Two artists who I keenly follow, and who are sure to inspire you as well...
The Unskilled Worker
Self taught British artist Helen Downie usually goes by the above moniker, and has a super popular instagram account which led to her being found by none other than the fashion house of Alexander McQueen, followed by Gucci.
Her work is intriguing, eerie and complex.Colorful and detailed. Soulful and poetic.
Sheila Berger
New York based painter and sculptor. Love her hand cast project, especially, and am dying to see them all in one big sculpture as she envisions it on her website.
Don't miss a glimpse into all her work here.
And watch this video of her story and process on Portraits in Creativity
Fenny Suter
Her embroidery is vividly imaginative, will take you to other worlds, bringing back that peaceful easy feeling.
Like me, are you also attracted to work that celebrates man's insignificance before nature?
On another note,
are you planning to visit the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 and Kochi-Muziris Art Biennale 2018?
I am lucky to be in Bangkok at this time, and also visiting Kochi by the end of this year, super looking forward to them both!
Looking for some easy DIY Diwali decor ideas for your home this season?
Diwali decorating doesn't have to be time consuming or expensive. Mixing everyday elements with your shiny ones in interesting ways, can delight you with beautiful corners at home with very little effort.
Here are some unique Diwali vignettes I styled and shot for a collaboration with Asian Paints.
1. A casual basket of flowers
What about a basket of roses casually sprinkled over the center table, with glistening drops of water on them? (Almost like choosing wild, unmanicured gardens over manicured lawns!) Throw in some gold/brass figurines, warm lighting and you have a surefire conversation starter there.
2. Silverware and warm lighting
Dull, warm
lighting can enhance gold and silver ware and the gorgeous reflection of tea
lights on them. Bring in figurines and flowers to add life to the vignette.
3. A South Indian Diwali vignette as center table décor
Dust off those vintage paintings, and arrange them tastefully with gold plated diyas, gold jewellery, and a Kerala saree or Kanchipuram silk saree to add shimmer and shine this festive season. Group them in a spot with plenty of natural light, and simply let the vignette take centre stage.
4. A classic Indian - Mediterranean combo as Diwali center table décor Match your terracotta diyas with Turkish lamps for a novel look. You could enhance it with silver elements, flowers and shimmering fabric as the backdrop.
5. Silver jewelry and silverware Use your favourite silvers lavishly to infuse drama in your Diwali vignettes.
Time to bring out those silver, enamel earrings. Pair them with your silverware and silks for a centerpiece that glitters, but is not gold.
6. Diya decor
Local markets would be teeming with diyas of all shapes and sizes during this season. Perk up the diya spread interspersing them with quick and easy Rangolis, done using the Rangoli plates which are available in hundreds of beautiful designs.
7. Decorating your pooja room for Diwali
Deco up your Puja rooms tastefully this Diwali. Try a beautiful combination of terracota idols with diyas and mud cooking vessels, flowers and silks. Light up incense sticks and diyas, and transform your pooja space into a sensory delight.
8. Using everyday flowers in a unique way
Jasmine garlands can add instant freshness to your Diwali decor. Mix in a cocktail of lights and ornaments for some quick, sure-fire magic. This is a beautiful idea for work-day evenings during the festive season when you hardly have time,
but wish your home would transform magically in no time!
Wish you all a sparkling season!
If you like these tips, here's a video of this post for you to share/save:
(I shot these images for Asian Paints, and these images now belong to Asian Paints)
While I look forward to visiting Bangalore's annual art festival on the street, the Chitra Santhe in Jan of 2017, thought I should share some of the pictures from this year's. Almost a year past, sigh.
Rightly known as "a Kumbh Mela of art lovers", this sea of mostly original artwork is an amalgamation of artists, well known and little known, newbies and some established ones, average and stellar, those with tiny canvases to mighty ones.
The Santhe is held just once a year. Kumara Krupa Road is blocked for traffic on the day, and let open for artists to set up shop for the day. The green cover in this part of the city is enviable, and makes for a splendid locale for this art fete.
I managed to elbow my way through into some of the tiny stalls and chat up with some of the artists... refreshing! And it is meant to be all in a day's work... 12 hours (all of 12 hours!) is never enough to see the whole exhibition, leave alone engage in conversations with the artists. Nevertheless it is a treat for art lovers, or even simply someone looking to decorate a wall in their home.
Here are some of the frames I caught early this year (why didn't I post these earlier - God knows why)...
Be sure to visit the Santhe if you are in Bangalore on Jan 15th (2017).
This is no atmosphere like an elegant, elitist art museum or gallery.
It is in fact a glorious riot of colors and craftsmanship you just cannot miss, a celebration of the lesser known artists across the country.
And don't miss exploring the entire story here at The unskilled worker.
