Gond Painting Workshop

How do you enjoy workshops? If it's artsy with kids then there's no idea of the time swooshing past...I had a great time with selected kids of Bhavan's Vidya Mandir, Elamakkara. .

This is a much delayed post though...

Last October I had the opportunity to conduct a workshop in Bhavans Vidya Mandir, Elamakkara. They were great at organizing the workshop with much forethought and checking into every detail...I must thank starting from the Principal, Vice-Principal to Sreejyothy mam and Prashob Sir. There were 25 kids from Standard 8 to Standard 12. The kids were amazingly receptive and the outcome was just brilliant!!! They did some fabulous work there.

I gave them a brief intro on Gond painting and then we worked on one of the chosen works. Only the basic sketch was the same. I wanted them to choose their own colours and come up with a signature style/pattern of their own which is one of the prime characteristics of Gond painting and they all did; extremely creatively!!!
The painting was done on handmade paper with acrylic colours.

I am sharing a few pictures, all engrossed in art, here:

With the kids 

A few works...

That's it for now...

Adieu!

Illustration with Gond Art - Panchatantra Retold

I have been busy with a couple of projects...very dear to me and I will be giving a sneak peek too, my friends on one of them :)

It has been an enriching experience for me as I did really go through some intense research on the art form, bought a couple of books for the same and I did enjoy it as I happened to grow and evolve, personally speaking.

The art form I am speaking here is Gond Art from Madhya Pradhesh. Again, it's a tribal art form featuring nature and the nuances between man and nature. It's an exciting art form like any folk art in that we get and tend to be a child...child-like! I enjoy the part when you draw with your heart and not with your brain demanding technical skills in this and that. Missed to mention that it very much reminds me Australian Aboriginal art. Jasmine Bheda of NaishArt Publishers from Pune wanted me to illustrate the famous Panchatantra stories (two of them) in the Gond art style. I just completed the project and off it has been sent to Jasmine. Now, I am eagerly waiting for the published copy :)

You can see and read more about Gond art here. 

So for the sneak-peek, these are the part pictures of the first pages of both the stories:

 The Fox, The Deer and The Crow

Acrylics and Pen

Heron and The Crab

Acrylics and Pen

Now, the books I bought for some research and enlightenment are:

 Signature:Patterns in Gond Art is an amazing book by Tara Publishers and it showcases the works of established as well as emerging artists in the field of Gond art. Each page is a colorful vision of the intricate patterns and designs followed in the art form. It is a work of intense beauty and should be added to the collection of any folk artist.

In this book, Charu Smitha Gupta, talks about the artistic past; it's evolution, the waning and the incredible resurgence of the varied folk art forms.

Both the books are a good read as far any folk art enthusiast is concerned. Love Signature more for it's stunning pictures.

Linking it to Eva and Kristin's PPF!

That's it for this week. In case you liked the post, please do not forget to leave a comment. Your feedback is always valuable. Thank you for taking the time to visit my space :)

Cheers!

Please do not use/reproduce the content (words as well as images) without the written consent of the author.

Prehistoric - IF

This is an unexpected post...I wanted to play IF...after a really long time!!!
This week's topic is Prehistoric and I was reminded of our folk arts...

Prehistoric, A4, Pen and Ink, 

Gond Painting*

“A painted landscape is always more beautiful than a real one, because there's more there. Everything is more sensual, and one takes refuge in its beauty. And man needs spiritual expression and nourishing. It's why even in the prehistoric era, people would scrawl pictures of bison on the walls of caves. Man needs music, literature, and painting-all those oases of perfection that make up art-to compensate for the rudeness and materialism of life.”  - Fernando Botero.

*Gond Painting - It is the tribal art of Madhya Pradesh and has it's origins from the Gonds, the largest Adivasi (tribal) community of Dravidian origin. The term comes from Kond which means Green Mountains in the Dravidian idiom. They inhabited the Vindhyas, Satpura and Mandla region. As most tribal culture would have it, they were closely bonded with nature as is every form of their art. They believe in supernatural forces and Gods and Goddesses as their protectors, their supreme lord being Badadev. They are an agricultural community.

Please do not use/reproduce the content (words as well as images) without the written consent of the author.

Heart Bookmark and Mail Art Swap

Exams! Its a hectic time! Anu's, my daughter's, exams are on and the schedule has tightened up... It will go on until 10 March. I am posting this after giving a model paper for her to write :) Do you also get worked up? I always like to do everything organized.... plan and be ready for it but my daughter is somewhat different and she has taken after her dad who thinks "I will handle it whatever comes my way as I move along..." So moving along....:)

I love reading and many a times I end up making bookmarks whenever I see left over charts or card stocks or materials suitable for it thinking I would use it. But then after making them instead of using it, I collect and preserve it in my 'bookmark box'. Here's one I made for Anu for this Valentines. She had gone to school demanding something special for her by the time she came back home. I practically made this in 10 minutes...the melted crayon sheet was prepared beforehand. So this is pretty easy to make!

To make this, I used a hair dryer to melt the crayons - red, blue and yellow. After it cooled and settled to form a pattern of its own I incorporated it in the bookmarks by cutting hearts out of it. Add a bit of glitz by using sequins, beads or anything of your choice. I have made use of tiny shiny hearts *L.O.V.E*

Postcards that I sent during the first week of February has started reaching its destination. I received news from two of my fellow Mail Art participants. I received two out of three postcards as well. I had displayed it in my previous post here.

As for my postcards, they are these....made with love and care :) Do leave your ever valuable comments; I do read and cherish them! Sorry, am unable to answer back each and every one as I sit before the laptop with a specific time schedule! Earlier when I wasn't this busy I used to, but now-a-days everything seems to be speeding off like a super fast mono train (that's in Japan, right?)!!!!

 Journey - Gond style (Featuring Magazine)

Life Within Life - Madhubani style (Featuring Magazine)

Neon Flowers (Elsia Choi)

 Friends (Mandy Michehl)

Blu Bird (Manuela Giffels)

 Birds - Chikan kari Style (Hrissi Haldezos...she's not part of Postcard Swap...this was sent as a gift with the art that she bought from me)

 Postcards waiting to be mailed...

Seeing all the excitement and buzz, Anu also wanted to do a postcard for Mail Art and she came up with this...and I think it's pretty Stunning for her age with a folk art. I also think the title is apt for what happened behind it's making :) The first two of my postcards along with this went to the Featuring Magazine office; as per their call for Mail Art.

 

Following Suit.... Gond Art by Anoushka, the Lil Artist! (Featuring Magazine)

Anyone interested to see more of her art can visit her space here....Anoushka's Kaleidoscope.

A big thanks to Artists in Blogland for this wonderful opportunity to connect with various like minded artists.

Linking it to Paint Party Friday, to see more of amazing art please do pay a visit :D


Please do not use/reproduce the content (words as well as images) without the written consent of the author.

Friends - Gond Painting

Nature is always an inspiration, one just needs a little bit of time and eye to look around and savour it. I feel closely connected to nature around me; nothing much here though when you are living in a concrete jungle. Still whenever we steal a tiny bit of time we try to spend some quality time enjoying what is left of nature, lately. My husband is not much of a travel person, he has however complied to my earnest appeals after a long time :)

Birds and blooms are very close to my heart; by late last year I had painted this picture after the Gond style.

Gond paintings belong to India's largest indigenous tribal community situated in the heart part of India in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The Gonds are of Dravidian origin and can be traced back to Pre-Aryan era. The word Gond comes from Kond which means green mountains in the Dravidian idiom. Their art is supposed be an expression of their everyday quest for life. They decorated their houses and floors with traditional tatoos and motifs.The fine lines, dots and dashes of traditional Gond Pradhan motifs were introduced to the world by the late painter J.Swaminathan, who discovered a talented seventeen year old Jangarh Singh Shyam decorating the huts of Patangarh in Madhya Pradesh. Jangarh's meteoric rise to fame was marked by his acclaimed exhibitions in Paris and Tokyo and ended on a tragic note with his suicide.

The legacy of Jangarh is captured in the artistic brilliance and creativity of his family who he had mentored in this traditional art form, and thus came about the resurgence of a whole new generation of Shyam.

This is my interpretation of the style;I haven't exactly followed the Gond style though.

   Friends - Acrylics and pen

 Close up

So what do you think about this? Do leave your views and opinions, would love to read them :) 

ps: Linking it to illustration friday after a very long time... The topic is 'Wings'...I thought birds are synonymous with wings for they being the free spirits...and here though they aren't projecting the wings they do intend to take the sky sooner or later :)

Linking it to Paint Party Friday, Show and Tell Saturday@ Artists in Blogland and Illustration Friday

Ref: http://ignca.nic.in/tribal_art_intro_gonds_mp.htm
             http://www.gondtribalart.com/

Please do not use/reproduce the content (words as well as images) without the written consent of the author.