Papier Mache craft of Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir, which is known for its natural beauty, is also known for many handicrafts. Who doesn't know about Kashmiri embroidery? Most of us wish to own a Kasmiri carpet. If we observe all the handicrafts of Kashmir, they are  done , using very delicate designs. Another such handicraft of India, is Papier Mache work.

I could collect some pictures of papier mache work , when I visited a handicrafts exhibition.The manufacturer explained about how they make  different products using papier mache. 

Different products of Papier Mache

The process of making Papier Mache:

Normally they use fine sheets of wood, from a kind of pine tree. And some use old papers too. These are made into pulp, by soaking in water and some chemicals for 4-5 days and grinding it. The pulp is molded into different shapes. And painted with natural colors . Earlier days, the golden color was made with real gold powder. Now they use acrylic and natural colors.

Here are two kinds of paintings. One with single color and another with different colors. The paintings which made with different color is very difficult to make and looks beautiful too.

Papier mache in single color and different colors.

Though papier mache was used to make boxes and pen stands, now the manufacturers make different decorative products. I could click photos of some :

Different products of papier mache

Small house boat model made of papier mache

pen stand and a box 

As any other handicrafts of Kashmir, papier mache also has very intricate work and design. I wish to see the complete process of making this , whenever I visit Kashmir.

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

Handmade artifacts from Dastkar

Dastakar is an NGO which supports crafts people, to promote and sell their products. To support the craft people , Dastkar organizes many events , including exhibitions and sales of handicrafts. This time it was organized in the month of August , in Bangalore. I always try not to miss Dastkar exhibitions, as we get to see and buy  variety of handicrafts and hand-looms.

As  every time , this year also many crafts-people from all over India had exhibited their products. I forgot to take my camera :-( . so sharing about the handmade items I bought from Dastkar. It is really amazing to see the handcrafted unique products there.
Some of the handcrafted items I bought:
1. Phad painting from Rajasthan: Phad painting is a kind of folk and scroll paintings, which is practiced in Rajasthan: 

Phad painting

2. A panel of mirror work from Bijapur(Karnataka). These are made by Banjara community of Karnataka).Thinking of using it to make a small purse

Banjara Mirror work

3.This one is unique. Papers with plock printed and ajrak printed designs on it.I can use it to make Decoupage

Ajrak printed paper

Indigo printed paper

4. Magnetic book mark, with the pictures of Indian paintings and hand-loom .

Magnetic bookmark

5.Hand painted wooden bangles:

Hand painted wooden bangles

5. Jute earrings from West Bengal

Jute earrings

6.Beaded hair clip from Tripura :

Beaded hair Clip

7. Applique duppata from Uttar Pradesh :

Applique Duppata

8.Footwear with Indigo block prints from Rajastan

Indigo printed footwear

All the handicrafts exhibited were very unique, which cannot be found in local market easily. So don't miss Dastkar events in your city next time.

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

A dream comes true learning- memorable experience

I always wanted to learn mural carving on Siporex blocks. Many arts and crafts lovers and practitioner know about siporex mural. Siporex is aerated blocks of cement , used for constructions.  Beautiful mural can be carved using these blocks. I had come to know about  art of siporex murals five rears ago. From then I was longing to learn siporex mural art. Whomever was teaching the art did not reply to my queries  properly. :(
But my search for right "Guru", to teach this art was on.

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it ---Paulo Coelho

This year the above saying turned true for me. I could learn siporex mural from well known artist Shri. Chandra Rawal . After knowing about his work through social media, I had sent a message to him conveying my interest to learn siporex carving. I was lucky that he was conducting a  workshop in Bangalore. This was organized Ms.Manjula . I immediately contacted her and registered myself for the workshop. I was super excited as my dream to learn 3D mural making came true!

Here is the mural I made siporex block in the workshop:

Transformation of simple siporex block into lively 3D mural:

December 27th th workshop began, but due to my personal commitments I could not attend the first two days . Manjula was kind enough to send some designs online. I chose as usual my favorite Krishna design from those. The design was traced on siporex block:

And the carving started under the guidance of Shri. Chandra Rawal. Here is the complete transformation of the siporex block to beautiful carving:

Initial carving to make the background like vine and flower designs. This takes lots of effort. The student continously requires guidance from the teacher. Shri . Chandra Rawal, had put his maximum effort to teach the initial carvings.

Initial Carving of background

 Then the carving of face in case of any human figure in the design:

Carving the face in human figures

 Applying base colors and shading :

Initial coloring and shading

 

After final touch to the mural, like coloring the eyes , jewels etc, the mural is ready:

Finally made!

Wonderful experience of learning Siporex mural making: 

While joining this workshop, I thought it would be normal workshop of learning an art. This was not just workshop, but a memorable learning experience. To learn anything, the combination of learner's open mind and Guru's willingness to share his/her knowledge to the student are required. The combination was present in the workshop. There were nineteen more  who were eager and enthusiastic students from different fields and parts of the country. Each made very unique murals, which I will be sharing in coming posts. I can say Shri. Chandra  Rawal was a perfect guru. He never hesitated to answer our queries, and with his lively persona and encouraging words he made us confident to learn. Whenever we used to make mistakes, he guided us giving tips and tricks to correct those mistakes.

 Many(including me) used to travel from far places everyday to workshop  but it was never tiresome. That is the liveliness we feel when we do something we love. 
I met wonderful people and art enthusiastic people there.  I really started loving those sound produced by carving , though it was not rhythmic. In every stage of making mural , all the students used to give suggestions to one another- like : " This color looks good", "Carve a little flower here", "Make the jewels like this", etc and after each student finished mural everyone used to appreciate saying "WOW! it is come out very nicely".These appreciations really made me feel like I'm from Jakanachari's  ( a legendary sculptor ) family  :)


My heartfelt thanks to organizer Manjula  for giving opportunity to learn from wonderful  artist and Guru,  Chndra Rawal .  This workshop will be memorable moments of my learning path of arts and crafts. Thank you for teaching us this wonderful art Chandra Sir. :) . Your magical hands converts each siporex block into a lively mural, and your dedication and patience in teaching make every students confident.

Shri Chandra Rawal , handing over mural to me:)

Last day of the workshop, mind was little upset, thinking that next morning the routine would be back to normal everyday routine.  I will be missing the carving sound which I used to hear nearing the workshop, lovely and wonderful new friends encouraging one another, discussions , laugh etc . But we are hoping to meet again with one more workshop which will be organized soon.

I know , you are eager to see some more murals made in the workshop and to know more about  the artist Shri. Chandra Rawal too. Definitely share about those in coming posts,

Until then-

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

Wood carving from Bijnor(UP)

Bijnor is a small town in the district of Saharanpur in north east part of Uttara Pradesh. This has historical wood carving craft tradition dating back to the Mughal period. During my visit to an craft exhibition I came across some craftsmen from Bijnor.
Here are some of the their woodwork:

Combs made out of wood

 It is said that some of the carvers moved directly from Iran to Saharanpur and settled here. So we can see the influence of Persian designs in the wood carving.

Combs made of wood

 Most of the district is covered with forests. So wood carving is widely practiced in the stat- Saharanpur, Nagina, Pilakhuwa, Bijnor, Aligarh, Bareily, Bulandshahr,Lucknow and Mathura.Nicely carved combs are their specialty.

Framed carved combs

Now the wood carvers have extended their art, to meet the customers' requirement. Not only decorative items, they make many puzzles and games from wood.

Many puzzles made of wood

Puzzles and games

 When I checkd the price, these were not very expensive. One should have in woodwork collection.

Use Of Paper Mache Craft For Daily Use And House Decoration

(Guest post by : Ashutosh- Owner  of online handicraft store  www.CraftsandLooms.com)

Paper mache or papier mache is an easy to make art that is used for creating daily utility products and for house decoration as well. Paper mache is created with a combination of paper, water and some other products and it is used for making various objects like house decoration products, key holders, trays, ornaments etc. Paper mache products are designed by skilled artisans with the utilization of waste paper. Vibrant colors are applied to these objects and various shapes are given. Paper mache items look beautiful and they are considered to be great gifting options. 

Some of the products which are too good for gifting :

Buddha statue made of Paper Mache

Jewellery Box made of Paper mache

Jewellery box made of Paper Mache

The artisans make sure that every paper mache item has a great finish, it looks attractive and it comprises of creative use of waste paper. The best way of buying paper mache items is buying them online.  Beautiful key holders and showpieces are available that can serve the utility purpose and they also look great in your house. Paper mache is also an environmentally friendly option for your house instead of using house decoration products made from plastics and composites.

All the paper mache products are delicate and decorative and they depict the artistic zeal and craftsmanship of the artisans. These products can also be used for house decoration for various festivals. 

The Making of Paper Mache products

 The process of making paper mache products is simple but it involves a lot of time because detailed work has to be done on these products to make them durable and beautiful. Creation of paper mache products involves two important steps : ‘sakhtsazi’ (actual production of the products) and ‘naqashi’ (the process of painting the product). The traditional Kashmiri method of making paper mache products starts with soaking waste paper in water for many days until it is disintegrated. After some days, the excess water is drained out from the soaked paper and it is mixed with rice straw, cloth and bonding agents in order to create a pulp. This mixture is then poured into a mould and it is left to set for two or three days. When the mixture is ready, it is cut into two halves and it is glued back again. After this, the base color is applied and it is ready for the artist to paint.

The designs on the paper mache products are printed with a free hand and this is the main reason why they look so explicit. Vibrant colors add to the beauty of the product. At times, metallic paint is used on the paper mache products that provides with an illuminated feel. 

Some unique designs in paper-mache

The paper mache artisans transform a wide range of utility articles into beautiful and magnificent pieces of art. You will be amazed with the way even a simple paper mache key holder adds glory to your house. Paper mache is a unique handmade product that is available at cheap prices and that provides an authentic look to your house. 

 Any handicraft lover would own at least one paper-mache product. You can buy these  online store :

Paper-Mache products

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

Its already four years in Blogosphere

Time just flies! Its already four years completed in blogosphere .  Have written about 167  posts about my experiences and experiments with different kinds of arts and crafts. Tried to introduce some artists and their works.
 Just love this way of following my passion. Above all have got some very good friends in this blogosphere !
2014 was the year of many ups and downs , quit the IT job to become a full time tutor. Started a new venture of making handcrafted fashion jewels. Because of the major decisions in life , life was bit imbalanced, that impacted number of posts too.This year has a good start. Travelled a bit and collected information about different arts and crafts of India. Also equipped with many sources of knowledge about different kinds of craft, like books and articles.
Some are here, the encyclopedia of handicrafts of India: 

 

A narrative book on sarees of India:

Soon will start posts about crafts of the World. Also, will share many tutorials , which will help craft learners like me.
Thank you all for your support, will continue this journey of sharing about arts and craft, through each post.

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

Wooden replicas of Jharokas

The last post  contains some information about wood work of Rajasthan. While writing about wood work of Rajasthan, replicas of Jharokas cannot be missed.
Basically Jharoka is a balcony constructed in Indian Architecture. The Jharokha projects out of the window and decorated with beautiful carvings and painted.
Jharokas in different types :

Image courtesy - Wikipedia

Image courtesy - Wikipedia

Image courtesy - Wikipedia

 

 

 

The wood workers of Rajasthan make the small replicas of these Jharokas. There are very artistic. The Jharokas are carved on the wood and painted with different colors.

Each one is unique and very artistic. Its a perfect artifact to decor your home. Isn't it?

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

Lets enter the world of craft- Wire handbags made by Smt. Manjula

In my last post I have written about the most talented lady , Late .Smt Manjula. She is not with us  today, but her works in arts and crafts will be always inspirational to art and craft lovers.
In this post sharing about wire handbags  made by her. Few years back making handbags from colorful wires was popular craft. Even I remember my mother making wire handbag. But most of the handbags I have seen have common designs. I was amazed to see the different kinds of handbags made by Smt. Manjula.
Here are some I can share:

 Cute Pink and White combination with little rose as lock.
Here is the closer view of the weaving, and if you know about wire weaving you can observe that the weaving is reversed. Hats off to her creativity!

Here are some more:
Blue and White combination with double straps

 Handbag with Black and Green combination

 This is something different, flower shape, I guess this was made using crochet.

 

This is a shopping bag and the weaving is in Pentagon shape.

 

This is made with beads, and it has a small outer pocket also.

 The outer pocket has the bead hangings .

Each piece is unique and very innovative.  The color combination, weaving and pattern, everything is perfect.
This shows Smt. Manjula's interest in craft.
This journey into the world of arts and crafts doesn't end here, I will write about about the crochet works by Late. Smt. Manjla , in my next post.

Until then,

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana