Three Delightful Stories

Two weeks ago, I got hold of a sketch poem book by Bangalore based artist Prabha Narayanan who blogs here. Delightful to say the least, the book is on and is called Nature and comes alive with easy watercolor strokes and poetry in the artist's own handwriting, and fits snugly in my palm. 
I first read about it in Priya Sebastian's The Plum Tree, and knew instantly that I had to buy it. A few email exchanges with Prabha and a copy of the book was mine. I have it up on my ledge like a fresh piece of art.

I also logged into Twitter after ages, never really understood the fun in it. But now I'm sort of hooked! I see several folks who write wittily, gives me interesting links, travellers, illustrators, and those who just write creatively about what they see around them. I really don't mind spending some time during my 1.5 hour bus journey to work, reading observant people who can play with words.
Tell me you are there too! You can find me @PopOfBright.

Let me leave you with this today...
                                                                  I opened an old book, 

Smelt the old pages.

As I flipped through the story, 

Which climaxes in Spring,

I found pressed 'ol flowers 

Between the pages.

Good day fellow bloggers!

Pattern Inspirations from Hampi

As you drive past wayside scenes as regular as small colorful houses, children playing on the streets, pigs and cows and dogs on the road, bullock carts, and old men sitting under the shade of trees, little would you think that this small village in North Karnataka was the capital of an Empire more than five hundred years ago.

A visit to Hampi, as any site of ancient ruins, evokes in you a strong feeling of awe of how prosperous the place must've been in its heydays. The temple stone carvings here are not as elaborate as you would see in other parts of India, but are awe-inspiring nevertheless. Now in ruins, they stand a reminder of the invasions by the Muslim-ruled Deccan Sultanates way back in the 1600s.

Apart from memories of the kingdom's past grandeur, I also brought back in my camera some of the simpler, easy-to-reproduce patterns from the ruins .... simplest among all the complex ones I spotted there.

As travel memories at home, I must try painting them onto fabric, paper, canvas, walls, urns, or tiles - to remind me of the place each time I walk by!

How about these as borders?

This string of elephants would make a happy border along the edge of a wall, or on a stole!

I got to try this one

Have to add in this pic of an elephant we spotted.

Love the frame - colors on his trunk, and the blue window behind.

On another note, let me proudly share this too ... that A Sunny Yellow Window has been added to the Directory of Best Indian Blogs in the Arts category, and I am Mighty pleased! :-) A big thank you to the IndianTopBlogs.com team. Do visit their website for a listing of several wonderful Indian blogs.

Coming back to topic, tell me which heritage site has inspired you to Create, Write, Paint, Stitch, Engrave, Decoupage or just Poster-it-up-on-your-wall.

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.

Travel Blogging!

(Update Dec 2014: All posts from the travel blog moved to this blog. However you can definitely proceed to read the post below :-)

The most unassuming of all foot wear, the flip-flops or the desi Hawaii chappals instantly strike a chord with most Indians. The slap of these blue-whites against heels is an all too familiar sound, isn't it?

Most of us keep them for home. Random cyclists wear them for the road, the Mamta Banerjees wear them to work, "cool" college goers wear 'em to classes, avid trekkers wear them while at their passion ...


Cushions your feet while walking, takes you from place to place, simple, elemental.

I also believe a place should be explored on feet to really appreciate the small wonders it has to offer. So go as you may - train, air, road ... but at the destination, tread joyfully on the roads less taken, breathe in local flavours, chat up with the locals, taste their authentic food.. What do you think??


With that I welcome you to the small wonders in travelling, and to my new travel blog - The Hawaii-Chappal Trail :-) As cool or uncool as that sounds, it is what I love about travelling ... basic, refreshing experiences through walking the planet! 

Do peep in, and let me know in a comment if you have a travel blog too, would love to read it!

Here's to a sunny week ahead.