Studio ArtOcrat

The turtle and birds

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 19:16:00 +0000

Turtle print is all done and available for purchase in my shop! I love how it turned out!

Elephant (and the bird)

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 19:04:00 +0000

Hello all you lovely people!

I hope each and everyone of you has been having a wonderful week so far.

One question I get asked a lot is how does my illustration project work. Nearly all of my work begins with an idea I woke up with, having been toyed with in my head all night.

Then the perks of working from home kick in. I walk to my studio in my PJ’s, with a warm cup of tea (currently peppermint) and wake my computer & Wacom Intuos 5 up. I open Illustrator and dive right in.

The basic sketch usually take 2 to 3 refinements. I move stuff around, re-size and rotate them to get the right feel and make it more visually appealing. This usually the most time-consuming of all steps.

Then comes color exploration. My main objective at this stage is to create the best color scheme that will give the illustration the pop it deserves.

A few finishing touches here and there and the illustration is ready for the printers!

Here is a visual breakdown of my process behind the elephant illustration.

Elephant and the bird - available for purchase here.

I hope you've enjoyed this, as much as I have enjoyed sharing my process!

Fall, Spring, Summer & Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 19:24:00 +0000

A snapshot of 4 season - harvest prints in my etsy shop all together! The prints feature a range of fruits and vegetables typically found in each season - Fall, Spring, Summer & Winter.

Pick up these beautiful art prints for your kitchen wall, dining area or as a gift for all food-lovers!

Set of 4 season harvest prints for sale here

Hopefully everyone is having a lovely week!

Watermelon Love

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 20:39:00 +0000

Cold watermelon (right out of the fridge!) is our family’s favorite summer foods. From Ayan to Montana and Bunny Bee, everyone loves it!

Late afternoons, after Ayan is back from daycare, I cut up tiny pieces of watermelon and put it on the palm of my hand. He’ll grab one and run after a toy and come back and pick another tiny morsel and run again. Every time he grabs a piece, his eyes light up and his cute little face, dripping with sticky juice breaks into a smile. My heart stops for that one second and I think this is the best moment of my life so far.

Both of us in exactly the place we’d rather be, more than anywhere in the world.

Watermelon Love - available for purchase here.

I hope your summer is as full of joy and twinkling eyes as ours is.

Yay, cats!

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 18:44:00 +0000

Lately I have been drawing a lot of cats. There is something about their big personalities that lends itself to easy personification.

While I can only have dogs (hubby is allergic), I totally get why the internet is crazy about cats!

Birdies - available for purchase here.

I hope you're having a wonderful Monday and a lovely week!

Process

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 15:38:00 +0000

Progress GIF for a fun illustration I finished last week.

Flirty Fleurs - available for purchase here.

Enjoy your weekend!

Florapalooza

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 17:58:00 +0000

Every time I draw flowers, it feels like I’m cheating a little bit. Such complex and brilliant blossoms make floral illustration a cinch!

Florapalooza - Available for sale here

Have a marvelous Monday!

Oh Hello!

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:42:00 +0000

Some pictures of an illustration project I worked on while I was pregnant. It was the beginnings of my pregnancy and gender neutral nursery decor was constantly on my mind.

The bright yellow and dark purple combo really got to me.

Oh Hello print in Ayan's nursery. Available for purchase here.

Oh hello! Available for purchase here.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Flying high

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 17:20:00 +0000

This Saturday we witnessed ginormous, brightly colored hot air balloons go up in flight! Even with my two feet staying on the ground, it was an extraordinary event to witness!

No matter how many times I see a hot air balloon floating off into the horizon I am consistently in awe of the sheer size and beauty!

Can't wait to share some of my ballooning doodles soon!

Past week

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 12:29:00 +0000

Lately I have been spending a lot of time in my studio working on a ton of new things. Finding balance between work and life is a little tough, especially since I love drawing so much.

This past week, I had a hard time keeping up with all the ideas that kept flowing- It’s like the floodgates opened and I was drowning in stuff I HAD to draw.

Blooms in the dark - New illustration for sale here.

As the summer days pass by, I'm definitely looking forward to getting out of the house to hang out with family. It's crazy that July is almost over already, right?!

Goodbye Maternity Leave, I'm Back to Work!

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 16:20:00 +0000

It feels so good to be back!

Also a little strange, like nothing has changed and yet everything is different.

My first week was great, it was nice sit in front of my computer again (and the oh so golden silence!), and dust the cobwebs off the work part of my brain.

Getting back into the groove was not difficult. My mind was exploding with ideas and I got drawing right away.

A truck full of flowers - Illustration in progress.

I also reopened and restocked my Etsy shop (YAY!).

You can also follow our adventures on instagram now! I cannot wait to share photos of the things I’ll work on this summer.

Happy update

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 14:41:00 +0000

There's been a bit of a pause on this blog. But this little break hasn't been fruitless.

You see, I had the most beautiful months of my life - being pregnant and giving birth to my gorgeous son Ayan! Here are a few pictures I took during the pregnancy.

And here is a picture of my (now 3 months old) baby boy. I think he is the cutest , cuddliest baby ever, as I'm sure a lot of parents feel about their kids!

My daily routine has changed considerably over the past few months. Work has consciously slowed down and I have been focusing on enjoying him while he is young.

Oh goody!

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 13:14:00 +0000

What could be more satisfying than a chilled lemonade on a sweltering summer day.

Inspired by the almost (Can you believe its middle of august already!) end of summer, this print was originally meant to be in my original style (solid colors) but I couldn't resist putting in textures. The texture train was calling and I was way too eager to jump aboard!

Fresh Lemonade - Available for purchase here

Stay cool!

Pragya in your home!

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 16:29:00 +0000

Do you have my prints in your home? I'd love to see how you display them! Send me your photos to be featured in this recurring column.

Love the colors in Baby Buil's nursery!!

Picture- Roxanne Buil

SURTEX bound

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:29:00 +0000

It's that time of the year again!

I'm talking about SURTEX, the only show in North America for selling and licensing art for all types of products.

My licensing agent, Kimberly Montgomery will be exhibiting and showing my work along with her select group of awesome artists. This is the third year my art has been exhibited at SURTEX and the second year of attending the show. I will be there on Sunday, walking the visually inspiring show and saying hello to some friends.

I have lots of new work & ideas to show and I’m super excited to see how it goes.

Please stop by to view the new artwork at SURTEX Booth #465!

Neuron Firing Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Fri, 03 May 2013 22:42:00 +0000

I'm taking some really cool classes this summer from the formidable Lilla Rogers. The best part of the class so far? The very talented classmates with diverse styles and fascinating approach to illustration.

As you can probably tell from the needle and syringe metaphor, I'm a little intimidated to be in such company. But, I'm also very excited to take everything in and come out more energized and focused than ever.

Thank you Lilla, for creating this promising course!

Illustration by Pragya Kothari for Make Art That Sells course by Lilla Rogers

Hope you are having a lovely friday, friends.

Sheep Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:21:00 +0000

The Sheep is one of my favorite animals. Love their thoughtful eyes, high cheekbones and curly locks. I did a little sheep study yesterday.

It is the closest thing I have to a 'Sheep Farm'. It'll do for now!

Ah! Sunflowers!

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:30:00 +0000

It has been a very cold and gray week. To lift the gloom I've been bringing more color into the studio. Today I picked up some gorgeous sunflowers.

Having fresh flowers on my desk makes me happy!

Inspiration for my next print maybe?

Having a Great Morning!

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:12:00 +0000

I'm quite enjoying making repeat patterns. In fact it's becoming pretty addictive. As my technique refines, I delve into more layered communication. Each pattern has a storyline that is sometimes obvious and other times more subtle.

It's fun to make a collection of objects tell a story by way of placement, by just being there, or by its very absence.

Today I'm sharing this pattern called Spartan Bear.

It's the story of a reluctant Bear born into a clan of Spartan Warriors. Not your run of the mill, powerful and menacing Bear, but a kind hearted one who picked up the skills of wielding weapons, learned to tolerate bloodshed and trained his mind to do what is his destiny. And do it well.

Spartan Bear By Pragya Kothari

Be free

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:56:00 +0000

How are you all? I don’t know what the weather is like for you, but for the past week it has been so cold here in New Jersey. The days are often grey with a lot of rain.

Leaving the bitter cold behind, I'm day dreaming of a woodland that is deliciously warm with air that is filled with intoxicating aromas of wild flowers. With universe's delightful creatures roaming free.

I'm calling this bear Rorna and the butterfly perched on his nose, Binee. Rorna is listening to Binee's tales from a far away land with giant flowers that look like star-sprinkled sky, animals so tall their heads touch the clouds, meadows that are purple one day and orange the next, forests with trees that walk and streams so musical that they put you in a trance-like state.

This is the start of something good :)

Be free, available for purchase here

Here's to 2013 being the best year ever! Cheers!

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:25:00 +0000

Looking back, we've had a pretty good year. Thank you to all of you out there. I love sharing my work life with you and am glad that you stop by.

Health, happiness, good fortune to all!

Crimson Love

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:51:00 +0000

I have been drawing a lot of poppies lately and I'm not entirely sure why.

I know the bright red makes me happy every time I look at it. I know the way the thin stem moves elegantly is poetry in itself. And I know that when I surround myself with them I can transport myself into a poppy forest with big giant poppies all dancing to the wind and me caught into one of those euphoric moments where everything is perfect, harmonious and beautiful. No better place than this.

Now if only one could hold on to this beautifully balanced moment for forever.

No better place than this, available for purchase here

Poppy Love, available for purchase here.

Summer Poppies, available for purchase here.

Posing Poppies, available for purchase here

Poppy fileld, available for purchase here.

The Garden State

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:36:00 +0000

I love summer time. And this summer, so much has happened already. The most important being our move to New Jersey. Tarun and I are pro's at moving, fixing up and decorating new homes! We have been together nearly 5 years and have moved 4 times. What a journey!

We’re absolutely in love with the new place. It’s much much bigger and we now have plenty of room to grow. The living & dining area has these amazing vaulted ceilings that makes the room feel huge! Every morning I wake up with sunlight streaming through the windows, drenching everything in a magical golden-white wash. After a hectic month of purging, packing, moving, cleaning and unpacking this is exactly what I need right now!

And of course, the studio space is dreamy and filled with sunlight too. Bunny Bee and I have a lot of room for work and play. Once the dust settles I will have time to take and post pictures.

In the mean time here is some fresh foliage and a smattering of tiny flowers with a sweet message - drawn under the influence of crisp summer air and bountiful sunshine. Dream Big :)

Dream Big, available for purchase here.

Have a blessed day everyone!

Baby Robin

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:40:00 +0000

Last Friday, Tarun found a Baby Robin hopping beneath the pine tree in our yard. She must have fallen from her nest and was too young to fly. He quickly fashioned a nest from a shoe box, and with the bird inside, secured it between two branches. We figured it would save her from prying cats (we have a lot of pet cats in our community) while her mom comes back to take care of her. Several hours passed but the mom did not show up and then it started pouring heavily. We could not let the baby bird die on our watch so we brought her in and placed her on a warm spot under a lamp.

She perked up a little once she was warm and comfortable and soon started hopping around the room. We fed her a little crushed and soaked cereal. Online forums recommended cat kibbles for baby birds so we made a trip to the pet store. Unfortunately, we could not bring ourselves to buy meat products, even to feed our little guest (Tarun and I are almost vegan). So it was back to the crushed and soaked cereal.

Next morning we made a few calls and found the White Flicker Wild Bird Rehabilitation Clinic in Ambler, PA. They take care of wild birds. We spoke to a really nice lady, took her address (1460 Dillon Rd, Ambler, PA 19002) and drove 30 mins to the center to drop our little charge off.We were really impressed with the love and care the staff and volunteers showed these little creatures. From feeding them every 15 mins and keeping them warm and clean to moving them to age appropriate cages so that they can learn to fly, hunt for food and eventually be released into the wild. Kudos to these people with golden hearts. We know our little robin is in the best hands possible.

Here are a few pictures of our time together.

Next morning - warm, comfortable and hopping around the room.

Bunny Bee checking her out.

So tiny!

So long!

Me at SURTEX this year - booth 464!

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:12:00 +0000

There are just 3 days left until the SURTEX show opens at the Javits Centre in New York.

I'll be in booth 464, represented by Montage Licensing who will be showcasing my designs and collections for licensing.

This is the second year my art has been exhibited at SURTEX, but the first year I actually made the commitment to walk the show and see what the fuss is all about. I'm SO excited about this show this year! NYC here I come!

PS. For those of you who aren't in the business - SURTEX is a big deal in the art licensing world.