Happy New Year folks, and a Roundup of (blog-year) 2014

Wish you a sparkling new year 

filled with positive, creative energy! 

Spread love and cheer as you go, 

and may your dreams have wings!

And Thank You, from the bottom of my heart, for hanging out with A Sunny Yellow Window every now 'n then. 

I promise to bring you the best of what my right-brain can conceive and curate in 2015 and the years to come :-)

Here's a round-up of 2014 with a few old posts you might still find relevant and useful:

7 Reasons Why Creative Entrepreneurs Must Have a Social Media Strategy

Wood-Block Art DIY

An ode to the Leather and Fabric duo

Frida Kahlo - a face that launched a thousand products

Transforming Spaces with Art - Aradhana Anand's gorgeous Delhi home

Designing a room around Artwork

Transforming Spaces with Art: 8 Creative Ways to Display Art

And in case you are planning your travel to these places and need ideas on artisan visits:

Craft Tour: Mask Making in Sri Lanka

A Bohemian Home Tour - a gem of a place to stay in Colombo

Beautiful remnants of colonialism in Sri Lanka

11 Must-Do Textile Tours and Craft Tours in India

Art & Artisans of Fez & Asilah: Morocco on my mind

Signing off for the year,
ambika.

The Evolution of a Canvas - Gypsy and Deer - New Artwork update!

A blank canvas is intimidating and exciting at the same time. 

When you start off, there are a riot of ideas in your head which spin and swirl and do the somersault with every stroke of the brush on the canvas.
Several coffee breaks and iterations later, you decide to call it Done.
In fact, it is never Done, it can evolve as long as the canvas stays with you. Calling it complete is often a tough call to make. Have you felt the same way too?

I definitely prefer it that way though - just as in life - a broad layout to start with, and then set off on an adventure. Chuck guided-tours!

Thought it better to show you my canvas from start to finish in this quick animated-gif.

Midway, I tried to bring in other aspects of this gypsy's life, but finally chose to keep it just to this precious moment between Man and Nature.

A moment in her day when she chooses to pause and befriend a deer that crosses her path.

Gypsy and Deer. Ambika Sudhakaran, 2014

This happens to be the second in my series of Gypsy art.

See the first here - Flower Gypsy.

Bespoke Magazine and Wood-Block Art DIY

You ought not to miss the action at the Bespoke Magazine - a quarterly publication "jam-packed with crafty projects, handmade products, artisan interviews, indie business inspiration and tips, and an abundance of creative inspiration. The magazine is primarily for and by the creative and handmade community, and is "designed to delight and inspire the international creative community." The Bespoke blog is also loaded with creative content - tips for business owners, DIYs, etc.

Why am I excited?

I am guest blogging at Bespoke this entire week.

Today's post is a smart wood-block art DIY that you can try out too. How do you transform plain-Jane wood blocks into a piece of art in seven easy steps? 

Here is a glimpse... 

Please go over to the post on Bespokezine to read in detail and see the process. Do tell me if you have done any wood block artwork, would love to see yours too.

May the sun shine bright on your week! 

Art Journal Exploits Prompt #6 - LEAF

I think this prompt has endless possibilities. Even as I type, I can picture it being represented in a zillion beautiful ways.

I painted/journaled it this way!

 

She shares secrets with the leaves and the wind.

A happy rest-of-the-week folks!

Color Blocking for Summer, and Art Journal Exploits Prompt #5

Summer doesn't sizzle as much here in pleasant Bangalore as in various other places in the tropics. However color blocking with summery hues and Juicy Watermelons are definitely on top of my mind.

I put it down on canvas today...

Juicy, yes!

Alrighty, Your Art Journal Exploits Prompt #5 is

Summer! 

Tell me what is top-of-your-mind when you hear "Summer"

Art Journal Exploits - Prompt #2 - Portrait

I exchanged some interesting notes, and got to meet (virtually) a lot of creatives who journal their heart out! A truly enthusiastic bunch of them linked up with some wonderful pages, and I am glad we got it rolling! I hope this has been of help in getting atleast some of you to reach for your journals! :-) Click here to reach prompt #1 and see the journal pages linked up!

And, 

This week (March 17-23), let's go for

Portraits

To see the rest of the prompts go here.

And this is what I have to share with you folks, the first time I ever let my paint brush lead me, instead of the other way round. I like it this way!
I usually just "color within the lines".

I let all the colors run down and meet at the very bottom... my way of saying - She is one with Nature.

Pleased to update that this 8*8 inch artwork is now Sold. 

Now, I'll wait for your versions of Portraits.
Have a good week ahead!

Gypsy Woman - New Artwork

A free-spirited traveller, born to be a nomad.
There definitely is more to her than just travelling around...
She dabbles in making music, creating art, foretelling fortunes, tattooing,
and even journalism as does a modern-day Gypsy.

Here is my whimsical interpretation of a moment in a Gypsy woman's day
when she pauses to pick up and wear flowers,
before getting back to her chores and her journey.

Frida inspired, for sure!

Gypsy woman

This piece is Sold.

Critique is most welcome! Pls send me an email (ambika.kolangarakath@gmail.com) to add you to the mailing list announcing any new artwork for sale.

DIY Ideas - Wooden Clothespin Couple in Love

Bliss. Love this. 

Totally inspired by the kissing clothespin couples' DIY ideas by Jessie Jane of LilyShop and Brittany Watson Jepson of The House that Lars Built. 

I had pinned these a long time ago, 

And here is my version. An Indianised version.

Red saree-clad young Indian woman kissing her man :-) 

  

Thoroughly enjoyed doing this one. Quick, and brings a smile to my face each time I see it!

Materials used ... wooden clothespin, a strip of cloth resembling a saree, black and red acrylic paint. 

Linking on to That DIY Party and Craft-O-Maniac to share today's joy.

DIY Ideas - Decoupaged Coasters

I decided to go Handmade this wedding anniversary of ours.
And went berserk with the DIY ideas in my head, mod podge, coloured handmade Auroville paper, and three plain wooden coasters who simply got weary being called plain-Jane by daily morning cups of tea!

Better half S is a super-dad, loves football and is a great companion. So all I had to do was to make the three coasters tell these stories...

Howdya like these decoupaged coasters?
Linking to the weekly story at Colours Dekor

Art Journal - Painting Poems

A Haathi Chaap scrapbook for an art journal, Potli wooden blocks from Kadam, multi-hued watercolors, a black pigment liner, and a few words waiting to be strung together - were my tools of the trade.

I'm sure most of you know of Haathi Chaap, the folks who celebrate Elephant Dung paper. With that they create organic stationery, which sport the coolest of logos, and I like the post script on their homepage ... "No, it doesn't smell of poo. Really!" :-)

Incidentally, here's a fun picture I caught at the Singapore zoo.

And so,
my Haathi Chaap scrapbook flaunting the mammal's behind, and tied together with a ribbon, was waiting for the right inspiration. So were the hugely popular wooden blocks from Kadam.

I penned down two small poems.

One, of a tree calling out to his feathered friends. 

And another of a parrot's song 

And did I have fun splashing color on these beautifully textured pages!

Am linking on to the weekly story @Colours Dekor.

Dear Paint, love the way you do that rainbow!

'tis the story of five mud pots that lived in a corner of home, and needed some Color!

Out came my acrylic paints ...

Did a deep blue on two of 'em

With a white twig on one.

Merged blues, white and green on another ...

Popped out one dirty fellow with a yellow...

Gave the fifth a worn out look, as if the blue-green-pink pattern inside was washed away with many years of the dark brown.

Up they perched on my ledge, 

Along with a painting of mine.

Go, Show off yourselves to all, 

The shapes and colours of thine!

What is your critique, and pick-of-the-lot?
Am linking this to The Weekly Story @ Colours Dekor.

To get that rustic look on furniture!

Have you ever worked with chalk paint... (not chalkboard paint)
I've been wanting to try it on a piece of furniture!

Miss Mustard Seed uses it brilliantly, I simply love her work... authentic! Have a look at some of her creations.

A few rounds of sanding after painting gives this beautiful effect. That awesome chalky finish.

And here's the work of Shaunna @The Perfectly Imperfect blog..

And from another...

Are chalk paints available in India, does any manufacturer sell them here? Have come across Annie Sloan's, but they aren't sold around here.

The alternative is to try dry brush painting to create the faux weathered texture, as in...

Anything for this rustic charm!! What say?

[Click on the pictures to visit their sources and for how-to's.]

Art Journal - Sketch a Plant

I found this an interesting exercise @The Rainforest Garden, you sketch one plant every week ... you get back your sketching habits, and learn to appreciate the curves on your green friends!

I believe it is never possible to re-create the colors or perfection of nature. And this attempt only reinforced that belief. Color pencils usually create pictures which are farthest from an original, and here's an attempt with them.

This is one of my favorite plants from our balcony garden. Happily nods its head when watered, healthy, and most importantly, is not high-maintenance!

Do you know its name? Scientific name, local name, pet name ;-) anything? For now, its Heart-Shaped Burst-o-Green!

So why don't you brush up your drawing skills, join in this weekly rhythm! Try riding your finger through a leaf, feel its shape, try to re-create it, fail (or perhaps you might not), and scrapbook it for memories sake!

DIy Ideas - Retro Repurposed Jug

Time to put some inspirations to action!
Some of you might remember the steel jug which I dished out of my cupboard after it was tucked in there for a very long time. This Saturday gave me the time to hunch up on a bean bag, jug in hand, a design on my mind, paints and brushes strewn all around me - my fingers itching to repurpose this otherwise not-too-useful object at our home.

I love the symmetry of bare brick walls. And flowers peeping out through the bricks. So here goes!

I intended it to be yellow, but it turned out an almost flourescent leaf green. Nevermind!

Let me make it clearer with the writing on the wall <grin> - a name board of wooden pallets at the bottom, claiming "repurposed"

Electric blue for the handle and knob,
and random brushstrokes with generous dollops of paint for the lid ...

Pebbles are the other surface apart from paper and fabric that I have ever experimented with. So inevitably unlearned-learned a couple of things after these few hours of trying to figure out how to paint on steel. A Google search would've been easier, but this was more fun! 
One: To cover a large surface of metal, it is best to spray-paint. Paint brushes leave their bristle-trail throughout.
Two: Not one, not two, but three coats of paint will be enough. Just one will definitely let the steel show through.
Three: Acrylic (fabric) paint is extremely versatile. It apparently can be used on wood, earthenware, and thermocol as well. (Hmmm!! There is a small wooden table lying bare-brown at home, if only S would agree :P)

Done! I dust my hands in satisfaction, stretch my legs out, and head for a cup of tea.

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear if you have painted jugs, or pitchers, or mugs, or the town ;-) Do share a link if any in a comment.
Until then, let the sun shine on your day!

Linking this to SNS @Funky Junk Interiors, Creative Bloggers Party Hop, Colours Dekor and Lovely Crafty Weekend.