Wednesday 7 December 2011

A Well Spent Sunday

 Sundays are meant for making very optimistic, extravagant plans and then lying in and lazing the day away. At least that is my routine more often than not. However this Sunday was very different.

To start with I attended a class over the internet (a webinar) that started late Saturday night and ended at 3 am on Sunday. And, after a few hours of sleep we went on a long planned family sketchcrawl. My wife and daughter are very fond of sketching and painting, and this interest is also shared by quite a few in our extended family. We have driven out of Chennai on a few weekend  sketching trips in the past but this was the first time that we were doing this within the city. And this time my niece was also with us.

We had a fun time on Saturday deciding where to go and finally settled on the Marundeeswarar Koil at Thiruvanmiyur, a very old and famous temple very close to our house.We decided to spend around an hour at this venue and then drive down to a cafe for some much needed refreshments and a different type of sketching opportunity.
One of the problems with South Indian temples is that we cannot wear any footwear inside the temple precincts. The paving is usually in granite and this can sometimes be blistering hot. The four of us broke up and quickly went in search of something sketchworthy, and more importantly a convenient location to do the sketching from.



I ended up locating something that would not have been my first choice as a subject, but it had the advantage of a really quiet and shaded spot from which I could view it. In fact this spot was so secluded that many people went by without even realising that I was sitting there under some heavy foliage. 



My niece Ranjani plonked herself right along the main walkway and was soon immersed in her sketching quite oblivious to the passersby who paused and  gathered behind her to watch her at work. You can see Ranjani's sketch here.

My daughter Kalpana found a place with shade and a backrest too. It was also a spot that was rather difficult to approach and certainly not convenient for anyone to peer over her shoulder. I am sure that this must have been high on her criteria for a suitable sketching spot. Kalpana's sketch can be seen here. 


Nithi, my wife, was not to be seen anywhere. But she is a restless soul and we were sure that she would have finished several sketches in the time that the rest of us take to do even one, and that proved to be the case.

After we were done at Marundeeswarar Koil we drove a few miles South from the temple to a small but nice cafe called Tryst on the East coast Road. Unfortunately the view from our table did not offer any great sketching opportunities. But we did have a nice time there comparing sketches and having some nice stuff to eat and drink. Between gulps I managed to do this quick sketch of Nithi.

 I am adding this bit on Friday 9th Dec, a couple of  days after I had posted my sketches and photos. I finally managed to get Nithi's consent to put up her sketches too. One of her sketches is of a mandapam (shelter)  facing the Amman (lady deity) shrine. Her second sketch is of two fruitsellers engaged in conversation. Nithi does these in no time at all and then moves on to other things that catch her attention.

20 comments:

  1. I think the temple sketch looks really nice with the colours. Is it colour pencils or markers?

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  2. Loved reading and your sketch of Nithi. You got the likeness and also the spontaneity of a sketch.

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  3. Thank you kb & Benny.
    kb...I wanted to use watercolour but I had made the mistake of sketching on ordinary office stationery. I therefore used colour pencils.
    Benny...your critical approval means a lot to me. Nithi wasn't too thrilled with my sketch of her but I told her that if not now, in a few years she might look like this.
    :)

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  4. I can imagine. Women always get used to portraits after ten years or so. You have seen how many blogs by them have icons that are taken in their teens. At that time they all hated in the way light,technology name what you will, was n't right.
    I make exception in the case of Nithi. Say hello to her from me. Looking forward to see you all next year.

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  5. Wow!! Casually between gulps if coffee!!!! Fantastic Athan:))) I like the colours in the temple sketch too... What a great way to spend a Sunday and u r so blessed that u have Nithi, Kalpana & Ranjani to share your passion with:)) kudos to all of you !!

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  6. Nrithya...thank you for the prompt and very generous comments.
    You are right, I am very lucky that so many of us share the same passion.

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  7. Your sketch of gives the feeling that Nithya has put on weight.Down my memory she was a lean person.In short you also saw a temple. for me it would have been the other way.!!!!!!!!!!

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  8. Moni...Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment.
    True, I am not a religious person and therefore I look at places of worship quite differently from the way you do. However I can still appreciate the beauty of the place, setting, or constructions, the engineering skills used to build them, the sense of serenity that is present in some of these places (though not all), and also what they mean to those who are devout.

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  9. Dear Balaji,

    This is great stuff - Family on a sketchcrawl! I have heard and been part of other kinds of crawls - during my college days; Chandu and I can go down many a nostalgic trip if we were to meet one of these days! But this one is so refreshingly different.

    Incidentally, no sketches from Nithi have been posted - instead, you have chosen to post a sketch of her.

    Looks like all of you had a great time! Will show the same to parents as well.

    Best regards. Kumar

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  10. Kumar...thank you for visiting and leaving such a nice comment. I am sure Nithi will share her sketches with you when you visit us next (which I hope will be soon).

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  11. How lovely is the scene you described and sketched!!!

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  12. WOW!!!!! What a wonderful way to spend a sunday!!
    Fabulous sketches!!!!

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  13. lovely to see the sketches...yes ur sketch of Nithi ...must have been thinking of me....Nithi is certainly not that fat

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  14. Marmsk, Priya, Annam...lovely to have you visit, and thank you for the nice comments.

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  15. I loved the sketches and the stories behind them. I would feel very uncomfortable to sketch with people around me. But you all did a wonderful job with the sketch time.

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  16. Wonderful. Least did I know that a Sunday or any day could be spent so purposefully in a relaxed manner and with the entire lot involving well !! I envy you all. Every one of you have done a good job. The photos and the sketches are too good.
    venkateswaran

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  17. Sketch Gurl, & Venkateswaran....thank you for your very nice comments. You are very kind in your appreciation of the sketches, but yes, we all did have a wonderful time.

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  18. Nithi's sketch of fruit sellers in conversation is wonderful. Especially the way the one on the left has her hand propped. You are right,you see the speed and the essentials and nothing more. Compliments to her.

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  19. Thanks Benny. I will pass on your remarks to her. I am sure she will be delighted.

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  20. Just popped by to say 'Hello and welcome to my blog'. Looking forward, as your latest Follower, to seeing your painting journeys...ann.

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