Monday, May 27, 2013

Watercolor and Paper Collage on Canvas

I was aspiring to try out watercolors. Had a canvas laying around..but was low on my original idea generation skills..so I did a quick search for some inspiration and instantly wanted to try this art design that I found on Etsy.

Just under an hour later I had my own version ready to go on my empty red wall.
I loved the ink used by the artist and the geometric pattern was what caught my eye in the first place-
I had this second hand book which I got because of its aged paper and the font. I tore some pages and modpodged them.

I also used a tea stain to add a vintage hint.
 When asked my my husband what I would call this painting..as if I was a fine art master...the first response that came to my mind was a proverb in Urdu...'Darya ko Kozay Mein Band Kar '
When forced to explain further (imagine the the effort he was putting in to show his interest in  artwork. Almost ridiculously funny!! )

End result..well kind of ok..but I knew I wont come up with a fine piece. I only wanted to experiment and have fun trying to be avant garde!





Ricotta Cheese Khoya / Mawa

This is a quick note for anyone who's looking for a khoya Substitute to make sweet delicacies without fail. I always thought of it to be the trickiest things to try but hey this man in the Video made it look sooo fuss free. No fancy kitchen or measuring Cups..just a plain home made Video helped me make the best Ghulab Jamuns I've ever made before.

If you live in a place where desi Shops are far and few  and dont stock on khoya..this is the recipe to go for. Look no further.
Here's the tried and tested recipe:
  • 250 gms Ricotta Cheese
  • 250 gms Milk
Reduce into a soft Dough by continuously stirring both Ingredients on a low flame.

My Dishes Went Unwashed Today

Catharsis Following: You may skip the following paragragh.

I'm a stay at home mama and to be really honest leaving the sanctuary of my home  is at times overwhelming...I have a thousand spiders crawling in my mind even if I have to leave the home for just a small trip! Is the window closed, is it nap time, did he eat enough, are his clothes ok, are the nails cut, did I pack an emergency snack, will his milk stay warm that long, did I take the laundry off the rack, is that garbage stink or a diaper? i think this place needs  dusting..oh no I should vaccum first then the dusting..ahh but first I have to put the one million toys we have back into the boxes and then start cleaning..What time is it...ahh should fix a cup of tea before I leave..I'll just wash the mug I used for breakfast..oh now that Im at it I'll quickly do the rest of the plates too. We're getting late..yell out to the child to put his shoes on...knowing well that he can't. telling him off for not listening. I'm tired now..but I should take him out to not feel guilty later. He doesn't want to sit in his push chair..things heat up..and I pitty myself for a while..get over it. See all other kids are also there playing with their moms..who look like they just stepped out of a spa. The worry of getting back home , giving him a bath and putting dinner on table soon takes over. 

I wrote it down not to complain but to point out that we sometimes get into this spiral of 'Things to Do '.  For no one is going to give us a trophy for being the best house keeper and the best doer of all things motherly! We need to pause || and look at the larger picture and not just work towards getting our names into the golden books of people who don't even bother.Why should they?
 In my mother's words everything in the universe will not come into a perfect alignment with your plans, you have to adjust and work along. True it is. The weather will not always be perfect, the energy levels will not always be the same, the dishes in the sink are not what your child will remember when he grows up and tells everyone about his childhood. Having said all of that, I admire all the people who can do it all at the same time. Reading blogs has opened up my mind towards so
many things that other people out their are doing and doing them well. 

All this monolouge was actually triggered by this deeply honest poem that I came across on another blog. Word.



My dishes went unwashed today

I didn’t make my bed

I took his hand and followed

Where his eager footsteps led



Oh, yes, we went a little adventuring
My little child and I
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the sun and sky

We watched a robin feed her young

We climbed a sunlit hill
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky

We plucked a daffodil



That the house was so neglected

That I didn’t brush the stairs

In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know or even care



But that I’ve helped my little child

To noble adulthood grow
In twenty years the whole wide world

May look and see and know