Art: Made to order

My sister asked me to do these Phad paintings for her new home and gave me the opportunity to try something new. This is my first attempt at painting the images of the Hindu Gods.

Phad art is an indigenous painting style unique to the state of Rajasthan. The paintings were done on a long canvas or scroll called ‘phad’ and depicted folk tales around deities. The storytellers would go from village to village narrating stories and used the scroll to depict the stories. You can read more about Phad art here.

Lord Krishna
Lord Ganesha
The King on his rounds

And this is all three of them together

I used ‘burnt sienna’ and ‘antique gold’ acrylic paint for these paintings and a micro tip pen to line the pictures after I’d drawn them with a pencil. I suppose those who find it difficult to draw could trace these images. For me, the most challenging part was ensuring the shade of burnt sienna did not change (the paper tends to drink up a lot of paint). Another thing with this kind of art is that there’s no scope for errors because a single mistake will stand out like a sore thumb.

It was interesting doing this kind of painting just before our trip to Rajasthan because going there made me appreciate and understand the art form even more. If you’re interested in reading about our week’s holiday in the desert state, then you know where to come back. I hope to share everything about the trip- the places, the food, the things we did there so that you don’t put your travel plans on hold. As long as you follow protocol- wear your mask, sanitise, you will be safe.

You can check my art on https://spacesbysmithav.com

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10 responses to “Art: Made to order”

  1. IndiaNetzone Avatar

    Folk paintings in Rajasthan are as different as its culture. The folk paintings in Rajasthan are completely handmade. They bring numerous talented painters of Rajasthan. The folk paintings of Rajasthan deal with pictorial depictions of popular Hindu gods, human portraits, common customs and rituals and the elements of nature. Some of the popular folk paintings of Rajasthan include sanjhya painting, phad painting, pichwai painting and miniature painting.
    https://www.indianetzone.com/23/folk_paintings_rajasthan.htm

  2. […] you can imagine how I felt. I, however kept myself from thinking too much about it by painting ( Art: Made to order ) and reading Half of a yellow sun by Chimananda Ngozi Adichie. Fortunately, we also had a […]

  3. Andrea Stephenson Avatar

    Wonderful paintings Smitha, you’re very versatile in the work you can produce.

    1. Smitha V Avatar

      Thank you so much Andrea. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas. May the sprit of the festival warm your home.

  4. SelmaMartin Avatar

    Gorgeous. Keep going. 👏
    Happy Holidays. 🎄

    1. Smitha V Avatar

      Thank you dear Selma❤. Your blessings worked and we had a Christmas miracle🙂. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

      1. SelmaMartin Avatar

        Glad to know YOU generated THAT miracle. Blessings to you and yours. xoxo 🎄

        1. Smitha V Avatar

          XOXO. Thank you Selma for being someone with so much positivity.

  5. sienablue Avatar

    A beautiful gift for your sister! You handled the details so precisely. Looking forward to your next travel posts.

    1. Smitha V Avatar

      Thank you dear Jo. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas. May your heart and home be filled with the festive spirit.

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