Madhubani in glass

I love painting on glass. It requires planning and thought. It is difficult to correct. I got the design for this from a book my sister gifted to me some time back. It was Aasha -wold famous Madhubani paintings. I treated it like a stained glass painting, first putting in the outline in a thicker outliner, and then filling in the stained glass paints. I wanted to add shade and texture, but the essence of the Madhubani art would be lost. So I took the easy way out.

Worli world

needled into action

A wall quilt

The flush of new growth

The first rose on the arbor, looks on at my growing garden, as absorbed as a city dweller viewing an accident across his street, through his high raised window.

Wall hanging

It was one of the easiest pieces I made for our home. The base is ply wood, with a layer of gesso. The Ganesha mask was one of those typically found in shops that sold paper mache dolls all painted in black. I repainted in with colors which are found a lot in south indian temples, and tied the mask to the plywood. I can replace the central ganesha any time I want a new one. The rest of it is Kolam, first hand drawn, then using a plastic cone, drew on it with ceramic powder paste, much like a henna application. The trimming was glued it last. I first painted it all black, and then brushed on the golden paint, to give it an old not so rich look.

Glass painting 1

This was my first glass painting. This painting has elements of the Tanjore painting, but also has been influenced by the Buddhist Thangka art of Tibet. The design is my very own, a representation of Knowledge, as portrayed in the Hindu religion. At first I wanted the goddess represented as sitting on the hamsa. The mythical creature that is supposed to be able to separate true knowledge from the essence of the world, like separating milk from water. I later left it to be part of the veena that she holds. The lotus that she sits on is also supposed to be white, representing purity. But the pink represents the feminine, as opposed to white with represents purity, that is subjective. I wish I could have more control over the medium, but that skill will have to wait practice.