final installation

 I think overall my project and exhibition went successfully.I am pleased with the range of work I have produced,although I would have spent more time on certain pieces rather than others. After making some alteration ,These are just a few photos so that one can get a general idea of the atmospheric content of my installations and how it looks when all the elements like mixed media piece,jars with spices,toran,sitting arrangements dress,come together

 

Begning Of My Final Mixed Media Piece

Painting on a big or over-size has its own delights and challenges pre planning- I made little plan before starting my final piece. I stapled the fabriana on the wall,the scale I am  working on  is 302.5cm x 148.5cm.This time I had to remember to make figures smaller to fit the background.  The piece will have five figures including myself in the centre. I laid the photographs according to the plan so I can refer it back.. I chose it to work with mixed media because  it can take so many forms. The sky's the limit! the project itself is blending two culture together. Variety of my artworks are  created  using mixed media. I will be using acrylic , watercolour, watercolour pencils, ink,oil pastels ,threads,fabrics,emulsion paint,and soldering iron to engrave maps.

  I manage to finish this piece bit late than I expected.Main problems I faced while doing this piece are

coping with large scale  and  proportions

I found working on  the  large scale of  challenging in every aspect. So I tried  dividing the fabriano up into five parts  each portion with one figure in it.this parts varied in size.I  tried to finish  a section at a time rather than working on the whole canvas at once.to get the proportions right I  

Drawing and perspective problems are  more acute by the fact that I need to encompass more surface.I Pulled back often to get wider image at a glance.Classmates even gave their valuable tips which improved my work. At few places I even took help of projector to get the accurate proportions.

 Allow More Time to Finish a Big Painting

A large scale took   longer to paint than your ‘normal’ size .I was lagging behind because it took me longer than I thought .A schedule of work is very useful to hammer out a larger piece. Since it is painted in stages, it is essential to maintain a rhythm.

 acrylic paints dries out quickly .especially when I used for blog printing.from my previous experiment  on large scale  I learnt many lessons, which were very useful for this final piece,for example-I should avoid  mixing  acrylic paint  too vigorously— because this  produced bubbles which  caused cracks and also avoid using  too much water when mixing colours or applying the paint, as this was causing acrylics to lose their quality and thick texture.I am glad that my previous experiment  on large gave me good chance to improve in this final piece but also that I incorporated more techniques like blog printing which I did not include in that trial piece.

overall I am very pleased with the outcome according to me the  heavily textured mixed media piece has worked well .

 

All In The Best Possible Taste With Grayson Perry.

Grayson Perry whom we visited, has done  a documentary called "ALL IN THE BEST POSSIBLE TASTE WITH GRAYSON PERRY" The Tuner Prize Winning Artist Embarks on a cultural safari of British Taste,encapsulating his findings each week in a series of tapestries.Grayson perry has been a huge inspiration to my work recently. I love his style of doing things and I love how courageous he is to make pieces so personal to him - something which helped me in this project.In this documnetry the Artist Grayson Perry explores British tastes, using his discoveries as inspiration for a work of art.

 I have  watched  this program -It's brilliant how Perry shows us how he draws inspiration from classical art such as series on Rakewell., and associates the themes and compositions whilst using his own interpretations, insights and style. 

The Agony in the Car Park is a distant relative of Bellini's Agony in the Garden. The scene is on a hill outside Sunderland

 

 The Upper Class At Bay 2012

 

Toran -sacred doorway hanging

 

I undoubtedly owe my love of embroidery and fabrics to my Indian background. As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the variety inventiveness, the richness of texture and colour of Indian textiles of all kinds. I especially like embroidery of Gujarat place where I was born. The embroidery of Kutch flourished in the late

19^th and early 20^th centuries. The Sindh and Kutch embroidery are similar to the interlace stitch of Spain and Germany. Some other native stitches and the use of mirrors gives it a totally different appearance. In Indian embroidery the richest in design, stitches and usage of bright colour combination is of Gujarat & Rajasthan. As a small child I would watch my mother embroidering on different  fabrics. she have embroidered many bedsheets,toran,cushions,quilts and many dresses .i used to sit next to her  and watch her carefully,how she works. It seemed pure magic!to me . I was so anxious to grow up and do what she did. I would proudly  say that  she is  my inspiration  .she always says that it is important to retain some  aspect of our heritage before they are forgotten. for her embroidery is way of keeping tradition and i believe in it  too. Few techniques,stitches ( geometric repeated stitch ) which she learnt from my grand mother  she wanted me to learn it  as well. 

The project "WALK IN MY SHOES" is about  my memories which I have collected through my journey .so creating a toran fits in best. I aim to include some traditional embroidery motifs from both culture I have learnt from my mother but i have also looked artist like Munni Srivastava's work.

Selecting suitable fabric to create toran. My fabric of choice was red velvet therefore I bought some red velvet to start my work .red velvet didn't work because after cutting it it started loosing its pile(structure and shape).than I bought white pure cotton material which didn't work either because it was to light .Finally I bought red linen material it took me long cutting its edges in scallop shape even after cutting it started frilling over come this problem I had to over-lock its edges using machine.

These are two torans  which i show at New Walk Art Gallery In Leicester during my visit.

 

Selecting suitable fabric to create toran. My fabric of choice was red velvet therefore I bought some red velvet to start my work .red velvet didn't work because after cutting it it started loosing its pile(structure and shape).Then I bought white pure cotton material which didn't work either because it was to light .Finally I bought red linen material it took me long cutting its edges in scallop shape even after cutting it started friling .Over come this problem I had to over-lock its edges using over-locking machine.

I have photographed my little cousin in two different  costumes,one in western dress other in typical indian dress with flute in her hand .Many torans  shows religious figures like lord Krishna and Ganesha.lord krishna is usually found with flute .Urvi my cousin would represent me in this project.

I have printed  the photograph on white fabric and then stitched over toran .i have used blanket stitch with golden metallic thread.these doesn't seem to work as background is too bright so  i had to take it off and think of something else .

 Selecting Embroidery Motifs 

To find good selection of motif i looked many books and visited many places. many of these are based on traditional Indian designs.most of the Indian embroidery  motifs are from my mother's embroidery work which she did over the years.this one with two parrots and flower was on one of the wall hangings, which is  among   her recent work.

i have used white liquid chalk marker to draw and then used different stitches like running stitch,chain stitch,stem stitch and rabari tanka-(is popular Indian stitch extensively to fill in the shapes).

 Mirror Work

I have been always  fascinated by mirror work .Mirror work has now become a part of the ethnic chic fashion world.where small mirror discs are fixed with closely worked silken thread.i have usually seen that mirror work is done on bright background . Chain stitch and stem stitch surrounding  the large mirror .i have also used green beads in between daisy stitch.

  

This particular design of two peacocks is one of my favorite.I found this among my mothers old embroidery work.i have used running stitch,stem stitch.Rabari tanka and mirror work using very small round mirrors.Further down the embroidery motif of two elephants is from bed-sheet.I have used thin white wool to do chain stitch . On top I have embroidered "WALK IN MY SHOES" using chain stitch and I also used green beads.on top left side "WELCOME" is embroidered and on top right side  "SWAGATAM"which means welcome.

 

This is traditional British design.It is printed cretonne fabric wall hanging,depicting a bird of paradise in a pomegranate tree 1872 house,Lincolnshire .

 Beads,chain stitch,stem stitch,buttonhole stitch,daisy stitch and running stitch are more frequently used in this embroidery motif.

I found this particular design in  book called pattern and design by Sian Evans.Detail on a Pietra dura cabinet part of the Florentine cabinet.1620.charlecote park,Warwickshire.

Painting door frame white and putting  Toran up.I am pleased with the work I think it has worked well.