Mylapore again

Thanks to a wonderful group of Chennai sketchers from Penciljammers, I seem to be finally sketching again. Last sunday we all met up in front of the Mylapore temple which I had visited before with Uma, but this time instead of going into the temple I was happy roaming the streets outside.

As I started this sketch of the Nandi sitting atop the temple wall, I felt something crawl up the back of my neck. I was sitting on the ground of a dusty street after all. So as I flapped at my neck with my hand I felt a sharp pain shoot up my middle finger. It was an idli ant! (That's what a friend of mine calls them, the big black variety, because when they bite you, your skin swells to the size and shape of an idli!). Within a minute my left middle finger was double the size of the right one and couldn't be bent :( but anyway I carried on and actually the sketching made me forget the discomfort. I think I've found the best antidote to ant-bites finally!

Something to look forward to

Every year, in december or jan, the Kalakshetra foundation hosts a Dastkar Bazaar where over hundred different traditional craftsmen from all corners of India set up stalls to sell hand-made products. The bazaar is a platform to interact directly with craftsmen who man their stalls and also to marvel at the few people of each of these far flung communities who passionately hang on to their traditional skills that could otherwise so easily die in our fast paced industrial and digital world today.

Many craftsmen have innovated with traditional wisdom to bring new products that are relevant to the city-shopper. Paper, jute, bamboo, clay, wood-work, textiles, jewellery, leather. The place looked festive with colourful penants strung from the trees and hundreds of eager shoppers strolling around.

I did this sketch on 21st January for the 34th worldwide sketchcrawl day! It is now well into february and about time I shared it.