Mixed Messages

India Art Journal Oct 14-17 by Meera Rao 

I just realized the 'unintended/not conscious of it until now' connection between the top two sketches -pigeon or a mail box to send your messages ?  May be neither in the internet age!

India Art Journal Oct 14 2012 by Meera Rao

I often saw the pigeons getting in and out of these windows and loved watching their movements! They were free wild birds and definitely not used as messengers :)

India Art Journal Oct 15 2013 by Meera Rao

The Indian red mailboxes scattered around the city are quaint and charming. I saw some mind boggling numbers and dates connected with Indian postal system: as of March 2011 there were some 1,55,866 post offices in India and the East India Company opened the very first post office  'Company Mail'  in 'Bombay' in 1688!  

India Art Journal Oct 16 2012 by Meera Rao 

I did a double take when I saw this scene beyond the gates of an office building and quickly snatched a photograph before the guard shooed me away.  I was amused to see the shadow cast by the scooter resembling the all too familiar silhouette of resting cow that one can find everywhere -especially quite often right in the middle of the road! I guess it is a great way to show the two 'breeds' that most occupy the busy roads :)

India Art Journal Oct 17 2012 by Meera Rao

I was impressed by this enterprising boy. He would fill up the green plastic pots with  water from the public water faucet, tie them up to his bicycle to supply the roadside vendors whose cooking and cleaning required water.  I saw him busy most evenings as the vendors' business picked up. 

The following once again are four sketches shown individually.  I wrote about them earlier in the post  Stacks and Rows 

India Art Journal Aug 15 2012 by Meera Rao 

India Art Journal Aug 16 2012 by Meera Rao 

India Art Journal Aug 17 2012 by Meera Rao 

India Art Journal Aug 18 2012 by Meera Rao 

Serendipity

India Art Journal Oct 10 2012 by Meera Rao 

The only way to have a friend is be one.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

There are couple of schools in our neighborhood and I saw everyday groups of girls and boys walking or biking to and from school chatting up a storm, laughing and giggling  and exchanging notes. I enjoyed watching them and noticing the dynamics among friends and strangers.  The four girls in uniform went to one school and the other lone girl passing them was from a different school as the different school colors proclaim. 

India Art Journal Oct 11 2012 by Meera Rao 

I just had to sketch the three forms of coconut - oil in a bottle,  the shell that has fresh white meat for cooking and coconut water from tender young coconut to quench the thirst. These were used almost everyday especially since I claim my heritage from the coastal Karnataka in India! That particular day all three were side by side on the shiny black granite kitchen counter with the pink tiles on the wall. 

India Art Journal Oct 12 2012 by Meera Rao

I passed by this house everyday and saw the colorful laundry hanging on the second floor balcony without fail :) I wonder if they ever lost any pieces to gusts of wind as I never saw the clothes secured in any way. 

India Art Journal Oct 13 2013 by Meera Rao

My friend Suniti took me on surprise excursions every so often to special places around Mysuru and I loved spending time with her and away from the daily chores.  These cattle were all either old or invalid in some way and were being taken care of in a huge 'Goshale' - old folks home for the cattle run as a charity. The place had a serenity and beauty that was very  calming. 

Below is all four vignettes together on the page:

  

India Art Journal Oct 10-13 2012 by Meera Rao

The following four sketches are from the  sept 5 2011 post "the Whole Life lies in the verb-seeing"  enjoying individual limelight :)

India Art Journal Aug 11 2012 by Meera Rao

India Art Journal Aug 12 2012 by Meera Rao

India Art Journal Aug 13 2012 by Meera Rao

India Art Journal Aug 14 2012 by Meera Rao

Happy New Year!

Robin watercolor on Yupo by Meera Rao

 

Wishing all a wonderful 2013 !

Season's Greetings!

Season's Greetings!  photography by Meera Rao



Seeing and Drawing

India Art Journal  Oct 6-9 2012 by Meera Rao 

"The good drawings I do are hardly mine. Only the bad ones are mine for they are the ones where I can't let go, am caught in the Me-cramp"

~Frederick Franck in 'The Zen of Seeing - seeing/drawing as meditation' ~

I came across the book "The Zen of Seeing" a few days ago in an used book shop in DC.  I sat and read it for a while at the store totally fascinated by how he saw drawing as meditation and ended up buying it so I could read it slowly and digest the philosophy.  The book  published in 1973 is handwritten "....because in a way it is a love letter, and love letters should not be typt- set by compositors  or computers. It may be a little slower to read, but there is no hurry, for what I want to share with you took a long time to experience."   I needed to hear that "A drawing is not a thing but an act."  - especially when a  sketch or two or more in my journal seem to taunt me with its misread proportions and perspective! 

India Art Journal Oct 6 2012 by Meera Rao 

There are vendors walking the streets calling and selling any number of things in the course of a day -every day.  This particular vendor definitely was special in the way he balanced a wedge of watermelon on top a whole round one ! There is a sense of zen in the scene. 

 India Art Journal Oct 7 2012 by Meera Rao 

This huge water tank is right around the corner and I passed this everyday running my errands. When I finished the sketch I realized that lopsidedness in a way shows how I saw it -looking up, my head tilted as I sketched :) Somewhere in the book Frederick Franck says : In seeing/drawing that which matters can be perceived through the senses, not denied but maximally affirmed." 

 India Art Journal Oct 8 2012 by Meera Rao 

Coral wood or Manjhati tree (Adenanthera pavonina)is spectacular whether it is laden with the yellow delicate blooms or the curved spiraly split open hanging pods with its bright beautiful shiny red bead like seeds.  Being in the presence of these magnificent trees brings to mind a line from Tagore poem : "Be still my heart, these great trees are prayers."

India Art Journal Oct 9 2012 by Meera Rao  

The last sketch in this page from my journal celebrates life! I was fortunate to participate in the joyous occasion of 'cradling ceremony' of my cousin's 10 day old grand daughter.  The cradle was decorated with gorgeous bright beautiful silk and gold brocade sarees and colorful flowers. The ladies sang melodious songs, made sure to ward off all evil eyes and everyone gathered showered blessings on the baby who slept peacefully through the noisy bustling ceremony!  

The following are sketches from the page that were done aug 7-10. As in the beginning I was posting only the full page and not individual sketches,  I am here giving them the attention they deserve :) I wrote about them  on sept 1 2012 in the post : Vibrant and Compelling. 

India Art Journal Aug 7 2012 by Meera Rao 

India Art Journal Aug 8 2012 by Meera Rao 

 India Art Journal Aug 9 2012 by Meera Rao  

Everyday Rhythms

December Artist of the Month at Poquson Public Library - Meera Rao 

I am very grateful for a chance to display my paintings like this at our library - it always validates my journey as an artist.

 India Art Journal Oct 2-5 by Meera Rao 

On Oct 5, I did my 100th sketch in the India Art Journal :) The whole week before and after I felt a real sense of accomplishment for having sketched every day for one hundred days in a row!!! By then, it had definitely gotten easier to sketch each day once I figured out what to sketch! In a way I am also glad that dividing the paper into four and sticking to the pre-determined size also made it simple decision for me to just find time to squeeze in  sketching in my tight schedule each day.  At times I felt disappointed that I hadn't thought of a more creative way to sketch each day -- but it sure helped me stay with my goal of sketch a day for the four months in India!  As the Indian  philosopher poet  Aurobindo remarked : "Consistent practice of an art in the end constitutes a kind of Yoga "

India Art Journal Oct 2 2012 by Meera Rao 

"There is no higher god than Truth"

~Mahatma Gandhi~

Mahatma Gandhiji died before I was born and the only photos I have seen are black and white. So I decided to honor him on his birthday which is a national holiday in India with a graphite sketch.  His teachings on truth, non-violence and love are universal.  I especially feel the need for this message to be heard loud and clear today as we mourn the terrible tragedy in Connecticut. 

India Art Journal Oct 3 2012 by Meera Rao

I often walked past this tiny little store grandly named 'Classic Electricals'  with the colorful 'mixies' hanging or on a table on the sidewalk advertising the owner's proficiency in 'fixing the mixies' :)  I heard from my neighbors that he was indeed skilled in doing the repairs. 

India Art Journal Oct 4 2012 by Meera Rao 

Everyday from my  balcony I saw the ladies combing hair - each others or their own on their porch right across the street. The privacy of my higher up third floor apartment balcony emboldened me to sketch their various activities and I still feel somewhat guilty for recording their everyday acts. 

India Art Journal Oct 5 2012 by Meera Rao 

Drum roll please... here is my 100th sketch!  The night before there was a terrible storm and as I went on my morning marketing I came across these two men using a simple saw to cut the downed tree limbs right by the road.  I captured the scene on my camera and sketched them later in the day. 

The following are four sketches from my earlier post Bases for a sketch  getting their individual time in the limelight :) 

 India Art Journal Aug 3 2012 by Meera Rao 

India Art Journal Aug 4 2012 by Meera Rao 

India Art Journal Aug 5 2012 by Meera Rao

India Art Journal Aug 6 2012 by Meera Rao  

A Riot of Colors

India Art Journal sept 28-Oct 1 by Meera Rao 

The riot of colors at every turn is something that can only be experienced and I felt compelled to record them in my sketch book! 

India art Journal Sept 28 2012 by Meera Rao

People can say what they like about the eternal verities, love and truth and so on, but nothing is as eternal as the dishes! 

~Margaret Mahy~

The beauty of stainless steel pots, pans, plates and utensils gleaming in the sunlight as they are drying on an old orange rack  by the sink in the kitchen balcony more than makes up for the chore of washing the dishes. Most days I quite agreed with Margaret Mahy's great quote wholeheartedly! 

India Art Journal Sept 29 2012 by Meera Rao

When the flaming orange African Tulip tree right by my bedroom windows was in full bloom, I spent hours watching the little Mynah birds hopping from flower to flower to sip the nectar. They danced about the flowers so delicately that the flowers barely moved or registered the bird's weight or intrusion.  It was funny to see the bird's beak, head and neck disappear into the flower with only the tail end poking up and out! I noticed that after a couple of days they moved away to other African tulip trees in search of fresh nectar :). The Mynahs usually were active in the early morning hours as the flowers opened, and I loved to wake up listening to them, the parrots (Check below for sketch from Aug 1), the Koyal(nightingale) and few other kinds chirp and tweet and sing merrily. 

India Art Journal Sept 30 2012 by Meera Rao 

This blue building with its sagging but still classic red tile roof, interesting door, an old orange and white poster remnants peeling off its wall, always had a bicycle leaning against it.  Who can resist such a scene? The four months I was in India was supposed to be peak of monsoon season - but unfortunately, the rains were very late even though the sky was mostly overcast. I was able to walk about, do my marketing and errands  without getting drenched but missed seeing the play of light and shadows all around. 

India Art journal oct 1 2012 by Meera Rao

The gorgeous blossoms are 'mussaenda' - only the actual flower is tiny and yellow and the 'sepals' are bright pink or sometimes white.  

Below are once again four sketches from my earlier post A Slice of life  enjoying individual attention! 

India Art Journal July 30 2012 by Meera Rao 

 India Art Journal July 31 2012 by Meera Rao 

 India Art Journal Aug 1 2012 by Meera Rao 

 India Art Journal Aug2  2012 by Meera Rao 

Marvels of the Daily Life

India Art Journal Sept 24-27 2012 by Meera Rao

"The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you see on the street"

~Robert Dosineau



India Art Journal Sept 24 2012 By Meera Rao

This is the beautiful old house in the neighbourhood that I had sketched before but on this particular day the  shadows cast by decorative decaying windows just added to the mystery of the place!





India Art Journal Sept 25 2012 by Meera Rao

How nostalgic I was to see a couple of those ancient antique sewing machines in this tinly little shop stuffed and stacked floor to ceiling with machines and parts! I remembered my Mom sewing me beautiful dresses pedaling, running the machine by hand and foot when I was a young school girl! The interesting thing I noticed in India on this trip is that some things are still repaired & repaired again and never discarded while some others that used to be fixed readily ( notably flip flops) are now impossible to get repaired!  

India Art Journal Sept 26 2012 by Meera Rao

 

I knew when I saw this man at the tribal arts show weaving a basket that I wanted to sketch him! He was completely engrossed in creating and I really loved capturing his concentration.

India Art Journal Sept 27 2012 by Meera Rao.

As I had mentioned before, catching people reading became one of my interests while I was out  running errands. I aways was richly awarded! This old man was reading the paper while his wife was selling a small basket of flowers by the sidewalk. He opted to squat and lean against a shuttered store and enjoy the paper!