Love with Gratitude

Dear 2013,

Thank You ! Gifting myself Love, and attempting to suspend doubts and fears I created for myself ...

गांजा अफ़ीम और पोस्त भांग, गांजा शराबें पीवता

एक प्रेम रस चाखा नहीं , अमली हुआ तो क्या हुआ ? 

You take ganja  opium bhang,

You drown yourself in spirits!

You never tasted the nectar of love,

what kind of a drunk are you?

- Kabir (Source: Kabir in Pakistan) 

Ending the year and sharing the much needed 'words of wisdom' given to me....

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others” ― Martha Graham

Love and Light and Thanks to all you wonderful people out there! Seasons Greetings... =)

Hijr

"nah main majlis keeti

Neither did I get a chance to even sit awhile with my lover

nah main raat rahaaya

Nor did I get to stay with him for a single night"

 (source: song Rabba Ho coke studio) 

Hadd hadd jaaye har koi, anhad jaye na koi. - Kabir
Everybody goes chasing after boundaries, nobody seeks boundless

Just for one day...

"You're as sensual as the pencil"

pencil on paper. A4

Source: The Art of Looking Sideways

There...

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,

There is a field. I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase "each other"

doesn't make any sense...

-Rumi

Urdu Day #2

Am i dreaming?! I certainly think I am... i know it might not be a great deal for a lot many people to learn a 'language' but learning Urdu script is a dream come true!
And... just now my teacher (actually anyone till now..) just told me that i have a nice handwriting!!! :O
I don't think that is ever going to happen in English... but this script itself is a work of art!

So why Urdu? what am i going to do with it? (a typical question, that was asked in my first class)
There are many reasons though i was never able to say all of them.
a) I knew for quite some time that both sides of my grandfathers used to write in urdu...but never got an opportunity to learn from either of them. =( So how can the art in the generation not be kept alive?! :P
b) As i said, i always found it as a work of art... and at some point (hopefully) i'd want to use the script in MY art too
c) Read and write of course. I am big fan of poetry... would want to try and read as much as i can !

Hoping to never lose this excitement... ;)

My second class already... and sharing the first short story that i deciphered and copied!

~desiring perfection...

Small wonder

Ready and packed! An order of 30 newspaper pens for an exhibition... :D Look who's in demand ;)

Perpetual beggary?

A few months back I was cribbing to my theatre teacher, expressing my fears of thoughts of never being able to earn a living owing to my wandering mind and expensive 'hobby' of art. I was told to pick up a biography of any artist, and I picked up Lust for Life. And here we have Vincent describing his state of perpetual beggary along with many other artists. * holding my stomach and laughing* [not on them ofcourse, but on my silly fears... holding me back.] I have got my lesson, hope you have got yours! =)

Two birds sit on the golden bough

of the pippal tree

One eats

the sweet fruit

The other watches.

Both are happy

One is happier.

Which?

-Svetasvatara Upanishad IV:6

drawing inspiration: The Art of Looking Sideways

"You show me Me, and then I show You more of Me..."

What do I know 

of you and me,

of who gets caught 

and who goes free?

-Kabir

Power of Swar

I have always felt this strong connection with sounds/words/speech, also as previously mentioned in a post, connects me to my name and has taken me to to spaces unknown and undiscovered by my Self. The power of 'swar'/note can be reverberating... seeping into your soul never really making you forget the Feeling itself. there is a strong connection with words and sounds that can almost tie you up to people and ideas. I might have left my training in hindustani classical music, but I live in music and sounds. The communication it holds is beyond imagination...

No wonder classical Sanskrit language, the language of the sages and mantras emphasizes on swar and it's accurate pronunciation to create a vibration in the Universe.

My quest for Self and swar/words/sounds brought me to experience a beautiful rendition of Katha Upanishad and Dhrupad music (which stresses more on sounds than words). I got goose-pimples when i experienced it live and recently again while viewing the webcast.
These moments of 'anand' is all that we live for?

'Seek and ye shall find...'

Sharing Swar Katha Upanishad by Sunaad, tale of the Kathopanishad, a dialogue between Nachiketa and Yama (the God of Death).

Pls do follow the link and watch the beautiful rendition. =)

swar-katha-upanishad

Love and Light

A Wonderful Gift

Gifts are such amazing means of expression! Aren't they? Well they are certainly my favourite means of expression, because that’s what I do most of the time. I love giving gifts, whether they be the stupidest and smallest things as a bookmark or anything else. But off late I realized that i feel a little awkward ‘receiving’ gifts from somebody unexpected. Not that healthy is it? Making me all conscious and further messing up things by making me think more, about why A) particular person wants to give me a gift? what is the intent? do they expect anything in return? bla bla. Ah, us humans really know how to make things complicated, don’t we?

But I’m learning to shift perspectives. If i didn't put any thought while ‘giving’a gift, why should I while receiving one?

Incidentally, today was also one of the concluding sessions of a workshop we were having at the centre on self awareness, and i have been chiseled and thrashed with some of the most primal (yet oh-so seemingly difficult) concepts/tools such as free will, love energy and handing over to the universe etc.

And as if i was being tested... Just around noon, i reached home, and was reflecting on the morning i just spent..., the doorbell rang. There IT was, a Wonderful Gift ! As if my inner being smiled just on seeing the yellow packet with a US stamp, I knew it! My ocean home was here. And in an instant i realized, that there is nothing more to gifts than JUST the intent of LOVE. It is the unconditional love energy that the gift carries with it, from the giver as well as the receiver. I most generously thank Brad and Kiki Thome for this beautiful piece of art and their gesture of love. I am exhilarated and most happy. And though Brad told me not to tell anyone :D Here, i am keeping  it ‘safely’ Mehfuz... ;)

Love with Gratitude Brad, keep changing and creating new designs!

It's up and it will be there on my cupboard to always remind me the meaning of gift and gratitude =)

A big thank you to Christopher too, for acting a secret agent of friend, philosopher and guide ;)

And...

A big Thank You, to also a very dear friend, Sreepriya for the most beautiful ‘farewell’ gift, (though i’m not quite sure if farewell would be the right word). Technically she was a junior in college, but personally she has been a co-creator in the most wonderful journey of adventure, philosophy and theatre (i am not sure if i Thanked her well enough earlier :S owing to my awkwardness when i ‘got’ the gift, in truest sense i, received’ it today! =).

A beautiful hand painted Lord Theyyam, there, reminding to pursue Sadhana always and forever  

I hope i will be able to give back so much art and love as much as i’m receiving...

Discovering the joy of life in attitude of gratitude... =)

Thank You.

Love and Light.

Lazy...

Blue

Untitled. 22"15".  6.6.13 (First shower storm in the scorching heat in Delhi- Rainy Days are crazy =)

'Wounded Healer'

22"x15", done on 5.6.2013

Stream of random thought...

Tried to write something, failed, combined, came up with this. Quite disconnected... or is it? =)

Cloud illusion

In blue and gold I watch the evening sky,

Darken, till neither it remains

nor I...

-Vikram Seth

Wrapping paper!

You are the wrapping paper I love to wrap my gift in

You are the wrapping paper that never gets torn.

You are the wrapping paper that i paint myself!

YOU the wrapping paper..is THE gift! 

=)

Let me sing you a Waltz! :P

                                                                    stuck in head :P

A beautiful kind of madness...

Just so to update you, i am in the middle of getting my feet wet in the 2 most awaited events which i was looking forward to since a long time. The journey , though has just begun...
My desperate quest for knowing/understanding/learning Indian psychology has gifted me with a wonderful opportunity to be a part of a 4 day academic seminar and rigorous workshops ( http://www.ipi.org.in/events/delhimar13/tentative-schedule.php ) with some of the best practitioners in this field from East and West. It was my first day today, and I am already filled to the brim! No points for guessing, I have high hopes and expectations from these four days of immersion in my own cultural philosophy.

Also equally exciting is the Centre exhibition ( http://www.krcindia.org/Activities.asp ) which is to take place this weekend. I have, in  my own small ways, since many years, dedicated a part of my so called 'artistic abilities' to be manifested in any kind of re-cycling and re-using objects of daily use. There is a wonderful joy in just painting an old envelope or a paper bag to make it re-usable or using it as a canvas that  i can't explain!  This exhibition, primarily centering on just BEING (which i buy the way, absolutely love) is just another attempt to have fun with myself and self-absorb in some of the most simplest things i like to pursue which is making bookmarks, diaries, pens made of newspaper, and my newly discovered love of making fountain pens out of wood...

A sneak peek into my 'products' for this year! Hoping to have fun in this year's Exhi-sale !

A few hand made diaries, primarily reusing Wedding Cards

My quintessential bookmarks! =)

My newspaper pens! ;)

Newly tried old-styled fountain pens, for you to paint or try your hand at calligraphy! Made of simple nib, wood and feathers (self discovered and hand picked, i really love to pick up scraps from roads! :D ) Let's see how many 'mad' people like me are going to use it ! ;) 

Religiously restoring my sister's Tatting (threadwork jewellery) pattern-scraps to make make them into usable key chains! =)

Looking forward for other interesting stuff and feedback too ! more updates later!

Enjoy your weekend,

Love, Light and vibrant Colours!

Shiva

SOHAM- HAMSA

Free Association.

Mahakala: “On one hand there is the Saguna Brahman, the samsara, which is the infinity of forms, endless. On the other, the Nirguna Brahman, which is formless infinity, absolutely no form, zero as far as form is concerned. Between these two, connecting them together is Mahakala. He is the fulcrum, the tangent between Infinity and Zero.”

Smarahara: “In Sanskrit, the word for memory and the word for the God of lust is the same: Smara. Desire is the cause of all karma, and when desire is destroyed memory too will go, and you will be free. That is why Losd Shiva is called Smarahara (meaning Destroyer of Lust as well as Destroyer of Memory.) Sma in grammar means “past”. Memory is the only past.  Sma-rahara is He who transforms you from present tense to past tense. He who kills you. Sma-shan is the place where you go from present to past, where you are transformed from existence into a memory.”

Kita bramari nyaya- the Law of Caterpillar and Butterfly: whatever you concentrate on you will eventually become.

Dhuni- sadhu’s fire

“Kamaturnam na bhayam na lajja”: fear and shame do not exist for those afflicted with the disease of desire. 

The expression of Shakti in the physical body is Prana, the life force, the power which keeps body, mind and spirit functioning together as a living unit.

Third Eye

“My forehead aches a lot while meditating. It’s uncontrollable”.

“Why is there creation? Because of friction. Without friction there is no creation. And wherever there is friction, there is fire. Can you produce fire without friction? No. Unless you take it directly from the sun, using a magnifying glass for instance.”

"can you control creation? Art is my supreme creative expression. Free". 

‘Where even ravi (the sun) cannot reach, there will go a kavi (poet). But that does not go far enough. I say, ‘where even a kavi cannot reach, there will go an anubhavi (experiencer).”

Two souls merge into one another, can anyone describe it?

http://sanskritdictionary.com/translate.php?q=love

Ekamukhalingam. (completed on Mahashivratri 2012). pencil and silver paint on paper. 

Reference: Shiva Temple, Bhumara, Madhya Pradesh. 

On Mukhalingam- Read Iconography 

This journey of self exploration continues. 

content and satisfied. 

moving forward. 

already in love with 2013. 

with a smile. =) wish you all a very Happy Mahashivaratri! blessed be with wisdom and love. 

*Deep gratitude to Mom, for holding my hand and pushing me to discover/know/realize Shiva. 

Art installation at India Art Fair 2013