The Art of Madhubani - a humble first attempt

Shiva Parvati

Much has been written about the history and the origin of Madhubani style of painting. I am hardly in a position to introduce this art form, as my one and only exposure to it was quite a few years ago in Ahmedabad, a place quite far away from Madhubani, from where this art form originates.  As a first year design student, I had visited a craft fair, and there I had had an opportunity to see artists from Madhubani making these paintings. I fell in love with the simplicity and the vibrance of this art form. Its colors and motifs are a celebration of life itself.

But, all these years have elapsed since that visit. I have, in the past made many half hearted attempts to create anything close to what might be called Madhubani painting. But somehow I was never satisfied with the result. In my quest for a perfect work of art, I had overlooked the deeply meditative quality of the practice of creating Madhubani with  intricate lines and the interplay of textures and colors. Very recently, however, I came across this wonderful blog by Crazy Lassi . How very inspiring her work is! She also has simple tutorials for creating Madhubani designs. Here is my first humble attempt.