Painting the Goddess of Fortune

Hello everyone! Now I know its been a long while but due to some technical difficulties I couldn't post the three important posts I wanted to share. However, now I can. The first post is something that personally was quite of an achievement. Not too fancy but still amazing. This is painting Goddess Lakshmi-Hindu Goddess of Fortune.                                                                                                                 Now, in previous posts I've shared my paintings that are paintings that aren't detailed. One example is my Ganesha which was an artistic way with his head and hands along with a mantra. So this was my second approach-the first being Shirdi Sai-of painting a deity with full details and from my last try I learnt a few tips.                                                                                                                                         The items I have used are

•  Acrylic paint colours-Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Vermillion, Black, Light Blue and Dark Blue (from Artists Loft)
• Watercolours (from Artists Loft)
• Watercolour pencils-pink and black (for outlining-optional) (from Artists Loft)
• Pencil (for sketching)
• bowl of water (for washing brush)   
• A canvas

First came sketching/drawing. I personally like to plan out paintings when it comes to detailed ones unlike before where I just let my brush lead the way. Remember that you want to make sure you draw what you can paint-for example, draw small little details on the crown if you think you can paint them with the brush. You can always use watercolour pencils of course, if you have them.

  Now I decided to use watercolour pencils to outline the eyes and hair. The colour I used was black.

 I then proceeded towards painting. I started off with the hands and head using a mix of yellow ochre and titanium white.

  Then using merely yellow ochre I painted the crown and jewellery. Using pink watercolours I painted the lotus.

 Now using a pink watercolour pencil, I outlined the lotuses.

The paint started dripping as you can see. Now came painting the Sari with Burnt Sienna and Vermillion as red is usually identified with Lakshmi.

I painted the clothes a long with the crown. In the back I added a coin/sun (yellow circle) with a mix of Yellow Ochre and Titanium White. Watercolours were used as well. 

Now using blue both light and dark blue, I painted the ocean 

 Finally I added a background with Green/Blue and Burnt Sienna/Yellow Ochre. The second mix is one of my favourite  background mixtures. Painting backgrounds itself are favourites. 

As you can see above now I painted some gold pots with coins inside including showering coins along with some clay lamps (diyas) on lily pads. I had to cover up the yellow circle thus making some yellow stick out.                                                                                                                             Well thank you for reading this post. I am hopeful that you to will try to paint as well. This was a fun project and I loved it. 

Om Namastestu Mahamaye, Shri Pithe Sura Poojithe, Shankha Chakra Gada Haste, Mahalakshmi Namostute 🙏ॐ

Making a Rose Garland

Hello Everyone!

First of, sorry for being inactive for these past 5 to 6 months? Wow that's about 182 days or more/less! Well I am back and better than ever as I "rose" back to creativity. What I am posting is easy "floral". Okay as you could probably tell from my boring puns and the title, yes we are making a rose garland. Now, whenever there is a prayer, I make garlands to adore the beautiful Idols and Pictures of the Gods. I realized I was inactive so I say to myself "Hey! Why don't I just make a post on the garlands I am making!!" and here I am.

The items I have used are

•  4 roses (you can use more/less just make sure it is an even amount of roses)
• rose leaves or any other type of leaf (types below) (optional)
• marigold or any other flower(for middle-optional)
• string
• thread
• bowl of water (for washing flowers)

I used flowers from my garden and sometimes there are little bugs or just dirt from the garden inside petals and what not. To make sure that all you have from your flower, is a flower, I suggest you wash them. I wash them by soaking them in a bowl of water for a little bit and just moving the flowers and turning them so they are cleaned on sides. This will ensure that dirt will just flow out. Of course you can just put them under a running tap and wash them.

 Above is a picture of the bowl. Now what you want to do is remove the petals of the rose. PLEASE NOTE: we are using 4 flowers 2 for each side so when removing petals please make sure you keep the petals from the 2 flowers separate from the petals of the other 2 flowers. Again you may use more or less flowers just make sure you are using an even amount for example if you are using 10 then 5 will go on one side and 5 on the other side of the garland. The reason I separate both side's petals is to make sure that each side is even in size. ALSO NOTE: if you are using leaves then leaves can be used to separate each flower. One flower equals all its petals. So it is 1 flower's petals, leaf, 1 flower's petals, leaf and so on. Therefore put the flower petals from each flower separate as well so you know where to place each leaf. If you do not want to use rose petals some other options are parsley, cabbage, spinach but those are better for flowers itself not the petals therefore I use the rose leaf.

Now fold each petal in half. Rose petals can easily rip therefore folding it a) helps it be stronger b) gives it a better look. It's like using a paper towel, folding it makes it more stronger to clean messes. Now put the string through the needle and start putting each folded petal from the needle to the thread till the end.

 Stop when you complete putting one flower's petal. Now add the leaf if using one. You may add more than one it is your choice. Repeat the process putting a flower's petal and then a leaf. You can also put more than 1 flower's petals before the leaf depending on how many flowers you use.

 Now that you have put all the petals and leaves for the first side you have two options. PLEASE STOP TO READ THIS: You can cut the thread and leave that flower string aside or just put the marigold like that. Basically, if you make two flower strings and you want to add a middle part of it, you will need to make a middle part by putting the flowers through the needle. The benefit of this is that you can have a middle part with flowers hanging on top of each other. Then you would get both the two flower strings and tie them together, and then tie the separate middle part in the middle. OR you can just string in the flower without cutting anything like I did. This way you can have flowers beside each other. Both look beautiful. You can even do the first option without cutting if you leave space for middle. Let's do the method that I did, the second method. OKAY CONTINUE.

For this, I am using a marigold so it hangs down. When cutting, I left some parts of the stem on since that is the place I put the needle through. This makes it hang. Therefore put your needle through the stem of the marigold.  Here's a tip. If you want, you can get two other flowers and string them with the needle going through the stem and coming out the flower petal part for one side and the opposite way for the other side. It looks great.

 Now continue the other side. Once done cut the thread leaving some thread to tie. Tie both sides of the string together. AND BLOOM. I mean boom LOL. You have a rose flower garland. This method of using a string and thread is much easier then tying them. The idol looked beautiful wearing this garland. You can even connect a bunch of garlands and without closing make a thoran (Indian Decoration hung on the Door) or you can start with a marigold or another flower, string the roses and with another marigold/flower and have an open garland known as an Andal Malai. Some also use it for hair tying!

  Well thank you for reading this post. I am hopeful that you to will try this out. It can be a garland for worship, decor or just a free time activity. I will hopefully come with another type of flower garland but until then, bye everyone!

Sarvam Shri Krishnarpanam ॐ