My friends Susmita, Saumyadip and me had for a while been contemplating temporarily adorning some part of my house. The colourful flowers don't seem enough after while. The outside has a lovely earthy brown colour - a perfect background for a Warli painting. I wanted to paint the walls with some temporary paint which would go if I didn't like the result. Sus and Saumya also noticed that my curved porch with three steps is also alluring for a Rangoli or Alpana artist.
So on Diwali afternoon, quitting our lethargy, we took it on ourselves to finally do something about our wishes. Obviously, rice paste was required for both. A design was formed sitting right there by the experienced old Saumya. Under his "direction" Sus was set to work with a small rag dipped in the batter. To make an Alpana, one soaks up some of rice paste in a cloth piece and applies a wet line of it on the floor according to design. It takes a few minutes for it to dry and the enamel-white design to spring out of the floor. I tried my hand at the window sill with a brush. Soon another friend, Samridhi, joined in and made an easy job of the rest of the area.
My talent is yet to reach those heights and so I was the spot-boy-cum-producer of the show. My painting skills are ofcourse with light and there was still some time to admire the lovely Alpana at my footsteps before I could begin my work. I spent the evening clicking some of these pictures of the Diwali celebrations. I consider the Beer-can Kandil as my place in the All-Winners line up on my doorfront.
Update: Tanu too visited me soon and finally put a Warli thingie on my door in her own inimitable way.
So on Diwali afternoon, quitting our lethargy, we took it on ourselves to finally do something about our wishes. Obviously, rice paste was required for both. A design was formed sitting right there by the experienced old Saumya. Under his "direction" Sus was set to work with a small rag dipped in the batter. To make an Alpana, one soaks up some of rice paste in a cloth piece and applies a wet line of it on the floor according to design. It takes a few minutes for it to dry and the enamel-white design to spring out of the floor. I tried my hand at the window sill with a brush. Soon another friend, Samridhi, joined in and made an easy job of the rest of the area.
My talent is yet to reach those heights and so I was the spot-boy-cum-producer of the show. My painting skills are ofcourse with light and there was still some time to admire the lovely Alpana at my footsteps before I could begin my work. I spent the evening clicking some of these pictures of the Diwali celebrations. I consider the Beer-can Kandil as my place in the All-Winners line up on my doorfront.Update: Tanu too visited me soon and finally put a Warli thingie on my door in her own inimitable way.
