Those Two boys

Those Lilies

And that Cat

*

Look it Over

I leave behind even

my walking stick. My knife

is in my pocket, but that

I have forgot. I bring

no car, no cell phone,

no computer, no camera,

no CD player, no fax, no

TV, not even a book. I go

into the woods. I sit on

a log provided at no cost.

It is the earth I’ve come to,

the earth itself, sadly

abused by the stupidity

only humans are capable of

but, as ever, itself. Free.

A bargain! Get it while it lasts.

                                        ~Wendell Berry

                                                      via Keri Smith’s blog

In the Forest

 by Bhooni, one of the students at Shishu Mandir 

who participated in my painting workshop .

'See how beautifully he’s painted me, lost in the forest, among the trees, the branches, the grass. As I wait, a wind begins to blow’the leaves tremble, one by one; the branches sway. I’m worried. How does the artist’s pen manage to reach so far? The branches bend in the wind and rise up again, the flowers grow and fall, the forest swells like a wave, and the whole world trembles.'

~ extracted from In the Forest as Old as the World by Orhan Pamuk. Other Colours 

Two boys

These two boys, urchins, came and watched us draw at the Sunday Pencil Jam session at Kempegowda Museum. Later I saw that one of the boys and procured himself an old tissue paper and a ball-point pen refill and was trying to draw. The other Jammers and I gave the boys paper and pens to draw with. Later they came back and solemnly returned the pens and papers to me. At first I couldn't make out what it was that the boys had drawn until one of the Jammers pointed out that both the boys had drawn each other. You can see it - ears, eyes nose, mouth and also the hands :-)

Picture of the boys taken by Prabha on her cellphone.

an ENTIRE day of drawing

When I bought my new giant sketchbook, I called up Prabha to tell her. We decided to spend a day sketching at Lalbagh and we landed there at 7.30 am one day last week. It must have been one of the happiest days of my life ever. Here are the pictures:

Curious teachers with their school kids wanted to know why we were drawing, 'chumma jaaliya (jolly) pandringlaa?' they asked in Tamil (Are you doing this just for fun?)

Yup!

Here is Prabha's drawing

Naturally we also brunched at MTR and our meal also included delicious Honey Halwa 

and a large ice-cream with fruit. Sugar highs are absolutely necessary to get the drawing juices revved up.

At another table strange creatures from Bangalore's Art world peered and waved their tentacles at us. 

When I said we are going to Lalbagh for an entire day of drawing they looked mystified. Drawing? Huh? What's that?

Giant Silk cotton trees

I need an even bigger sketchbook I think!

Here are some pictures of couples under the trees. I love how tiny they look under the giant benevolent trees and I love how the trees almost seem to envelope and shelter them. Prabha mysteriously commented: It is unfortunate that one can't make out whether a relationship will last or not just by looking at these couples.

The moist, rich and fascinating floor under a Naagalingam tree

And the marvellous tree herself

Finds.....!

Prabha has the eyes of an eagle. She spotted a Barn owl far up on a tree in the distance and she pointed out these red bugs to me.

We were ravenous at tea-time. Back to MTR!

Here are some of Prabha's sketches

We drew till the sun set, chatted with curious old men and children and headed home before the mosquitoes came out.

Some day that! : )

Aloe Vera

One quick post to procrastinate just that little while before beginning work.

I did these drawings on Sunday.

And of course somebody was mighty busy doing what she does best ; )