Nirmala Mayur Patil | Verses & Visuals.

Nirmala Mayur Patil is a kindred spirit.
A person I met through the algorithms of Instagram.

Rang Decor is full of colours but today it will be bathed in the serene whites of Nirmala's frames and words.

Birth of a new moon.

the new moon rises unseen
fleeting over treetops and the brooding hills of the west
it dusts the grey sky with its silver
and the evening with tender feelings.

standing at my kitchen window
i see it greet the earth in solitary silence
a few moments pass by, sweeping with it
noise and dark from my day
leaving behind a shimmering calm
and my own loneliness, to enfold.

the night is made new.

Nirmala is a freelance writer and photographer. 

She love evenings, quiet, words, starsong, good manners, heartmade things, hindustani classical music, her family and love. She holds a masters in communication and journalism, has taught as a lecturer and worked as a copywriter at an advertising firm before becoming mother to her precious girl.

GRĪṢMA RITU {Summer}
jyeṣṭha | āṣāḍha

Looking at her work one wonders if the visuals exist because of the words or the other way around.

Nirmala says, 'My relationship with words and writing was born very young in my heart. Although I didn't read or write much earlier, words in the form of handwritten letters and ghazals drew me into their deep folds. Later during college years, books flooded my life and I became a devotee. But it's a paradox that I equally worship silence. And photography walked in through my soulmate, who taught me its alchemy. Today, photography and writing, to me, are a means of preserving myself. Through them I make lyrics of my everyday.'

VARSHA RITU {Beginning of the Monsoons}

What draws me to Nirmala's work is that she is inspired by the essence of seasons, the principles of Ayurveda, deep respect of our Ancient Vedic traditions and tries incorporating them into her daily life.

VASANTA RITU {Spring}

chaitra | vaiśākha

Muslin

tender and eternal
like the wind.

a breath
a caress
a song of solace from the heat
weaving poetry on the loom of our skin.

ŚIŚRA RITU {Pre-Spring}
māgha | phālguna

'I love infusing our life with the essence of seasons and age-old traditions. Learning of our seasonal harvest and becoming aware of the meaning embedded in Indian festivals and rituals has made me feel more rooted in our ethnicity and respectful of our ancient Vedic wisdom. 

I practise through simple acts of observing the moon cycle, taking abayanga snans often, burning incense and vaporising essential oils, relying on home remedies as-much-as and whenever possible, and cooking with freshly ground spices.'

HEMANTA RITU {Winter}
mārgaśīrṣa | pauṣa

 Merry Christmas

Nirmala's verses & visuals cast a soothing spell on me as I witness the Harvest moon from my window.

each evening, for years... wrapped
in an old fraying shawl, she stood on
her terrace gazing at the sky... listening
to the stars coming out. their soft
twinkle filled her soul with a faraway
music and she whispered back
her wishes into the singing heavens.
on some very special days, when a fallen star or two drifted downward, she gently
gathered and braided their twinkling
magic in a secret jar... 

Her blog is where she chronicles her love for all these things ~ poetry, seasons and a natural lifestyle. 

You can read her soulful verses on her blog: Nirmala Mayur Patil

Enjoy her beautiful photography on instagram: niru (@nirmalamayurpatil)
Get inspired by her pinterest: Nirmala Mayur Patil

Creating few mindful moments...

It's officially fall and the season usually alternates between bright sunny crisp days and rainy grey days.
Today happens to be one of those grey rainy days.

Like I previously mentioned about Rang Decor taking a new direction with me sharing things close to my heart.

In today's world where an individual is trying to get a hundred and one things done, the physical body is stretched to it's maximum capacity and so is the mind that races to keep pace. With a little bit of soul searching I decided to make a few changes.
Being mindful.
What is mindfulness?
Just being in the moment. Not thinking of the future or the past.
Sounds simple? Well it definitely takes a lot of practice.

Incorporating such moments of mindfulness in the busy lives is tough but not impossible. I realised I took 'Chai breaks' during my work day and practicing mindfulness during that time was a great option.

While brewing the tea, I try to celebrate the whole process, the pounding of the spices, the whistling of the kettle, the aroma of tea leaves and finally sitting down to savour the first sip of warm chai.

'Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.

~ Thích Nhất Hạnh

Such mindful moments seem to help me slow down.
Will share such mindful moments on a regular basis visually.

Do you practice mindfulness? Do share your little rituals.

( Images by Arch and are copyrighted)

Studio Gumani | Pia Meenakshi.

Overnight the Ash trees have turned a golden shade of yellow, there are Pumpkins of different shapes and sizes flooding the markets and it's also the first day of fall!

So let's kickstart the new chapter of Rang Decor with one creative powerhouse from Bangalore, India.

Pia Meenakshi.

Pia is a professional illustrator, designer, tattoo artist and the brain behind Studio Gumani. Her work is edgy, powerful yet has a magical innocence. Dark at times but highly inspired by nature's beauty.

Bedtime Story | Digital

She draws inspirations from that realm of the mind where dreams and reality converge.

Exhale Inhale | Ink on Brown Paper and Digital

Wolves, skulls and nature's flora & fauna occupy centre stage in her illustrations.

Prehistoric Dogs of War | Acrylic on Canvas Cloth

'She loves the idea of feral girls belonging to wolf tribes, kids living in forests and secret dreams of escaping into the wild. '

Describing her style of work Pia states, 'My work is organic, with reoccurring themes of nature and women. I like adding a bit of fantasy with the natural stuff I draw. Like imagine what secret lives animals lead behind our backs. All the things that must be happening that we can only dream to understand. I like working on imagery of nature, be it animals, plants etc. I feel that its something we are all slowly forgetting about. There is such a charm and a sense of belonging with nature that we tend to get drawn to at some point. That’s where we feel at home. Animals and plants are incredible. The way they function, their forms and behavior.'

Morning tea makes me feel like.

Totally echoing my sentiment;-)

Deep Space Diver | Digital Illustration

Pia has been featured in compilations of India's leading Illustrators
Los Cocineros | Acrylic on fabric textured paper

Being a huge Breaking Bad fan, I just had to feature her fabulous illustration of Jesse Pinkman and Walter White.

Pia belongs to the group of select female tattoo artists in Bangalore.

Pia believes, 'Tattoos are beautiful personal moments captured on your body forever. Its great to be a part of some one’s experience. Its great to get to know people on that personal level.'

Although Pia has taken a hiatus from tattooing and is concentrating more on her illustration work, I just had to feature her organic style.

Pia works on 3 Dimensional Illustrative Paper Art too where she illustrates on paper, cuts it, layers it and encases it in a wooden frame creating amazing illusions.

Rhino The Gold Miner

Rhino is an old beetle that dwells under an abandoned well somewhere in the Western Ghats. When he was a young gun, he discovered that gems and great things of value are hidden around the well. 

He was so overwhelmed by the shininess that hes made it his life mission to collect and store as much pretty, glittery things as possible in hopes that when he dies, someone needy finds it. 

He uses a small wooden box (made for him by a mouse friend) to carry his finds. The eye he wears as a chain on his back is from a great lizard he once had to kill in order to protect his treasures.

Here he is looking for crystals while carrying his newly found, new- favourite possession in his box: a solid gold nugget.

Sailor's Grave
According to myths, mermaids: half-woman, half-fish creatures were believed to seduce sailors into the sea, to their eventual death by luring them with their enchanting songs. This is my take on this classical sailor tattoo. This was a reminder to sailor's that the sea is dangerous no matter how enticing it can be. 
Here she has used mixed media ranging from paper, paint, glitter, rhinestones and fabric.

The more I read about Pia the more I am fascinated by her diverse work. I guess when one has the talent and the passion, the medium becomes insignificant.

Rock on lady!

If you are artist and need recommendation on art materials, Pia is the person. She does reviews on art materials on her blog: Why I'm Always Broke

Puppy Wave | Wall mural

Self Portrait of Pia.

Here she is with her darling Beagle Luna.
Hope Cocoa and Luna get to meet someday!

Now for a surprise, Pia has shared some frames from Studio Gumani exclusively for Rang Decor readers! Pia has designed the space herself. The charming old world Bangalorean red-oxide flooring and grillwork forms an interesting graphic backdrop. Minimalistic and functional.
Enjoy.

If you are in Bangalore do check out her creative talk and mini workshop in Church Street Social on 26th Sept, 2015.

Do connect with her on Social Media
Facebook: Gumani 
Instagram: gumanib

( Images by Studio Gumani and are copyrighted)

Of farewells and welcomes...

On my walk today I could smell the freshly mowed lawn that is so typical summer and at the same time I saw the tips of the sumac and sugar maple starting to blush a deep shade of red.

A season in transition. 

As I leave behind memories of a beautiful summer and walk into one of my favourite seasons filled with crimson hues, warm spices, cozy blankets, sweaters & leaves...

I wanted to thank Mother Earth for the bountiful produce, stunning flowers and all the musical chirping of the birds that came to visit our backyard. 

So I made a Mandala with whatever remains in my garden.

Cooler mornings with the hummingbirds returning south and the call of blue jays getting louder, I can feel fall in the air.

I made a delicate twine garland to welcome the season. Whimsical arrangement and styling is fun. 

I draw great inspiration from nature. She never disappoints.

Nature-inspired seasonal garland to adorn entrances, windows and fireplaces.

 I had few dried roses and hydrangea that I added to the garland.

A warm hued colour palette. Deep browns of pinecones, dried natures treasures, brass bells and a twine.

Hydrangeas dry beautifully on the bush, I brought few big ones inside.

Just grateful to be surrounded by such beauty of nature.
Have a great day and enjoy the season in transition!

(Images by Arch and are copyrighted)