Kyoorius Legs

Earlier this month, I got an opportunity to attend a Design Conference in Goa. The event was great with some wonderful speakers and some very good sharing of work experiences. It was just brilliant.

There was a large student community who attended this and to me, it ended up more like a fashion show. People were so dressed up! From frilly frocks to almost not there pants. It was quite a sight! This entry is how I perceived my Kyoorius experience! Its also one of my first attempts of drawing human legs in such a large quantity. It was fun!

Black

Black I believe rules design.

Even when I worked, I somehow found that black saved my designs and me, a lot of times.

This compostion struck me while I was getting assessed for a course called 'Colour'. Ironic.

I miss black and all the glee it brought me. I love colours but yes, black is one of my favourites too.

Colour for this chappal: Black! Haha!

Aamra Shobai Raja

My Baba (father) has always been very fond of Bengali culture, inspite of staying most of his life outside Bengal and that has somehow been passed on to us. As kids, I vividly remember him saying the line from a Bengali song, "Amra Shobai Raja" translating to "We are all Kings", and yes, he made us feel like true Kings.

However hard I tried, I couldn't be a true Bengali, in the cultural aspect atleast. Either my voice was too shrill or my feet refused to dance! This blog post is a dedication to my Baba and a true attempt at a Bengali art form (Patua Scroll Paintings), that represents him at the centre as the Raja!

Happy Birthday Baba!

Thank you Rahul for your wonderful Wacom. It made this possible!

India House Menu Card

While I was at bOunce (http://www.bounceontheweb.com/), this was one of the last projects I worked on, a menu card for a Gurgaon based restaurant called India House.

The brief was clear, bring out the 'Indianess' in India House. I came up with this concept based menu card and it got approved, along with every single image I chose for each page. Most of the images were bought from Dinodia (http://www.dinodia.com/), one was from my boss's collection and a special mention to a friend, Rohit Nair, who was very nice and humble to contribute an image for this. Thank you so much! You can see more of Rohit's work here http://www.flickr.com/photos/rohitnair/.

It went into print only after I left and my boss was very kind to send me a copy. The paper and print quality of menu card is what made it look even better. It was one of the best and most enjoyed projects I have ever done.

Here are a few pages of the printed menu card.

Cover Page

A few pages of the inside

Photography courtesy: Anuj Gadre

Model: Roshini Pochont

Thank you for your valuable time and effort!

Colour for this chappal: Green!

Roomie Hunt

A friend of mine pinged me on chat asking me to help her find a roomie for her Chennai apartment. Apart from putting my gmail chat in honour of the same, I thought a poster might add some value to the whole thing. This is what I came up with. Its random and its a twenty minute job. She liked it and now I hope she finds a roomie soon!

Colour for this Chappal: Red!

Shoeruaat

Here's to the beginning of NID! A rather late one, but a beginning is a beginning till the end comes! Its my shoeruaat, finally, at the place I have always wanted to be.

Fingers crossed for a happy and a fun filled time here!

As my first ATC ( http://atc-nid.blogspot.com) here is my contribution.
I hope it makes it there.

Cheers!

The New Found Comfort

Welcome to the city of hope.

Thats how I see Ahmedabad.

Four days into the place and Im almost in love with it.

I have done quite a bit of travelling and walking, observing and enjoying.

Apart from the heat, you will love the city if you love food, colour and chaos, and friendship as well.

My first friend, the automan has taken me for a ride around wherever I have wanted! And I have enjoyed it thoroughly. The people here are friendly,warm and kind. This I can vouch for, because the Printer whom I went to for some emergency prints has almost adopted me. I almost feel like a localite because mosthere talk to me in Gujarati! Its been so much fun all along.

I have also experimented with the ever-famous Gujarati Thali and it left me licking my fingers. I also managed to pay a visit to a few local markets and eating places and a temple too. A good start should be with faith.

I wish to stay back here and make myself some more friends and a lot more memories.

Fingers crossed.

Colour for this glaze: Multi coloured. Its Ahmedabad.

'Teen Tigada' vs Third Time Lucky

For me this is the scariest time. I'm generally not a believer of superstitions and sayings but this has suddenly scared me. In English, its said, third time lucky and in hindi it is 'teen tigada, kaam bigada' implying that the third time its over.

Essentially a positive vs negative attitude question, I have to admit I'm falling prey to the negative one. Damn. Its scary. More than being negative, I would justify myself by saying that Im being realistic. Then again, a third attempt will speak of my determination (I guess) and my interest completely.

Its reached the 'beyond the dreams' phase, more like a It Better Did Happen This Time.

I sound so confused now. Oh crap.

Maybe its the nervousness talking now.

Shall update soon on this.

Colour for this chappal: Yellow. Hopeful Yellow.

The July Rains

If you love the rain, you will love July. In most parts of the country, its the month of the monsoons and where I live now, its in its full rage. The rains bring in so much pleasure and expectation in people's lives. Be it a farmer, a kid, a young couple in love or an old lady.

The rains teach one to be patient and to enjoy nature's gift. Even though there is fury at times, its still one of the most loved seasons. Songs have been written, movies made and art created in honour of the rain. It holds a special place even in the hearts of the Gods.

Although troublesome at times with the routine of the raincoat/umbrella, saving your important documents, not wearing white and saving your 'kolhapuri' chappals, the rain brings joy to almost everyone's lives. An ice cream in the pouring rain, chai and pakodas, a cozy movie is what people like to accompany the rain with. Its beautiful how it can change one's mood.

More often than not, we forget the importance of the gifts of nature, and the rain is just one of them. For many, its a way of living and for many its a way to remember good times. Everyone has their own rain stories and I have mine too.

This is a tribute to my love for the rain (when I'm indoors only)!

Colour for this glaze: BLUE!

The July Joy

There is finally some joy in life and its July that has brought it in.
A refreshing change in the way I live and in the things I see.
So, maybe at the end of the day when you finish with all that bad time that you have had and the never ending struggle, it does teach you one thing, and that is to hold on.
I never believed it when I was told that something better was lying ahead, maybe it was and I'm glad! It was obviously worth the wait.
So here's to new beginnings, and hopefully new found happiness.

Colour for this chappal: Yellow!