The summer storms are here
Do they bring you joy or fear?
Thunder and lightning can be veryvery frightening
But learning about Mist is very enlightening
Big brushes, big energy and tiny little clouds
With the Indian wash technique prepare to be wowed
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter
& a sneak peek of November's class on Farid ud-din 'Attar...
...the end of summer, late August MIST class is a one-off playful class using the traditional classic Indian wash technique of painting. This MIST class has to be done in the hazy lazy end of summer days while it’s still hot. We’ll wash our entire paintings - yes, the entire painting gets a soak - with water several times, washing them using the classic Indian wash painting technique. This is a great chance to learn a traditional technique that is not often taught (maybe because it’s so wet!). We’ll create a silky smooth misty surface from which figures or elements emerge. In my imagination this could be a bellydancer or a Chinese cloud… We can also make misty miniature clouds in the same way. We use the same materials as for miniature painting, with the addition of a lot of water. This misty class is spread over 3 days and it’s a flexible technique you can adapt and reuse for many different kinds of painting in future. Bathe your paintings!
Important: You’ll need access to water, preferably a sink, in which to wash your painting. Alternatively a bucket of water on the floor or in a kitchen or garden (or in a kitchen garden!) that can be easily accessed. Hairdryer optional. Old rags advisable. Although related, this is separate to the standard Clouds Element class; it's a special one-off extra element, part of the Snow, Dew and Mist series.
Adding crystal rain optional! I might like to for some of the clouds...
...There are 9 rasas in classical Indian painting, closely related to music in the form of ragamalas. Moods, rasasand subtle elements - I visualise them as washes of pure colour. A single wash of a nuanced colour can change the mood of an entire painting. I'm really excited about introducing this technique: https://www.vaishaliprazmariteaching.com/book-online
Sultans and maharajahs of leisure were particular about the flavour of the day (or night), and emotions were correlated with planets and colours and music and moods. All 5 senses were employed: sight and sound of course, as well as taste (good food), touch (silken clothes) and even scent: I have been reading how these fabulously wealthy kings would order their palace walls to be rubbed with perfume. And not just any perfume: specific rules existed for specific times of day. Women also perfumed different parts of their bodies according to not only their moods but also their health requirements: perfume was used actively as a medicine in conjunction with all the other senses. In this sense, then, the use of colour to regulate emotions is also medicinal and can heal, I believe...
…There is something about the little Chinese clouds that make them close to my heart. I'm also really in love with this special technique that can be adapted for a variety of paintings and backgrounds. One reason is that the technique itself is a hybrid, having been inspired by Japanese art which also uses ink washes. Another reason is it is so celebratory of colour, all colours, and I have a thing for faded shades. To my mind, it is also celebratory of summer, because I can only do it (in this country) when it's hot! And it has been so very very hot...
…so cool down with the very wet Indian wash technique which employs big brushes. I have some big brushes - The Old Goat series of soft goat hair brushes suitable for both inks and watercolour painting (not for oils): https://www.theperfectbrush.co.uk/product-page/the-old-goat...
...and in preparation for another mega painting party in November, here is a sneak preview of Attar's Conference of the Birds series. We'll paint the 30 Birds of the poem in the 30 days of November. It starts with the hoopoe...
…in other (ancient) news, I found out that Mahavira, the founder of the Jain religion, was born in...Vaishali! I have always associated the ancient city of Vaishali with Buddhism, but it turns out that Jainism - another ancient religion I don't know much about - was also there. So, kill two birds with one stone, buy one get one free, I like that in a city with my name on it. Some Jain paintings: above, a Jain cosmology of the world and below, a 'functional', non-commercial painting. I'm interested in the many uses of painting besides its immediate art world capitalistic objecthood: sacred paintings, paintings as backdrops for stories, paintings for processions and parades...
...and paintings as posters, here exhibited at the Magic Circle, the 'oldest magic society in the world' - meaning gathering of magicians in their modern sense. India and the east have traditionally been seen as mystical and exotic, a land of magicians, hence the posters. We learnt that a certain 'Chinese' magician accidentally ended his life when the bullet trick went wrong: the gun was supposed to fire blanks, but on this occasion, sadly, it didn't, and the curtains closed for the last time. Never play with weapons (and... why would you want to do a trick like that?!). When he died, they took his mask off and it was revealed that he was an Englishman all along, who'd dressed up to look Chinese, had 'spoken' Chinese (since the audience were presumably none the wiser) and even employed a 'Chinese translator' to translate for the audience into English! The lengths people go to, to keep up the aura of mystique and magic, wow! I took Caspian to be wowed by a magic show there and we also had a tour of the magic museum and a workshop in magic tricks: the rope tricks were a bit harder but we have got the card trick down pat, so if anyone asks, we'll repeat it for you!...
...Above, a recreation of a 19th century magic shop, where all sorts of trick devices were sold. Below, actual, real magical items in the form of amulets and talismans. Beneath, the Rooted exhibition at the Wellcome Collection and a display on healing (or poisonous) plants. At the end of this year we'll make our own books of poison and healingplants...
...Above, some giant roots. Does anyone remember the big Carpet Pages II: Roots exhibition pre-pandemic? Have a look at the Carpet Pages website. This year's Carpet Pages exhibition is now being planned (although having a mini break in August as everyone is on holiday!). Have a miniature painting conversation and chat about related subjects over at the Forum and in our monthly meetings. The Zoom link is via the Forum https://www.miniaturepaintingforum.com or here's the direct link:
SEPTEMBER MEETING Vaishali Prazmari is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Vaishali Prazmari's Monthly Miniature Meeting 20.9.22 6-7pm London time Time: Sep 20, 2022 18:00 London Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88247943142?pwd=Q284QXNoOG43TDFQMlY1aXBUVjNudz09 Meeting ID: 882 4794 3142 Passcode: 169041 Join by Skype for Business https://us02web.zoom.us/skype/88247943142
… Also at the Wellcome were the original cyanotypes of Anna Atkins; I've talked about this in previous newsletters. I do cyanotypes every summer with the children, and it's nice seeing how their hands grow and the image gets clearer as their attention span gets longer and they are able to sit still and hold their hands steadier. You can tell which is the 5 year old and which is the toddler...
...speaking of hand control, Pollock's Toy Museum put on a summer fete in Fitzrovia full of vintage toys and games, it was such fun. I love childhood and I love antique toys from around the world. Here he is winding punched paper through a music organ and also they are getting to grips with the diabolo...
...finally, we saw a Punch and Judy show. Believe it or not, I'd never actually seen one in its entirety! So this was my first time too. Full of domestic violence! Yet he gets his comeuppances at the end, so there is closure. The kids loved it. They also loved getting dotty at the Yayoi Kusama show at Tate Modern. Her Infinity Rooms are rarely exhibited so I was glad to get tickets. I'll leave you with sparkly mirror infinity images, changing colours, one mood at a time. Here's to a majestic, maharajah-worthy, colourful and hot Indian summer. Emotionally yours,
Vaishali Prazmari
