Art and Emotions in One Frame

A few days back, when I was busy completing yet another craft project, my mom came up to me and stretched out her hand to give me something and said, ‘Can you make something for this?’ On realizing what she was handing over to me, my eyes welled up with tears. It was mom and dad’s first photograph after marriage.

They had kept it preserved since 1965 and gleefully narrated the day they had gone to get the picture clicked at a famous studio in Connaught Place, Delhi (India). A few days after their wedding mom and dad went to get their first professionally clicked photograph as a couple. On that day, dad adorned his favorite black suit and mom wore a pretty orange sari, along with her wedding jewelry. I love this photograph of mom and dad and till date we tell mom that they made for the most charming couple we have ever seen.

After we had refurnished the house some years back, the photograph had been taken off the photo frame and kept safely in a plastic wrap to make space for new show pieces and other family photos.

Ever since we lost dad a few years back, mom had very rarely mentioned to us about dad and how much she missed her life partner. That day when mom handed me the photograph felt as if she was asking me to help her revive and relive her long forgotten moments and feel dad’s presence in her life.

I could not have let go of a chance to get some positive vibes to mom’s life and especially when she was the one keen on that. That’s when I decided to make a photo frame for the picture, rather than purchasing one.

Some online tutorials and my creativity helped me create a lovely cardboard photo frame to fit my favorite photograph. I added to its beauty by using quilling art and some Fevicryl Golden Glitter Glue to decorate it.

I was the most satisfied when the best feedback for the picture frame came from mom when she said, ‘tune to char chand laga diye humari photo par’ (An idiom used in Hindi to tell that a thing looks prettier that before).

The Photo in its frame sits beautifully on a showcase in the living room of my house and usually gets an appreciative notice from the guests.

Hope you like this.

First 500 Likes!

Its just been a little under two months when I published my first post on ‘A Homemaker’s World’ and I proudly mention the first 500 likes on my blog.

Thank you all for appreciating and encouraging me with your compliments every time I post on the blog.

This means a lot to me and will definitely take my zest for writing more interesting posts and articles one step ahead.

Hugs!!

Photography Instincts: Water Droplets Captured My Way

Mornings can get so monotonous and bore you out when you have to get down to doing household chores even before a refreshing cup of tea.

I captured this photograph on an early winter morning in my kitchen, at the time when I had just set cold milk to boil on the gas burner. Yes, that’s true and that’s why I call myself an instinctive photographer. 😉

I had an instinct to capture these tiny droplets in my lens before the heat of the flames made them vanish into nowhere, leaving me in the kitchen with the daily chores.

When the cold milk came in contact with the heat from the flame, tiny droplets of water appeared on the outside of the vessel. They trickled down and at some places formed a trail of water or left an array of tiny water droplets descending from the rim of the vessel to form bigger ones at the bottom, creating visually appealing patterns.

Tiny Droplets Creating a Lovely Pattern

The beautiful picture that the droplets created, made me think of yet another beautiful morning.

As I observed the water droplets sliding and gliding down the milk vessel, my gaze fell through the kitchen window on the leaves and flowers in the garden area, on which similar dew drops rested, waiting for the warmth of the morning sun to make them evaporate into thin air.

The droplets of water on the vessel in my kitchen and the dew drops that lay on the leaves and flowers outside, made me wonder about the magic of science and nature, and how the greatest magician up there makes His presence felt every moment, even in the smallest of things, the dullest of chores. So idyllic and mesmerizing!

And no doubt some wise men always say, ‘enjoy the smallest pleasures of life’!

Ocean Stone Painting: Creativity and Beyond

My love for experimenting with colors took a new path when I decided to do some pebble painting. Here in Delhi, it’s easier to find piles of bricks ready to build huge bungalows and mansions, but finding one pebble is quite an impossible task.

My eyes kept searching at various places for those oval pebbles, which could be painted and set around that Ganesha idol in my living room, further enhancing the beauty of the idol of the Lord of new beginnings. That was the idea I initially had for my living room decor.

Unfortunately or fortunately, I could not find the desired pebbles and rather on searching around the garden area of my own house I found hidden treasures from my father’s gardening days. These were some relatively big, beautiful, oval shaped ocean stones, which dad had collected especially for decorating around the earthen flower pots in our house. How had I not seen them till now!

Perfect for making a beautiful centerpiece for a table, I painted one of the stones all green. On that, I painted a beautiful feather in yellow outlined with golden paint on one side and a simple abstract design in gold on the other. This made it a perfect, reversible centerpiece for the lobby table.

Painted Ocean Stone

I placed the stone in a flat China vase and surrounded it with green marbles.

Painted Stone as a Centerpiece in Flat China Vase Surrounded with Green Marbles

Reverse of the Ocean Stone Painted with Abstract Design

The painted stone at the center of the house signifies strong foundation and stability, while the green marble spheres are a symbol of constant movement and entry of positive energy in the house. The color green itself signifies hope, harmony and good atmosphere around the house.

So much said, I found a way to display my talent and make a lovely decorative piece for my home. It came at a precious price of patience and creativity added up together. 🙂

Hope you like this.

My Tryst with the Paint Brush: Radha Krishna Painting

Yes, I do have a special connection with God and this makes me the person I am. I certainly believe in the presence of a guiding power above. Even as a child when I used to paint or sketch, I sketched Gods.

Indians are born and brought up in an environment of moral, cultural and traditional values. And my parents always taught me to be conscious about the presence of the Almighty, who is not only keeping a close watch on us but guiding us at every step we take. This feeling has kept me humble, made me a good critic of myself and helped me develop a personality that makes me thank the Almighty everyday for a beautiful day.

When I hold the paint brush, it’s usually me and him, the paint brush. I am not the kind of painter, who has learnt the art, studied the subject and can paint a beautiful sketch anytime and anywhere, but yes, I do have a creative side.

People say the subject of the paintings, the use of colours and the story behind the painting exhibit’s an artist’s thoughts, frame of mind and emotional state.

I love to pick the paint brush when I am connected with my internal self, the self that I explain as pure, passionate, happy, and most importantly, satiated about how life presently treats me.  This is when I feel closest to the purest part in me, the God (as they say everyone has God deep within them, you only need to have the eyes to see the invisible).

This is one reason that when I sketch or paint, there is an angle of godliness, beauty, culture and tradition in some way.

This time, my heart said I think of Love as my subject of art. And when one connects love with godliness, the only image that comes to mind is of the ‘Yugal Sarkar’ (Young almighty couple), Lords Radha and Krishna.

Radha Krishna

Lord Krishna is said to be so fond of Radha ji that in order to please Him, you just need to please Radhe Rani. That’s why people all over the world fondly chant ‘Radhe Radhe’.

I made this painting using handmade paper, fabric and water colours, and marker pens. A quick sketch of the Lords of Love and I got down to painting a beautiful and colourfully vibrant image.

This painting represents the Yugal Sarkar, the couple, the epitome of oneness, signifying that the universe is complete by the presence of both masculine and feminine energies. The portrait presents them in pure bliss, with Krishna playing the flute and Radha helping him hold it, this according to me, is a display of love, harmony and understanding in a relationship.

The peacock feather that Krishna adorns on his head is said to ward off negativity from the environment and the beautiful colours in the feather bring happiness and good vibes.

The yellow clothes worn by Shri Krishna symbolise his Pitaambar dhari (wearer of yellow attire, another name for various avatars of Vishnu) form that reflects His ultimate level of knowledge and godliness, while Radha Rani’s Red and Green attire portrays her as the Goddess of youth, beauty, fertility, love and happiness.

These are my musings and portrayal of the ultimate power of love and harmony through this colourful painting of Lords Radha Krishna.

Hope you like this.

Its just the beginning

Hi there, all you homemakers, glad to have you here!

So here I am; after all these years of running around for studies, corporate life, challenges of the personal life; taking an altogether different route to connect back with my long lost friends, family, make new friends and share loads of stuff that forms an integral part of a homemaker’s life.

This is a platform for all the working/non-working, married/single women to share their thoughts, experiences, expertise and hobbies, speak their hearts out, share their daily challenges and their ways of dealing with them.

Check this space for cooking, home décor, fashion, beauty, DIY projects and much more. And not to forget sharing lots of personal daily life experiences, funny or emotional, with all you readers out there.