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$65
Item Code: PB43
Specifications:
Warli Painting on CottonMaharashtra
Dimensions 2.2 ft X 1.5 ft
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
Fair trade
Fair trade
Warli is different from the folk and tribal idiom known to urban India. Warli paintings made by the Warli tribals of Maharashtra are strangely ascetic. They do not consist of myriad primary colors, so intimately associated with folk painting. The themes are remarkable in their intensely social nature. Men, animals and trees form a loose, rhythmic pattern across the entire sheet.

Warli landscapes unfold vistas with depictions of everyday life - of plants, animals and men, where the minutest creature is not forgotten. The narration of the story is not linear but rather one which takes place boundless space, where action is not sequential but simultaneous. The figures have been scattered over the pictorial space. The scene of action starts from the upper left corner where a potter is making pots on the wheel. Clay is being delivered to him by a woman carrying it in a big basket. The pots are being sun-dried in rows out in the open. They are being carried by various means to the kiln where they are being baked. A couple of men are carrying them on sticks with pots tied in a cluster at each end., the women are carrying them in baskets and a bullock cart pulled by two oxen is also carrying them. The scene of this action ends diagonally to the kiln where men and women help in stoking the fire with long sticks.

Birds and animals move fearlessly amongst scores of people, each involved in his own activity. Many different types of trees have been evolved, from those with swirling circles to those that look like winnow baskets. These heavily stylized trees have been invented by the Warlis, expressing their new found confidence.

This description by Renu Rana.

Mastering the Ancient Technique: Exploring the Meticulous Creation of Pattachitra Paintings

The traditional Pattachitra is a scroll painting that is done on cloth. This is revealed in the name; Pattachitra is a Sanskrit term made from two words i.e. Patta meaning cloth and Chitra meaning picture. The main subject of this painting is portraying Hindu mythological narratives, scenes from religious texts, and folktales. Pattachitra paintings are especially practiced in eastern Indian states such as West Bengal and Odisha, and also in some parts of Bangladesh. This art form is closely related to Shri Jagannath and the tradition of the Vaishnava sect. It is believed that Pattachitra art originated in the 11th century and the people of Odisha practice it even today without any discrepancy. Bengalis use these scroll paintings for ritual purposes (as a visual device) during the performance of a song or Aarti.
Pattachitra paintings are characterized by creative and traditional motifs/designs, decorative borders, and bright colorful applications. The outline of the figure and motifs are bold and sharp. Some common shapes and motifs seen in these paintings are trees, flowers, leaves, elephants, and other creatures. The artists of Odisha and Bengal still use the traditional method of painting which gives a unique look to it altogether.

1. Canvas is prepared

The process of painting a Pattachitra begins by preparing the canvas (patta). Generally, cotton cloth is used for making the canvas. The local artists dip the cotton cloth in a mixture of tamarind seeds and water for a few days. The cloth is then taken out and dried in the sun. Now natural gum is applied over it to stick another layer of cotton cloth on it. Thus a thick layer of cotton cloth is formed. This layered cotton is sun-dried and a paste of chalk powder, tamarind, and gum is applied on both sides. The surface of the cloth is then rubbed with two different stones for smoothening and it is again dried. This process gives the cloth a leathery finish and it is now ready to be painted.
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2. Natural colors are made using traditional method

The painters prepare and use vegetable and mineral colors for application in the painting. White color is made from conch shells, black is made by burning coconut shells, Hingula is used for red color, Ramaraja for blue, and Haritala for yellow.
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3. Colors are filled in

The artist now makes a double-lined border on all four sides of the canvas. The local artists are so expert in painting that they do not draw figures and motifs with pencil but directly draw them with a brush. The paint brushes that the painters use are made of the hair of domestic animals, a bunch of which is tied to the end of a bamboo stick. The figures are now painted with natural colors using the indigenous brushes. The outline is thickened with black color.
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4. Painting is given a finishing

Finally, the painting is varnished/glazed to protect it from any damage and to get a glossy shine on the surface.

The making of a Pattachitra is laborious work and therefore, one painting may sometimes take over a month to complete. Due to their classical look, these paintings are admired by people from all over the world. The artistic skills used in Pattachitra are passed down from one generation to another and thus are preserved to date.
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