Gifts :)

Yesterday, I turned a year older. Again.  (why does this keep happening every year?!!)

But, received some lovely gifts.

My friend in the box started crocheting this on the day she heard that I’d resigned from the box. She would weave it bit by bit, every day, after going home from the box. And she gave it to me as a farewell/ birthday gift. Such a warm and lovely gesture

I can sew a bit – but knitting and crocheting are unknown skills. So this is really a work of art for me.

And this gift is a shawl from Sindh, Pakistan. Yes, really, from across the border A friend of ours had gone there on a press-tour, and got this shawl with such rich, warm colours. It is called an Ajrak  - a unique form of blockprinted shawls created in Sindh. Its lovely

And best of all – this from K!

A field hockey stick!!! yippee .

(making do with a tennis ball right now, till i get proper hockey ball. But wow, i love this gift. I’d given away my old stick to a cousin, who never took to the game, and lost my other one. I’ve held a hockey stick after ages – so this is just just just great. It also came to me on the day our team made it to the finals of the Champions Challenge. I smell a good omen )

 

“So you take that leap!”

In one of my most despairing hours in the box, i’d drawn this in my book.

Finally, I’ve stepped off.

Yesterday was my last working day in the box. I’ve got out of there, and have set out to do the things that will make me happy. Its possible I’ll fail, but at least I’ll have the satisfaction of having tried.

I’ve been prodded, nudged, pushed, and supported to take this decision by some very close people; to all of whom I’m deeply indebted. “So you take that leap!” was an inspiration that came all the way from Brisbane.

I did.
And I’m happy.

Copying the Masters

…or learning from them

Two weeks ago I made my first trip to Rajasthan as part of my work in the box and was taking some pictures of a village women’s meeting. One of the images i captured was this.

Even as i was framing it, the one image that kept coming to me was Dorthea Lange’s iconic depression era photograph of the migrant mother. And throughout the shoot I was consciously trying to match that image.

History, memory, readings and interpretations. In strange places. In stranger ways.

October 2011

State of mind: Out of Focus

Lessons…

Fishy Tales: A Photostory

photos taken on a muggy morning at MandarMoni, on a fungus ridden Nikon D80. Sepia tones and border added via my latest Mac.

Sometimes…

What I want right now.

 

* Sunlight among clouds

* Cloud shadows on hills

* Hills covered with green grass and tiny blue flowers

* The Time Travel Machine.

* Ability to forget that all of the above are impossible for me right now.

 

 

Sometimes life can be utter bollocks.

Sojourn Souvenier

Hmm, a regular leather coin purse from Calcutta, you think?

tada! look at the design they have used!

Wow, i love spotting glimpses of our ancient history in every day objects. The motifs used are from the Indus valley civilization, (3300–1300 BC).The Indus Valley is one of the world’s earliest urban civilizations, along with its contemporaries, Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.
Among the various finds during excavations in the last century, archaeologists were astonished to find this figure of the dancing girl and much later, the sculpture of the “priest king”

kitschy? perhaps. But actually i want to tip my hat to the artist who did this.

(the image of the dancing girl, and priest king are from Wikipedia commons)

Sands of Mandarmani

During the recent visit to Calcutta, we’d gone to a beach called MandarMani. Its a small fishing village, that will turn into a maniac resort town very soon. But for now, it remains a charming little beach, largely devoid of tourists and usually cut off from the world during high tides. Caught this art work created by the sea, wind and the sands of Mandarmani.

Twilight

A rain tree spread across the sky at twilight. At the Victoria Memorial gardens, in Calcutta.

Doors, Windows, Homes

Shot these traditional doors, windows and homes during my visit to Himachal Pradesh, last month. Some of them are homes, some cowsheds! They can still be found in villages across the mountains, though the newly constructed ones resemble nothing like this.

Ghouls and Ghosts

Spotted these ghouls and ghosts hanging onto trucks and lorries during my visit to Punjab. To ward off the “evil eye”

to all that, i say this:

Shadow Shot Sunday #172

Hello! Back for SSS after two weeks. Been roaming around various places, and ofcourse spending time in the box…! But its a weekend again, so lets all enjoy, till it lasts

Some shadows taken during a walk in Jadavpur University campus in Calcutta.
Walking through the university grounds made me and K realize there are so many similar characteristics to university campuses in India. Lovely tree-lined avenues, excited students chattering over cups of tea… or like these sculptures…(exhorting students to march ever onward!)

The following is definitely an important aspect in any campus, i say. A cozy corners away from classrooms, to spend time with all sorts of friends

We spotted this shaded lake, with benches around during the walk. Could just imagine oneself with friends here, on beautifully sunny days…

This scene reminded my of my beloved Alice Park at my almamater, the University of Pune. (Sigh! Happy times with friends are so priceless!).

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For more shadows, sunlight and stories, hop on to Hey Harriet
Have a great week ahead!

What I work on when I’m not working # 15

Banksy in Calcutta??!!

Calcutta has had a long history of graffiti art, done on the city walls by artists, students, and of course political parties.
During the recent visit, I saw this grafitti on a wall, and wondered..!.

Banksy? in Calcutta??

Naaah.
But Hello There! to the anon artist who created this. I spotted your art on Park Street too. Loved your style

Oh Calcutta!

Spent the entire week trampling across Calcutta
Despite having been to the city twice before, I explored the city in a much better way this time. By walking around the city…with K and the Boy.

Took a boat ride across the Ganges, took a tour inside Howrah Station, and then….walked along the Howrah Bridge. (or Rabindra Setu, as its called now)

Walked around the gardens of the Victoria Memorial, as it lit up against a twilight sky.

The last time i’d gone there, they were still building this bridge! The Vidyasagar Setu. Could just take a ride across it though.

And ended our walks up Park Street pigging out on icecreams and brownies here

and on chillo-kabbabs here.

Another big first – attended a Muhurat of a Tollywood film!!! (the chap whose head you see in the bottom left of the photo is the film’s hero!)

Frankly, I’ve not had enough of the city though. But it was a fun start, nevertheless

Hello Punjab!

This post certainly took a long time coming – given that i returned from Punjab two weeks ago. My first view of the state was from the airplane. Below was this unending quilt patched with green, green and some more other shades of green

I could not click a picture from the airplane. So that evening, in the guest house, I sat and drew a sketch before memory faded. Using a black ballpoint pen.

Earlier today, I managed to colour it. Its been at least three years since i last held a brush in my hand. Irrespective of the results, it was nice to hold the brush and paints.

What I work on when I’m not working #14

Try my hand at poetry (haarhaarhaaahrr)

I’d recently discovered something called Newspaper Blackout Poetry and wanted to try it out.
Took a random article from an online newspaper today, and created this.
Ideally, one should create it by hand, but this poem is a comp-version.

What I work on when i’m not working #13

Make books!
I seem to be in a “make-books” phase. Made this accordion book titled “Favourite Things” this morning.

I used an A3 sheet, folded into half. the lower half was then folded and glued to make a sort of pocket for each of the four folds – each containing one favourite thing.

This is what i placed in them – a giraffe, pressed flowers, a fish drawn by my niece when she was 4, and the hand impression of the Boy, when he turned one.

The other side is empty right now…waiting to be filled soon

Shadow Shot Sunday #168

Until shadows come back to Bombay, lets make do with the ones from Punjab

To warm and sunny days ahead!

For more shadows and stories, hop on to Harriet’s Blog.