Monday, May 26

Going in circles to make spheres


A bead is a sphere.
 Working in circles, connecting small circles made of beads.
 Small individual circles connect to make a sphere.
 A module emblematic of a larger entity.

I followed instructions from this video to make these gorgeous beaded spheres.

Click here to read about a beaded amulet bag I made in 2009.

Have a good week.


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Thursday, May 22

A Letter A Week2014 - Tamil English Slang

I'm starting on the second set A Letter A Week 2014. This set of the alphabet can be interpreted by each one personally. I've chosen to represent English words which have become a part of the Tamil language. That's the one sentence explanation,now let me elaborate.

Tamil is a Dravidian language and one of the oldest surviving classical languages. Tamil is the official language of the state of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and the Andamans and Nicobar islands in India besides being an official language in Sri Lanka and Singapore. Tamil is alive and spoken in Malaysia, Mauritius and I was surprised to discover on the island of Reunion! The Tamil diaspora has in turn taken it to all corners of the globe, as we discovered when we went to Paris and much to my husband's delight he could buy Tamil movie DVD's. 

The Tamil I am familiar with and conversant in, is peppered with words from the English language.      
Language is greatly influenced by the booming Tamil movie industry and vice versa. Like in the movies, everything is over the top - bright contrasting colours, incongruous mix of modern and ancient or western and eastern,larger than life superstars who have a cult following, its a unique form of pop culture a bit like this bus. 
You might recognise the English words but they don't always have the same meaning that they have in English.It's slang which is unique.   
 I photographed this bus in Coimbatore.Bus art is another one of my projects.


The first four alphabets.
I've cut out 5cm x 5cm pieces of paper from Tamil magazines and stuck them on cartridge paper.it's the visual representation of the mix of Tamil and English.
I've then stitched sequins onto the paper squares in the shape of the lower case of the alphabet and used a marker to give the alphabet a bit more 'presence'.

a - is for assaulta.  \ah-saal-ta\
definition - casually ... without a care. Nothing to do with actually assaulting or bashing someone.

b - is for blade.\blay -aid\
definition - used widely to refer to anything that causes a combination of boredom and pain.

c - is for colour.
definition - soft drinks, Fanta, Pepsi etc.

d - is for dress
definiton - "outfit" including men's apparel!

These definitions are from Samosapedia.

Related posts

To see all the interpretations of the alphabet in ALAW 2014 click here



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Thursday, May 15

Blue - Roy G Biv 2014

Pine tree with pine cones silhouetted against the incredible blue winter sky in the Nilgiris.
Tram in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

 Krishna - the blue god. Krishna is the eighth incarnation of the Vishnu in Hinduism.
Temples in South India are painted in bright colours.The distinctive blue of Krishna caught my eye.

The days are slipping by very quickly. I can't believe its the third Thursday in May already.Looking forward to the blog hop to view what everybody else has to show. Jennifer and Julie who are co- ordinating this year long challenge have links to all those who are participating.

Have a good week. I'm getting started looking for Indigo, last year it was the most elusive colour.

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Thursday, May 8

ALAW 2014 - Place+Alphabet book

The first set of alphabets for A letter A Week 2014 which incorporates 'place' into the 26 letters of the English alphabet. I've put all the letters together as an accordion fold book.
I've cut out the alphabets from maps found in inflight magazines and mounted them on red or purple paper. Red for the cities or places I have visited or lived in and Purple for the places I would love to visit. A wish list.
On the back of the accordion fold book I've written the map co-ordinates of the city or town which is on the other side.
Another view of the accordion fold book.
I need a name for this little book. I thought of 'Footprints and a Wishlist'. the other one was 'Journeys and a Wishlist'. I'm going to mull over these and other possibilities,suggestions are welcome.
This little book is not perfect from a book makers point of view but its very precious and the journey has been an interesting one. The book is 11cms x 11cms.
Click on the links below to see more of the journey.
A Letter A Week - ALAW 2014
ALAW - Catching Up
ALAW - An Update  

I'm starting on the second set of alphabets for ALAW.


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