While I patiently wait for Spring...

Yesterday we set our clock ahead by an hour.
The days are getting longer.
As I look outside my window I see a white blanket of snow which doesn't seem fluffy any more.
Tiny rivulets flow down the paths.
A gently breeze seems to take over the quiet stillness of winter.
A season in transition.
An anticipation of Spring....

Having moved to Minnesota in late July last year, we have been able to enjoy Summer, Fall and Winter.
Now as I patiently wait for Spring outside my window, few corners at home seemed to have already welcomed the season:-)

 Vintage Oleographs, fresh flowers and silverware.

A sparkly twist on the Oleographs...

 Attar perfume bottles from Old City Ahmedabad sit pretty on a vintage tile...

A floral mirror work dupatta provides the perfect background.

 Rose perfumed tea lights...

Look who just made an appearance!

Priya Sebastian's Charcoal Artwork doesn't have an orange wall backdrop but holds the same position in our study.

Wishing all of you a beautiful season of fresh flowers, soft green grass under your feet and blue blue skies!

( Images by Arch)

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Paper Craft: DIY Decorative Tray

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Past few days had been very hectic and I almost forgot to do a post on a Decorative Tray that I made from Newspaper. So here is my promised post. 

1. Gather all the required material as I have shown below.

2. Cut 5-6 Inches broad strips of paper as shown below.

3. Now roll the paper strip with the help of stick. As shown in image below. Remember you have to take out the stick once paper is rolled completely. So don't roll it too loose or too tight.

4. Take the stick out slowly. Now stick the end of paper with glue as shown here. 

5. Make good amount of rolls as you will need lot of them. I made around 50-60

6. Now image for this step is missing. But believe me it's very easy. Take two rectangular card board of same size. Size depends on your choice. On one cardboard start sticking one end of paper rolls around 2 inches should be on the cardboard. Place one after the another keeping space of around 2.5-3 inches between them. Make sure that there is one roll glued on every corner of cardboard.

7. When you are done all around the edges of cardboard then glue the other cardboard of same size on top of it and let it dry.

8. Now pickup one roll and start weaving on the rolls that you glued on the cardboard earlier. Pattern should be once in then out as shown in image below. 

9. When the roll is about to finish then insert another roll inside it and keep weaving until you reach desired height.

 10. Now cut the extra length of roll and secure the end inside woven part and glue it(Refer image below). Put cloth clips on it and let it dry. After half an hour or so it's time to prime the tray.

 11. Either spray paint it or use brush. Wait for primer to dry then color it with color of your choice. Use acrylic colors and after the color is dried completely give a final coat of varnish to make it durable.

 Here is a final product my decorative tray.

Looks no less than wicker basket and is strong enough to hold some stuff :)

I keep changing stuff that tray holds. Have a look........

And my hubs liked it so much that he is taking this tray to his office and will try to be little organized :) Well that's a great reward I got.

I made some small baskets also. Have a look here.
 Do let me know how do you find it.

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Indian Art: Madhubani Painting (Bihar)

 Madhubani Art

Madhubani art is a style of painting from Mithila region of Bihar in India.  Earlier these paintings were made only on the occasions such as wedding ceremony, vratas and pujas. Designs depict the occasion of celebration and seek divine blessings. This art is mostly practiced by women in villages of Mithila region. 

Origin: 

Origin of this style of painting dates back to period of Ramayan. It is said that Mithila is the birthplace of 'Sita' and at the time of her marriage with Ram, King Janak commisioned artists to do this painting. Buddha and Mahaveer can be seen in Madhubani paintings as celebrated figures. It is an age old art form and is prevalent even today. In it's earliest form painting was done on floors and mud walls using natural dyes. These days artists use fabric or paper and acrylic/poster color for painting. The painting was mainly done by women of Brahmin and Kayastha castes and art form is handed down from generation to generation.

Done by Artist Bharti Dayal 

Style: 

This painting style uses two dimension imagery. Paintings mainly depict mythology and day to day life.

Paintings done by Brahmin and Kayastha women were more sophisticated and were based on Hindu mythology whereas Madhubani paintng done by Harijan women were less sophisticated but were well expressed. Painting style mostly depicts Hindu deities and natural objects that shows fertility and prosperity like sun, moon, fish, parrot, elephant, turtle, lotus, bamboo tree, tulsi plant, flowers, birds and animals.

In this style of painting deities are positioned centrally and then no space is left around the main figure. Gaps are filled by flowers, birds, animals and geometric designs. 

Style can be categorized in two main categories:

1) Kachni: Fine lines are used to fill the picture with less use of color

2) Bharni: Solid colors are used to fill the picture.

Done by Artist Arun Kumar Paswan 

Process: 

Process of making this painting is very simple but involves lot of patience. In earlier form the painting was done on floor and wall by plastering cow dung on wall/ floor and then picture were made with rice paste and natural dyes were used to fill color in the painting. These days it is done on fabric and paper. So artist mainly use acrylic color or poster color. First step is to choose theme of the painting. Design is then  traced on fabric/paper. Outline is done with black color and generally double line is drawn then it is filled with delicate fine lines or color is filled if the painting style is Bharni.

Done by artist Ajeet

Though Madhubani is age old art form but it recieved  recognition in 1970 when an artist Jagdamba Devi from Mithila was awarded by Indian President. One such renowned artist is Bharti Dayal who has been awarded National award and various other awards also. The second image in this post is her artwork. Her artwork is a perfect blend of heritage style and contemporary work.  Her paintings will be exhibit at the World Conference of Religions in Brussels in 2014.

A big Salute to all these women who are trying to keep our heritage and art alive and are pride of our Nation.

If you also have done such work then please do share with me and I'll going to add your artwork here :)

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Roses are magnetic!

I adore the look of silver and have made many displays using my collection of silver pieces.




This is surely not a new idea, but I wanted something to put in my booth for sale that was fun and functional.





I already had some silver trays but needed to come up with some kind of magnets that were...pretty!





Using old sheet music, I cut it into circles and made these sweet roses. I

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Out with the Old (and Broken)!

So, when the glass from our our oh-so-lovely flush mount "boobie" light (I'm sorry ... but, you *know* the kind I'm talking about, lol) came crashing down the other night and scared our poor babysitter to death, I knew that it was time to replace it (especially because this was the second time this had happened).

This was all that was left Saturday morning:

I had been spying this little cutie from Lowe's and, with only one left on the shelf, I knew it had to come home with us!

Thanks to our neighbor, a retired electrician, it's now adding a bit of whimsy to our mudroom!  Isn't it fun?

I love the black elements in it because it ties in so well with ... the wall art I recently scored at Home Goods, 

the new vinyl "Simply Said" design I created (and my sweet friend, Kim ordered for me):

annnnd, our family gallery wall, which hasn't changed, except for ...

this sweet vinyl that my great friend, Cindy, gave me for Christmas.  Instead of placing it on the wall, I mounted it on the glass of a frame I wasn't using ... I think it makes a great centerpiece:

So, sufficed to say, I think our new addition is fitting in well in our mudroom!  Now, let's just hope *this* one doesn't come crashing down, too!  Eek!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Inspiring Eminent Blogger: Ritu Dua

Today on 3D I am featuring a multi talented artist Ritu Dua who blogs over at 'Beneath My Heart Art'. Ritu is a wonderful artist and a very humble human being who has a dream of helping society and underprivileged children. Read on her interview and let her know what do you think about her dreams and passion.

Welcome Ritu, It feels so good that you are sharing something about you and your passion here on Design Decor & Disha. Please let us know little more about you.

Disha, thanks for giving me this chance to be here . I am humbled.

I have been a banker and a teacher but art and colors have been my all-time passion. I have loved to draw and paint since I was a kid. Right now, I have allowed myself to be drifted away with the flow of paints and my imagination and thoughts. It’s not only art that fascinates me but anything that is related to being creative makes my little heart smile.

Ritu's Krishna Painting

When and how you realized your passion about Painting.

As I said earlier, it has always been there! I engaged myself in other jobs but the urge to create has always been a part of my routine. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and am a proud mum of two amazing sons…touch wood…and they have been a constant source of inspiration to me. I have realized that it is when I immerse myself in my art that I discover the real ME within me and this certainly lifts my spirits up.

Budhha Painting

How you stepped into a blogging world. In what ways has blogging affected your passion.

If art is my first love, writing is second. Actually they run parallel to each other. Writing had always been in my heart like a candle ready to be kindled. So, it was last year in April that my elder son asked me to step into this wonderful world of blogging and I am extremely happy that I did.

My blog…Beneath my heart…Art…has not only enabled me to satisfy my lust for art but has also allowed me to pour my heart out in the form of my writings. I am at awe after entering this amazing world of blogging…such creativity…so much talent…I fall short of words.

And I would love to mention that in this journey of less than a year, I have met so many wonderful people here. Though we are all physically distant but I think this bond that art and creativity has created, is strong enough to hold us together for years to come and you Disha are one such beautiful friend I have.

Tangle Art done by Ritu

Thanks Ritu I am touched. Even I feel the same . Ok now I'll come to my next question how many mediums and techniques of painting you have worked on.

I have tried my hands on various mediums, I find water colors quite magical, the acrylics charm me with their brightness and the oil paints with their richness. But I feel mixed media is my forte and my fingers are my favorite tool. I have also worked with nib and pen, especially while doing zentangles.

A few months back I attended some sculpture classes and had the chance to work with clay. Oh, I must tell you that it is such an amazing feeling when your fingers play with that creamy cold clay. I found it quite an unforgettable experience.

Ritu's wonderful experience with clay

When I was in Tanzania, I worked with an interior designer and created some large murals for a penthouse. I would cherish those creative moments forever.

I also love creating art from trash. While in Delhi I associated myself with an NGO and held a workshop for under privileged children teaching them to create artistic things from waste.

So basically it is anything artistic, colorful and creative that makes my world go round.

Beautifuly done Kettle by Ritu

Which one is your favorite medium and why.

I love doing artwork in mixed media. It not only gives me freedom to play with so many mediums in one go but also satisfies my urge to create differently. It helps me to translate all my ideas into reality. In the process I achieve a result which is enhanced by the properties of various mediums and is much beyond what I could have achieved using only one medium.

In short I find mixed media quite adventurous as it allows me to paint my own rainbows.

What inspires you to paint. Is it nature, human, everyday life or something else.

I get quite intrigued by faces...faces that evoke beauty, love and tranquility.

Chirping birds (peacocks being my favorite), bright flowers, tranquil sea, white fluffy clouds …oh the list is non-exhaustive.

I also get fascinated by all things Indian …various forms of folk art in bright and cheerful colors.

Peacock painting: Ritu's fascination for birds

What other than Painting excites you.

I love cooking too. We are pure vegetarians and I love trying out different dishes.

Cooking wholesome, colorful and healthy meals for my family and friends gives my pleasure abound.

The sight of bright colorful vegetables in the market enchants me.

I don’t refrain myself from giving my cooking a touch of my art.

After all cooking is a form of art too.

Besides this,I like to decorate my house and try to create an ambiance that makes me and my family delighted after a tiresome day.

Please share the links where we can find your Art work and where my blog readers can get connected with you.

My Blog : Beneath my heart…Art

You can also connect with me on my Facebook page Beneath My Heart Art

Which blogs inspire you and you love to visit them regularly.

This is a very difficult question because there are so many bloggers out there and each one of them has their own style of writing and doing things. They all touch my heart in some way or the other. I derive so much pleasure visiting them and having a glance at their beautiful creative world.

Last but not the least, as everyone dreams of being something in life, what you have dreamed of.

Oh Disha this is the loveliest question you have asked. Each day I want to wake up with a smile and go after life…live it, paint it in my own way, feel it and celebrate it and that’s it.

I would like to open an Art café where people like me can come and live some unforgettable moments filled with cheerful colors. I also wish to pay back to society by helping children who are not so blessed by sharing a part of my resources with them, educating them and helping them live a happy life.

Thanks Disha for having me here.

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Wow that was so inspiring and nice interview with a lovely lady Ritu. Thanks once again Ritu for taking out sometime for answering all my questions.

Well like Ritu sometimes I also allow myself to be drifted away with the flow of paints and result is always soul satisfying. Here is artwork that I had done years ago and then one fine day decided to dip my fingers in color and gave facelift to it.

Art done by me

See y'all untill next time. Enjoy your week and in case you have missed earlier interviews here the links are:

1. Interview with Tangle Artist Himadri Pachori

2. Interview with Quilling artist Suganthi

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Tin Ceiling Shelf

 If you have a good memory and have been following me for a while, you might remember when we returned from a Kansas visit. (My son lives in Kansas)




We always go antiquing along the way and picked a whole SUV load of goodies that we brought back.





Can you spy what is on top of the pile? Above all the cool pillar parts that is.







Yep, it's a cool piece of antique tin ceiling cove

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