Lekka Pustaka

 Ever since I saw Nilesh using a bright red cloth bound book as a sketchbook I wanted one too.
It is a 'lekka pustaka' explained Nilesh, an 'account book'. The paper inside is great to draw on and even holds watercolour. And it is a fraction of the cost of expensive Nightingale books at upmarket shops.

I just liked the fact that it was RED and BRIGHT PINK. I couldn't sleep until I had one of these.

The ever informative Prabha was more specific - this is a 'Jain account book' she said.

Gujju baniyas (Gujarati businessmen) use it to keep their accounts. 

Notice the Goddess Lakshmi on the title page. She is the Goddess of Wealth.

:-)

The pages are numbered. Such a nice touch.

Good paper

Bright and Chubby! 

It may lack the elegance and sophistication of a more expensive sketchbook but it makes up for it with its chunky presence and colourful personality.

Bright red and shocking pink are such a striking colour combination.

It satisfies the 'Indian' in me in every way.

 I also bought and Indian calendar in the same shop.

 It is from Diwali to Diwali madam, said the shopkeeper.

 So much character

Here are Nilesh's drawings from his Lekka Pustaka. 

And this is his cruel caricature of me ;-p

a WaLk along Avenue Road

The rest of the pictures as always on Gilaas of Chai

Chlorophyll Eaters

There are some insects which eat the chlorophyll off the leaves of my White flower creepers 

leaving beautiful squiggly designs on them.

1/1/2012: I think I might have found a clue to who these Chlorophyll eaters are. 

Here is the link >>>

Gold Pages

There is only one place for shiny wrapping from expensive chocolate.

Prabha's Falooda

After an intensive Corel Draw tutorial, P and I went around searching for a much needed sugar high. We decided to have chocolatesandwiches. When Hari’s super sandwich joint was closed, we went to the Lassi bar nearby to mitigate our disappointment. I ordered Royal Falooda. It was a nice baby pink colour as a falooda should be. P took some time to make up her mind and then ordered the same thing.  She had to wait a while. In front of our eyes the falooda man carried a strange poisonous looking brown bottle, opened the freezer and poured a generous amount of mysterious stuff out of it into one of the containers inside. Then he mixed it well. Then he poured some more brown bottle stuff and mixed some more…

 ‘What is it? What is it????’ Prabha frantically craned her neck to see. 
‘That is what he is going to serve you’ I said.
‘No! No!! No!!! Please God no!’ said P frantically, ‘I want to know what is in that bottle!’

We knew what was in that bottle when her falooda was served. It was bright pink in colour. At least 6 times more pink in colour than my falooda.

I hope she is still alive.

Sunday's Menu

Am tired of looking at things and drawing. Makes for a boring sketchbook. Here I  thought of things and drew them as they came to mind. BUT looking at stuff and drawing is necessary too. It gives drawing skills a workout, like practising scales on the piano or pushing your body around a park. It helps me capture what I want to draw faster. 

 I am so relieved. I completed a secret projet on Sunday.

Life has whittled down to the bare minimum these days - draw, eat, draw, eat, do a bit of exercise to keep the scales just below 60, crawl outside to socialize at Pencil Jam about once a fortnight, talk for 3 hours on the phone the other fortnight, then eat some more and draw again....

Snaps from Sunday