It’s been one whole year of this newsletter
Happy anniversary, newsletter-getter
There are works in progress and pictures galore
Painting an artist, a new film and more
I hope Mani can act as a prophetic muse
There is much inspiration in this letter of news...
…speaking of muses, inspirations and genius loci, the little blue devil (left) pokes fun at the black div (right). Actually, that black div is a collection of brushstrokes painted by my eldest son and I was looking at it in the studio for weeks until... a demon popped out at me, so I painted it as my inner green genie (above). He started me off and I continued - the best kind of collaboration…
…my Carpet Pages IV: Flying Carpet exquisite corpse painting is still in transit around the world. In the meantime, this is a tailor at work showing off some fine fabric. His positioning, with the vertical perspective of the painting makes him look like he's on a flying carpet as he looks off the page to the left...
…And here are more faces in progress, looking to the left. My students have finished their versions and I look forward to the End of Year Show, coming in December at https://www.vaishaliprazmariteaching.com. We'll also discuss this at our November Miniature meeting, and anyone with a passing interest in miniature painting is welcome to join the forum: https://www.miniaturepaintingforum.com...
…not left out are more beautiful women. More ladies to come in 2022; here is one innocent one in progress alongside a group of figures looking left right and centre...
...And finally, someone looks left, and someone looks right, because they're having a silent conversation: work in progress painting an artist and a calligrapher. I love painting fellow artists. I'm particularly interested in the prophet-painter Mani. He taught his universal philosophy via pictures and welcomed the illiterate, as well as having progressive views on women and slaves, and he was a vegetarian. His teachings were all-encompassing and he took ideas from Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism and his word spread from Turkey to China, all across Central Asia along the Silk Road. And of course, he was ahead of his time as mystics often are; he was killed and his religion died out with him. Or did it? If your religion dies, does the God of your religion die also?...
...Questions to ponder. The next monthly miniature meeting is on 21.9.21, 6-7pm London time. Zoom link is via the Forum https://www.miniaturepaintingforum.com or here's the direct link:
NOVEMBER MEETING
Vaishali Prazmari is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Vaishali Prazmari's Monthly Miniature Meeting
Time: Nov 16, 2021 18:00 London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84354427875?pwd=UnAxek9NS3l0eUFnQTVKMEtxZ2dUUT09
Meeting ID: 843 5442 7875
Passcode: 130772
Join by Skype for Business
https://us02web.zoom.us/skype/84354427875
To start, 20 mins discuss one chapter of My Name is Red which should open up some more broad questions/discussions: we'll discuss the 10th chapter
Focus on somebody's work, one individual to show their work and everyone give feedback, comments, thoughts, suggestions, like a crit in art school, with respect (to be pre-arranged beforehand) 20 mins
Broad questions and discussions 20 mins In the Poison classes so far we've explored water-based glow in the dark paint and acrylic. Soon it'll be time to get the glowing pigments out and experiment with them. I have yet to figure out how to take a good photo of glow in the dark colours taken in the dark. Below are November's Poison and Vespertine flowers: the Venus flytrap and Night Jasmine, and beneath is a glow in the dark shot taken under my messy studio table. Next to it was my very neat oil painting palette before I started to really use it...
… And new oil brushes are on their way very soon, along with some oil painting classes. I'll post them at https://www.theperfectbrush.co.uk as soon as they're ready. In the meantime, a film, a film! This is a new film of painting my beloved rocks in miniature painting, which you can also download on the Brushes website above. Use the code INTROFILM for an introductory price of £10 for the rest of October and all of November (normally it's £15). A lot of work went into making this film which also features specially-composed music so you can relax, meditate and paint. I designed it to actually feel like a painting meditation. Drum roll please (softly)...
...that film is soft and quiet and kids are loud and raucous. They love any excuse to experience wide open fields and fresh October air. We picked pumpkins for Halloween and found a field of maize. I love gourds - they are so ancient and this is the 3rd year running I shall be trying to dry them and make something out of them, including musical instruments. The mould is a necessary part of the process, I now know, so I won't chuck them in horror. In Covent Garden we saw a giant balloon dog (no relation to Koons) and a pumpkin - they are everywhere now and luckily I am a gourd lover. We've been out and about in the country and city too - Sir John Soane's Museum in London is my favourite museum-house - he knew how to collect and to make it not appear stuffed (I need to learn this). And we had a star pizza. Geometry-lovers, have you ever seen a star pizza?! They stuffed the crust with cheese, spinach and garlic too, so it's an extra surprise. Almost like the marginalia of a pizza. Delicious!
Gourdly yours,
Vaishali Prazmari
P.S. You can now reply to info@vaishaliprazmari.com - or direct to perfectbrushltd@gmail.com - either one is fine!
