The state of Punjab has a significant place in the history of India. It is not only a happening place but also totally vibrant and bubbling with energy. Punjab is known for Sikh temples, lush green farms, Maake di roti and Bhangra. The folk music of Punjab is very popular and now it has also acquired international fame. Punjabi dance and song are popular all over the country and have been made even more happening by the Indian residents living abroad. Not many pople know, Punjab is also considered very rich for its craft forms. One form of art that has been in existence since ages in Punjab is Phulkari art. It is primarily a handiwork of the female folks of Punjab. The literal meaning of phulkari is flowering. In this craft, embroidery of the flowering patterns on dupattas, shawls and other garments are performed.

The evolution of this art occurred because of enthusiasm shown by the women. Men used to work outdoors and women stated to develop this craft in the sixteenth century. It was quite amateur during the initial era but by the end of 19^th century, it became a developed craft. The Phulkari designs make clothes very beautiful and appealing. When the designer stitches are made on clothes, the prepared piece is called Bagh. Silk yarn that is also called as pat is used as thread.

Several colors like golden, yellow, crimson, orange, green, blue and pink etc are used in Phulkari. Design options are plenty. From geometrical designs to natural patterns, one can witness plethora of wonderful designs. Figures of flowers, leaves, birds, animals and humans can also be seen in this art form. Phulkari designs have religious significance as well.

Born in Mumbai in 1940, Haren Vakil is one of the upcoming Indian contemporary artists. The artist has had many solo shows in Canada as well as in India. Haren holds a degree in Architecture as well as a post graduate diploma from the Victoria College of Art, Canada. Haren worked as an architect and urban designer in India and the Netherlands.

Harn Vakil’s work is something that is surrealistic and striking. In fact in one of the interviews he has stated “My intent is to produce images which evoke wonder, surprise and amusement.” His art work takes you into a world that is full of fantasy. What is particularly interesting about this artistic personality is the way in which he intertwines reality and dream like situations. There are a lot many situations where you can see the artist’s interest especially in music painted on the canvas. Haren is particularly passionate about jazz and this can be seen in his work. In fact, he admits that he is influenced by his background in architecture and his experiences of various cultures.

Vakil’s work is pleasant and he takes us through images that are out of context. He uses certain objects and places them in situations one wouldn’t think of.  He uses bold bright colours with expressions on objects that leave you in amusement. Most of the images use monochromatic colours that are multicultural with diverse meanings.

Haren’s recent exhibitions include one held at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2005; ‘Figure it Out’ at Fran Willis Gallery, Victoria, in 2003; and at Gallery 1248, Victoria, in 2001, 2000 and 1999.

Bronze holds a significant place in the annals of world history. Not one but many have been closely associated with this metal. When bronze has such proud history to boast of, how could India remain untouched by this ubiquitous metal? The material of bronze always had unique and important place in all the eras of Indian history. If we turn back the history books, we will find, bronze’s relationship with rich Indian history goes back to no less than 3000 years. The widespread use of bronze has not decreased even in the modern era. However, there is one place where usage of bronze is most visible. Yes, we are talking about statues of gods and goddesses within the religions.

If we further delve into the history sheets of bronze and its affiliation with different regions of India, we will find segregation of eras within the regions. For example, if we look at western Indian bronze period, then from 6^th century to 12^th century, bronze was associated with almost every sphere of life in western regions. Jainism had a close bond with bronze. Western Indian bronze was primarily sculptural bronze. Similarly, eastern Indian bronze had a close affiliation with Hinduism and especially statutes of Shiva and Vishnu. South Indian bronze was again primarily based on the gods and goddess statues in the Hinduism religion and the period was a wide range of 8th century to the 16th century.

Lost wax casting method was the chief bronze casting methods used within India during these centuries. During the earlier eras, usage of bronze was basically restricted within the realm of religious representation. Slowly, cultures started to make objects like incense burners and other ritual objects like lamp bearers. South Indian culture took most advantage of this metal by making objects like jewelry, coins, numerous variations of the Hindu gods and goddesses in representational forms. Now, whenever you would see a bronze sculpture, you will know the proud history of it.

One of the most aesthetically beautiful forms of sculptures is Marble sculpture. They have polished looks and appear very intriguing. Marble sculptures have always been admired by art aficionados because of their refined beauty, sophistry and elegance. Marble sculptures are timeless and gives the impression of luxury and aristocracy. One can find these wonderful pieces of art in many parts of India. Marble stones have kept manifesting their beauty in forms of statues, idols and decorative pieces. Marbles are also known as lime stones and sculptures are made from metamorphosed lime stones. Indian marble sculptures are story-tellers of our proud history and great tradition of art and culture. These sculptures are no less than invaluable and are of historical significance. Many such wonderful pieces of art have inspired new generation of artists to create their own imagination. These sculptures are extremely inspiring and you can’t help but feel overawed by their sheer magnificence.

The marble sculptures were made using blocks of marble and tools like chisels, hammers and hand drills. Marble blocks have raw outer surface so to smoothen them, sandpapers and rubbing stones were used. Ever wondered why these structures are still so shining? The credit goes to coats of shiny polishes like tin oxides that bring glow and luster to the sculptures. The best part about marble sculptures is they are very reliable and durable and that explains their extensive us in making figurative works. They are quite easy to use and sculptor’s delight. The culture of marble sculptures is not just restricted to India. Several parts of the world like Italy (Rome), France and England have extensively used marble blocks for beautiful creations. Some of the famous European sculptors were Soudbinine, Bourdelle, Leon Fourquet, Rodin, Victor Peter and Jean Escoula who have gifted us some of the most amazing pieces of art works ever created on the mother earth.

In India, marble sculptures can be seen in the form of religious deities and Idols of Buddha, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, Lakshmi Devi and Goddess Durga. Who can forget the best piece of marble architecture; The Taj Mahal of Agra? We don’t need to look further than that. In modern age, usage of marble can be seen in furniture, fireplaces, photo frames, vases, medallions, show pieces, tiles and garden sculptures.

Art in ancient India began with rock paintings especially in caves where men and women in the primitive time lived. The ancient Indian art showed that the people who actually created this art were highly accomplished and artistically oriented which developed a rich culture. One could see aesthetic sense and skilled craftsmanship in the architecture and artifacts found during excavations on these sites. This ancient Indian art also revealed a detailed understanding of human and animal anatomy on deep study. Ancient Indian temple architecture, murals, sculptures depict the nature of ancient Indian art. Each phase was unique in the field of architecture, painting, literature and art. Different influences both external and internal drove the evolution of Indian art from time to time and place to place. Hindus, Buddhists, Mughals and the British, all ruled over India in different phases and influenced its art.  In ancient Indian art, symbolism is of great value. Indian art is also unique in terms of its varied metaphors, symbols of Gods, Goddesses, philosophies and visual imagery. 

Each period in India was characterized by special features in painting and architecture. Indian artists were primarily concerned with the philosophical aspect of their visual expression. Ancient Indian art is full of creativity and cultural expression. Symbols were used as tools of artistic expression to visualize abstract ideas and diverse philosophy.

Ancient India laid a great foundation for art to flourish and develop in the country. Ancient Indian religion also played an important role in visual philosophy which also helped the art to develop and flourish in a diverse pattern.

Of recently I have been observing an upcoming contemporary Indian artist’s works and I must say that I am completely mesmerized by the intriguing feminine designs that leave you with some thought provoking questions and strokes and lines that only want me to know more of her – Seema Kohli. . Seema has recently been facilitated by Lalit Kala Akademi for being an achiever as a woman in Contemporary Indian Art.

Her work seems to bring into the limelight a woman’s world – not just an outer world but a woman’s inner thoughts, dreams, ideas and her reflection. You will find a beautiful mélange of colors so very sumptuously woven that all you want to do is say kudos to the celebration of beauty, individuality and intimacy of a woman.

Seema Kohli’s recent paintings explore certain mantras from the Yajur Veda which talks about the beauty of procreation. Her work is not spiritual but yet it has deep philosophical meanings that stay with you like certain verses.

Her series, ‘The Golden Womb’ is a journey through which she depicts a woman’s life and how she procreates and keeps the world going. Her work evokes deep sense of the thought processes that germinate inside a woman and these are portrayed as a serene picture with the colors that she has used from her palette. Kohli has worked with different mediums in the past eighteen years and has created paintings that seem to find answers to the eternal quest…

A sketch is almost like a beautiful poetry put together. It is magically how a few strokes of lines make such a splendid image! If we were to define a sketch, it would be called a drawing that is executed through the use of strokes and lines. A sketch is one art that can be easily acquired with practice and patience. It is the basics of visual art medium. So let us see what it takes to make a sketch… 

There is no clear cut classification but broadly these are the different categories of sketching that one can think of:  

Based on the tool: 

·     Pencil Sketching

·     Pen Sketching

·     Charcoal Sketching

·     Sketches with brushes and paint

Based on the picture: 

·     Human Face sketching

·     Human body sketching

·     Landscape sketching

·     Object Sketching/Still life

·     Design Sketching

·     Abstract Sketching

·     Any other

You require minimum tools to make a sketch. Sketching is indeed an inexpensive art and not just that it allows the creativity in you to flow like a river!  

Beginners usually start from what is called the ‘pencil sketching’. Just as the name suggests, all you need to start with is paper and pencils and erasers too. However you need special pencils of varying degree but they are easily available. These pencils are called the following: HB, 2B, 4B and 6B. HB is the usual pencil that most of us use. 2B, 4B and 6B are pencils that get darker as the number increases i.e. 6B is the darkest pencil that is used for dark strokes. As far as the paper is concerned, you need an A3 or an A4 size drawing book paper. But there is no compulsion here. For all you care, you can even sketch on a tissue paper!

Ram Kumar, like few other painters dabbled into other streams before finally taking a plunge in the beautiful world of Indian art. He did have the interest in art but it was not before he completed his Masters degree in Economics from Delhi University that he decided to take the plunge. Once he completed his Masters, he moved to art goldmine world of Paris to study painting. He learned the nuances from famous Andre Lhote and Fernand Leger. He made rapid strides and soon he was awarded with prestigious Rockefeller Fellowship in 1970. That says about the man’s passion and talent.

Ram Kumar’s Paintings always had a touch of reality. He has wonderfully depicted alienation of urban population. Talk about sad conditions of humans and you have this painter who captured all these emotions on his canvas. Whether you talk about hostile conditions and lonely humans in the city, Ram Kumar has simply mesmerized the world with his depiction of hopelessness. He has greatly covered the holy city of Varanasi.

Ram Kumar’s Varanasi has earned great acclaim and critical fame. His Varanasi is without any hopes and dilapidated with mass covered houses. His abstract paintings wonderfully represent artist’s sordid interpretation of the city. He does not magnify quaint ghats of Varanasi and neither has he boasted about erstwhile purity of the city. He showcases what Varanasi has become; the urban nightmare. He portrays the greed of the human inhabitants of the place. It’s truly heart-wrenching. Ram Kumar has won several awards including Padmashree by the Govt. of India in 1972 and Kalidas Samman by the Madhya Pradesh State Govt. he has also earned acclaim as Hindi Short storywriter.

How many of art aficionados have heard of Bhupen Khakhar? Thos who have must also have noticed his inadequacies in his works. But that is where the fascinating saga of this talented artist began. Yes, from his so called lack of formal training. He, in fact made a point to highlight his deficiencies to harp upon the art works he had created. Khakhar was never really much bothered about his lack of formal training in art and made it a point to highlight this fact in his works. Born in 1934, he was a self-taught artist who reveled in his uniqueness. His style of art was entirely self created and no wonder such confidence did result in beautiful works of art. By profession, he was a qualified chartered accountant but his passion for arts saw him moving to Baroda and join the Art Criticism course at the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Since then, it remained a memorable journey until he breathed his last. Soon after completing his course, he started to paint as a full time passion and organized his first exhibition within next three years. His initial works did invite lot of curiosity and criticism because of the experiments he made like painting over images of deities. That was first of its kind in Indian art circle. He remained obsessed about unconventional mans of painting.

Bhupen Khakhar never hesitated in expressing his innermost feelings though it also invited ire of established critics in the art circle. He tried experimenting with hybrid art cultures and traditions. He was quite expressive about duality of Indian society in his paintings. His compositions were always edgy and this kind of separated him from rest of the artists. Bhupen Khakhar dies in August 2003 aged 69.

India is known for its art and culture. Every corner of India is popular for its unusual form of art. Tanjore Painting is one of the most prominent types of traditional South Indian paintings. It is the indigenous art form of Thanjavur (also known as Tanjore) city of Tamil Nadu. The intense composition, exterior richness and vivacious shades of Indian Thanjavur Paintings differentiate them from the other kinds of paintings. Then, there are accompaniments of precious stones, pearls and glass pieces that supplement and add to their charm. The relief work gives them a three dimensional appearance which is more popularly known as the 3D effect. Tanjore Painting of India was derived in the 16th century, in the sovereignty of the Cholas.

A majority of these paintings rotate around the subject of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, along with saints. The chief figure is always painted at the center of the painting. These paintings are also locally called Palagai Padam where palagai means wooden plank and padam means picture as they paintings are mostly done on solid wood boards.

Tanjore paintings involve a couple of intricate steps. The first step includes the sketching of the introduction sketch of the image on the base. This base is prepared from a cloth, which is glued over a wooden stand. The next step involves the mixing of chalk powder or zinc oxide with water-soluble adhesive and applying it on the base. Thereafter, the drawing is made and ornamented with cut glass, pearls as well as semi-precious stones. Besides, colorful and attractive laces or threads are also used to embellish the painting. To further enhance the outcome, wafer thin sheets of gold are glued on a few portions of the painting, whereas the other portions are painted in vivid colors.

There are a huge number of people who still take interest in learning this form of art adding their contemporary touch to it.