Of People and Places

Sunrise at Manuabhan Tekri, Bhopal,Watercolor sketch  It's a beautiful view of Bhopal from Manuabhan Tekri. I sketch the sunrise and the electricity wires look like the strings of a guitar :) Have you ever been here? 

Illustration - Mango Mastani and Pineapple Ice Cream Sharbat at Samarth Juice Center If you've been to Nashik, you've probably tasted the delicious Pineapple Sharbat that's famous at Samarth Juice Center . My friend took me there on a sultry late afternoon ( Or prevening) after a heavy lunch, with no room at all for more food. But good things always find a way to reach you :D  We had the Mango Mastani, Rose Mastani and the Pineapple sharbat. All of it was delicious and I really recommend the pineapple sharbat - it is light, frothy and absolutely yummy! Sigh, cravings.  Other food related posts -  Paddy transplanting in Harlimatha  Prawn Ghee Roast in Kundapura  UtpaDhan - Farmer Producer Companies in Rural Karnataka Fayyaz, the fish seller Japanese Food in Bangalore

A sketch of a Rufous Treepie Some small watercolor sketches of birds I spotted in Bhopal ( I should probably say that my friends spotted most of them and patiently pointed to where they were - I am terrible at spotting birds, especially through binoculars - most of the times they've already flown away by the time I painstakingly narrow down on their location - but I am getting better at it :D) , some near Jat Khedi, and others on the way to Kathotia.  A sketch of a Green bee-eater (One of my favourites) A sketch of Indian Grey Hornbill A sketch of Rose-ringed Parakeet A sketch of Purple Sunbird (Ooh, how I love this bird)  Here's an interesting article about how the males change colour  A sketch of Red-whiskered Bulbul                                          All my tree/birds/animals posts -  A Black - naped Oriole in Bangalore Sketching in Belgaum rains An Ashy Prinia on the balcony and hope Black-crowned night heron at Madiwala lake White-breasted waterhen in Belgaum Birds

  Black-naped Oriole  in Bangalore - watercolor illustration This bird always comes at the same time in the morning and always sits on the same spot on a Ficus tree. On windy, rainy days, she looks just like the vivid fluttering leaves around her. Her striking green and yellow feathers look marvellous in flight. The most recognizable feature is the black band around the nape.  I am assuming it is a she because her wings are greener whereas males are supposed to have more yellowish upperparts. She doesn't stay for long, screeches like someone's throttling her ;D , sometimes ending in a long sneezing sound. She leaves just as quickly as she appears, no dawdling around.  More posts about birds and trees -  An Ashy Prinia on the balcony and hope  Black-crowned night heron at Madiwala lake   Whited breasted water hen in Belgaum The Saptaparni tree in Hoshangabad Fun with Babool tree pods, Bhopal The Baobab trees of Mandu Birds in Belgaum A love letter to the flame of the forest  Kat

An illustration of a Chola bronze sculpture in Royal Palace Museum, Thanjavur Tagging along in my usual half-dazed way, I woke up when I set my eyes on the voluptuous, stunning Chola Bronze sculptures in the Royal Palace museum in Thanjavur.  I simply had to sketch them - these absolutely exquisite representations of the grace of the human body. Made by highly skilled craftsmen enjoying the patronage of the Cholas, I understand much more about form and simplification as I draw. I also see how certain poses bring out the angles of the human body much more gracefully, how the fingers splayed out, extended can bring movement to inanimate bronze and make it live. How the hips and the shoulders align, how there is tension and relaxation and lines formed in the drapery and jewelry - all of it resting on a delicate balance to create an illusion of perfection. This particular bronze sculpture that I referenced for my ( vector) illustration was found in Thiruvengadu around 11- 12th century. T