Banglur Paused

The first time I met Slogan Murugan must have been 2008. He was still Bangalorean then and still blogging at Which Main What Cross, the mysterious blogger who posted one intriguing picture of Bangalore every single day. His exhibition was somewhere in one of the crosses of Residency Road and when I parked my car and got out I had to hold my breath and levitate over a large pool of sewage water to reach the exhibition. I remember I stood at the doorway panting with the exertion when a slight bespectacled figure emerged from the shadows and asked me, “You are…?” I gasped at him incredulously. He gauged my vibe. He explained that he just wanted to be sure I was The Plum Tree.

The next time I met Murugan, he was a Mumbikar and blogging at Mumbai Paused. He had achieved blogging domination and fame and was giving a talk about his photographs somewhere on MG Road. While I was on time for the show, the hall was already packed with people. Somewhere right in front I espied a chair that was actually empty and I dived at it with the supersonic precision of an Olympic diver. A seat! Two chairs down the row, a bespectacled man leaned forward, looked at me cautiously and said, “Hi Priya!” Look Slogan I got a seat!
Later when I saw the photographs of the talk, there was the audience and in the audience was a woman with hair flying vertically above her head. I realized the woman with vertical hair was none other than I. A stand fan had been placed directly behind my chair and that is why that particular seat had been empty.

Finally after years of virtual conversations, an excellent friendship and collaboration over an illustrated story, I got to have real time conversation with Slogan Murugan yesterday. Banglur paused for a moment. There were no calamities with sewage or hair; in fact there were no calamities at all. The energy was conducive and the conversation over filter kaapi enjoyable enough to make me wish it had lasted much longer.

Here’s to good conversation and meeting with yet another blog friend in real time. Cheers!

A write-up about Slogan Murugan 

A Superb Ending

I have just received the latest copy of the beautiful and very readable The Indian Quarterly magazine with my illustration in it for the story Mountain Disease, my first assignment since returning home. The story extract was a very challenging one because it consisted of a lot of conversation taking place in a school. There was no strong visual description within the story that I could use to capture the essence of it. However while re-reading the conversations within the extract, I found that it dealt with prejudice - about appearances, colour, places, intelligence, looks, wealth, gender... it was all there. I chose to depict it by drawing two symbolically different faces (by varying the eyes and the colour) and depicting the unpleasantness of racism in the conversation through snakes coming out the mouths of the faces .The colours are muted and cold. The atmosphere created in this image echoes the mood of the story.

I don’t use software while creating my images and I do everything using my hands, pastel, paper and a pair of scissors. Someone whose opinions I value a great deal pointed out that in a world of buffed and polished, perfectly finished images, this business of working directly with my hands makes my visuals unpredictable, spontaneous and very distinctive - qualities which give my images depth. I am glad to hear that. Probably because of these results, the kind of illustration work that I have been invited to do in these last few months has been very interesting to say the least.

2015 has been a year of hair-raising adventures, mind-boggling challenges and fantastic experiences across continents. It is a year that I will never forget especially if I consider my mindset during the start of the year and how I feel now. A friend in Montreal once assured me that everything would turn out all right. I didn't believe her then but I thank her for that reassurance now. This year has ended in the best way possible. Apart from the warm and supportive friendships that have been constant throughout this year, I can consider getting a copy of this particular magazine with my illustration in it as a sign of a very good ending to 2015.

Strathmore Express!

Some weeks ago, I received the nicest gift ever from a former Art College classmate, a Strathmore drawing pad which I have long wanted and which is difficult to get here. The feel of charcoal and pastel on this paper takes you straight to heaven. I just cannot stop drawing in it and I am racing through the pages like there is no tomorrow. Oh happy days! :)

Priya's Great Delhi Visit :-)

I’d wanted to go to Delhi all my life, however thanks to the frightening things I’d read about that city in the newspapers coupled with the fact that I barely spoke a dozen words of Hindi, I didn’t even attempt to step over the confines of the South and simply sat around feeling hugely envious of all who travelled to that fabulous and frightening city. Then Suhas went off to Delhi and excitedly spoke about the place in lengthy conversations on the phone. Every now and then there would be an enticing picture on Facebook and then one day he said the magic words, ‘Book a ticket and come off!’ I didn’t waste any time.

I have to pause this blog post for a mo to say this: In Suhas I am blessed to have had the best host ever. He took such good care of me. He took me everywhere, never ever left my side, always made sure I was all right, always helpful (‘let me carry your jacket’), always enthusiastic, polite, patient and fun. I barely had to ask him for anything. It was all thought out and offered already. As in Benglur, he knew the best places for everything. And to add to his extensive list of virtues, every morning he would cook this absolutely hot, healthy, nutritious and delicious South Indian hot rice breakfast to sustain us through the day. If there was some gold medal for best host, I’d recommend him at once. He was amazing.

This sign was made by Suhas to be held up in the airport on my arrival :-)

I am not going to fill this post with pictures of the magnificent Delhi monuments. No picture will do justice to the emotions they evoke. Instead, here are some glimpses of my visit and pages from my now packed sketchbook. After this visit, the name Delhi which once evoked awe and fear, brings instead a lot of happy memories and a sense of wonder at the riches my country offers to those who search for it.

Big fat beautiful seed pod from a bird filled tree across Suhas's terrace.

Everything is Delhi is bigger, better and more beautiful.

Park at Haus Khaz village

Vintage tile picked up from a shop at Hauz Khas :-)

My first Tibetan meal and best ever gargantuan feast at Yeti

Skech and photo from Safdarjung's tomb

Sketch from Lodhi Gardens above and Moong dhal dumplings in a delicious green chilli sauce

with radishes, below.

 Delhi's Red Carrot juice was absolutely super!

The 'In your face' Old Delhi. Thankfully I went on Republic day when it was fairly empty. Even then its aggression and soul-killing poverty left me shaken.

 The famous Paratha joint at Old Delhi. People ate dozens of these.

Nan Khatai biscuit vendor. The biscuits were warm and tasty.

Below - Qutub Minar!

The picture below is my favourite. This man must be from somewhere in Central Asia, looking at his turban. I think he is from Uzbekistan or Samarkand. He belongs there under that beautiful arch like he's lived there all his life.

 The gorgeous ruins of Mehrauli Archeological park.

We explored through dozens of ruined and hidden passages and doorways...

and walked through the mind-blowing construction of this Step Well

A small sketch above of the beautiful structure below.

And lunch at the funky Mamagoto afterwards at Select Citywalk, a complete contrast :-)

We spent hours at the lovely CMYK Mehar Chand Market

So many other memories jotted down below. Sketchbooking certainly helps in processing the blur of memories into something tangible within pages.

In a crowded Metro (pronounced Matt-ro) ride, I made my way towards an empty seat and hesitated when I saw a kerchief placed there. Suddenly a voice behind me said, Madam, ye hamara seat hai! (Madam, this is my seat!). I moved away. Later, when the Metro stopped, I got a forceful whack on my shoulder. Surprised I turned around to see two rugged Delhi men excitedly beckoning me towards the now empty seat, Madam! Baito idhar se! (Madam, sit here!)

In Benglur's Meru taxi, a polite recorded voice in a nice English accent welcomes you when you get in with, 'Welcome to Meru Taxi Service...' When I got into the Meru Cab in Delhi to get back to the airport, a loud high-pitched voice said, 'Velkum to the Hunee Bunee ride...' and then in a high decibel it sang, 'Hunee Bunee, Hunee Bunee, Hunee Buneeeeee....'

When I think of the art and architecture left for us by successive Mughal dynasties, I marvel at their vision, their sophistication and their culture. Their art does what art is truly meant to do to our minds – it elevates, it helps us transcend the mundane. Their art is indeed human spirit at its best - it has touched the divine. I am grateful to have been allowed in this lifetime, to catch a glimpse of this in the complex and beautiful city of  Delhi.

A Special Tea Party

One morning Archana called up and invited Aarohi and me over for tea so that me could meet before she left the shores of India. I took her flowers and Aarohi brought her one of her beautiful painted kettles.

There was a wonderful spread at the table - cold salad, muffins, banana chips...

...and deep dark fruitcake on pretty plates.

Of course there was piping hot perfectly blended Masala Chai in the most enormous cups that I have ever seen.

We ate and we talked and talked and ate some more, we laughed and clicked photographs and shared memories...

This was a warm and happy morning that I would not forget.

While we may grumble about the internet and how much of our time it takes from us, I do believe the pros outweigh the cons. Some of the nicest friendships with inspirational people have been made due to blogging.

Please take some time to read about both the extraordinary women that I had tea with at my other blog called Gilaas of Chai >>

I thought it would be more appropriate to shift the rest of this post there because the pictures are BIGGER which is when they look best. Also more importantly, that is where I first met Archana which  eventually led to the now famous tea party :)