Inktober 2018 - the last of the series

Here's the last of my Inktober series. Though I completed it by 5 Nov. I couldn't post it last week. It was a hectic week and I had so many things to manage. If you haven't seen the earlier two posts, please check it out - Week 1&2 and 3&4.

I first sketch it out on an ordinary A5 size paper and when I feel it's right I transfer it onto my A5 Sketchbook and then colour it with my Winsor & Newton or Liquitex inks. I have been doing monochromes in this series.

 Day 22 - “Rati”

Goddess of Desire, wife of Lord Kamdev (God of Love, the Indian version of Cupid). 

 Day 23 - “Gandhaberunda” 

(2-headed mythological bird believed to possess massive magical strength). This particular sculpture relief is in Rameshwara temple, Keladi. It was the emblem of the Wodeyar Dynasty in the Kingdom of Mysore and is still the official emblem of Karnataka.

 Day 24 - “Kalpavriksha”

the divine wish-fulfilling tree. Also called Kalpatharu.

 Day 25 - “Lord Shiva and Apsara”

Kandariya temple, Khajuraho. 

 Day 26 - “Goddess Meenakshi on Kamadhenu”

Kamadhenu is the wish-fulfilling divine cow. From a photo of a carved temple chariot.

 Day 27 - “Sage Agastya” 

Revered and influential sage, a scholar well-versed in many languages and the celebrated author, among others, of the hymns 1.165 to 1.191 in the Rig Veda.

I found it a bit funny and interesting to see how he is portrayed with a pot-belly! Many of them are done so when in fact in reality that may not be true. 

 Day 28 - “3 men and a baby”

I am not sure about what the story is behind this sculpture but I loved it. The fear, the uneasiness, the discomfort is all so evident and the baby is someone important and has to be saved from the enemy hands!! 😊

I love working in this color - Peat brown from WinsorandNewton; it works beautifully as you want it!❤️

 Day 29 - “Lord Vishnu in yoga nidra.” (cosmic sleep) 

The sleep focuses on the infinite reality of his own identity. 

I loved working with the “knots”! As much I used to feel uncomfortable drawing serpent, I am getting the hang of it now. 

 Day 30 - “Pashupatinath” 

(a rare depiction of Lord Shiva) 

Many of the photo references show half-destroyed and some in ruins...a lot of history and lot of grieving there.

Day 31 - “Matrika Chamundi”

10 or 11c - Khajuraho.

And I complete my Inktober 2018 !!!! 31 drawings!!! Thanks to every one of you who followed my Inktober journey, cheering and supporting me!!! Looking forward to more of your love and support.😊❤️

Hope you all could complete a body of work too and even if not, no pressure...one can go on at one's pace. There are no hard and fast rules, it's just to work on our skills, right?!

Inktober - Week 3 & 4 - Temple Sculptures

Inktober has reached mid-way and I am lagging 5 days as I had to travel to Dubai, just 3 days; the fourth day we were travelling back before my visa expired. By the time I got back, I was down with fever and severe allergies! But I lost one day because of my health but tried to go with it even though my posting time got delayed. So here's Week 3 and 4... (In case you haven't seen...Week1&Week2 )

I first sketch it out on an ordinary A5 size paper and when I feel it's right I transfer it onto my A5 Sketchbook and then colour it with my Winsor & Newton or Liquitex inks. I am doing monochromes in this series.

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments here, in FB and on Instagram. It really inspires to do more! Love you all!

 Day 13 - “Kaliya Daman” 

- Taming of Kaliya (many hooded venomous snake) by Lord Krishna. 

 Day 14 - it’s a sculpture from Pala, Bihar. 

Looks like a scene from the war front. There’s something in here that I like it a lot; must be how one form fuses into the other particularly in the vertical format! 

 Day 15 - “Shiva-Parvathy Kalyanam” 

(Marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathy)

{*Aside - "I find working with purple and pink inks difficult in this series...they have a mind of their own!"}

 Day 16 - "Naga-Nagini" 

(mating snake couple) from Belur. 

Belur and Halebidu are twin cities in Hassan district of Karnataka known for the exquisite and intricate temples carvings which are UNESCO world heritage sites. They were built by Amarashilpi (‘immortal’ architect) Jakkanna Acharya under the Hoysala Dynasty.

One of my personal favourites!

 Day 17 - "Varaha" 

(the boar avatar of Lord Vishnu) with Bhudevi (Mother Earth). 

This avatar, according to mythology, was adorned to save Mother Earth from Hiranyaksha, the fierce demon. This sculpture is supposed to be from the 8th or 9th century!

 Day 18 - “Yogini” 

- from Uttar Pradesh, 8th Century. 

 Day 19 - “Avalokitesvara” 

(earthly manifestation of the self-born eternal Buddha Amitabha; the bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas). The bodhisattva is depicted in different cultures as either male or female. This is referred from a photo of a 10C sculpture found in Pala, Bihar.

 Day 20 - “Vrishabha” 

(bull, here the female counterpart of Nandi - the gate-guardian if Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva and the vehicle of the Lord), Yogini temple, Khajuraho, 10c.

Day 21 - "Mahishasuramardini"

Goddess Durga slaying the buffalo-headed demon, Mahishasura.

Just 10 more to for me while only a week is left for the Inktober to be officially over. I am going to finish it but maybe I will run a little into the first week of November. But that's ok, right! The important thing is to finish a body of work! 

"So how's your Inktober going??"

Inktober - Week 1 & 2 - Temple Sculptures

Inktober is here again and yes, it’s pretty exciting!! I took part in Inktober last year for the first time and fortunately I was able to complete 31 drawings in 31 days. Hopefully this year too! Like last year I am again not going with the official prompts and I have my own theme and I am sticking to temple sculptures, our very own centuries-old traditional Indian sculptures. I have references from google images and Pinterest. Most of the information is unavailable though like where it’s from and when it dates back to. I am concentrating more on the forms and shapes and the feel of it.

I first sketch the image on an ordinary A5 size paper and when I feel it's right I transfer it onto the sketchbook and then I ink it. It's a bit of tedious process though and it is consuming a lot of time but then I am enjoying the whole process though. I have limited my colours to one and a couple of times two, to have the feel of monochrome. I had intended to begin my Inktober post last Friday but unfortunately, I couldn't. So this is Week 1 and 2 together.

 Apsara (celestial singer or dancer) or *Shalabanjika

...either of these.

"Garuda and Naga"

Garuda is the “King of birds” and the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Vishnu. According to Hindu Mythology, Garuda has a synthesis of an eagle and human form; symbolic of birth and heaven while Naga represents death and the underworld. It could very well go with the prompt ‘poisonous’ as well.

“Mother and Child”

I think this could go well with the second prompt “Tranquil” too...look at the child's face.

*Shalabanjika 

11C from Khajuraho

- a woman’s sculpture with stylised features often seen holding a branch of a tree, sometimes mirror or lamp. They are often in poses of dance, music or even grooming themselves. They have complex hairdos and adorned with lavish jewellery. Shalabhanjika holding a tree is also a symbol of fertility.

Shalabanjika in Markanda temple in Maharashtra, it is also called Mini Khajuraho. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

A grooming, adorning Shalabanjika. 

This is a simple one. I am mesmerised by the complex ones that I have seen in many temples with gorgeous intricate work. Now that I have warmed up enough, I am starting my hand at that. 

Shalabanjika on Eastern Torana (gateway) of Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh.
The colours are more peachy orange than the red that shows here! I loved this pose and the way she intertwines herself with the branch of the tree.

"Goddess Saraswati"

-goddess of knowledge, wisdom, creative arts and learning of all sorts. She’s part of the Trinity, along with Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Parvathy.

From Meenakshi Amman temple, Madurai. 

The temple dates back to 1st century CE and finds mention in the earliest Sangam Literature. The temple has withstood the test of time and many foreign invasions and lootings. It was rebuilt and restored by Nayaka Dynasty and by various other rulers. It was again degraded during the British rule and was completed only in 1995. The temple is famous for Ayirakkal mandapam (1000 pillared hall) built by Ariyanatha Mudaliar is well-known for excellent engineering skills blended with artistic vision. There are several other mandapas too.

 “Vishnu-Lakshmi” 
Reference is of a 10C damaged buff sandstone from Uttar Pradesh.

A "fanfare" - trying something different! 

"Dancing Ganesha"
One of my personal favourites! What do you think??
I love Ganesha in all forms! 

This is actually a wonderful journey for me trying things not tried before and I quite like the outcome too though it’s consuming a lot of time. I am not sure whether I will be able to complete with some travelling coming up next week!

So which one is your favourite here (if any!) ??

Brihadeeswara Temple - Tanjavur

The colour prompt for this week was :

Red, Royal Blue and a splash, smudge or pop of Light Blue

This week I am staying down South with an architectural marvel, another Dravidian splendor, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1954 and which observed it's Millennium Celebrations in September 2010. It is located in Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu...Any guesses (my brothers and sisters) ??? (and let me also tell you with utmost pleasure that I have been here...thanks to my uncle and aunt who took me there years back during my college vacation. I experienced AWE! I also had the pleasure of watching Sonal Mann Singh mesmerizing the audience with her Odissi [traditional dance form of Odisha]...It was MAGICAL!!!)

Yes, it is the Brihadeeswara Temple, also called the Peruvudiar Kovil or the Periya Kovil (Big Temple) built by Raja Raja Chola 1 of the Chola Dynasty and was built in just 5 years from 1004 to 1009...considering that there were no cranes or any of the hi-fi modern machinery!!! Some interesting factors about this temple are that the Shikharam or the top most part of the tower seen as the circular part of the gopuram or the tower is supposed to be built in single stone weighing 60 tonnes and just imagine how the skilled labourers would have positioned it on top of 216 feet tall tower!!! It is believed that the temple doesn't cast it's shadow inside the temple premises as well and that is SOME kind of engineering and expertise which even the 21st century hi-tech engineers fail to present.

Acrylics, Texture base & Pen

Winsor & Newton Acrylic pad, 300gsm

This mammoth temple was built on the behest of Raja Raja Chola 1 by Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthachan. I have noticed that we are unaware of the creators of the many marvels surrounding us. According to Wikipedia he is the ancestor of  Dr.V.Ganapati Sthapati, (Founder of the Vastu Vedic Research Foundation) who was a renowned architect who adhered to the Vastu Shastra tradition. He built the famous 133' granite statue of Thiruvalluvar (of SOC week 1) near the Swami Vivekananda Memorial.

Dr.V.Ganapati Sthapati receiving Shilpaguru Award from the then President of India, Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

Dr.Ganapati is the brain behind the initiation of The American University of Mayonic Science and Technology. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award.

The chief deity is Lord Shiva, however the Goddess, Lord Subramania & Lord Ganesha shrines were added on in the later periods by different rulers of different dynasty.

A unique kind of painting style evolved during this period...may be that was what later on transformed into the exquisite Tanjavur Paintings.

 Mural found in the temple

 Painting on the roof of the temple

A Few other exemplary murals that has stood the test of time :)

Linking it to PPF & SOC...to drool over the variety of artworks, please hop over :D 

In case you would like to own this piece - Brihadeeswara Temple, you can drop me a mail...for details please write in to mail.huesnshades@gmail.com

PS: Please do not forget to leave a comment...I would like to know what and how you feel :)

Thanks a ton for stopping by...and O, in case you would to be updated on what's happening here, please click Follow :)

Disclaimer: All the information and the images other than my paintings are the result of research in the Net. In case there is any erroneous info please do let me know and I will rectify it. Thanks!

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

Nellaiappar Temple - Tirunelveli (Mixed Media Art)

A 700 AD built temple of Dravidian architecture which is one of the largest temples in South India dedicated to Lord Shiva in Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) by a Pandiyan King is what I have chosen this week for SOC Week 4. Spread over 14 acres of land it has various mandapams and ambalams for multitude of activities...the most famous being the Manimandapam with musical pillars that produces various pitches when struck. Somavara mandapam has 1000 pillared hall, Vasantha mandapam with a lovely garden, Thaamira ambalam, the Copper hall of Dance and Tamra Sabha adorned with intricate wood work...the temple itself is an architectural splendour.

Color prompt for the week:

Pink, Apple Green and a pop, splash, smudge of Dark Green

Acrylics, texture base & pen, A3 size

Winsor&Newton acrylic pad, 300gsm

The dark green can be seen on the gopuram or the tower like structure...can I call it smudge, SOC girls?!

Linking it to SOC, PPF & Mix it Monthly :)

Please do leave your comments...I would love to hear from you :D

ps: I was unable to make my visits last week...which will dealt with soon...thanks for your visits and patience :)

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

Jain Temple - Palakkad

Jainism still prevails among a few families in my small town and the greatest gift would be the 15th century Jain temple situated around 3 kms from Palakkad town. The area around this temple is called Janimedu and is located near the Kalpathy river. The primary deity is Chandraprabha and the temple displays images of Thirthankaras and Yakshinis. Something that we can help but notice is that the temple is devoid of ant decorations...it's quite a simple and quiet temple. It does permeate an austere air. 

 Lavender looks more of blue here... :(

The temple I have tried to portray is the Old Jain temple before renovation. The temple has a different look now which was renovated last year but the old one is more dear to my heart...never have I seen the old structure though. The rites and everything associated with the temple is taken care of by a family from Karnataka who have been settled in Palakkad for ages. The priest however is a young boy who came over to a new land to perform the prayers and rites...who was in the process of learning the local tongue and who had immediately taken affection on the local kids that he even bought them dresses after his first visit from his hometown :)

The color prompt for this week:

Lavender, Gray & pop of Plum

A closer look:

 A view of the texture base

Can you see the glass beads??? I love 'em!!!

The 'bestest' thing that I came to know while going through the info about the temple is that our great poet Kumaranasaan wrote his epic Veenapoovu (Fallen Flower) in one of the Jain houses near by.

Linking it to SOC & PPF

Here's a sneak peak at my daughter's submission...pls do drop by to have a look at what this about-to-be -11year-old is up to :D 

Click HERE to visit her art... or click on the picture...

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