Swans in Lotus pond-Waves of Beauty! ( My sketch)

As a self learning budding artist I like sketch and paint based on Indian mythology & epics. As I love to read in mythology Where lotus bloom,and  spread perfume,and their flowers have magical powers,Where swans reside and radiate their magic charm,while reading I feel How beautiful to personify?

                                 ( I sketched this in madhubani and contemporary style used acrlic colour in handmadepaper)

The lotus flower occupies a huge space in the minds of many pond owners  painters and designers. Many water gardeners consider their lotus flowers the pride of their pond, Why has this one flower become such a widespread and important symbol? The answer is found in what the lotus is and how it grows. The lotus is unusual among flowers in part for how steadily perfect the blooms tend to be. The blooms are showy and striking, even more so because they stand high above the muddy water that they naturally grow in.

It symbolizes purity or beauty of the body, speech, and mind as while rooted in the mud, its flowers blossom on long stalks as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. It is also symbolic of detachment as drops of water easily slide off its petals.

Wherein the swan graces vibrant traditions as the Hamsa bird. 'Hamsa' is Sanskrit for 'swan'; at the same time, it means 'soul.' It is also the Upanishadic mantra, 'Ham-Sa,' which means I Am the Divine. Primarily it symbolizes discrimination. It is told the Hamsa is bestowed with the ability to separate milk from water, or truth from illusion, the eternal from the impermanent, etc.

It is like the Hamsa swan wearily circling, searching for a resting place, and finally settling upon its own reflection in the still lake.

So I took the concept in  the Saundarya Lahari by Adi sankara's 38 sloka  two swans (Ham and Sa) pair together, swimming around in the divine mind "living on honey from the blooming lotus of knowledge." Isn't that a lovely concept?

                       ( Madhubani design using sakoro pens in A4 Paper)

Samunmeelath samvithkamala makarandhaika rasikam
Bhaje hamsadwandham kimapi mahatham maanasacharam
Yadhalapaa dhashtadasa gunitha vidhyaparinathi
Yadadhathe doshad gunamakhila madhbhaya paya eva

I pray before the swan couple,
Who only enjoy the honey,
From the fully open,
Lotus flowers of knowledge,
And who swim in the lake,
Which is the mind of great ones,
And also who can never be described.
From them come the eighteen arts,
And they differentiate the good from the bad,
Like the milk from water.
 (MeaningSource)

O Devi, I meditate before the two Swans who drink and enjoy the honey from the lotus of knowledge. The swans swim in the lake which is nothing but the mind of great personalities. The 18 arts are created from the sweet utterings of these swans. They separate the good from the bad like water from milk. Here the two swans are referring to Lord Shiva and Shakti.

The eighteen arts mentioned in Shlokam No. 38 are, 4 Vedas, Siksha, Kalpam, Vyakaranam, Niruktam, Sandas, Jyotisham, Meemamsam, Nyayam, Puranam, Dharma Shastram, Ayurvedam, Dhanurvedam, Gandarva Vedam and Needi Shastram.

There is a type of meditation known as “Hamswa Dwandwa Upasanam”. So, the next time you’re sitting and enjoying the Queen of the Pond, take a moment to consider how important this flower is across the world and how millionsof people over the last several thousand years have meditating on the meaning of this uniquely beautiful living thing.

Hope you all liked the concept!

Sketch of Flute!

Nature, Music and Art always inspired me and creates a perfect symphony.In music instruments I like Veena, Violin, Saxaphone and Flute. Veena- wonderful mood elevator!, Violin is always an Excellent treat to ears, Where the saxophone speaks and Flute create magical melodies. . Everyone is attracted towards the melodious sound of flute.It is made by bamboo tree and sounds very melodious when played in an atmosphere surrounded by Nature.I decided to sketch flute with design and surrounded by nature in Madhubhani Style. Flute is very close to Nature.

FLUTE ….

It May Have Many Holes
And Emptiness
But
If You Work On It Carefully
It Can Play
MAGICAL MELODIES!

Flutes somehow inspired me to search more on it I go through about flute instrument I got some interesting information about Flute. Flute has been mentioned in the Puranas. Krishna has different flutes and He plays different melodies for different purposes. There are three kinds of flutes used by Krishna.

1) Venu : This is a very small, not more than six inches long, with six holes for whistling.

2) Murali: Murali is about eighteen inches long with a hole at the end and four holes on the body of the flute. This kind of flute produces a very enchanting sound.

3) Vamsi: The vamsi flute is about fifteen inches long, with nine holes on its body.

These flutes were sometimes bedecked with jewels. Sometimes they were made of marble and sometimes of hollow bamboo. When the flute is made of jewels it is called sammohini. When made of gold, it is called akarsini. Krishna would play on any of these three flutes when they were needed. Krishna uses the Venu flute to attract to Gopis, like Venum kvanantam from the Brahma Samhita

 Flute being the most natural instrument goes very well with the nature the echo of the sound and it pierces the universal and Thus the vibration enters the ears of all inhabitants.Nature actually talks back to you. Even while krishna playing flute you can see that birds start chirping and try to talk to you through their singing. Although it sounds very melodious, the echo of the sound bouncing back either from the leaves of the trees is simply very delightful. sound pierces the universal covering and goes to the spiritual sky. Thus the vibration enters the ears of all inhabitants. The trees on the bank of the rivers are always jubilant. They appear to be smiling with their flowers and shedding tears in the form of flowing honey.

As Previously said I am not a artist but I wish to try to make this as theme and I sketched in Madhubani style. I used very bright colours and some times when I don’t find what I am looking for, I compose my own colours,Flute designed flowers and birds surrounded by leaves. the circles echo back the music..Through this theme I tried to connect Nature, art and music!

Mandala Painting!

 Mandala is an ancient art which has been used throughout various cultures as a method of self-expression. . In fact, "mandala" is a Sanskrit word that means "circle".It is a complex abstract design that is usually circular in form generally have one identifiable center point, from which emanates an array of symbols, shapes and forms. A circle also denotes balance, perfection nd eternity as the distance from its center to all points on it remains the same, from wherever it is measured.

Mandala in decorative plate!

Draw the circles starting from centre. You can use pencil also for drawing the circles. Once the circles are drawn, you can start filling them with any design you like. This art can be learnt by anyone who has little interest in drawing. Mandala is an excellent form of meditative art in present time as well.

 

The time duration also depends upon the design you choose. The more intricate designs might take longer time. But, I did enjoy the process of painting it! . 

The best thing about designing your own mandals is that you have the freedom to choose whatever shapes and colors that you feel express your sense of self and your view of reality. Mandalas are great tools for meditation and increasing self-awareness. Here Iam showcasing Few mandalas I tried !

Materials needed:

paper, a pencil, a ruler, compass and an eraser,colored pencils, watercolors, crayons, or any other type of art material for coloring.I used sketch pen and finepoint finelinerpens.

Kettle Painting !

I’m not one of those ‘expressive’ artist. I am not an art student nor gone to art classes. I think my creativity levels heighten when I'm stressed or depressed. ... Instead I try to do other things besides paint/draw that can still be I always have such pretty images in my head that I would love to put down on paper. A self taught artist, who doesn't restrict herself to one single medium and paints on just about anything .She has transformed mundane things like tea kettles, buckets, plates and even a e chair into pieces of art.

Colourful and Quirky Kettles look very stunning and catch ones attention almost immediately . This is my first attempt in Kettle Painting. I love Music. so this what draws me into describing my love towards Music. Through painting musical instruments I wanted to communicate a thought, a feeling, a metaphor — without worrying about the rules of painting in a manner of speaking. I hope that like good music  you like My painting. I used Acrylic colours and brush pens for painting.

 How to paint?

You will need:

Steel/tin/ceramic kettles

Acrylic paint

Brushes

Waste cloth

Stencils (optional)

1. Wash kettles with soap and water and leave them out to dry in the sun. Start your project only when they are completely dry.

2. If you want a base colour for your kettles, take a fat brush and paint a base coat in the colour of your choice. Once dry, paint another coat with the same colour. Dry thoroughly.

3. You could use a contrasting colour for the handles or paint it in the same colour.

4. Choose a design of your choice and draw the designs on the kettle with a pencil and then paint on it.