Studio ArtOcrat

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.

Illustration Friday - Jump

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:57:00 +0000

I did this illustration quiet a while back and it fits perfectly with this weeks topic - Jump - over at Illustration Friday.

Fish jumping through a hoop

Just Smile

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:18:00 +0000

Recently I have been wondering about the occasional curve balls universe throws at us and how we respond to them. It's difficult to really breeze through a crisis. I feel lucky to have people in my life who have set a fabulous example by actually using a crisis for their evolution and growth.

Knowing these courageous people gives me hope. A hope that some of their fairy dust will find a way to me. And the next time the universe seems to conspire I will be able to take a deep breath, smile, and open my mind to new possibilities.

How would you handle life's curve ball next time? How about with Just Smiles!

Just Smile, available for purchase here.

The Pink Rooster

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:14:00 +0000

Morning everyone! The weather here in Philly has been incredible lately. I'm talking low 80's, delicious warm breeze, sunny skies and tiny shorts. You can imagine the upbeat mood I've been in lately.

April is also the month to get my home organized, purge closets and de-clutter my work desk. After spring cleaning my iMac and discovering a few forgotten works that I created a while back, I’m now ready to share them here.

To brighten up this Tuesday, here is an illustration of The Pink Rooster. With a bird as beautiful as this one, I have kept the surroundings simple with just a few leaves. The green plays against the rooster's red and delicately emphasizes the flamboyance of this creature.

Wish you all a great week, see you next time !

The pink Rooster, available for purchase here.

Euphonium

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 12:36:00 +0000

Time to share another illustration!

A few weeks ago a received a note from a lovely lady whose husband is a Euphonium player for the United States Navy Band. In the message she mentioned how they can never find cute modern art for Euphoniums and wanted to know if I would create something for her. I was more than happy to fulfill her request!

I thoroughly enjoyed creating this piece, filling it with bright colors and imagining the music filled home the print is going to.

I hope you all are having a great beginning of Spring!

Euphonium, available for purchase here.

Acorn Family

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:45:00 +0000

It has been so long! How have you all been?

I have so much work to share from the past month! I have been working on some nursery prints and a LOT of patterns and flower clusters. In an attempt to explore pattern design, I recently bought an e-book 'Repeat After Me by Pattern People'. I'm working my way through the book and it has been great so far. But I think it would be more fun to have someone to bounce off ideas with! I'm looking for a buddy to go through the book together. If you are interested shoot me an email.

Back to new illustration, this acorn family is my take at Kawaii. A little while back I saw - how to make kawaii drawings tutorial on Craftgawker and these little acorn people were perfect to try kawaii on. I love how cute it turned out and it has become a new favorite with my Brick and Mortar clients too!

Acorn Family, available for purchase here.

Wild Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:53:00 +0000

I have been working on a new series of flower illustrations, more of a 'messy' bunch (and unlike my other very-put-together works).

The inspiration came from a lost dream. Last mid-summer we bought a packet of mixed wild flower seeds with beautiful pictures on it, and planted them in rows of colorful planters on our window sill outside. We waited and waited and waited for them to grow, carefully watering and all, but by the end of the season all we got were some sprigs of wild something - no flowers.

So I drew this colorful bunch looking wistfully at the now empty planters stacked outside my window.

Wild Summer, available for purchase here.

Mommy's Favorite

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:17:00 +0000

Hello 2012!

Did everyone have a good 2011? We sure did... my heartfelt gratitude to all friends, supporters and customers who made last year the best so far!

Lets begin this year with an illustration very close to my heart. Our favorite little Bunny Bee (pictures here and here) is a huge source of joy in our lives. To mark the year we shared with her, I created this poster for her wall, called 'Mommy's Favorite'. I can hardly wait for this poster to come back from the print shop!

You all have another wonderful year. May all your wishes and dreams come true!

Mommy's Favorite, available for purchase here.

Yummy Mangoes

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:24:00 +0000

This past November, in our local library I picked up a beautiful book called The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi. The library was celebrating India month perhaps because of Diwali and they had a wide selection of books from Indian authors on display.

This one sentence from the book has stayed with me since - "When she was growing up, summer was all about mangoes—ripe, sweet mangoes, bursting with juices that dripped down your chin, hands, and neck."

This is exactly how I remember summers by! Unending supply of juicy-sweet-fragrant-mangoes. One couldn't have enough of these lip-smackingly delicious fruits. We always plan to go home during the mango season but alas, it's not happend yet :)

Meanwhile, here are some Mangoes for you!

Mango Kitchen print, available for purchase here.

Paper plane

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:38:00 +0000

Wow, November got the best of me. I feel as though I've been completely MIA on blog land. It has been a busy busy work month. I had a bunch of commission requests so of course, duty calls.

One interesting thing I have been working on the side is creating Nursery wall art. I have been slowly putting together several ideas that were floating in my head and this Paper Plane print is one of them. I was inspired a while back by this paper plane installation art and thought I will give it a go. The bird in a helmet flying a paper plane does look cute, don't you think?

I hope all of you have a lovely week ahead!

Paper plane available for purchase here

Riding the waves

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:59:00 +0000

Today lets peek into the enchanting laboratory of Kluto - a 60 year old accomplished Zoopian scientist. Today Kluto is unveiling his snazzy new invention - 'The Jarzole'. All you have to do is step into the Jarzole and say something like 'take me to the beach' and bam you are there, or more like beach is there for you!

Last week I grudgingly recycled a bunch of jam & pasta sauce jars. I save them hoping to put them to some stylish use later on. But a practical, non-carcinogenic and easy-to-do project remained elusive. And jars were just sitting around cluttering up my cupboards and taking up premium pantry space, so they had to go. This 'Riding the waves' illustration is a digital tribute to those Jars. May they have a more fulfilling next life as a Jarzole :)

Any other Jar Junkie out there?

Riding the waves, available for purchase here.

Mr. Beel

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:20:00 +0000

If you go to The Cafe Rint this lovely morning (and every other morning) you will see Mr. Beel sipping Iced-tea with Melma and Joz. (The couple is at present standing next to the juke box picking a song.)

Regarding Iced-tea, the other day I came across this home brewed Mango Iced-tea recipe. The hint of ginger totally seals the deal for me! While I was reading the recipe my mind wandered to a year spent in San Diego. Back then, we were having an Iced-tea phase. We always had a pitcher full of green or lemon Iced-tea ready in our fridge. I drew today's 'Mr. Beel' illustration to commemorate those days.

Now we are more calorie conscious and Iced-tea has become an occasional indulgence.

Mr Beel, available for purchase here

Grapes

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:20:00 +0000

I’m constantly amazed at the healthy diet ideas out there, especially all the fun stuff my gym buddies know. While at the gym a few weeks back I heard an interesting piece of advice - frozen grapes to cure a sweet tooth!

I enjoy grapes, but freezing them sounded weird at first! I gave it a try and amazingly, when frozen, grape becomes sort of creamy from the inside. The sweetness also seems to increase a little bit. Now I also enjoy purple grape smoothies - one cup frozen grapes and one cup milk blended on high until smooth.

And this is how grapes in my world look like :)

Grapes, available for purchase here.

Fall - The story of Za

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:07:00 +0000

This is the story of Za - a leaf collector in the Kingdom of Zoop. All through the year Za eagerly awaits fall. This is the time when her job really begins. She wakes up early in the morning and collects uncrushed leaves fell overnight, carefully examining each one and picking up only most brightly hued, unblemished and perfectly formed.

Why leaves? Well, the Kingdom of Zoop needs leaves to make dwellings for its people. During fall, citizens of Zoop come together few hours a day and use leaves Za collected to reinforce their homes in preparation for the upcoming winters. Someone predicted winters would be particularly strong this year.

Fall, available for purchase here.

Romeo in love

noreply@blogger.com (Pragya) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:43:00 +0000

Hello friends! How's it going? I have been good, a little distracted but good :)

Today I want to share the story behind this 'Romeo in love' illustration. A few weeks ago, I saw a bunch of little plastic animals at Target - Elephant, Giraffe, Lion, Tiger, Penguin etc. I picked them up hoping to turn a few of them into painted animal glass jars (tutorial here) and the rest into party animals (tutorial here).

Once home I placed them on the corner of my desk, hoping to get around to painting them in a day or two. A few weeks passed... The more I saw them, the more I fell in love with the little fellows. The amazing detailing on each of their bodies was too beautiful to paint over! I could not get myself to cover their gorgeous markings with solid color.

Instead I cut out a little heart shaped eye patch for my giraffe and turned him into a Romeo. It didn't quite stay the way I wanted but, the illustration shows how it would look if I had Martha Stewart skills.

Romeo in love, available for purchase here.