and pray for an easy, safe pregnancy and delivery. I was impressed by the many pregnant and new mothers who were climbing all the way up either to pray or thank and show gratitude to the Lord. 

Needless to say the view from the top is breathtaking.  

Entering the Gate of Blessed Space

 Passing Thru the Temple Gates, SriRangam by Meera Rao

watercolor 

The many gates in the Temple Complex at Sri Rangam are massive, ornate, tall and wide. Lot goes on under the beautiful arches. Venders crowd the space by the walls, a few temple offices are tucked between the walls and gate. People, two wheelers and animals pass thru freely. Every single building and object in the temple complex harps on the beauty, majesty, creativity, talent that is beyond awe inspiring. It is indeed a tribute to the Universe and transports one to the spiritual realm.

Sketching and painting the scene is a challenge. It is daunting to show in a few lines and colors on 10x7" paper the beautiful sculptures on the wall, the engineering wizardry in the majestic arches and the very high walls, doors, as well as  all who pass thru those gates. And the morning light was streaming in from both ends of the gate. I was glad I was there early in the day when it was relatively empty and quiet with time and space to admire the surroundings. . 

Meditation on Beauty

Sri Rangam Temple courtyard -ink and watercolor 9x7”  by Meera Rao 

 Early morning at the temple waiting for our guide, I soaked in the sunlight, and the serene quiet before the hustle and bustle of devotees and tourists took over.  I was mesmerized by the awe inspiring elaborate carvings on the massive temple structures and the bright colorful painted embellishments.  

Not knowing where to start, I spent time admiring the details, and figuring out what I wanted to sketch- there was so much beauty all around!  The guide was late in arriving and I was able to sketch out a few pillars and one of the many many smaller temples within the Temple complex,  saving the watercolor wash for later.  

London Days Part 10 History is Never Dull

Ornate light pole by the Thames River Promenade 

Watercolor by Meera Rao 

I was fascinated by the ornate light poles by the Thames River during our walk on the promenade on the banks  opposite side of the London Eye. It is a beautiful stretch with parks on one side and river on the other. We walked past war memorials all the way up to Big Ben -which was undergoing renovation then. There are huge trees along the street and Thames with 'Sphinx benches' under their shade to sit and watch the river as well as the buzz of city life.  

Of course there is history, controversy and more behind these lamps. From the website Paul Dobraszczyk Rag-picking History : 'Built in stages between 1862 and 1874 by the Metropolitan Board of Works, the Thames Embankment transformed London’s riverscape by reclaiming marshy land next to the river and constructing wide carriage- and foot-ways and a high granite retaining wall, stretching over three miles in total.' After much deliberation 'a dolphin lamp designed by George Vulliamy, architect to the Board of Works'  was chosen.  Please hop over to the website and check out rest of the designs, photos and more juicy factoids :) 

Skylon Marker  watercolor and ink by Meera Rao

A small shiny  marker on the footbridge over the Thames River sent me googling  'Skylon' and 1951 Festival of Britain.  Of course, even the smallest objects around the city have interesting history :) 

From Wikipedia : The Skylon was a futuristic-looking, slender, vertical, cigar-shaped steel tensegrity structure located by the Thames in London, that gave the illusion of 'floating' above the ground, built in 1951 for the Festival of Britain. The former location of the Skylon is the riverside promenade between the London Eye and Hungerford Bridge. Skylon was removed in 1952 when the rest of the exhibition was dismantled, on the orders of Winston Churchill, who saw the Festival and its architectural structures as a symbol of the preceding Labour Government's vision of a new socialist Britain. According to The Guardian  : The original Skylon, built in the last year of the postwar Labour government and immensely popular as a futuristic shape, was vengefully scrapped, cut in pieces and sold as ashtrays by an incoming Conservative administration. 

These are the last two sketches of my travel sketchbook from last September - finally all posted in the blog!  

London Days Part 9 Hanging Flower Baskets

The Woodman at Highgate watercolor by Meera Rao 

I loved the flower boxes and hanging baskets all over London.   We came across this charming pub often as we got in and out of the nearby tube station.  I preferred taking the bus over the trains just so I could see the beauty of the flower boxes on various buildings - even though it took us longer to get from place to place :) 

London Days Part 8 Cattle Trough

Cattle Trough  watercolor and ink by Meer Rao 

When I came across this opposite the public library on Queens Ave in Muswell Hill, London, I just assumed it was for flowers for neighborhood beautification. Then I saw the inscription on the sides: 'Metropolitan Drinking Fountain & Cattle Trough'  it said on the long side and had this inscription on the short side: 'In Memory of the late David Kidd of Leyton.'  There was also a notice that confirmed its present status as a planter maintained by the local Association- and a request to enjoy the flowers but not take any of the plants. 

Upon googling, I discovered the fascinating history of these troughs and what lead to the government takeover of the water supply for the citizens from private suppliers, paving the way to the modern sewer and water systems. According to Wikipedia : 

The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association was an association set up in London by Samuel Gurney, a Member of Parliament, and philanthropist and Edward Thomas Wakefield, a barrister, in 1859 to provide free drinking water. Originally called the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association it changed its name to include cattle troughs in 1867, to also support animal welfare. In 2011, as the Drinking Fountain Association, it began to support the Find-a-Fountain campaign to map the UK's drinking water fountains.  

I also found out that the troughs that have survived over the years are mainly granite and they are mostly now planted with flowers. Cast iron or Zinc lined timber were also in vogue - but were too easily damaged.  The write up was really fascinating - amazing how any one thing can have so much history and be a part of the culture of the place! 

London Days Part 7 : A Whole Lot More Than Crumpets and Tea

A Whole lot More than Tea and Crumpets  watercolor and ink  Meera Rao 

London surprised me with its wonderful offerings of Vegan and Vegetarian food. That made our outings so much more enjoyable. Of course, there was Indian food but almost every restaurant had vegan and vegetarian options. Even a Fish and chip place near Westminster had a delicious vegan dish to order! Street food wise, 'Horn OK Please' near London Eye had yummy vegan/vegetarian options and very tasty south Indian Masala Dosa :) I was amused to find Karma Cola as a drink option most everywhere - had not encountered that brand before.  The red Coca Cola bucket with condiments was at a Pizza place that happily for me had vegan Pizza on the menu. Supermarkets too had many ready to eat vegan and vegetarian selections in their aisles. So, at-least in London, British food was definitely eclectic. 

London Days: Part 6 Street Art and Fine Arts

National Gallery of Art - Trafalgar Square  watercolor by Meera Rao

There is art right outside the National Gallery of Art too.  Many street artists come early, stake out a patch of concrete to draw on the 'civic space' in the Trafalgar Square. They draw with chalk, with coins; do performance art as living statues. There are musicians singing, playing instruments. You can get your portrait done in pencils, charcoal or pastels.  A few are political protestors broadcasting their cause via street art. All this definitely adds color and character to the square making the gray day a bit more lively!  I admired their drive to create art that would be gone at the end of the day while also hoping to earn a few pounds from tourists or catch the eye of a patron. 

London Days Part 5

Trafalgar Square  Watercolor By Meera Rao 

The day we were at the Trafalgar Square was cloudy and cold.  Since we were there early in the morning there weren't too many people around. The imposing and 145' tall Nelson Column  was built in 1843 to honor Lord (Admiral) Horatio Nelson who died at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The British won that battle against the French. The Trafalgar Square itself dates back to 1830. I read that the four lions guarding were made by melting the defeated French  Navy bronze cannons.  I found an interesting connection there to the United States : "In Trafalgar Square there are also various statues of well-known people such as George Washington, given to the English by the State of Virginia. The statue is placed on cement brought specially from the States, as Washington had sworn he would never set foot on British soil again"  

I am sorry we missed -by a day or so- seeing the 'Please Feed The Lions' an interactive sculpture by artist and designer Es Devlin, who is known for her innovative projection-mapped sculptures that fuse light, music and technology. There was a companion red lion on the square and visitors were encouraged to 'feed' words to the lion which was then mixed with others' words and 'roared' out to the public, and displayed in light on the Nelson column at night.  Check out the Lonely planet link to it here.   And a video of it here. 

Connections: London Days Part 4

Connections watercolor by Meera Rao 

'Red' is everywhere in London lending color to gray days. The red buses of course brighten the roads as they travel. There is a red mailbox in every neighborhood. The rows of red telephone booths in a street corners are a common sight. The black FreeWifi/telephone booths are new additions highlighting the evolution of how we connect these days.  I read that there is great controversy about this latest connectivity 'box' - is it making London into a smart city or letting a few giant companies track your movements throughout the city with the ultimate goal of monetization?  

London Days, Part 3

Alexandra Palace watercolor by Meera Rao

Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports venue in London, located near Muswell Hill.  "The People's Palace" is fondly referred to as "Ally Pally", and serves as a public centre of recreation, education and entertainment; North London's counterpart to the Crystal Palace in South London. It has beautiful gardens and facilities for  fun paddle boating. 

Birds Trees and Flowers  watercolor by Meera Rao

I sketched some magpies that were hopping around,  a row of trees, and some flowers while sipping  hot tea by a cafe on the grounds of the Alexandra Palace. 

London Days Part 2

The House at Muswell Hill  watercolor and ink by Meera Rao 

The House on the Hill watercolor and ink by Meera Rao 

The Ornate Fireplace  watercolor and ink by Meera Rao 

I am always wondering how loose or tight I ought to sketch or color. Mostly I get carried away and want to put down all colors I see!  Here, the solid feel of the towering  brick house  with the overgrown bushes was as much fun to sketch as the delicate ornate years old fireplace. 

I used  Koi  travel set and Pelikan transparent watercolor paints.  I also quickly learned that the texture of paper was too rough and not made for much detailed work.

Ni Hao Part 12 Shanghai Yu Yuan Gardens and Zhujiajio Water Town

3 Toed Dragon on Garden Wall , YuYuan Garden Shanghai watercolor b  Meera Rao 

YuYuan gardens in Shanghai is over 400 years old. It is located near the Tourist mart and City God Temple in Old Shanghai.  The Breath taking gardens, elegant buildings,  koi ponds etc are an oasis of beauty and calm ! It took Pan Yunduan, a minister in Ming Dynasty 18 odd years to build and he designed it as a place for his parents to enjoy in their retirement.  The legend goes that the Emperor was jealous of the beauty of the gardens, and especially of the dragons that graced the walls since dragons were the symbols exclusively belonging to Royalty.  He sent an agent to check it out and may be confiscate the garden but Pan Yunduan managed to convince him that the garden dragons had only 3 toes and were not the perfect four toed royal dragons. He apparently broke the fourth toes on the garden dragons just before the agent's arrival ! 

Moon Gate, YuYuan Gardens, Shanghai Ink and watercolor by Meera Rao 

Jade Rock Natural Sculptures, Yuyuan Gardens, Shanghai #directwatercolor #nosketching by Meera Rao 

Fengsheng Bridge Zhujiajio Watertown  Watercolor (2 page spread) by Meera Rao

Zhujiajiao, Water Town situated about 50 kilometers away from Shanghai is worth the drive. 1700 years old Watertown in Qingpu District, south of the Yangtze River, Zhujiajiao,  is known as “The Venice of China” It features lovely waterways, curved rock bridges, old streets paved with stone, and over 10,000 buildings dating back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911).  We took a leisurely ride in one of the old style boats with a boatman with a old fashioned cone hat :) Look for a proper painting of the boatman in a future post. It just was juried into the Virginia Artists show at Hampton VA!

Fengsheng Bridge Zhujiajiao Watertown  Watercolor by Meera Rao 

Fengsheng Bridge Zhujiajiao Watertown  Watercolor by Meera Rao

Yuanjin Buddhist Shrine  #directwatercolor, #nosketching by Meera Rao 

We walked the old city streets, and checked out the Chinese medicine shops, ate freshly cooked dumplings.  The old city is still a charming and 'living' city even though it now caters to hordes and hordes of tourists!!! The Watertown is very picturesque and I hope to paint a few more paintings from the hundreds of photos I clicked :) 

Entrance to Shanghai Zhujiajio International watercolor Biennial Exhibition gallery and Office 

Plaque Explaining the Exhibition

Painting by Nicholas Simmons at the Gallery 

As we were walking around, I suddenly noticed that one of the buildings was the Shanghai Zhujiajio International Watercolor Biennial  Exhibition office and Gallery ! I was very excited to go in and check it out. There were still a few paintings from the last Biennial show that I recognized right away - by the wonderfully talented Nicholas Simmons,  Alvaro Castagnet, and a few others as well as their current show with 35 paintings by Herman Pekel.  This was the icing on the cake of this trip :) 

Ni Hao Part 10 Guillin

Li River Cruise watercolor 2 page spread by Meera Rao

Mountain Peaks by Li River  Left page watercolor By Meera Rao

Mountain Peaks by Li River  Right page watercolor By Meera Rao

We reached Guillin in the late afternoon as the flight was delayed by a couple of hours. The guide in Xian joked that they say CAAC - 'China airlines always cancel' - but at least we were only delayed;). Beautiful Guillin apparently was China's first city to develop tourism after 1949. 

It was raining when we landed and the route to town was amazingly picturesque with lush green covered mountain peaks shrouded in fog all around. After  checking  into the hotel we went to explore the city by walking around.  There was a beautiful little Buddhist temple not too far and as we entered the premises they started their evening chanting and prayers. We watched and waited till the rituals were done - this was our first time watching and participating in Chinese Buddhist prayers and rituals. We then went over to the canteen next door - but unfortunately they were cleaning after the lunch session and would open only at 6 for dinner - an hour away. 

We decided to buy some bananas to snack on ( my google translator came in really handy! ) and find a bank ATM. The lonely planet guide book had high recommendations (one of two places mentioned in the book for places to eat!) for an Indian restaurant started by a man from Darjaleeng, India : Kali Mirch in the town square tucked behind Sheraton Hotel. With that as our guide we went searching and finally found it after someone recognized it as ‘indo canteen’  in an alley that was all colorful and lit up with festive lights  and lined with many many tiny restaurants.  The interesting thing in China we  have discovered is that everything and everyone has a English and a Chinese name - most locals know only the Chinese names - even English is ‘yīngyǔ’ in Chinese.  Btw- The food at Kali Mirch was excellent :) 

Cliffs by Li River  watercolor by Meera Rao

The next day our guide drove us to a wharf an hour away and we took a river cruise down a very tranquil Li river to see the mountains all around - it is a very beautiful and serene journey - even with a looong line of small cruise boats  filled with tourists making their way down the river! The hotel had packed us boxed lunches and there was plenty of tea served throughout the journey as it was a four hour ride.  Every inch of the journey was a digital moment - everyone was oohing and clicking away - I realized very quickly that photos just couldn't capture the awesome peaks all around - growing more mysterious by the minute with fog and drizzle. The twenty Yuan bill of Chinese currency showcases a painting of these mountains.  We passed  high cliffs,  rice paddies, quaint little villages, fishermen on bamboo rafts, water buffaloes and horses grazing by the banks. 

We got off at Younshu and again elbowed our way thru a narrow passageway packed with vendors shouting and hawking off the goods while thousands of tourists from the cruise boats tried to make their way to buses and cars and other means of transportation back to their hotels ! We tried our bargaining skills and did a little bit of shopping ! “You shop like Chinese ladies’ we were told by a vendor ;) 

Entrance to Guillin Tea Research Center watercolor by Meera Rao 

Hat Rack in the Walkway watercolor by Meera Rao 

We toured an organic tea plantation on our way back, saw demonstrations of Chinese tea fermentation of green, white, black teas. We tried out the huge stone grinder/rollers used in crushing and oxidizing  the tea. We posed for photos wearing the classic cone shaped hats as we watched ladies carefully picking tea leaves in surrounding tea plantation.   Of course, we were treated to another session  of tea ceremony - this time we tasted Osmanthus, white and Pu'er teas unique to that area. 

Evening we were on our own and this time we went back to the temple canteen ( again lonely planet recommendation) and had the best Chinese vegan buffet- tried all kinds of noodles, dumplings , steamed buns, vegetables , pickles and many varieties of fruits!! Two days in a row dinner was excellent for us us vegetarians and vegans!  We ventured out for more little shopping for Chinese-English children's books for grandkids at street side stores. Thanks again to the google translate app we were able to find what we wanted in a small stationary store:)

The sun and Moon Twin pagodas  

Last day in Guillin,  we had till noon  to ourselves - so armed with a map we went to see Sun and Moon Pagodas in the Shan Lake that could be reached by a scenic winding path from the hotel. The two pagodas are connected by a beautiful underwater tunnel. We climbed 8-9 floors up each pagoda  for gorgeous views from above.  We even managed to visit The South Sea Pearl Museum and Showroom before heading to the airport for our flight to Shanghai. 

Ni Hao Part 7 Chengdu

View From Boat, Le Shan watercolor and Ink by Meera Rao

Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province was our next stop. Chengdu seemed like a laid back modern city with high rises and bustling ring roads. I fell in love with the old part of the city with its beautiful and grand traditional buildings, the ancient Wenshu Temple dedicated to Manjushree, and its distinctive streets.  The pavement in each street in the old city had its own special carved markings. The Temple and its sprawling gardens once again were an oasis of calm and serenity.  And of course, the restaurants by the temple served delicious vegetarian and vegan food!         

Grand Buddha at Le Shan, watercolor and Ink by Meera Rao

Le Shan's Grand Buddha was an easy day trip from Chengdu. The serene 1200 year old 71meters (233') tall Budha is carved from a cliff overlooking the confluence of three rivers: Min, Dadu, and Quinyi. It is also an Unesco World Heritage site. We took a boat tour so we could see the entire statue. The view of the cliff, the Buddha statue and the many centuries old buildings enhanced the leisurely boat ride. I even had time to sketch as the boat slowly made its way to and from viewing the statue. :) Later we enjoyed walking along the park-like riverfront of the picturesque town of LeShan.

 

View from Boat,  LeShan watercolor and Ink by Meera Rao

The next morning was devoted to observing the Pandas at the Giant Panda Breeding Research Center.  The vast and beautiful park like research center is a popular tourist attraction and once again there were HUGE crowds! We saw many adult pandas resting or eating and about half a dozen juveniles climbing and playing.  They were all spread out in the park and we got our day's exercise by walking  a couple of miles or more :) 

Panda watercolor and Ink by Meera Rao

In the old part of the city, we found many vendors selling fruits, noodles, and knickknacks in small stalls.  Some had a few baskets of fruits and vegetables set on the steps. This particular stall selling mulberries, mangoes, dragonfruits and jackfruits was flanked by elegant stone carvings of an elephant on a circular wheel like base.  A couple of books and a baby's sippy cup were resting on the elephant. I noticed that around dusk, in the old part of the city, many families pulled chairs around a folding table right by the street side next to their stalls and enjoyed their dinner and conversations.  

 

Fruits for Sale on the Steps of an Old Building in Chengdu watercolor and Ink by Meera Rao