Category: Come sit with me…musings

Lost Treasures

I have not shared anything here for a long, long time, I know. Initially this blog was meant to be a record of what I create— painting, sketches, poems, short stories and, of course, my quilts! A sudden loss of some of my work reminded me that I do need to get back to maintaining this record, so here I am!

When I am visiting my son in the USA, I cannot quilt for various reasons that include a highly inquisitive grandson who turned three this year! So I sketch. It is much easier to gather a few pencils and a sketchbook and hide them when the mischievous imp appears!

The sketches are al on Strathmore Grey using a 2B and a 2H pencil.

So this year, I started a sketch of this old puppeteer that I had photographed a few years ago in Jaipur.

Jaipur Puppeteer Photo drawn 7 September 2024

The sketch was half-finished, when Grandson saw what I was up to!

“Draw me, Amma,” came the command. Obviously, Amma put aside everything else and started on a sketch of the baby, from a photograph taken when he was two!

Advit Photo 23 July 2023 —drawn 8 September 2024

As I had only two pencils—a 2H and a 2B to work with, I decided to put this away and start on this sketch of my daughter. To be completed when I got back home to India!

Tana 13 August 2017 —drawn 30 September 2024

When packing for India, I removed the sketches and wrapped them up in some sheets of paper and got them home in my carry-on luggage.

And then, when unpacking, I forgot what those white sheets were all about, and threw them away in the garbage with all the packing material (or that is what I presume I did, because they are not to be found anywhere)! I have hunted high and low but no sign of the sheets or the sketches.

Well, they do say, enjoy the process when creating art and forget about the fruit of your labour! In any case, these would most likely have gone into the garbage after me. So be it. A lesson also, perhaps, about the transient nature of this world!

Whatever it is, I am glad I have these photos and some close-ups which I am adding here, to come and look back at, whenever…

Perhaps I shall do a quilted portrait now using this photo! I am less likely to throw that away by mistake!

And here are some process photos of the sketches of the puppeteer!

Getting the features down in place

Bringing in the values

Blending…and more blending!

After about 8 hours!

And finally, a close-up of a pair of eyes which can change from innocent to naughty in seconds…

A Diwali Gift

Today, finally, I got around to opening my Diwali gift from Aditya Gupta, the Husqavarna Viking , Pfaff and Handiquilter man in India, who has become a dear friend over the years. Actually, the package had arrived more than a week ago, but I had not been able to even open it. October, so far, has been a crazy time for me, with two emergency trips to the hospital with my daughter. She is better now, thank you! 

 I had to share the pictures of this wonderfully thoughtful gift with you immediately that I saw it myself.

Husqavarna Viking Sewing Bag and Embroidery Unit bag, with strolley!

There is this bag in which I can store my Topaz 30 sewing machine when I am sewing on my Opal 690Q, or carry it along with me when travelling, for it also has a detachable telescopic strolley. The bigger bag, Aditya tells me, is for the embroidery unit; I think it may be able to fit in my quilting table as well, which is difficult to store when not in use. And don’t you just love that smart red? Here is another pic; as you can see, the machine carry bag has a sleeve which slides into the trolley and holds it there. The larger bag has a similar sleeve. 

Each bag has a sleeve at the back which holds it on the trolley.

What better gift could a sewist ask for?  

धूप छाँव

Finally in Devanagari script, my poem about the games young rays of the sun play on a morning in early winter, written in November 2011! An English translation called ‘Games on a Winter Morning’ was one of the first few posts written and posted on my blog!

बेपर्दा खिड़की पाकर, बेख़ौफ़ मेरे आँगन में आती हैं

सुबह सुबह सूरज की किरणें
तमाशा बहुत दिखाती हैं,
बेपर्दा खिड़की पाकर, बेख़ौफ़,
मेरे आँगन में आती हैं।

फ़र्श पर इठलाती कहीं,
मेज़-कुर्सी का रूप बनाती हैं।
कभी, अलमारी के शीशे में अपनी
छबी देख इतराती हैं।

खाने की मेज़ की काँच पर, क्या-क्या डिज़ाइन बनाती हैं?

खाने की मेज़ के काँच पर
क्या-क्या डिज़ाइन बनाती हैं!
और सोफ़े के नीचे घुसकर
सफ़ाई याद दिलाती हैं।

अब तो ये अति हुई!
छत पर चढ़, कैसा स्वाँग रचाया है?
शायद लाइट जल रही है,
ऐसा भरम दिलाया है।

अब तो ये अति हुई! छत पर चढ़, कैसा स्वाँग रचाया है? शायद लाइट जल रही है, ऐसा भरम दिलाया है।


कुछ दिन की मनमानी ये,
कर लो तुमको जो करना है!
अभी तो सर्दी के दिन हैं,
तुमसे हमको क्या डरना है?

अच्छा लगता यह खेल तुम्हारा,
हर अदा तुम्हारी भाती है।
कुछ दिन की यह हठखेली,
जल्दी ही गरमी आती है।

धूप-छाँव की तुम कर्ता,
तुमने शायद भुलाया है।
आज अपनाया, कल बिसराया!
इस जग की ये ही माया है।

हम भी, पर्दे मोटे डालकर
तुमसे बचना चाहेंगे।
नर्म हो, तब तक अच्छी लगतीं,
वरना आँख चुराएँगे!

बेतुकबंदी, नवम्बर २०११

(This poem, about the games young rays of the sun play on an early winter morning, written in November 2011, was originally posted here in the Roman script in February 2012. I translated it into English for my son, here! With Hindi transliteration now available from my iPad keyboard, I finally got around to posting it in the Devanagari script) 

ख़ुशबू पुण्डरीक की

मेरी क़िस्मत की है चाबी मेरे इसी विश्वास में,
कि राह भी हूँ मैं और रहगुज़र भी मैं,
मंज़िल भी मैं, फिर क्यूँ फिरूँ उदास-हताश मैं?

कब से भटक रहा था मैं, ख़ुशी की तलाश में।
यह उम्र गुज़र रही थी उसे मिलने की आस में।
काशी में भी ढूँढा, घूमा कैलाश में।
राम की गलियों में, कभी कृष्ण के रास में।
न बाग़ों के गुलाब में, न जंगल के पलाश में,
यह ख़ुशबू पुण्डरीक की थी मेरे दिल के पास में।
अमृत का यह दरिया मेरे अंदर ही बह रहा था।
दर-दर क्यों गया था? सिर्फ़ पानी की की प्यास में?

न पासे की फेंक में, न तारों, न ताश में।
मेरी क़िस्मत की है चाबी मेरे इसी विश्वास में,
कि राह भी हूँ मैं और रहगुज़र भी मैं,
मंज़िल भी मैं, फिर क्यूँ फिरूँ उदास-हताश मैं?

रस्ता जो अब मिला है, इच्छा है काश में
कोई न अब कहे कि हूँ निराश मैं!
सबको शामिल कर सकूँ क़ुदरत के राज़ में,
कि ख़ुशबू पुण्डरीक की है सबके ही पास में।

कि ख़ुशबू पुण्डरीक की है
हम सबके पास में।

बेतुकबंदी  ९/९/१९९९

 

The Vacuum Cleaner

;

A salesman was here today
Selling vacuum cleaners.
They clean everything,
He said.
The pelmets, the curtains,
And of course, the carpet;
Even the bedcover, the walls,
And that place under the bed
Which I can’t reach.

I wonder
If it can sweep aside
The cobwebs that blanket our lives …
… yours and mine.
Will it help me
Reach that corner
Of your heart
Which I cannot touch?
I wonder,
As I wait for you
To decide
If we need that vacuum cleaner..

                                                                                         Betukbandi  (1986)