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Art For Kids

Art For Kids

by | Jan 16, 2018 | Workshops

I follow the ritual of making resolutions every December to promptly break them …say by mid march or so? But this year it was different because 2017 was a little different. How different you may ask…For one thing, I started my blog ‘Strings Of Heritage’ which has opened up a new world for me. A world that is beyond a salary and a 9 to 5 job. It’s the world I love, interacting with people who love and live art, writing about them and their work. So this December I was just chalking out the next few blogs and then my tag line just struck me…. ‘passing on the legacy’. Was I really doing that? Not really. So I did not make elaborate plans or resolutions, but just started working on how I could take art and make it art for kids.
Madhubani Art For Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art For Kids An Introduction

And my dear daughter was all there to help me out. I would just try something and ask her to try her hand at it. This was how I conceptualized and started my journey with children and art. ‘Madhubani Art for Kids – An Introduction’ was my first project as Madhubani Art is something I totally love and have been doing for quite some time now. Having done this on the wall many times over, I felt it was just the right folk art to start with. Sankalpa Montessori School with its sprawling premises right in the heart of Vijayanagar was a God sent venue. I keep counting my blessings in this regard, Ms. Jyothi Chetan the Principal has been very generous and supportive.
Madhubani Art for Kids

Madhubani Art for Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art For Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art For Kids An Introduction

So minus the resolutions and with just five days of planning, brainstorming with my friend Kavitha, and experimentation I started the day of the workshop full of trepidation on how the day would turn out. Would the parents and children share my love for this folk art? (Doubts, I say) As I started telling the children about Bihar and the beauty of Madhubani, my anxiety was forgotten. I could feel their keen interest and excitement on seeing the piece they would all do that day. Luckily for me, my friends Jyothi Adithya and Sahana pitched in as participants started coming in. Sandeep Nayak was all ready to click away as the kids were busy doing their masterpiece.
Madhubani Art For Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art For Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art for Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art for Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art for Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art for Kids An Introduction

And you know the best part about the workshop? Seeing the parents as immersed in the colours as the children, seeing the joy and sense of accomplishment on the children’s faces was pure fulfillment for me. It was not just art for kids but a beautiful bonding experience for the parents. Tiny tots as small as two and half years right upto twelve years enjoyed working with the colours and Madhubani. And I could see many parents totally oblivious to everything except getting the outline right. Little Mihika who was very sure about the colours she wanted , Srishti who liked green, Nihal who wanted to draw some more, Stuti who liked orange, Aarav who wanted to make sure that the final painting was perfect, the names are many and so are the memories. Each child so special in all that they express and the way they do it. I couldn’t stop smiling for two days straight, just remembering these children. They don’t need to be taught to draw…they just need to be introduced to our rich heritage of culture and art.
Madhubani Art for Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art for Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art For Kids An Introduction

Madhubani Art For Kids An Introduction

This is joy. Being able to write about it and plan the next workshop is joy. Knowing what your life is about is joy. Finding my piece of heaven is joy.

Lots of Twinkles to all of you.

Anu

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad

by | Nov 30, 2017 | Art & The Artist

When I came across the stall of Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at the annual collective of A Hundred Hands, I immediately started with all the questions that I had for her. This was a great opportunity for me to meet such a talented artist who is in an urban setting but continues to be in touch with her roots. Originally from Patna, she has no formal training in the art form. But her work speaks of her flair for the art, and the simple elegant lines of Madhubani captivate us. She says, “I have inherited the art from my culture and am proud of it.”
Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands annual collective

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands annual collective. Pic credit – Tejaswini Iyer

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands Annual Collective

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands Annual Collective

Vidushini Prasad has been doing Madhubani paintings for over a decade now. With a degree in chemistry, art was never on the horizon. But it was something which just chose her. When she started painting, she never thought it would bring her recognition. But now as a member of A Hundred Hands, her work is instantly recognised. Having displayed her work in art galleries, made to order pieces, installation in FabIndia Sarjapur, exclusive art pieces in NOVICA, displays in bazaars, santhes and innumerable workshops..she is candid in saying that it becomes mechanical if she lets it. “Just like any job…I have to keep reinventing myself and my art.” So she finds inspiration everywhere and brings in new elements in the age old art form. Though a folk art, it beautifully lends itself to the artist’s creativity and this is very evident when I see her work. Right from using old book pages as her base to the fresh colour scheme, it is all her signature style. Her speciality is the kutchi and bharni styles of Madhubani. Sometimes she also does the godhna style which is the tatoo art used by tribals. 
Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands Annual Collective

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands Annual Collective. Birds everywhere!

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands annual collective

Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands annual collective. Pic Credit – Tejasweeni Iyer

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands annual collective

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands annual collective. Pic Credit – Tejasweeni Iyer

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands Annual Collective

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands Annual Collective

As we chat about her work and the method she follows, she happily shares all the details and even tells me where I can buy the nib for drawing the outline! I am always surprised when people are generous with their art and ideas. When I say this she just laughs and says that creation has to happen by each person, which is the beauty of handmade. Her happy and cheerful personality infuses her art with positive vibes and happy birds chirp out. Her foray into Madhubani art which started with the Ardhanareshwar has come a long way. Her group on Facebook has more than sixteen thousand followers and is an interactive platform for people to share their work, ideas and get feedback. It is this aspect of her personality which I find very endearing. In fact she also uses her platform to encourage an NGO which specialises in Tikuli art helping rural women make a living.
Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands annual collective

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands annual collective. Pic Credit – Tejasweeni Iyer

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands annual collective

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad in the Bharni Style. Pic Credit – Tejasweeni Iyer

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands Annual Collective

Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad at A Hundred Hands Annual Collective

Check out her collection at the eighth edition of A Hundred Hands annual Collective at the United Theological College, Millers Road Bangalore. Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad gives you the symbols of fertility, prosperity, love and harmony. The different animals and birds symbolize not just the beauty of nature, but also the different aspects for a fulfilling life. My personal favourite was the ‘Tree of life’ with beautiful birds, the owls on the notebook, the Ganesha (which I got for my home), the peacock….I know… the list of my favourites is endless! Madhubani by Vidushini Prasad is not just beautiful but also useful and affordable….the notebooks, key holders and many others. Being part of the ME TO WE project, she has collaborated with the paper mache artist and you have Madhubani in a new avatar. All in all, I am motivated to go back to Madhubani and try my hand at it with the nib. With all the tips that I got from Vidushini, I am sure it’s going to be a success.

See you at the annual collective.

Twinkles to all of you.

Anupama.

A Glimpse of Madhubani

A Glimpse of Madhubani

by | Jul 23, 2017 | Art & The Artist

Madhubani per se requires no introduction. It is relatively popular among folk arts of India and is from Bihar. But for the first time since I started writing, I am not sure about where to begin. Should I begin at the beginning, when Sita from the era of Ramayan began painting in Mithila. Or shall I introduce you to Madhubani, as I came across it  in a book by Jyotindra Jain- ‘Ganga Devi: Tradition and Expression in Mithila Painting’. Or shall I introduce you to Mr. Ashokkumar Das, grandson of Late. Jagdamba Devi, the first artist in Madhubani to be conferred a national award in 1970 and Padma Shri in 1975.
So this is why, this post is only ‘A Glimpse’ of Madhubani. Let me start with Mr Ashokkumar Das, an artist from Jitwarpur village, Madhubani district, Bihar. He was in Bangalore as part of Dastakar exhibition. The first thing he mentions as we chat, is that there are five national awardees and 10 state award holders in his family. No mean feat, definitely! I am attracted to some intricate paintings with a lot of line drawings and these he enlightens me are in the Godna form.
There are four main forms in Madhubani or Mithila paintings. These forms were earlier dictated and bound by the caste or varna system prevalent. Now with the abolition of caste system, there are no restrictions. So the artists have a freedom in their artistic expressions and are not bound in any way.

The Bharni Style- This was mainly practiced by the upper castes and depicted Mythological characters in epics, especially the Ramayana and Mahabharatha which the womenfolk knew from continued recital.They used rich vibrant colours and had no restrictions. Sita Devi is considered a pioneer in this form. Bharni means filling. As the forms of Vishnu, Krishna, Kali and other Gods depicted are filled with colours, so the name.

The Katchni style- The Kayastha community practiced this form and could depict Gods and Godesses, but the colours used were limited to black and red. So they are not as vibrant in appearance. But they make up for the lack of colours with lots of linear drawings, lines and patterns. This in turn results in a beautiful form. Ganga Devi Is considered a pioneer in having created different types of line work and renderings instead of colour. I just love her work and will need a separate blog post for her…so that will have  to wait another day.
Tantric or Geru or Godna style- This was mainly practiced by the lower communities, as they did not have any exposure to the holy texts and depicted nature as around them. The filling of the background was done using diluted cow dung as wash. Sun, moon , animals, birds and the tattoos on their bodies usually formed their subjects. Some colours were allowed to be used.
Kohbar Style- This is a unique painting that is done on a wall in the nuptial chamber where the wedding ceremonies take place. It is a symbolic painting which has a very special place in Mithila’s culture. The painting is dominated by the lotus flower which symbolizes female and the bamboo plant symbolises the male sexuality. According to the ancient texts, Shiva and Parvathi are considered to be the happiest and most successful as a divine couple and they are depicted to bless the newlyweds with the same love and success in matrimony. The sun and moon are also depicted. The water creatures, love birds are symbols of fertility and love.
Ashokkumar Das discusses the features of Mithila Lok Chitra or Madhubani folk art-

  1. Two dimensional, with sharp nose and big eyes.
  2. There are no blank spaces. Geometric designs are used generously to fill the blanks.
  3. Traditionally done on mud walls plastered with cow dung but now being painted on handmade sheets.
  4. Natural colours are used. Bel leaves, mehendi leaves for green, neelkanth flower for blue, harsingar flower for pink, rose for red, tender turmeric for yellow, lamp ash for black. These are mixed with gum water so that they get bound to the paper. But in the current scenario, many use acrylic and water colours, though there are a few artists who use natural colours.
  5. Nib is used for outline(it is captured in one of the pics)

You see here, many of the paintings have fish as a common motif. That’s because fish is an ‘all in one’ symbolising love, fertility and prosperity. The artist says, “Maach, paan aur makhaan, Shubh maana jaata hai’”. (That is fish, beetle leaf and lotus seeds are good signs.) Well, we all need good signs.

When I ask him about the support they get, he is all praise for the state government and the Government of India. In fact the saying that, ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ holds true for these artists. It was only in 1960’s when they were badly affected by draught that the government looked for alternative income sources and funded the artists to use Madhubani art onto paper, bringing the art to the limelight. I wish ‘Kaavi kale’ would also get a similar lease of life.
I find it very fascinating, that Madhubani was mainly practiced by the womenfolk and passed on from one generation to the other. In fact the bride’s skill in this department was considered very important for choosing a groom. It was only after its commercialization and recognition by the government, that men also entered the arena of painting. Mr. Ashokkumar Das gives me a snippet of gossip here…if any of you remember the serial ‘Surabhi’ hosted by Siddharth Kak and Renuka Shahane? Mr. Das tells me that he took them around to the different families practicing this art as part of the show. Well, I am happy that I got to meet him. He has offered to show me around all the artists’ homes when I go to Madhubani. And off course I am going…..

Hope you enjoyed this post. Have a great week. Lots of twinkles to you!

Anupama