Paintings

I have been looking for paintings to fill the empty walls of our home for a while now. Since the decor in our house is a bit modern and mostly in dark wood i wanted something bright to light up the rooms. I have visited numerous stores for some months now and nothing really stood out and then just like that one fine day,while volunteering for the folk art market in Santa Fe i had two painting in my hand. The stories to both the paintings is interesting.

The first one to the right is titled 'peces'. It's a Cuban painting which i literally grabbed at a bargain price at the Santa Fe folk art market last month. These painting were selling like hot cakes at the market specially because they were super cheap. Believe me they sold out in minutes and if you were not there to grab one it was gone.

I really loved this one for its creativity and bright colors. The painting is simple yet striking and bursting with rainbow colors. I loved how the artist had taken something as simple as sea creatures and added beautiful contours and splashed them with various colors. The octopus and sea horse complete the story under the sea!! Absolutely love this beautiful piece and wish i had grabbed some more!!

The second picture is another masterpiece by a folk art artist from Uzbekistan.

It's a miniature which i had been eying for two days at the market. I loved the detailed work and the fine drawing on the painting but did not have the heart to buy it because it was expensive. Everyday i would visit the stall and check it out and ooh and aah about it to the artist but never bought it.

Towards the closing of the market i was on my way to say my good byes to all the people i had met at the market and i stopped at the stall from Uzbekistan. I hugged the artist good bye and commended him at his beautiful work and then a miracle happened, he asked me to pick any painting i wanted as a gift from his side :) At first i said no i could not accept it but since he insisted i grabbed my favorite. This beautiful piece now adorns my dining area.

This is a painting of traders on their way to trade their things in the market. In olden times they had to travel far and wide to reach the market. What fascinated me about this picture was its size, detailed work and the beautiful expressions on the face of the merchants. Even though its a miniature, no detail is left out. The drawing is super fine and one look at it almost tell you the entire story. It almost reminded me of miniatures from India. The resemblance is starking. Thanks to the very generous artist i now am a proud owner of a painting from Uzbekistan :)

Live from the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market

Sitting in my living room in Santa Monica, I was browsing through the Oprah magazine one afternoon, when my eyes fell on an article on the upcoming International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, NM. Since then life has not been the same. I checked out their website http://www.folkartmarket.org/index.php and right then and there decided this was something I want to be a part of. In a few weeks it was all finalized, I was going to be one of the 1,569 volunteers at the Market.

My two hour direct flight from LA to Santa, Fe took me to an airport the size of a restaurant. As I stepped into the city I knew no better of its rich culture and exquisite art background. In a matter of few hours I was blown away by its beauty, art and rich heritage. The people are warm and friendly and willing to go out of the way to help.


6:30 am July 9th, I checked into the volunteer booth and had butterflies in my stomach. I spent the next few hours setting up “booth 72”. I was going to be an Artist Assistant for an Indian weaver “Shyamji” from the village of Bhuj in Gujarat. A fine artist, shyamji has been in the business of making hand-woven stoles, scarves and shawls for centuries now. This is his traditional family business being handed down from one generation to another. He and 16 of his family members work on dying, weaving and completing unique, colorful and beautiful pieces of fabric.

This was Shyamji’s first time at this fair which was hosting 170 artists from 51 countries.
The focus of this market is on the numerous and remarkable artists' cooperatives. Half of the participating artisans are new to the market, and their work was selected for its authenticity, quality, and marketability. The market keeps 10% of the artist sales and the artists keep the remaining 90%. This year the artists were hoping to have a sale of $15,000 on average over the three days.

The Market open first to a handful of collectors who donate $5000 and above to the organization. These are the ones who are quick to pick up the best and the dearest pieces at display. Then roll in another group of early buyers who pay $125 and are the ones who like to take a first cut at what’s on display. Come Saturday and Sunday, the market is flooded with thousand’s of buyers’ hungry for the art at display. Last year we had a good 23,000 shoppers and this year saw even more.

As an artist assistant I helped Shyamji not only interpret but also showcase, sell and promote his wonderful talent. We had buyers from all country’s, ethnicity and religion. People bought scarves and shawls not only to adorn themselves but also to use it as table runners, table cloths and bed-spreads. Some ladies even suggested using those as Sarongs. Our pieces were all hand-woven and varied between cotton, silk and wool. For the Artist’s Choice Shyamji chose a beautiful hand-woven shawl in pastel colors which took him 2 months to make. Prices ranged from $35 - $300 a piece.

By the weekend the market was buzzing with people pouring in from everywhere. There were food stalls to feed the hungry shoppers. Volunteers worked around the clock. Performances from various countries including Oman, kept the people entertained. Whether it was the kutch work from India or the Cuban paintings, people grabbed exquisite pieces of art and hunted for deals.

The 36 hours spent in Santa Fe has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I came home richer not only in the wonderful paining and other gifts that I brought but also in friends I made at the event. The hospitality, warmth and generosity of the people living in NM definitely make sure I visit it again. So all you folks out there if you are looking for something to add color in your life and enrich your artistic skills, the International Folk Art Market is the place to be.

I would like to share some pictures I took at the market. Here is the link to the same:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shruti.kapoor/InternationalFolkMarketSantaFeNM?authkey=Gv1sRgCPmSuuSgsvb_BA&feat=directlink

Pretty Lilies

So one day my husband walks in home with a bunch of Lilies. At first sight there were nothing impressive and most of the bulbs had not even bloomed. So i arranged them in a vase and set them aside on the counter. Two days went by and not much changed and i thought to myself "well what a waste of money...this is not even pretty..."

And then the miracle began, they started to open and as they bloomed i must admit they looked gorgeous. They were big and bright almost smiling at you and making you feel fresh and pure. The more i glanced at them the more i admired their beauty.

They adorned my house for more than a week spreading radiance and freshness all around.

Roses