Madhubani Radha...!!!

I discovered a while ago, that Indian folk arts and I have a thing going on.

Last year, when I tried my hand at Warli (You may scroll down the blog for some of those paintings, or check the sidebar), the experience was as deeply satisfying as was this time while trying Madhubani.

Madhubani, literally means 'Forest of Honey' (Madhu = Honey, Ban = Van = Forest), and Madhuban is considered a region in the Mithila area of Nepal and the northern part of Bihar. Madhubani paintings were originally done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib pens and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments. Now this art is easily found with acrylics on canvas, and even with water colors, for the sake of ease in handling and preservation.

Like other folk arts, Madhubani also widely depicts various celebrations and festivities, other than the everyday life of the glorious bygone era to which it belongs.

From the little that I have studied about Madhubani, Radha is my favorite muse, and Internet, in collaboration with National award winner Bharti D, my Guru Dronacharya.

This painting below was my first attempt at Madhubani, and I hope this marks the beginning of my 'Being Eklavya' series. I am guessing that the underlying idea for this series is self-explanatory.

For now, here is my first 'Madhubani Radha' - the epitome of beauty, grace and attitude, and despite being a part of the big painting, she seems so complete in herself that I couldn't resist bringing her on the blog.

Take a look:

It is an 8" by 10", water color and stains on paper.

I hope this 'thing' we have going on, me with the strokes and the washes, the colors and the hues, it all goes on a long way...!!!