25. Mural on wood with Mseal

Parmita converted this ordinary wooden centre table into a work of art! A board was fixed in the centre on which this tribal scene was made with Mseal and oil paint. The two sides  and the border too has been made with Mseal and oil paint. The table has a clear glass top.

24. Photoshop art

23. The Crab Nebula – a painting by Sumita

Way back in 1054 Chinese astronomers recorded a supernova (a cataclysmic explosion of a dying star). They recorded that for three weeks this star was visible even in daylight as bright as a full moon. Till date the stellar material flung out is visible through telescopes and even binoculars, and is called the Crab Nebula. It has become a spinning neutron star, a pulsar, spinning 30 times per second. Supernovae are giant clouds of gas (hydrogen and helium) and dust. A disturbance due to, say, an explosion in a nearby star can bring the spinning particles closer and closer till gravitational attraction makes them clump together and thus start the birth of a new star. So a star dies and many others are born! One of the super giant stars which is under keen observation and is likely to blow itself up like the Crab nebula, is the Betelgeuse in the Orion Constellation (640 light years away). It is speculated that whenever this happens (from now to any time over the next million years), it will be the most spectacular event ever seen. This is the ninth brightest Star in the night sky and the second brightest in the Orion constellation.

Supernovae are part of many legends – the three wise men who followed a bright star to the baby Jesus, is one. I saw some NASA pictures of the Crab Nebula and was totally mesmerised by its beauty and felt a great urge to paint it. Here’s my impression of the Crab Nebula on canvas with oil.

22. Shiva - a manifestation of the all pervading. An oil painting by Parmita

A physical manifestation of Shiva – as he is perceived to be. Long haired, long limbed mendicant – the first Guru – of dance, of yoga – the Ganges falling from the heavens onto his head to break her fall on earth, the ‘dumroo’, the little instrument he plays and the 'trishul' his weapon of choice. The’rudrakshas’ around his neck as also the snake and a leopard skin around his waist. Parmita has visualised the ancient one thus - against the backdrop of the snowclad Himalayas, where he resides on Kailash parvat and an iridescent ‘shivaling’ in which form he is worshipped.
The fiery element of Shiva's nature shown in the colours of the lower chakras - red, orange and yellow is balanced by the cooling effect of water and the moon.
Shiva is also called 'Neelkanth' (blue-throated) because he swallowed poison. In fact Shiva is Nature itself - the mountains his head the forests his hair, the earth his body - here compressed into an artist's expression.

All the things associated with Shiva have special significance.

Shiva’s damroo, the hour-glass shaped little drum, produced the first sound (nada) of creation. He danced to the sound of the damroo as creation came into being out of nothingness. 

The trishul or trident stands for tri-shul or three kinds of suffering - physical, mental and metaphysical or spiritual which devotion to Shiva can keep at bay. Shiva as also his consort Durga use the trishul to restore Dharma. It also stands for the trinity of creation, preservation and destruction or the three gunas – satva, rajas and tamas.

The tripundra or three parallel lines drawn on the forehead with vibhuti or ash denotes purification, rejuvenation and destruction.

The trinetra or third eye in the centre of Shiva’s forehead is said to open when there is excess of adharma and brings about the destruction of whatever it sees.

The rudraksha literally mean Shiva’s tears, therefore the rudraksha tree is believed to have sprung up from a tear drop from Shiva’s eye. The Hindu scriptures say that the rudraksha have great mystical and healing powers. The rudraksha seed naturally have from 1 to 38 ridges on it which are called ‘mukh’ or face. Depending on the number of ridges or ‘mukh’ on it, a special significance is attributed to the rudraksha.

The tiger skin worn around his waist signifies the potential energy of Creation. Shiva being the creator and the destroyer denotes the cyclical nature of Creation. Shiva as Pashupatinath is the Lord and protector of animals which is denoted by his association with the most dangerous and wild of the animals.

The snake always associated with Shiva represents yogic powers. The Kundalini Shakti, arousing which is the aim of all yogic kriya is denoted as a coiled serpent at the base of the spine. In Shiva however, the Kundalini is not only fully risen but is active and vibrant and watchful.

21. Some experimental art by Paromita

Poster colour applied with sponge on handmade paper. Caligraphic writing

 The greeting cards below are made on handmade paper, which was soaked in a strong decoction of tea to give the base the colouring. The flowers were made with ordinary crayons.

The above is made on synthetic cloth with fabric paints, specially meant for synthetic cloth. The method is wet on wet, (which is giving the batik like effect), after an outline is drawn with a golden liner.

20. Madhubani Paintings by Paromita

This style of painting is practiced in the Mithla region of Bihar. Natural dyes are used and applied by just about anything - fingers, twigs, matchsticks or even brushes and nibs. Madhubani paintings are characterised by bright geometric figures. Parmita has used different mediums but the style of painting is Madhubani.

Made with poster colours on handmade paper

On silk with acrylic