Artistry

I swear how this dialogue haunted me for the longest time .Tumhari Sulu —spot on every woman’s lust to work , to be something  , try her hand at everything and not be thwarted by home responsibilities  , kids and family.Yet get up and raise once more without being thrown off by circumstances taking everything in their stride and not being bowed down by failure even. I see the spirit of Sulu in Sunita  my maid who came up with idea of cupboard  cleaning and setting up company for memsahibs(only to be laughed at by her husband). I see the spirit embodied in Geeta my malish wali (yes we all love those home massages to get out the neck cricks given by —well lets not go there ).Geeta wanted to start a home nail cutting and trimming thing for oldies who cant bend and don’t want a whole massage( not a very concrete idea in our joint family system where the bahu doubles  up as  a semi nurse for oldies).But the point is that all these are just thoughts and strugg...

Grub fest —what a fun epicurean way to spend the day!From the some very recognised eating joints and restaurants to homemade pickles and jams,from games to bands like Stanley and Haqiqat  today and Hari sukhamni and B praak on Sunday there is a little bit for all.     Desi aam ka aachar with mathi,Tunddey kebabs from Lucknow,juice by pressary, to ever there dominoes.And if regular fare is not your cup of tea then of course there was fusion dosa Chill Bey and Sardar Buksh coffee company to add zest. Trust us when  we say that spice was not the only ingredient here —from Kurkure momos to Maggi dosa , food innovation and presentation was the name of the game.Halloween inspired costume calls to life like tiger cake to pull in the kiddie crowd,bubble tea to minion drinks for preteens,the amazing bands to several fashionable dudes and dudettes for the teenagers ,the yummy innovative food for the experimental youngsters and the age old typical restaurants with their ever...

The recent Hollywood biggie caught in a molestation and womanising scandal has brought in a flood of responses worldwide.Including the famous “Me Too “ campaign wherein women,girls of various backgrounds milieu are coming up and admitting to cases of being molested,pawned on or any other form of sexual harassment by a simple declarative of “Me too” and thus joining the world wide sisterhood of wronged female generation.    Going through so many me too responses on social media is like being shaken to the core because it seems as if it’s a propaganda against the female half—and every second girl or woman was harassed one way or the other.   We went talking to some of them and were totally surprised by the new take on “Me Too”. Many of our friends believed that they were better off not reliving the damaging and disturbing memories of such incidents There were many who thought that the “Me Too” should be for men who have done this to them.These sick men should be puttin...

Today we visited the much talked about Saras Mela which just for today was free for all women as it was international Girl Child Day.A rural mela with all the trimmings for every age group.Nicely done decor , very affordable though very varied food stall(from dominos to channa Bhatia),and handicrafts to some rare finds all stalls catering to every taste.    The only downer was the absolutely ripping apart heat.The kids ,throngs of ladies and even a few men might have enjoyed more -- and revisited again if not for the crippling heat. But overall the mela is really entertaining for kids ,what with various rides and rural themed decor which is definitely going to enthrall the younger lot . The ladies too would have lots to shop from from terracotta ware to kitchen utensils,from silver jewellery to costume pieces,Banarasi dupattas and shawls,handwoven to handmade--there is a little bit for everyone.And the best of the lot the myriad achaar and muraba stalls--from absolut...

Feeling good about ourselves is the biggest high on this earth ,a feeling that is incomparable to any other.A fact we all know😉Right.Looking good,shopping,going to the parlour or spa for some me time all are activities which make us feel good.Another fact we all know so well 😉Right.     But there is another arena which makes us feel really really good ,is in fact the biggest feel good factor and we all do know about it but very few of us explore--making others feel good or helping others.A little effort or assistance and the eruption of serotonin in our own brain too. Making us happy seeing the smile on another's face,a smile for which we are responsible. I experienced this high recently when a few of us friends treated the kids at the Red Cross Bhawan orphanage to a lunch. The way they mingled with us,playing around, distributing laughter and smiles was an amazing experience.I am sure many of us do this on our kids birthdays or anniversaries .But the whole experienc...

Anyone who has been following our blog would know that we are all about mundane things that make us feel good,alive and rejuvenated.    Cooking we discovered is one such relaxing hobby which de stresses amazingly.As much as a good dish or dessert can fulfill your gastronomical need ,a well presented one can satisfy your sense of sight and smell but actually cooking one can give you a sense of achievement and accomplishment.The whole process of gathering ingredients,cutting chopping,cooking or baking and finally presenting is a very relaxing and a rewarding experience.    And in a bid to give our readers the best of this experience we contacted one of the best cooking expert the city has to offer--Shanu Sharma.Though running her own institute in rishi nahar this young lady to her credit has taken classes from colleges to university to several schools and institutes and spreading with aplomb the calm and expertise of her varied yet easy to make recipes.

Teachers day -exciting and reverberating of my student's performances in the past year.Agreed I am not driven like regular teachers by mark sheets and results.But then again more fluid the line of teaching I guess higher the expectations.Because art cannot be contained so neither can its results be pronounced.Rather it is a slow and steady progression.But what makes the whole process worthwhile is your equation with your students and if that is A+ then obviously you not only have a great rapport but also fabulous students who make you love your work .     Furthermore all of the above translates into proud moments for the teacher and chilled atmosphere for the students. I would like to here focus on the joy of teaching and the focus on on this very renaissance piece of art recently completed by my student Rhidhima (on a short break from London School Of Fashion).          The gold accents in the painting totally resound with fun we both had imagi...

Laughter is the best medicine-We know totally cliched but happens also to be totally true and we tried is first hand on Saturday evening.Atul Khatri the oldest stand up comedian in english😀As he likes to say 😉Was performing at peddlers and we thought why not give it a try.    Two critical and apprehensive girls out for experimentation admist a whole mismatched milieu of people.There were young college students,middle aged couples ,newly married couples,girls like us and boy gangs as well.But boy what a performance!!Stupendous hilarious in your face laugh out loud clever intelligent with borderline raunchy but never ill -mannered.I know I am a little weak in the adjective department but trust me it was really worth the effort of taking a little time off from our plans on Saturday evening and investing in good old laughter.Not only did Atul khatri's relatable comedy refresh us but it was also nice to see so many people turn up for an event which is still not very known ge...

Food-one of the most basic yet most satisfying feelings in the world . And by satisfying we definitely don't mean hunger pangs-but all the senses , all five senses.Gourmet food can not only fill up the stomach but beautifully presented can be such an exhilirating experience for our eyes, nose and taste buds as well .Culinary experts can vouch for the success of food that is presented beautifully .Of course the role of ingredients that tickle our sense of smell before our taste buds cannot be downplayed either.    The icing on the cake (pun intended)comes when all this and more is offered.More in the form of company of friends or family or colleagues without the added burden of cooking hours at home.Herein enter the quaint little cafes and coffee shops that are mushrooming in abundance .Banking on  our capacity to mingle food with the other good experience of meeting with loved ones over a non formal cuppa without spending a huge amount of mullah. Therapy for heart ...

By learning you will teach By teaching you will learn A Latin proverb that about sums up the joy of teaching young eager minds As you know the whole idea of our blog is to explore things which give us joy,simple everyday things .And one such joy is teaching your craft to eager students,students who are there for the joy of learning,students who are probably at the same wave length as you and who eventually do you proud. Recently Parnika a regular student with Kanika painted a canvass about which we both agree that it is as amazing as colourful in depicting the joys of life.The simple colourful joys that life offers us ,something we keep trying to explore through our blog and art. It was as though that this painting was the epitome of all that we want to say in words.      Our colourful life,filled with various expressions ,various colours ,various experiences--a nuanced painting in its undertones yet simple at its first glance,just like us humans. Parnika kaur Be...

 One of the things that gives us maximum happiness is to be able to do things on our own.Even little kids as soon as they reach a certain age want to do things by themselves.The pleasure of that achievement no matter how little is different. But over the ages society has cast women in a particular mould of helpless beings who are unable to do certain things without the help of their male counterparts.For the past couple of decades no matter how hard women in various fields have tried and succeeded to break this notion and stormed all male bastions--yet ALAS! In very few cases the notion still persists. But again trust me breaking these ancient notions and achieving things without help is the biggest high,the biggest impetus.Showing to everyone that we are no more helpless Cinderella's but strong free-willed imaginative and hard working independent women. This bold painting is a dedication to all the women who have achieved and yet been mocked for their never die attitude.All the...

Thank you folks for missing our absence.We both were flattered by well wishers asking about the missing blog post for last week😊 We were sort of taking a break 💃🏻 Break from the numerous questions about an unmarried artist and her fabulous bohemian life😉 Like we emphasized in our last blog about the non glamorous part of being an artist--trust us being an unmarried independent woman in an Indian small town is no walk in the park either. It's like this painting--you have to be a tiger woman.woman enough to accept graciously your friends,and their support with their limitations and brave like a tiger to defend your reputation ,rights and especially your life of independence. India is an amalgam an amazing one of old and new and in the microcosm of a small town these dissections are even more pronounced. There is an unrelenting support system which is there with you no matter what but there are also numerous scathingly judgemental issues and people to be tackled as well...

Thank you friends for the overwhelming response and queries to the art work and our creativity.    But art is a lonely profession,hours and hours of thoughts,then sketches and then the final painting.And really hard work as well--definitely not the blissful bohemian life many younger people think.Days and days of bending on work boards and easels,musing over ideas--many a times not even ones own and of course marketing.Any artistic soul would agree that the last bit is the toughest.If creativity is your forte then marketing is a very tough haul and you have to really really work hard to make a living out of it. Clients don't necessarily want what you envision. I remember doing these illustrations for an author who wanted me to paint his visions of a certain holy visit in India. http://www.anaudiencewithgod.in/book/ Check out my quaint illustrations without ever having visited the place myself. Making an honest living out of art is not glamorous but sheer hard work bu...

Dear friends we are overwhelmed,ecstatic and thankful to all of you for the tremendous response to our blog. Many people asked us the point of our blog,the reason we started it--well as artists we strive to appreciate art in all forms--from paintings to clothes to jewellery and even nature and the biggest art of all ---our  own life. Thank you readers🙏🏻For showing such keen interest. Also we were flooded by inquiries about the paintings featured in our blog! Well as some of you know Kanika is a professional artist and is open for all the orders you can send her way.😉 For further inquiries please contact at --artistryartstudio@yahoo.in The jewellery and clothes links are generally provided at the end of the blog. Also today we are applauding and appreciating our reader Naseeb from Australia.A business development manager herself,she sent a beautiful picture in response to our giveaway contest from the first post . She has won a lovely ring from anagha arts n jewels. ...

  Artistic representation they say is the highest form of self-love.Creative expression in any form-written,drawn,painted and even in fashion :is actualising in most cases the artist's own thoughts or desires. Hence the Butterfly.       Butterfly represents the metamorphosis from caterpillar to something beautiful and free. And in many a cases of my female friends I have discovered that when you apply a little self-love of an amazing dress,some high heels and a dash of accessories---each and every female emerges from the chrysalis  to become a beautiful butterfly. Weight loss,spa treatments,expensive facials,nothing absolutely nothing needed .Just your favourite dress and a lot of TLC and the effort of dressing up for yourself without rhyme or reason, without occasion or need. Once my butterfly canvas was completed I was artistically depleted so just for the heck of it decided to dress up for myself. Trust me folks after weeks of paint smeared smocks,...

Perfect airport looks to perfect vacation pictures---come summers and our social media is flooded with friends and relatives in idyllic locations,flaunting the perfect holiday.Henceforth giving me the vacation greens or now famously called the holiday jealousy.Another curse of our social media age😢(As the oldies like to call us).  Hmm , what a bummer!!!! I am so so holiday jealous (is that even a phrase or my mind overcome with envy). And if you are like me stuck in your respective cities due to some reason or other then seeing all these picture perfect posts (beauty plus off course😀),just raises the temperature even more😡Admit it🤢!!So to tackle or shift our focus from other people's perfect holidays Kanika and I decided to do a holiday shoot in our sweltering Ludhiana . And trust me all that dressing up and of course Kanika's artistic vibes created a better holiday right here right now. But then that's  what ARTISTRY TOO is all about,combining various artist...