You thought I was done writing about Dastkar, didn’t you? I’m sorry folks, but I just can’t get over the excitement that nature bazaar happened so close to home. Yes, I made one final trip on Friday morning and back with some more pictures. So, this is one last post until next year.
Some of the stuff I saw this time was mind blowing. Like this one from Gujarat. I was in awe of the craftsmanship behind the potlis and almost bought the white one (can you spot it?). Some of the totes would be super handy for that quick trip to the grocery store.
I have a huge weakness for lanterns. And, it takes some serious amount of self control to not indulge in yourself when they come in such beautiful colors and shapes. It took some resolve to resist these.
It was past 6 p.m. on Saturday evening. After a long day, while we were returning home, my husband casually said, “oh, I forgot to tell you, Dastkar is happening at Ezone this year.” I was like, “what, serious?” And then, it came back in a flash. A friend had texted me that morning about a craft mela happening at a venue which is literally a stone’s throw away from home. It was enough to get me a on a high for the weekend and the tiredness of the day vanished in thin air.
Datskar, nature bazaar, happens every year around this time of the year at Palace Grounds. Dastkar and Kala Madhyam are the two events I look forward to every year but I’d somehow missed the announcement this year. Here’s a brief take on Dastkar 2012 after two visits and still eager for more.
What I liked:
The sights, the colors, the excitement of the kids to try the potter’s wheel, ladies undecided over fancy beaded jewelery, colorful birdies, kites, and a bit of every state served on a huge platter called Dastkar.
The path leading to the venue is decked up in ribbons of all colors and patterns. Nothing matches the vibrancy of a art and craft exhibition. Dastkar is the mother of all such exhibitions so the excitement doubles up. Phew! Honestly, it’s overwhelming. But, for art aficionados like me, this is as good as it gets.
Yea..most men don’t come there by choice, but by force accompanying the ladies..sorry guys. But, could see the desperation on many of your faces to get out and the huge sigh of relief as you walked past the exit. I overheard one gentleman saying at the entrance even before entering, “ah dekh liya..ab bas yahin se chalen.” It can get exhausting and you need at least an hour to get a feel of it.
Many stalls from last year were missing this time. I spoke to quite a few artisans and felt sad for them as the venue perhaps played spoil sport. They were not getting as good a footfall as Palace Grounds does.
Good afternoon everybody! With the rains making a guest appearance only on Monday, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It has been a busy weekend at “dress your home”, in literal sense. I can’t remember the last time we were involved as a family in a rigorous DIY activity. Friday saw me returning home with cans of fresh, bright paint. By Saturday afternoon, we were in our muddy clothes holed up in the kid’s bedroom with newspapers sprawled on the floor and paint brushes in the hand. The job is still far from done, so you will have to wait for pictures :) But, I promise it will be a long post full of pictures with a step-by-step guide (about what? keep guessing!)
Before I started on the BIG project, I hand painted a terracotta pot on Thursday in one of my favorite colors – Turquoise. I love Turquoise because its bright, cheerful and is a head-turner. Don’t you agree? ever since I painted one of the pots in this electric color, it’s taken away the attention from my other pots. It’s picture time now.
This was how it was before I started.
After a night of immersing the pot in a bucket of water, it was ready to be painted the next morning. Earthenware absorb less color when left in water for a few hours.
The pot has a metallic shine to it as I’ve used pearl acrylic colors.
Pleasant in the mornings, hot in the afternoons, showers in the evenings and cool in the nights. That’s Bangalore weather for you. During late afternoons, it gets totally dark setting the scene for a heavy downpour. And, this is when I get busy giving into a latest obsession – hand painting terracotta planters. I’ve tried on different colors on a few planters we picked on our return from the Mahabalipuram trip. It’s an understatement to say I’m having fun painting them. It’s fun mixing the colors, wiping it away when I feel the colors are either too strong or too subdued, and start redoing it from scratch. The colors look stunning in the hot summer weather. And, I’m constantly searching the web for inspiration. Some of my latest rustic creations: The circles are stenciled on a terracotta planter white white as base. I haven’t primed the surface and the surface…
I sincerely believe some of the best talent in this country lies hidden in the rural parts – away from the world because of minimal marketing and almost zero online presence. Treasures like intricate terracotta pottery, blue and white ceramics, large wood carvings or paintings on silk are sold at exorbitant prices in famous handicraft shops such as Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu or Cauvery in Bangalore. One thing typical of these folks is they are content with what they create, at the price they sell totally oblivious of how much money their creations make in the cities. So, it’s a pleasant surprise when I come across someone business savvy enough to at least make an attempt to reach out to the world by hiring a basic web designer to let us know they exist. And, that helps. I know there are many companies in the Western belt (primarily Rajasthan) who…
All’s not been well here. Over the past 10 days, the stubborn cold virus has been doing the rounds with each of us taking ill in turns; the family is slowly limping back to normalcy. However, I did find sometime on those long afternoons (when not under the influence of cough syrup) to add some cheer and color to the home. Blame it on the festive season :) A while ago, I wrote about two terracotta pots I picked on the roadside, one of which I painted with zebra stripes. The other one has got a fresh lease of life too. The tree is inspired by a similar design on a Worli bedsheet. Orange Pomander : During my recent trip to Trichy, I frequented a old books exhibition that had a HUGE collection of design and interior design books. One UK magazine that I grew fond of (can’t recollect the…
