Sin

There is a thin line between luxury and sin; the former after a point turns into the latter. An item is purchased as a necessity, then a better one for more utility, then another version for style and aesthetic aspects. Next follows a bigger brand for status and then an even expensive one for luxury, but beyond that, our repeated purchase of that item becomes a sin and sinful wastage. This amount wasted on vanity can be easily used for charity, education or saving for rainy days. 

I know many people who are always under debt and loans for purchasing luxury possessions beyond their means, just for the sole purpose of flaunting. To me, longing for approval and applause from others betrays a lack of sense of self worth.

Freedom

Men often take pride in ‘granting’ freedom to their women, which they think is a grand favor on their part. Sadly, women too feel or are made to feel lucky upon having such a liberal man in their lives. However, freedom is one’s fundamental right and cannot be granted, given or permitted by anyone. Sadly, in our culture, women are made to feel thankful for basic rights and apologize for everyone’s mistakes. Such things, in the long run, make them feel guilty about everything that goes wrong with anyone around them. Society turns them into blame absorbing sponges. 

Even though one may face hateful remarks, I feel personal freedom is something that must not be compromised upon. A woman's freedom is not a piece of cloth that can be trimmed as per someone's idea of freedom or perceptions.

Idea!!

Why all amazing ideas come at night? 

White gel pen on Black card paper

Teachers Day

Teacher’s day is just another day. There are students but no faculty. According to reports* the system of college education is India is worrisome and calls for urgent attention. Of the 2,426 posts for professors in central Universities, 1,301 are still vacant. In fact, in many colleges, there are no faculty members. The best faculty members and researchers prefer going abroad for various reasons that include better research facilities, elevated pay scales and many other benefits leading to a crisis in India’s University education system. The government has turned a blind eye towards this problem. The situation is dismal and there is a complete chaos that is fast spiraling out of bounds.   

*Hindustan Times (30 July, 18)

The Way We See It!

We are defined by our perception.

Today is the longest Total Lunar Eclipse of 21st century (2001 to 2100). Also, there is a rare 'Blood Moon'! 

Medium- Pitt pens and color pencils

Home Is Where The Heart Is

In this big bad world, home is the only beautiful place!

Medium- Pitt pens and sketch pens

Caution

Acid attacks in India have become a major concern of late. As per ASFI (Acid Survivors and Women Welfare Foundation) there were 80 reported cases of acid attack in 2010 that in 2016 rose to 307, nearly a fourfold rise. 

This sketch is dedicated to all brave acid attack survivors.

Medium- Pitt pens and color pencils

Divided by States, United by Rape

The alarm bells are already ringing nonstop.

With one rape every 30 minutes, Hindustan is fast turning into ‘Rapistan’. This concept sketch indicates that every woman, from a housewife to a corporate executive, a tribal woman to a modern city girl, even an old grandmother to a newborn, is constantly on the radar of perverts and sexual predators. Statistics reveal that in more than 90 % of the cases the victim was already well known to the predator and also that clothing of the victim (the bête noir of conservatives) had no role to play so every nook and corner of his country is unsafe.

The clock hands indicate predators too come from all age groups, from elderly men to young men and even juveniles and school going boys. Well, it strikes me that we, as a nation are-

“Divided by states, united by rape”

Note- This concept struck me this morning when I read about a few rape cases in today’s HT. In one case, a woman was raped and burnt alive inside a temple, which is outright horrendous. In another, a three year old was raped inside a well known school in Delhi-NCR. Through this sketch I am describing that women of all age groups and backgrounds are unsafe in India, which is extremely shameful.

(12-Grandmother 1-College girl 2-Purdahnashin Woman 3-Modern City Woman 4-Housewife (I don’t mean a housewife cooks all day and the rolling pin/Belan indicates she is a nurturer) 5-Sports woman 6-Newborn 7-School Student 8-Foreign Tourist 9-Tribal Woman 10-Corporate Executive 11-Invalid woman)

Medium- FC Pitt Pens and watercolor on 130 GSM art paper

I Don't Give a Damn!

Indian Masses-

Inflation is so high, fuel prices are on fire, unemployment is rising, farmers are killing 

themselves, rape- graph is steep. Everything is haywire

'Oh! where shall I go what shall I do?'

Government-

Chakravyuh

I happened to watch the ‘Chakravyuh’ scene of B. R Chopra’s ‘Mahabharata’ today on Epic channel and the first thing that struck me was its uncanny similarity with a certain thing. The young, confident and cheerful Abhimanyu entered the Chakravyuh formation when his uncles and other family members promised to help him but later they were barred from entering the formation by the enemy soldiers. Inside, Abhimanyu was attacked by his elders in the Kaurava army all at a time: an unethical attack. He died bravely defending himself and crying for this father. Gurus Dronachrya and Kripacharya were genuinely sad about this but could not do anything. A brave young life was lost due to unethical fighting.

‘Chakravyuh’ exist in modern context too and are known by the name of the ‘Arranged Indian Marriages’ that don’t turn out to be as expected. A young and confident girl enters the alliance but ends up catering to everyone’s demands and fighting for her freedom and rights. Her family members are not allowed to interfere and thus they become helpless as well. She ‘dies’ fighting, not literally always, and even though her downfall and deterioration is mourned by a few members, they are too dependent to take a stand. An arranged marriage in India is an unethical combat that swallows young lives where they not only battle for their freedom every day; they are attacked by many societal malpractices all at once as well. There is no way out from such formations, they are one way streets that lead only to frustration and rapid decline.

Image from Shutterstock

Warrior Abhimanyu entering the Chakravyuha. 

Stone artworks of the 12th century Hoysaleshwara temple in Halebidu, India.

To ‘T’ or Not To ‘T’

I could not stop myself from expressing my thoughts when I came across an article that justified tracing, in a famous art magazine. Yes, the same tracing our Drawing and Biology teachers would frown upon and promptly give a ‘redo’ for. Tracing is basically copying a picture from its original source. As the name suggests, you just ‘trace’ the whole image without taking the pains of drawing it with hand along with all the aspects, measurements, shadow & light and of course, perspectives, a very important thing most people just do not care about. When we trace an image, we let our drawing skills take a backseat by cheating deliberately. All the skill then is required is that of coloring. In a way it is ‘manual photocopying’!

Advocates of tracing call it an absolute necessity for creating ‘hyper-realistic’ art. They state that many great painters traced too and also that end result matters and not the means, a point with which I absolutely refuse to concur. Art lies in the skill of the person, in his practice and dexterity to handle sketch and colors. Tracing is like writing an exam with guidebook open and then celebrating full scores. Yes, I consider it nothing more than plain stupidity and cheating the person appreciating and buying your art. It is said that the beauty of art lies in imperfection, there is no art sans it and I find no reason to disagree. In long run, tracing destroys an artist’s talent for the ability to recreate a photograph or a live thing or person accurately on paper which is used to gauge an artist.

To get to this final sketch of Daniel Craig as James Bond took me around nine or ten drafts. I never faced this much difficulty with any portrait but when after more than a week or so I got my base sketch correctly, I felt happy and proud of myself. This work may not be realistic or perfect but it is honest and has helped me brush up my art a bit more. Looking at my works give me inner peace and happiness, precisely for which I am into- fine-art.

Those masters who trace will surely lose their art in a few years while those novices who do so, unfortunately, will never get to develop the same in the first place. So, in my personal view, tracing is nothing more than suicide for an artist. Our Drawing and Biology teachers were indeed right.

By the way, I wonder if tracing is not cheating then what is?

Dignity

Tough as a diamond and fragile as a delicate piece of chinaware, a woman’s dignity is a queer thing. Still, it needs to be protected from scratches and dirt and is to be carried like a child everywhere. This is indeed the biggest responsibility. This is a woman’s strength that her dignity is alive and kicking and it is also the most perilous thing for her to live like this in a world where everything, from rules to laws and from religion to mindsets have been designed to smash it like it were a poisonous weed, that could claim tall snooty trees, standing upright, looking down upon little sprouts feeling insecure over their growth.

Wonderland!

I was Alice- lost as ever

My mind was the ‘White Rabbit’ with the watch- ever hopping towards you

You were the ‘Caterpillar’- detached and way too shrewd

My common sense was the ‘Cheshire Cat’- on and off!

The society was the ‘Red Queen of Hearts’- Sullen and always ready to punish

My heart was like, no points for guessing, ‘Humpty Dumpty’!

No surprise why my life itself has turned into a surreal ‘Wonderland’!