artnlight

MahaKumbh - Part 2, NagaBabas.

2013-03-13T23:22:00.000-07:00

I have not wanted to make any post more than this one, but things have kept cropping up, keeping me busy and this has felt like nothing less than an obstacle race. But I also realise that the various interactions I have had with my closest people have shaped this post to be the way it is and each conversation has given me more clarity on my own perspective about the powerful and magical and yet very real Mahakumbh 2013. This is day 2 and the BIG DAY, it is Basant Panchami and the day of the Shahi Snan or Royal bath of the sages and Sadhus and famed Naga Babas who come down from their mountainous retreats to the plains and are visible to the common man. We are all up at 4am and have hit the road with our camera's at 4.30 am and the streets are already full with the marching people who have come in from all parts of India to take a dip in the confluence of rivers on this auspicious day. If we saw people yesterday, today was when the crowds really came pouring in, from everywhere. It felt as if all of India's pious was there to mark its attendance.

As large groups of orange flag weilding devouts and Sadhu's march in with their processions, we were waiting poised and ready and in position for the Naga Baba's. But before we speak of the Naga Baba's it is very important to mention the god they follow, the ash smeared and tiger skin wearing omniscient yogi, Lord Shiva is the only ascetic God who wears snakes for ornaments, the crescent moon and the mystical and powerful river Ganga in his hair and once drank poison so he could save the world. The third part of the trinity, Shiva represents the dark night, destruction, death and detachment and is the very picture of formidable fierceness. And paradoxically he is also the ideal family man and the master of Cosmic dance. And the Naga Baba's are his worshippers. They wear only their dreadlocks, marigolds and are ash covered and live in the Himalayan mountain ranges in seclusion and penance. The Aghori sect claims to keep company with ghosts, or live in cemeteries as part of their holy path. Known for their fierceness and even aggression, they live such a life of renunciation that even basic necessities such as food and clothing are dispensed with as part of their spiritual process.

I had seen pictures of Naga baba's through time and I awaited my turn like the rest of us. And they came, preceeded by the Senior Naga Baba's sitting tall astride horses and holding aloft their Tridents. Marching, jumping, stomping, running, full of energy and vitality they filled the streets with their joy and their war cries of "Har har Mahadev". It was electric.I had never felt more alive, or or more charged or more safe, Separated by thin barricades of bamboo we photograhers ran alongside the gorgeous fierce and the childlike Naga babas. I who could not bring myself to take one picture of people changing after their holy dip, thought nothing of running along the Naga Babas stark in their nakedness, taking pictures of them as much as light would permit, such was their comfort in their skin & the quality of the moment. All I could think of was, omg, omg, look at them, I hope I get pictures, pictures that do this moment justice and pictures that do their vitality jusice. And it was challenging.

I have never photographed under such conditions, the light was low. And there was crazy super fast action everywhere, my subject and me both were constantly running. At many points I felt my only attempt was to get one single frame without a fellow photographer or a policeman in it. The place was a boon and a bane for a photographer, because there was action just about 360 degrees around you but capturing it without a shake and then trying to get a halfway decent shot was your challenge. I was shooting and working at a pace completely alien to me. For someone who normally takes pictures of only table-tops and immobile objects and almost never of people, it was like being thrown into the deep end of the ocean without knowing any swimming.

I am brought up a Hindu and all my life I had seen the domesticated side of Hinduism and then to see this wild child, unclothed, free and exuberant Naga baba version of Hinduism was suddenly such a startling cut to what I thought I always knew. Yes, I had heard of Shiva and his bhuta gana's but it was all in the mythological zone. But to see the Naga Babas in flesh and to feel their spirit gave a very real dimension to the whole thing. I found the NagaBaba's extremely child like in their energies. Innocent and clean. They didn't care about clothes and when we saw them we too ceased to care whether they wore them or no. So whole and complete and beyond clothes was their bearing and attitude.

It was rumoured that a few photographers had their camera's snatched and twirled and broken by the NagaBabas.

Putting up their pictures whole and uncropped is what will do them justice, but some of my close friends and family warned me about my blog suddenly getting classified as 'adult' and I saw some of my family getting a little taken aback at the pictures, so I am going to err on the side of caution in this post & put up pictures that will hopefully not offend too many of you. But please do be honest and let me know, if you are hungry for more (because there is a lot more). Or if you think you have seen enough. I really do want to hear from you guys on this one.There are certainly more posts from the MahaKumbh and atleast one more on Naga Baba's coming up.

MahaKumbh - Part1

2013-02-27T03:41:00.000-08:00

The Mahakumbh a once-in-a144 year occurance is when Hinduism keeps its date with immortality. (The famous Kumbh Mela comes once in 12 years and the ardh Kumbh once in 6) When devotees from across India and the world come to take a dip and wash their sins in the holy 'Sangam' where the powerful brown Ganga, the black dwindling Yamuna and the mythical Saraswathi rivers converge to form a such a heady forgiving mixture of a river, that millions of India and her modern day saints believe that just a dip can absolve you of your wrong doings. So when Sanjay Nanda sent an online invite to the Indian Photo Tours trip, I just signed up. No thinking, no discussion, I was going. I knew this trip was going to be different from my other travels. That along with me were two very special and talented people Deeptha Umapathy and Chandan Dubey promised to only make it better.

I was mentally prepared for the crowds and coming from the teeming speed obsessed Bombay, I was ready for a sea of people everywhere I looked, what took me by surprise was the calmness in the crowds. The energy was very different. This was a very peaceful space. The air was rent equally with bhajans and chants of all sorts, and with the tragi-comical and continual announcements of lost people, lost wallets, pan cards, mobiles and every once in a while punctuated by the thundering chugging from the train passing an overhead bridge. And everywhere we looked we saw people carrying their bags walking, walking, walking into the motor free Kumbh city.

Sharing with you a few of my favourite images of the Kumbh Day 1.

The place is a kaleidoscope of happenings, from processions filled with frenzied dancing, to domesticated street-side cooking by families who live on the streets of the Kumbh, to people drying their clothes, to flower sellers. Its all happening right there simultaneously.

The Sadhu sightings begin.

In the Iskcon Camp, at the entrance they had these beautiful tableau's of gods and goddessed and I saw this man silently sitting and reading his prayers. He almost looked like he was one among the dolls and posters.

Walking to the ghats we saw many people and some really stunning women. Completely rural, completely confident.

And we were at the ghats where people were bathing in the river, photography was prohibited in these areas and the area was densely and seriously patrolled by police who would blow whistles straight into our ears if they suspected we were shooting people or women changing.

The evening was beautiful and the sight of the bathers and devotees dipping in the Ganges and offering obeisance in the river will make for one of the most beautiful memories in my life time. I just wish I went there again, less as a photographer and more as someone who is just there and living in the moment. This was one of the many times at the kumbh when I just wanted to be there and soak in the moment rather than angle for that good shot.

And as we were walking back from the camp we saw this Sadhu sitting with eyes closed and completely oblivious to all the activity around him. There seemed to be an aura of quiet all around him and his companion was a man who quietly observed all of us taking pictures of his guru with fierce yet silent eyes.

This was day one and I do have a LOT many more pictures which i will probably upload on FB. It was such a beautiful place and what is it about retrospect that casts a golden glow on everything. The next day was the BIG DAY. Basant Panchami and the day of the shahi snan. The day that the famed Naga Baba's would come out in droves for the Royal dip. They wait for years and years for this big day and photographers come from across the world to capture their magic. Time is playing its own numbers and I will have to wait till Monday till I post about them. See you guys soon.

I definitely want to put in a word for the organisers of this trip, the Indian Photo Tours people. What was so nice about the way Dheeraj Paul and Sanjiv Bhadula organised the trip and the photography class was their mixture of a hands off but always available approach. It is a delicate balance to strike.And they did it brilliantly.

The Valentine SJC Necklace winner!

2013-02-23T23:49:00.001-08:00

Hello, Hello!!! I'm back finally and here is announcing the SJC gorgeous Valentine give-away winner. And KOMAL KOHOK it is.

Congratulations Komal! and Shweta has made a request. It would be great if you could send us a picture of you wearing your necklace once you get it. So do send us your address, so Shweta can ship your beautiful necklace to you :)

I've been on a crazy schedule. Back from the MahaKumbh straight into the "A Not So Causal Kitchen" Exhibition. (You can see some pictures on my FB album) Today is the last day and I will FINALLY be able to go through my MahaKumbh pictures, shortlist them and make my post on it. In retrospect, I feel its just better that I got this time between the actual experience and writing about it. Because it was very powerful to be there and these days are giving me a perspective about it. So soon, soon The MahaKumbh post is coming up, stay tuned people.

Limited Edition Valentine Photo frames.

2013-02-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

This has kept me happy and excited for the past couple of days. Please meet the Artnlight Limited Edition Valentines Photo frames that you can buy. Limited edition because there is only one of each piece right now & I don't think I will replicate them anytime now. So you get to own a piece no one else will. Or you get to gift that one-of-a-kind piece you've been looking for.

Please pardon the pictures inside each frame, this is what happens when you rip off pages from a magazine and try to make them pretend that they are photographs.

This frame has to be the MOST Valentiny thing I have ever seen :) With hearts that go all around :)

A close up so you get to see the textures well.

But what I had the most fun with was styling these pictures and shooting them at home. I've not done anything like this before, and after shooting them I was just unreasonably happy.

Now for the mechanics of buying. All those interested can write to me on vineeta(dot)artnlight(at)gmail(dot)com. The sale will officially start tomorrow morning 11.am and close on 11th Feb, Monday. 8 pm. India time.

Looking forward to hearing from you on this as this is a new product. I truly hope you like it.

My wall project in Dhanesh & Mrinal Bhatia's children's room

2013-02-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

When my good friend and wedding photographer Payal Kumar introduced me to the beautiful Mrinal Bhatia, I had no idea that working with her is going to be such a pleasure. Sharing a small project I did for the Dhanesh & Mrinal's beautifully designed spacious home. The deadline was tight and yet I have never worked so seamlessly or easily with someone. Everything became very simple for me because Mrinal was extremely clear about what she wanted and also about the fact that she trusted me implicitly. All I had to do was a wall in the children's room. Mrinal wanted a lot of colour to set off the otherwise very sane lines of her kids room. She told me "This wall is where all the fun will happen. I don't really want cartoons or jungles. Just pops of colour."

The architect of the stunning home on which a post is coming up is Gajesh Badeswal of GMB Squadra

Behind the scenes - wall project

2013-02-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

I had to share these pictures with you because this is what happens before the order sets in. The storm before the calm. Bubble wrap sea. Wires, plastic sheets. Random piles. Madness. And a sinking feeling that it will never get complete and 'right'. And yet somehow I love the look of this. The dilema ofcourse is whether to post the results 1st or the madness 1st. I then succumbed to my 'safe voice' which said - results 1st. But there was no way I wasn't sharing this.

And I wish for myself to remember this. That whenever things are too chaotic and when one is completely is at sea whether this will work out or no, hang on to the 'result' picture in your head. Things have to work out. There has to be pattern and beauty to this life, and a purpose and reason that you were given all those crazy beautiful dreams.

An SJC Valentine Give-away Ye!!

2013-02-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

I'm sure Shweta Jain Chopra's darling designs are still fresh in all your visual memories. It is truly the stuff cuddly soft dreams and Valentines are made of. That EACH piece is hand stitched by Shweta, from cutting, to stitching to packaging, no sewing machine, no assembly line of workers putting together the pieces is what surprised me.

We saw her work in the previous post and this time I'm happy to share with you a more rounded picture of her artistic journey.

Shweta uses only organically died felt.

Most of these beautiful pictures have been shot by Photographer Janina Strauch. And by Shweta's husband Tarun Chopra.

Shweta Jain is settled in Korea and works from Seoul and she is active in the design scene there. She represented India in the Seoul Design Fair.

And this is the part that always excites me, a peek into the home and studio of the petite artist :) And as as I'm coming to expect the home is such an extension of her art, neat clean lines & bright pops of colour.

And now for the Valentine Give away :)

Up for grabs is this stunning whimsical necklace from SJC's Circus range.

All you need to do is:
1. Like the SJC FB page

2. Then come back here and leave a comment confirming you have liked the page and (this is the important part) what you feel or like about SJC designs, and what you feel they can do to add or improve to your experience of SJC Designs

Shweta will ship the product anywhere is the world, so everybody can participate.

The Give-away will close on the 11th of Feb, so do make sure you leave your comment by then :)

There is more news coming up soon so stay tuned.

Artnlight Conest on FaceBook

2013-01-23T22:12:00.000-08:00

Wanted to do a quick heads up on a contest I'm running on FaceBook for Artnlight readers and Artnlight product owners. It is specifically a FaceBook contest and that is where all the action is the happening, from the announcement to the posting and the voting. Its a first for me and comes with its own set of discoveries and learnings. I'm just very grateful to all those who participated and sportingly styled their products and sent the pictures in.

So this is what its all about. All Artnlight product owners were invited to style, shoot and mail me their pictures on vineeta@artnlight.gmail.com.And once all the entries were in the most popular picture would win a free Artnlight Tray.

After I announced the contest in a fit of spontaneity ( I decided and worked out and composed the contest while typing the announcement status!!) I began worrying if anybody would bother to contribute at all. And if they didn't I'd look like the fool of the century. But the deed was done. But over the last week the entries came in. And some of them took my breath away with their beauty and some of them touched my heart with its meaning and significance. All of them made me grateful for the privilege of making things that people like enough to pay and take home and make theirs. Sharing with you some of the entries here. The the voting is on both on my personal FB page as well as on the Artnlight FB page and so is the contest. Please do vote for your favourite picture on either or both places and share it as well. The most popular picture - with the maximum likes will win a free Artnlight Tray.

I absolutely love this picture sent by Dithi Mukherjee, but is not part of the contest, but I wasnted to share it with you. For me it is amazing to see my product so lovingly used.

"Am all smiles whenever I look at that beautiful lotus pond on my desk!
Thank you Vineeta for this block of happiness ~ created and finished to perfection!" Dithi Mukherjee

Archana Srinivas's gorgeous photographs of her Artnlight Box.

Oindrila Roy of Bright Angles uses her Artnlight tray as a decorative table-top.

Gunjan Pai sent me this picture of her Artnlight wall art, cutely styled in her balcony along with plants and knick knacks.

The very talented Reuben Samuel of Reuben Samuel Photography, sends me his Artnlight alphabet R photographed in various moods and poses. This one is really close to my heart.

Parinda Singh's Artnlight tray in her home which I helped design. Do check out her Dance initiatiative called Tribe of Taal

When I saw these beautifully styled shots sent by blogger Sahana Singh of Home is where the art is,

I knew immediately what a talented stylist she is and what a fantastic host she is must be. Do you see these colourful cutting chai glasses in the pictures? Sahana makes them herself and the brilliant news is you can buy them on her FB page right here.

When I put in the links to the respective owners on this post I realise Artnlight products have gone to the homes of a painter~artist, a blogger, a marketing consultant, a writer, a photographer & writer, a dancer, and an entrepreneur, wow.
I am amazed to see after I uploaded the pictures, how the contest has taken on a life of its own, the participants and even others are spreading the word and people are voting in their favourites. Do drop by here or here and put in your vote for your favourite picture. And thank you, you are the best! :)

Happy New 2013 + my brand new project 365

2013-01-18T11:35:00.001-08:00

This year began for me with a break and a really exciting project simultaneously. When good friend and creative whiz Asavari Honavar announced project 365 on my FB page, I knew this was it. Project 365 is a photography project where all participants click one photograph a day and by the end of the year have 365 pictures to speak for the year. It is not a new concept and all who were familiar with flickr have seen photographers participate in this year after year. But this is my 1st and the prospect of the discipline and commitment it will take to participate in and complete this project, filled me with trepidation and excitement at the same time. Sign that I MUST do it :) This project is spearheaded by the very young and dynamic nature lover and photographer Laura Beth Drilling from Iowa, who keeps the group enganged and enthused with not just with regular constructive appreciation but also with a lot of fondness and openness.

A couple of things happened as a result of this project. I find that I'm using my camera a lot more and that I'm more often than not looking to see if I can good picture. Earlier my camera would just come out when I am in 'work mode' or out travelling or covering something specific. Now I'm just a lot more open to shooting almost anything. Things that I wouldn't normally shoot. And the most interesting discovery I'm making is that I'm less paranoid of 'exposing' any particular aspect of my life by taking a picture of it. Privacy has always been a big thing in my head, since I'm online so much. How much to show, one picture a day will be like telling every one - 'this is my life'. I think this is the biggest mental block I have been able to overcome while saying yes to this project. And its been going good so far.

Sharing with you a few of my more favourite pictures from the project and some things that I ended up taking many pictures of, just for the love of it.

And seeing how the other participants are shooting and how their project is shaping up has been a great teacher and motivator. So glad I said yes to this.

So yes, do expect to see a lot more of my camera clicks this year. Will pop in every now & then with a post on the progress with my project 365. Or maybe make it a regular feature on this blog.

Many of these pictures are not the kind I would normally click or even see for that matter. In a very literal sense this project is proving to be an eye opener.

In a way, this project is symbolic of a lot of things that I would intend my 2013 to be. Discipline, really putting to use what I have, whether it is my camera, my time or my talents. And being consistently productive. One day at a time. I wish you all a similar year. And if you want to start your own project 365, go right ahead and it needn't be clicking one picture a day. It could be drawing one sketch a day, writing one para a day, one doodle a day or anything really. As long as it excites you and makes you happy. And don't worry if you will be able to continue and see it through the year or anything. Just start. And take one day at a time.

Thank you 2012

2013-01-02T15:42:00.001-08:00

How do you say thanks to a year that has not taught you by being very kind :) There i said it :) 2012 has not been a year which was sweet and full of things gone right. On the contrary, this is probably the 1st year I probably understood the full impact and import of the word entrepreneur. This is the year I grew up so to speak. Grew up to the fact that as an entrepreneur it pays to expect the unexpected. Grew up to the fact that just being hopeful will not make things go your way. I want to say this here because I have been getting a lot of mails which ask me how do I make it work? And I have wanted to be honest and say it like it is in this space. While positivity and hope has its place, I do realise that it is very important to acknowledge the challenges that are part of the journey.

Early in the year, my main supplier with who I had a great working relationship with decided to shut shop. Going through this whole period of denial that this was really happening to figuring out someone else who would do this specialised kind of work took time. I had moved into a new office and in less than a year I had to move out last month because there was an unexpected water seepage problem that threatened to damage my products if I chose to stay. Decisions had to be taken instantly. But it was also a year that taught me that if I was determined to stick it out, I would get help. I learnt that being grateful and counting your blessings helps, big time, because it shifts your focus from what is not working to what is working. It keeps you grounded and upbeat.

Sharing with you some of the reasons why the last year didn't seem too bad after all. Counting my blessings and favourite moments of 2012 in pictures. And Thank you all of you who made these and so much more happen for me.

Yes and if this doesn't look like Big Bazaar branding I don't know what does! Jokes apart. Dez & me at the Made by Hand Bazaar. This exhibition though small will definitely make it to this list. I loved my stall sharer, the organisers and the sales were great. Put my faith right back to where it belonged.

Going to the Bangalore Soul Santhe. This had to be the 1st time I met SO MANY artnlight readers in one day. They travelled and came from far to meet me & buy artnlight products. I had my closest friends Bhavya & Shiv help arrange my stall. And for the 1st time I got an Artnlight banner printed and sat under it. Quite a few readers later told me that they didn't know I would be there & that the banner caught their eye. Wow.

Meeting the iconic Shilo Shiv Suleman and her mother Nilofer Suleman in their stunning home. This I count as one of my best blogging-karma happenings.

Spending quality time with my sister, my nephew and my brother-in-law Harikumar Nair. It was inspiring and humbling to see him in his farm. And time spent with my sister is always cathartic. It takes me back to where I come from and we can giggle together endlessly.

All 4 of us spent the better part of the day at the stunning Padmanabha Puram Palace (Yes, I will be blogging about it. I have hundred's of pictures!)

Sometimes you meet someone and know that they were shown to you to give you strength on your own journey. Meeting the very real and the pioneering artist Sajitha Shankar of Gowry Art Institute was like that for me. There is a whole blog post that is coming up about the dynamic internationally acclaimed artist and about the beautiful Gowry Art Institute that she has founded and runs.

There is nothing like the company of good friends to just make you happy, hold you, just by their presence & nothing else. No discussions are required, just a lot of music, completely random conversations, quietness & you are healed and good to go. And Blue Matsya is a fantastic place to find yourself in for this.

And how can the shoot for MORA not be part of the list. This one shoot redefined the way I looked in my head. From saying yes, to standing in front of the camera happy & carefree to the stumping appreciation that came my way on FaceBook. This will qualify as an unforgettable event for years to come.

I wanted to try my hand at a styled shoot. And that was precisely when my office got flooded. 2 days before 2 big exhibitions. There was no question of going over to my friends pretty apartment & doing it nicely. So this happened on my dining table in 1 hour flat. With whatever I had at home. Went to show me that at a pinch, even if the only thing you have is your will, things will happen.

The Trunk Show was a great way to bring in the end of the year. Met some amazing designers and artists for the 1st time. Sold really well. Happy making. And to wrap it up a happy 2 days at The Blue Frog.

What made being at the Blue Frog special for me was I met, interacted and spoke to designers I have admired for years and years. And they took home artnlight products. What a privilege. And it completely didn't hurt this really famous music director bought 2 of my trays when I was packing up. How cool was that.

The last week of the year shook us us all up and I really didn't feel like blogging or partying. But it feels all the more important that we remember what happened. And we count our blessings. Wanted to leave you with this. More soon! I'm SO glad 2013 is here.

Give-away winners :) Please note.

2012-12-27T11:44:00.002-08:00

I want to make a quick announcement of 2 giveaways.

1st is the Coppre Christmas giveaway. The winner is Miss Frangipani, author of Frangipani Decor & of many other blogs :) Congratulations!! And do contact us with you mailing address, so the Coppre team knows where to ship the lovely sunflower lamps to.

The 2nd is the Mora Stole Diwali give-away. Yes I know we already announced a winner, Lotus Gal & after waiting to hear from her this entire month, and after discussions, Ritika Mittal and me decided that the stole should go to the person who was tied with Lotus Gal for the win & that is none other than Chandan Dubey, photographer and writer from girlabouthome.

Chandan congratulations!! Do mail me your address so I can courier the gorgeous MORA stole to you.

Merry Christmas!!

2012-12-25T04:15:00.001-08:00

I've really been thinking an awful lot about last year this time in the U.S. Thinking about my brother and his family, the fun times I had with Christine Mason Miller, her friends and the 'Desire to Inspire' gang. So sharing some 'last year - this time' Chrismast spirit from the Korean airport to Santa Monica to Dallas to SanFrancisco. Christmas trees, baubles, Santa's and twinklie lights. Merry Christmas people :) :)

This was at this really coolly decorated cup-cake shop in Dallas

Picture credits: Vineeta Nair for artnlight.

Shweta Jain Chopra Designs

2012-12-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

What better time than Christmas eve to introduce to you to the bright and happy and twinklie Shweta Jain Chopra Designs. Her cheerful & loving handmade goodies are right in tune with Christmas cheer. I also loved that her entire catalogue was beautifully styled and photographed. Shweta trained at NID, and after winning the mentorship program with Karim Rashid Inc. Mew York, NY, for a period of 8 months she went on to get hands experience in the field of product design for for a period of 5 years. She is now settled in Seoul, South Korea, which was the start of her journey with SJC Designs.

SNOW DROPS ~ Handmade Christmas Ornaments

Love her packaging

Sling them on or sport it as a wristlet - carry your daily dose of happiness.

SJC Jewellery!! Limited Edition handmade Jewellery for the Circus lovers. A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.

This has to be my favourite in her entire mouth watering collection of products.

She makes fun HEXA clocks too!

You can shop for all these goodies on: Shopo, Aniika, DesignEmporia.

Merry Christmas! :) :)

Jaypore and artnlight and some good news for shoppers in the U.S.

2012-12-21T05:41:00.000-08:00

Some beautiful things are so rare and exquisite they make you curious. About the person who has created it, their story and their process. Jaypore is full of those kind of things. And the stories of the people who create them. A connoisseur's delight, this well curated site has many gems for the discerning buyer. Initially conceptualised to be only available as an ipad app for buyers, the site's popularity and demand got them available to all internet users. "Jaypore is about bringing the world a little closer together. We discover the best designs from artisans and craftsmen from all over India, and deliver them at exceptional value to our members. Simply put, we’re about products from India that are beautiful. We’re not luxury, we’re not designer, we’re about beauty."

"We want to enable you on a lazy evening, lounging in your living room on your iPad, to understand what it means to actually discover something uniquely beautiful from India, from Vietnam, from Bali, Indonesia, and who knows where else. In the process, we hope to educate our customers about why we think these products qualify as being uniquely beautiful. We’ll tell you stories of the dying crafts, the artisanal regions, and most importantly the people behind them.

So, that is Jaypore. And we’re proud to be who we are, and we look forward to having you with us on this amazing, arduous, enriching journey." from the Jaypore blog

I was so stunned when i saw these boxes that i immediately tried to figure who makes them. They are made by the designer duo Renuka Savasere & Abeer Gupta of R&A designs.

And now for the happy news! Jaypore contacted me to ask if I would want to showcase my products with them. It truly felt like a compliment. To be part of a site that only chooses the best and to be in the company of this league of artists who only produce the best is an honour.

All those looking to read the story of each artist, you will see a very subtle 'Read the story' on the top right above the products. If you don't look carefully you will miss it :)

The site will give you extreme closeups of the product you are going to buy so that any imperfection is visible, but it also means you get to see all that is beautiful about the product in great detail. I was kind of fascinated to see such extreme close ups of my products, and so I will inflict them on you as well :)

Right now as we speak Jaypore sells only to the U.S. But the team tells me that they are working towards an India launch very soooon. Lots to look forward to.

But for all in the U.S. This webite delivers carefully curated Indian gorgeousness to your doorstep, right here, right now. My products will be available till the new year :)

All photographs are from Jaypore.com. And this here is their FB page.

Coppre & a Christmas give-away :)

2012-12-20T08:42:00.001-08:00

I went to FabIndia last weekend and thats where I saw Coppre 1st hand for the 1st time. I had already seen their post on Archana Srinivas's RangDecor and what unforgettable imagery that was. I knew I wanted to write about them because the Coppre products were stunning and I knew they worked with the crafts people for the developement and the sustainance of the the Tambat's who created these pieces. I was told Rashmi Ranade (a product designer from Industrial Design centre, IIT Powai and Sir JJ School of Architecture) is the designer of these stunners and that she played a vital part in bringing Coppre to where it is today. Speaking to Rashmi has to be one of the highlights of this week and one of the reasons I will always thank this blog and what I attempt to do here.

In her conversation with me Rashmi was more than a designer, she was a historian, an anthropologist, an activist, an artist and most importantly she was completely in love with Copper the metal. Had I not asked to speak to her I would not have known that Coppre was a result of her involvement with the Tambat (Copper craft) community for more than 10 years, that working on copper is hard physical labour, and therefore is primarily worked on by men and not women, that it was more a trade and not art. Though looking at the Coppre products one would't feel so. She took me through the history of the metal, its place and part in Shivaji's times and how the crafts people went out of work with the industrialisation brought by the British. And how from making armour, coins, canons for the Peshwa rulers, the Craftspeople embraced the culinary ritual needs of the Maharashtrian communities and crafted traditional products such as utensils and puja items.
Speaking about how Coppre works as an organisation, Rashmi said there was transparency and complete ownership and buy-in from all people involved with Coppre at all levels.

And now for the eyecandy :)

GIVE-AWAY TIME :)

To win you need to do only 2 things

1. First Like the Coppre FB page

2. Come back here to leave a comment on how Coppre will make your Christmas special :)

(Coppre only ships in India)

This will be a super short-duration give away & the lucky winner will be announced on you guessed it right, Christmas day :)

Anais Basu and her Tia Pakhi

2012-12-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

When I met French Anais Basu and her husband Abhishek Basu at my 1st exhibition at Nine Lives in Ahmedabad, we were strangers who quickly became friends. Abhishek Basu was representing some really serious and stunning art through his Calcutta Art Club and all of us hung out together for those 2 days, none of us were from Ahmedabad and we were a happy bunch together. Only much later through Facebook did I see that Anais had launched Tia Pakhi, her gorgeous line of home linen and accessories including cushions, throws, table linen and a line of kiddie fashion. I loved the way she styled and shot her collection and have been wanting to feature her ever since. Her work is a beautiful marriage of the east and the west like her life and the balance she brings into it is a result of the enthusiasm with which she embraces both. She recently had a show at The Rose at Hauz Khas Village coinciding with my Trunk Show at Prince of Wales Museum. Sharing with you her elegant, distinct and beautiful work.

"Each piece is individually hand embroidered or handwoven using trditional techniques and giving each product its own unique and original personality."

"TIA PAKHI collections blend the traditional Indian crafts with Anais’ poetic, bold and colourful style to create a contemporary ethnic style."

Love the sense of play in her work.

Pic from this interview of Anais Basu in the IDiva.com

An image of Tia Pakhi @ their show in The Rose, Hauz Khas, Delhi.

And this is what The Tia Pakhi Store in Calcutta looks like. A beautiful blend of the old & the new. What Tia Pakhi stands for me is a rare blend of being young and colourful & yet completely elegant and timeless. That's a combination only the truly talented can wing.

This is their FB page and you can message them there if you are not in Calcutta and want to buy Tia Pakhi's work.

Pictures credits: Tia Pakhi website and IDiva.com

The Trunk Show at Coomaraswamy hall, Prince of Wales Museum

2012-12-17T04:57:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about exhibitions for me have always been to meet fellow entrepreneurs. Its a great opportunity to meet people who like you pack in their work into cartons, set up shop for those 2 days and put their best foot forward and prepare to meet the people who will see, like and buy their work. Sometimes you've seen their work online and have heard a lot about them and a lot of times you get to see and meet new people and the very interesting work they do for the very 1st time. And if you are at a well put together exhibition both these things happen and its a win-win situation.
1st up is LOOSE ENDS with whom I shared a stall - the organisers really gave both of us a lot of room & it really didn't feel like we were 'sharing' space. Thank you Praneeta Bedi for that and for a brilliantly put together set of brands and designers.

I've known Madhu(mita Goswami) ever since I quit to start my business. And over the years we have become friends and it was she who told me that it will be a great idea to be part of the Trunk Show.

I was delighted to meet Padmaja of Transit design. I have been very interested in her work ever since I interviewed her on artnlight here. Loved her latest collection sin.u.ous.

Padmaja working on her laptop. I like this picture because it captures her sharp features and her subtely (i hope) We hit it off beautifully and I hope we will bump into each other more often.

I was intrigued to see this graceful woman who looked SO comfortable in her gorgeous and deceptively simple saree. I was told she is ANAVILA of the saree brand of the same name.

When I came back home and googled her, I came to know that apart from the beautiful linen sarees, she also makes these precious nature inspired and fabric created wall art from Studio Mora. And the curious will be rewarded as I was by the gorgeous glimpses of her home here on Bhavna Bhatnagar's inimitable design blog anindiansummer.

Kishmish was the stall right in front of mine & I noted the beautiful fall of fabric and the simple but well cut kurtas had more than its share of takers. People just queued up, tried the kurtas and bought it, through the 2 days with great regularity. They retail with Ensemble in Delhi & Mumbai and with Cinnamon in Bangalore and this here is the KishMish FB page where you will get a better look at their work.

The charming and warm Neha Mahidhar of Bodhi Tree. She had a line of really unusually cut jackets in an eclectic range of colours.

SAPAN MORE had me with her exquisite collection of Tibetan antiques, jewellery and huge Tangkha Paintings. Her clothes were an ode to Tibet with its red black and geometric patterns.

Sapan More

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting HIMANSHU VERMA of Red Earth from Delhi at this Trunk Show. Infact Red Earth is having its DESIGN MELA right now at the same place at Prince of Wales Museum. Do go check it out if you are in the South of Bombay.

All of us were just having some fun and laughs on day 2 and we decided we must have our pictures together :) One mostly forgets to take pictures when you are having a busy and a good time.

This is how the Artnlight work looked at the Trunk Show. It was a brilliant feeling to have people come back for my products, its was great seeing people who were pleasantly surprised to see me here, recognise the products and buy it. And even better to see new people discovering and reacting to the products. It was a great 2 days when a lot of friends and ex-colleagues dropped by just to encourage me.

All in all a great show where I met some truly interesting people, saw some great work, and sold really well. What more can one ask for.

Stay tuned for more posts, suddenly this blog will be super active :)

New Work :) at the Trunk Show & Christmas Bazaar

2012-12-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

Finally. Here are some new designs that have been getting made in my studio. Its been a beyond crazy week. There was a water seepage problem that got so out of hand that I had to shift office. In one day. And miraculously I was shown another location i could shift to. So I took a call and just moved lock stock and barrel. It all sounds pat and nice and easy, but its been a week where I've really asked myself, why will anyone choose this voluntarily? To be an entrepreneur, to do your own thing? But today after moving into my new office & unpacking, I allowed myself the joy of quickly doing this shoot at home. And then all things fell back in place in my heart and head. I had packed all the products and my props and was all set to shoot at a friends place, but in the middle of this crazy shifting-packing-unpacking schedule, it was just not practical to do that nice styled shoot I had dearly wanted to do. This will have to do for now, I was short on time, but I just didn't have the heart to do a on white paper shoot. So I quickly pulled together the fabrics I had at home and threw in some of my Diwali lights and shot shot shot.

The Indian Maharajah in Hot Pink and Haldi Yellow.

The Rajasthan Royal faces series. This design is for someone who likes a more subtle palette.

I liked the spots of light, so I pulled in my 1st set of trays & shot them once again with the fairy lights :)

Do tell me how you like the new designs

and the good news in that they will be available for the pick at 2 shows in Mumbai.

The Trunk Show,
7th & 8th December 2012. 10.30 am - 7.00 pm @ the Coomaraswamy Hall, Prince of Wales Museum, near Gateway of India.

AND at

The Christmas Bazaar @ Blue Frog,
Todi Mill Compound, Opp Kamala Mills, Lower Parel. Mumbai.

December 10 Monday 11am to midnight &

December 11 Tuesday 11am to 4pm.

Do save the dates & do come :) I will be very happy to see you :)

The Mora Winner and Ritika Mittal's letter to all the participants

2012-12-01T02:51:00.002-08:00

I know I am late in announcing the winner of the Diwali MORA stole give-away. The very lucky winner is Lotus Gal. After reading all the heartfelt entries, we were tied up between 4 and then 2 people and because we were finding it really hard to pick up one person, Ritika said "read the 2 final comments to aunty" (my mom) and let her take a call who will win. And that is what I did. But through this give-away the heartfelt comments that came in touched me immensely, I know each of you wrote from your heart, your truth and that for me is invaluable and one of the most meaningful things to have happened on this blog till date.
Ritika has been travelling and has no connectivity to the internet and I used to read out the comments to her and when we were discussing the entries and comments is when I realised that she remembers each and every comment. Incredible. I was the one who was sitting in front of the comp, but she remembered everything she read. I told Ritika "they've done this for you and it comes out of the love and respect they have for MORA. I know you are travelling but for all of them who did not win, it will mean the world to them if you write them a message." So Ritika said she has anyway wanted to, I said text me the few lines & I will incorporate it in my post. Ten minutes later Ritika calls me as says, "this is becoming really long, I can't seem to stop writing - it is becoming a post & I have no access to the net to blog". And this is what she mailed me, for all of you who commented and all of you who love her and what she does, I'm handing it over to Ritika, unplugged.

I grew up in a small village in punjab and in a big big joint family with my grandparents, uncles, aunts and lots of cousins... We were always a "gang"! Rains meant pooris and pakoras, summers meant icecream soda, winters meant amma(my grandmother's) hot hot halwa. Each season had a distinct smell, colour and energy for me...
That energy stayed with me beautifully...
I still look for the same "everything" that I experienced as a child... It is what connects me to my purest "me"... The unadulterated innocence... It connects me to what and how I was born as and my roots...
Tradition for me is reconnecting and carrying forward my roots... and my "collective memory"... The more I travel the more I get closer home...

The more the bonds get stronger between "me then" and "me now"... And suddently travel becomes a way for me to go back in time...Suddenly, my travels found their true calling... The moment I started I wasn't traveling into kilometres ahead but I was going back in time... it became about how many years I can travel in the past seeking lost tradition...
Mora gave me my "magic carpet" to fly me back in time...

Suddenly I was in the middle of tribals far far away from "the adulteration of the civilised world"... I connected with their innocence... They bared their souls to me and I to them... They shared their life through their weaves and the stories attached to them and I shared mine by making some if the traditional food I grew up with for them... In those hours I saw the mothers and daughters sitting together exchanging weaving notes and singing their folk songs and they saw me running to my village home's kitchen asking for a second helping of amma's halwa.

The past comes alive and the memories become our present. Thus is where their memories become my present too... I just go back in time and come back just by seeking tradition...
And I giggle with joy... My time machine is their memory mixed with mine...
Mora's warp and weft makes the child in me rejoice for she connects with her identity... That same innocence and happiness finds her way to you... And there is nothing more joyous...

This tradition of reconnecting with who I was keeps me going... What also keeps me going is the respect I feel for all others who have not lost touch with their identity... This is what keeps me afloat... Keeps me humble and never let's me forget who I really am.
We are a result of the choices we make. Those choices for me are directly related to how closely we feel connected to our roots, our tradition.
For me tradition is the oxygen for my soul... the lifeline of my journey... And the foundation of my existence.

When vineeta mentioned about her beautiful blog's giveaway, I had nothing else but happiness to share with her!! 5 years of commitment and still going strong is a beautiful thing...
I had never done this before and what better than to do this my vineeta... I have loved her with all my heart for the joyous energy with which she reached nagaland to connect with me "no matter what"... That talks volume of this dynamite of beautiful happy energy vineeta is.We all in nagaland call her kaali- mahakaali- the goddess that gives me strength and wisdom and when am done fighting my battles holds me tight in her lap with all that affection.Vineeta is a friend, guide and madness that completes me and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have found her in all of these avtaars in just one life.

Thank you my vineeta and thank you each one of you who wrote regarding tradition and what it means to you...
Though we haven't met but we are already tied by this thread...I will call this event vineeta's chai party- high tea of sorts...It just feels like we all sat together over a long cup of chai and spoke heart to heart... Laughed and cried together and said our stories that were carefully tucked away in our memory box...
All I can say is group hug! We all just became one!
Vineeta, take a bow... What a wonderful host and what a beautiful memory...
Lots of Love,
Ritika & MORA

Lotus Gal, congratulations for winning the beautiful MORA stole, I hope you have read this post, because we don't have your email id and therefore no way of contacting you, do get in touch with us by leaving a comment with your address here or by mailing me or leaving me a message in my FB inbox.

Prashant Varma's Lamp

2012-11-21T00:55:00.000-08:00

Very excitedly sharing with you this gorgeous piece of lighting with you. I knew all the limitless photoviewing and liking and commenting would come to some use some day. Today is that day. I happened to chance upon this piece of art and it was a BOOM moment. What was this??!!! I immediately shot a message to Prashant Varma my 'FB friend' (meaning, apart from FB I don't know Prashant at all) and creator. I asked for a description for this stunner and how he went about making it. Yes. This. Is. Hand made :) And he calls it Flourescentism.

This is what he has to say about this beautiful work of art.

"On festivals I like to keep things close to nature so this Diwali I just thought of making a new lamp. The idea came out of pure need. So I just went through things I have collected over the time and I found this palm tree hoop perfect for the lamp. To contrast to its natural texture and long structure and to add the festive mood I introduced florescent vertical reflective colour strips in the inside. Topped it with circular gold stickers. It shoots light in 180 degrees & illuminates the inside core with glittering colour & gold." Prashant Varma

What I love about Prashant's work is its tactile quality, and the beautiful and unexpected mix of graphic shapes & colours with completely natural and unassuming textures.

This is so doable and yet SO stylish. Prashant's work is a great example of how much beauty simple experimentation can bring in our daily life as long as we are willing to try it.

This kind of work is very important because it is not done for any commercial purpose but for pure joy. It is an extension of the maker and it is just being and doing and expressing who one is. That this can further be leveraged to produce a profitable line of products comes later. The heart and the source is pure. Like all things creative. It is play. And its so so important to play. For no reason and to no end.

Tradition & the MORA give-away.

2012-11-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

I am just so touched by all the responses on the MORA give-away's comments section. Somewhere unwittingly a chord has been touched. I have resonated deeply with so many of the comments and some of them so much that I could have written those very words. Its made me re-think my reactions to tradition and what one defines as tradition. It has inspired me to look back into my archives and pull out visual records of my interaction with tradition across the past couple of years.

From someone for whom traditions primarily meant rules, do's-don'ts and therefore resisting it, to helping my mother with her firm adherence to it with more and more ease and acceptance with each passing year, I think I'm making my peace with where I come from.

This post is a virtual hug & is dedicated to each one of you who graciously and genuinely wrote your selves and your hearts out for the MORA give-away.

These pictures are from different times from different places. They are not linked, but all of them are symbols of tradition and rituals of different sorts. And since I'm a south Indian that part of Indian tradition is what is mainly represented.

Pooja or Puja is an offering / prayer to a deity or God/goddess. More explanation here.

I was fascinated to see the speed and precision with which the Pujari's worked

All the colours are from natural elements or plants/seeds/roots or . No synthetics here.

The Homa or Havan/ the holy fire is another important component of traditional Hindu prayer/rituals

The Aiyappan Puja.

This is the same as the picture above this. Looks so different because during the Puja, all the lights in the room were put off & the lamps were lit. This picture is taken after the puja, and after the lights in the room came on.

This is recently shot, after I knew in my head that I want to post about Tradition.

Kolam - am so delighted to find wiki links to most of these traditional words :)

Tuesday is the last day for the Mora Give-away, so all interested, please do remember to log in your comments. And if you are having trouble doing so, just shoot me a mail saying so. We will see what we can do :)

Artnlight Tray Give-Away on Sound Horn Please.

2012-11-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Sound Horn Please is a blog I've loved to read. Initially because there was something very real and authentic about the way Divya Rajan picked up interesting new entrepreneurs and told their stories. The posts were always well researched and comprehensive. Then I read about MORA on her blog. That spun off a whole new series of events, from my contacting Ritika to do a post on MORA, to my going to Nagaland and meeting Ritika to forming of a very special bond between the two of u s. For this in my head I will always owe Divya. Paralelly Facebook happened to all of us and from not being sure if we wanted to put our faces out there for the world to see to gingerly beginning conversations to sending long mails to each other, before I knew it there was a genuine fondness and friendship that had already bound us.

Naturally, for the Anniversary celebrations of this blog I had asked if she would want to do a guest post. Which has now turned into a post-Diwali give-away on her blog.

Whats the give-away? It is one of my Artnlight Trays. It is the 1st time I'm ever giving away one of my products. All details of how you can win it are on Sound Horn Please. The bonus is you get to read a beautiful and honestly written blog.

What needs special mention are her pages 'Featured on SHP' 'Shop Indian' & 'Favourite Indian Designers'.I have not seen a more useful or diligently put together list of online and offine shopping destinations to shop Indian.

About the give-away, everyone can participate, this is not restricted to only those living in India. I'm curious to see who it will finally go to :)

Diwali and a MORA give-away.

2012-11-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

It is Diwali. Everyone has strung up lights. Everyone is making sweets and snacks. I don't know if it has to do with the passing years or if I never felt much excitement about Diwali. Or any festival for that matter. Festivals are the one time I've felt more like a spectator than a participant. I wear the festive clothes become happy to meet people, but somewhere inside I don't quite get it. Maybe I'm just a little weird. I woke up happy today, and lit lamps with mom. Who is highly excited about everything and one of the most quietly (but firmly) enthusiastic human beings I've ever seen :) :) So everyone is wishing each other. And all is well and the good cheer is contagious :) And i want to celebrate in a way that has meaning for me. I know all of you love Mora Sarees and Ritika Mittal. I do :)

This is for all of you who faithfully read this blog despite the erratic posting. Really. Thank you.
For sticking with the blog and with me.

So we will have a Mora Giveaway for Diwali :)

When Ritika and me were doing the Mora shoot this blog had turned 5, and we were discussing it, so I was telling her about the give-aways I was planning & she said - even I want to do a give-away on your blog! How do I do it? I explained and both of us promptly got busy with our lives. I didn't push for it because i knew her life was crazy busy, there was just too much happening and like me she is a one-woman army. But before she left Bombay, she called me and said we have to meet & I have to give you the give-away!

I always smile when I think of the few times I have spent with Ritika, full of mad laughter, high voltage, but always at home. Whether we are dancing through the streets of Kohima, whether we are bumping along in a rick in Mumbai or sharing our deepest thoughts over a quiet meal. Always full of light. Sometimes bright, sometimes blinding and sometimes muted but very warm. So here's celebrating the festival of lights with a MORA giveaway.

Sharing a few behind-the -scenes pics from the Mora Shoot.

Kajal or Kohl was the only make up we wore for the shoot. You can see gorgeous Kalpana Goenka's pictures wearing Mora here.

You can see a few of my pictures wearing MORA here.

We were bumping along on our way back from the shoot & I saw this. This has to be one of my fav pictures of Ritika :)

Coming back to the give-away.

What do you do to win this gorgeous MORA Stole?

Just share with us in a comment what tradition means to you and what you do to keep it alive in your life. This give-away is not limited to only those who live in India. Everybody stands a chance & everybody can comment :) :)

The last date for commenting is 20th November 2012. Spread the word and comment away :)

LimeRoad & Artnlight

2012-11-12T03:54:00.001-08:00

I can finally share this with you. LimeRoad.com the most exciting online shopping destination is LIVE. And Artnlight products are available on it!! Its really exciting for me to be part of such an exciting website. I love the way it looks, how beautifully everything is shot and how lovingly it is designed and laid out. Like a publication that takes itself and its readers seriously. Sharing a few spreads with you so you get an idea of what I speak of. Its like entering an online mall where everything from beauty to fashion to decor to food is available at a click. What I like is there are brands as big as Rocky S and as blingy as Paris Hilton to solid brands like Allen Solly to much lesser known but fun & funky names like Kya Cheez Hai to Diana India. But all offering amazing products. You are warned, you will spend quite a bit of time on this website.

ARTNLIGHT on LIMEROAD.com

Personally I have been dealing with them for the past few months and I have to say its been an amazing experience and I have been the fortunate recipient of their professionalism, but more than that their willingness each and everytime to meet me more than half way. You can see the labour of love that it is. The team at LimeRoad.com have worked their butts out for months on end and the results are there for all to see. Do enjoy this website & shop to your hearts content. This is a direct link to my page for those interested.

It was such a joy to see my products styled and presented in this way.
And you will see a hear button on each picture. If you like a particular product you can click it. You can put together your own scrapbook. Have fun with it :)

Do shop away and do spread the word :)
This is the LimeRoad FB page. You can like them if you so wish :) They also have an app on Facebook.

Deval Ambani's Obliq Designs.

2012-11-09T13:12:00.001-08:00

Had to quickly share this gorgeousness with you. I met Deval Ambani and saw her products first hand last year when we were neighbours at the IMC exhibition at the Taj President. I loved her idea of using mirrors to reflect lights and what graceful shapes she has had them designed in.

The charm is that all the mirror pieces can be mixed and matched to make a new
arrangement each time.

Just enough bling to glam up your home this festive season.

This is the Obliq FB page, feel free to 'like' it :) And more interesting is her
MY SHOPO page where you can see more of her designs & buy them at the click of the button.

For all those in Mumbai, right now, these are being sold at OBLIQ, 27, Juhu Supreme ShoppingCenter, 1st floor, 9th Gulmohar road, J.V.P.D, Juhu, opp CriticareHospital. November 11th is the last day, 11am- 7pm. Or can even call Deval directly to place an order on 9967013844. Or write to her on deval@obliqdesigns.com

Happy Shopping :)