sketchbook

2025 in my sketchbook, part 1

Only 5 sketchbooks in a year beset by creative blocks and the temptations of consuming over creating. Still, the physical affordances helped tremendously to keep up this essential habit. I wanted to forcefully become more creative this year and started some good rituals in Jan. it was such a challenge maintaining those habits with a fulltime job & the endless commute.

Onwards to Feb, the evolution that I was hoping for was nowhere in sight…but I flew too close to the sun and the inevitable of course happened.

In April I took a workshop at Jaipur Design Week – Poetry, Presence & Practice. The first time I have ever spoken about my drawing in a public forum!

And then on to Kochi.

and my wisdomous brown boy

“What you don’t know should not stop you from, enjoying life”

Indeed.

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Food, sketchbook

Bring on the cake, we really want to live

Said Maira Kalman in her wonderful book Cake, and I take those words very seriously. If you’ve been reading my blog for some time you will know that’s all I ever think about and sometimes do things

Here’s a drawing of morotskaka that the brown boy has loved ever since Malmö and we are made to eat it often.

This wishful drawing is from my birthday two years ago – when I was more concerned about growing older than I am now.

“The wonderful thing about cake is it really is connected to so many moments, not just celebratory moments, but moments of heartache.”

Maira Kalman

and last year I discovered this wonderful concoction.

So what’s your favorite? Or can you even have favorites?

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Event, Life

The empty space

A couple of months ago we lost our beloved Dida, our mothers’ mother. When I lose someone from my life, I have a ritual of committing to paper all the memories before they grow dim in my mind. This is one of those ritual drawings.

For all the cousins: Rishi, Ribhu, Reshmi, Ruby, Nikon, Bimbo, Josh-da, Mishti-di, Babun-da, Pushan-da, Raja-da, Ruchi-di, Rinku-di, Badshah-da and Tupshi.

Dida

Bengali words

Hall-ghar: the big room, literally the hall
Adda: A gathering for gossip, among other things. Wikipedia definition
Taash: cards
Kodbel: A fruit
Putiram: a sweet shop
Eecha: A sweet made with coconut in the shape of prawns from East Bengal
Cheet: A gur candy probably invented by my Dida
Patla Dal with kaalo jeera: Watery dal made in the East Bengal way
Daler Bora, Daler Paturi: Dishes made with lentils, from East Bangal
Mourala Maachch: Tiny fish from the Bay of Bengal

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