"kolams" : her daily masterpiece
(Not really sure about this one - photo wise, I mean -, but I think the subject is interesting).
One of my favorites "kolams", of all those that I could admire during my 2 short passages in Tamil Nadu last month : - impetuous, a rapid signature, yet very skilfully drawn - try to copy it, without lifting your pen ! ;-)))
...Leaving the house where I had been invited, I thought of taking a photo of the surprising, labyrinthical "kolam" near the doorstep ; just at that moment, the housewife walked out too, so I got in my frame one of her feet, like a signature next to her daily "masterpiece".
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My prefered kolams are not the big, elaborate ones but those ones, drawn sometimes in haste but always with love, by the housewives or one of their daughters *each early morning* after having cleaned and washed the doorsteps - one of the lovely aspects of south Indian culture...
(Quoting some sentences from the Wiki page - NB : very interesting to read, that page ! - : "Every morning in southern India, millions of women draw kolams on the ground with white rice powder. Through the day, the drawings get walked on, rained out, or blown around in the wind; new ones are made the next day - ... "It used to be a matter of pride to be able to draw large complicated patterns without lifting the hand off the floor").
On festive occasions, colourful and elaborate "rangolis" are drawn instead of those humble and often simple "kolams", but those ones have much less fantasy and IMHO, they look less interesting and personal, although quite impressive...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Dedicated to Alain, whose discreet presence is very much appreciated : he wrote once that one could maybe guess the different personality of each woman in those drawings, a bit like a graphologist would find special meanings in our handwriting).
NB : I have deleted the set on this subject but you can see more kolams in the comments of my next photos and I just discovered two beautiful galeries with many more photos, some very informative as well, here and here too.
"kolams" : her daily masterpiece
(Not really sure about this one - photo wise, I mean -, but I think the subject is interesting).
One of my favorites "kolams", of all those that I could admire during my 2 short passages in Tamil Nadu last month : - impetuous, a rapid signature, yet very skilfully drawn - try to copy it, without lifting your pen ! ;-)))
...Leaving the house where I had been invited, I thought of taking a photo of the surprising, labyrinthical "kolam" near the doorstep ; just at that moment, the housewife walked out too, so I got in my frame one of her feet, like a signature next to her daily "masterpiece".
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My prefered kolams are not the big, elaborate ones but those ones, drawn sometimes in haste but always with love, by the housewives or one of their daughters *each early morning* after having cleaned and washed the doorsteps - one of the lovely aspects of south Indian culture...
(Quoting some sentences from the Wiki page - NB : very interesting to read, that page ! - : "Every morning in southern India, millions of women draw kolams on the ground with white rice powder. Through the day, the drawings get walked on, rained out, or blown around in the wind; new ones are made the next day - ... "It used to be a matter of pride to be able to draw large complicated patterns without lifting the hand off the floor").
On festive occasions, colourful and elaborate "rangolis" are drawn instead of those humble and often simple "kolams", but those ones have much less fantasy and IMHO, they look less interesting and personal, although quite impressive...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(Dedicated to Alain, whose discreet presence is very much appreciated : he wrote once that one could maybe guess the different personality of each woman in those drawings, a bit like a graphologist would find special meanings in our handwriting).
NB : I have deleted the set on this subject but you can see more kolams in the comments of my next photos and I just discovered two beautiful galeries with many more photos, some very informative as well, here and here too.