Conversations

 First, I have to put up this charming picture on my blog of this enthusiastic buyer. She saw the exhibition and came downstairs to the Champaca Books Pop Up to buy it for herself and her equally enthusiastic daughters.

Many people met me and later connected with me on social media to tell me how much they loved the show. Here is another one -

This is the very nice email that Nitesh (@nimo_obscura) wrote to me:

Hi! Priya... I wanted to reach out and thank you for sharing your artistic expression through this endearingly beautiful book... My students Loved your art and how you've evoked the story through the use of dry pastels... I keep trying to introduce new artist to my students so they can understand the style, technique and approach from them and it was a delight to see how much they adored "Is it the same for you?"

I had several interesting conversations, one of them with the Champaca Books person, very attuned to what a potential reader wants. We had this brief excellent exchange of opinions about Hilary Mantel and Rebecca Solnit whereupon he handed me Tishani Doshi's latest - Small Days and Nights and a bit later into the conversation read me a passage from Trick Mirror which resulted in me buying that too, a book I would have never considered otherwise.

The other bunch I spoke to were the City of Women podcast people (yass, one of them is a reader of my blog). I was asked about a pleasant memorable experience in Bangalore and naturally I said that my happiest moments have been sketching my surroundings with like-minded friends: You don't really have to talk (though we do), you sit in companionable silence and you draw the scene in front of you while engaging with the environment around you.

We also spoke about other things, which were not recorded for the podcast, and one of them was about my post about my Arty Party which initiated a discussion about private fantasies and making them come true. I don't remember very much what was said anymore except that we were laughing very hard.

And then there was M from a Children's Book Pop Up upstairs with whom this bizarre conversation took place:

Me: Hi, I'm Priya. I've illustrated a book called Is It The Same ForYou?, the illustrations are being exhibited in the second floor. I came here to say hello to your partner who I've wanted to meet.

M: Oh you've illustrated a book? Who was the author?

Me: Neha Singh

M: Oh! You illustrated I Need to Pee! You must be Meenal Singh then! She illustrated I Need to Pee!

Me: No, I am Priya Sebastian. I illustrated Is It The Same For You? 

M: You are not Meenal Singh then? I Need to Pee? But...you said you illustrated a book written by Neha...so you must be Meenal Singh!

If my attempt at conversation was a road, then this woman's reactions seemed like a boulder in the middle of the road.

 ....

Then some time later I encounter the woman again:

M: Oooooh Priya, I saw your work upstairs, it is soooo exquisite and so emotional, I cannot help crying, I am so so sorry I mistook you for Meenal Singh, her work is very different... (stop right there !!!)...so can I please, please give you a hug? Etc