The charms of a bygone era by Dhruv Singh

Old World Charm is something that inspires me. Just the idea of  owning  something that has had a past feel and life  awakens my mind and imagination. I always wonder how it was used before,and how can I make it more relevant now in my today's world.How inspiring are these old knickknacks isn't it?The Old armchairs,Old Swings, Old swinging teak doors,the dark toned photographs,the giant grandfather clock on the wall making its presence felt at each stroke all this says the charms of the bygone era.

Here Surrender to an undeniable presence of old world charm by DHRUV SINGH. It seems to me like a journey back to the 1960's and that is an installation depicting the textiles, crafts and charms of the bygone era by the Fashion Designer  on 27 and 28 september at Ahmedabad.'JALSA' - a celebration of arts and crafts! As part of the AIAF - Ahmedabad International Arts festival, ELAN presents the installations.

Dhruv Singh graduated from the NIFT in 2012.He recently won the best Title for the best upcoming designer.As he says his  style holds back in time,he interacts the opulent period.The inspiration revolves around local people,old cinema,antiques,different castes and their culture.Glorification and grandeur being his identity,his representation is metaphoric,glorious movements from past,drapes of elegance altogether a rendezvous with the rustic era.

Each frame is a Nostalgic memory of the old-world charm,- all this says the charms of the bygone era. 

All images courtesy:Dhruv Singh.Please dont use it anywhere else.

* Indian Artists*--"Vallery Puri" The Artist and her Art

There are a bunch of artists in India whom I love a lot and admire a lot and could even spend hours looking at their paintings and also do secretly desire to have one of their paintings in a corner of our home. This is a New Feature on "Indian Artists" in "Celebrations Decor", where I would feature "Indian Artists". A platform for all my readers to get to know and to admire the different artists throughout India, whether big or small...

The first post is on "Vallery Puri" and her Art and Passion. An artist who is destined to become an artist will definitely become one. Having graduated from Lady Shriram College in Delhi and having done a foundation course from the JJ college of arts in Mumbai, and worked as flight attendant in an airlines, she travelled far and wide in search of art galleries, amazing is the passion.. She resumed painting in 1996 and from then there was no looking back. She has had her paintings exhibited in many solo painting shows and group shows also. What i loved the most is her unusual name, which i forgot to ask the meaning of and then her usage of bright colors and interpretation of the images. Absolutely beautiful is the word for it..

When asked about to feature on the post, she readily agreed and sent me all information I wanted. This is what she had to say:

"If someone were to ask me what art is, I would say there is no ‘right' or ‘real’ answer to that query and one cannot truly or completely answer that question. Is it something that appeals to one’s soul?

As an artist, whilst I paint, I feel connected to our Universe. There is this all round feeling of oneness, of being and yet not. This feeling of lightness of being……..

I have been painting from the time I can remember, and before that, as my parents remind me. Serious goal oriented painting with exhibitions in mind began on the morning of 8th Jan 1996 and has pretty much continued since. It was a dream on the night of 7th Jan that guided me and literally told me what to do. Fortunately, I actually listened and followed those instructions. My styles have evolved and matured over the years and continue to do so. It has been an interesting and colourful journey so far.

I am strongly influenced by the powers of nature and how it in turn controls us. The way we think, the way we are and feel. These emotions spill out on my canvases in a way that is figurative, descriptive and busy at times and otherwise simple and straight. It communicates the state of mind one is in ---- the busy ness or the bland blankness. These colours, compositions, and combinations are simply a form of communicating the varied emotions one feels as life unfolds with all its twists and turns. Sometimes I use opposing colours to the way I feel----- bright ones when I actually am in a dark space and so on.

Every painting has its own story to tell and a different one for each of the viewers who relate in their own personal way to what they see. Most of my paintings have titles like-------- Hukka, Chandini, Zevar, Darwaza, Khaali, Udasini, Mazaak, and so on.

I started with black ink on cartridge paper. As the weeks passed, several colours were added and gradually I moved on to canvas boards and black ink was replaced by a thick texturised (relief) look. I have used knives, brushes, back tips of brushes, croquil pens, pencils, twigs and several other everyday tools to achieve a fine intricate look in some of my work.

These group of works are titled "Where have all the forests gone?"

Blossoms
dance of love
forest fantasy 4ftx4ft
exuberant audience 3ftx3ft
birds and bunders on branches3ftx3ft

beneath the banyan,60x60,oil on canvas

Most of my paintings are primarily figurative. Having been a caricaturist right through school and college, it was but natural to pursue the curves of the body, mind, and soul. I use most mediums to explore my thoughts---- acrylic, oils, inks or pastels. Artists who have inspired me are Madhav Satwalekar, Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Rousseau and Amrita Shergil amongst others."

When I am not painting, she says she creates jewelry. Its fun and she actually walks around wearing a piece that was created moments ago!! There is always something new to look forward to and experiment with and of course learn from and she thanks our universe wholeheartedly for this.

Vallery Puri is settled in Delhi, married to Dileep Puri and has two sons, Prahlad and Arjun.

Hope you all enjoyed the artist and her works. This is from her recent works and a show to be hosted in Delhi. The details of the show will be put up later in another post. Her works are displayed in Art Experience, Gurgaon.

Image courtesy:Vallery Puri, Puja Gupta

Raja Ravi Varma- A Prince among Painters and A Painter among Princes

Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) was born in Kilimanoor Palace as the son of Umamba Thampuratti and Ezhumavil Neelakandan Bhattathiripad. At the age of seven years he started drawing on the palace walls using charcoal. His uncle Raja Raja Varma noticed the talent of the child and gave preliminary lessons on painting. At the age of 14, Ayilyam Thirunal Maharaja took him to Travancore Palace and he was taught water painting by the palace painter Rama Swamy Naidu. After 3 years Theodor Jenson, a British painter taught him oil painting.
Most of his oil paintings are based on Hindu epic stories and characters. In 1873 he won the First Prize at the Madras Painting Exhibition. He became a world famous Indian painter after winning in 1873 Vienna Exhibition.
Many of his oil paintings are classic and his unique Indian style has later influenced artists and designers worldwide.Some of his original paintings are available as oleographs. Some of the most famous oleographs of Raja Ravi Varma.

Goddess Saraswathi

Hamsa Damyanthi

Goddess Lakshmi

Shakunthala writing a letter

Keechaka and Sairandhri

Damayanthi Vanavas

Ganga Vatram

Shantanu and Matsyagandhi

Vishwamitra and Menaka

Vasantika

Usha's Dream

Hamsa Damayanthi

Vasanthasena

Mohini

Urvashi and Purooravas

Lady Giving Alms

Shivaji Maharaj

Radha and Sakhi

Birth of Sakunthala

Sakunthala and Sakhis

All photos and text courtesy http://www.cyberkerala.com