Here We Are...

          "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..." A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Title:  The Lady with the Piano 

Medium:  Acrylic on Canvas

Size: 36x24 Inches

Sold to a private collector from India.
Sign and dated at the right bottom corner.

          This piece of work is a representation of the modern world where we live in today. Where confusion, chaos, frustration etc. lives among us in the suppose to be a perfect world. Virtually we think the world today should be a perfect place with perfect rhythm because of all the convenience surrounding us and our daily lives. Globalization, connectivity, social order, education etc. Perfect lines at the backgrounds depicts this. But in reality, we are more disturbed, confused, frustrated and restless then ever. That is being depicted by the crisscross overlaying above the perfect lines.

         Also I felt this way, the world today has turned into more of a feminist with music everywhere and where every other person you know wants to become a pop or a rock star or at the least, in their way of dressing. The touch of Pink and an abstract figure of a lady playing a piano (which one has to observe to see it) depicting this. I just hope we don't lose our identity in the process.

Last words: I love pink and I love being a humanist.

Unfinished or is it???

          So, I started off with a painting and then got lazy. By the time of my third exhibition, it was still unfinished. Anyway, I decided to put it ON during the exhibition as it was already dry. So it went live.

Title: The Lady at the Bar

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 30x24 Inches

SOLD.

          So now, I would guess you already know that this is the one I was talking about. To me it was not a completed work when it was exhibited but the buyer says, "Its complete for me. This is just the way I like it". Its sold.

          This piece is a depiction of all the many reasons why a person would go to a bar. Maybe because, the person is sad. Or maybe the person just wanted to relax. Or even maybe, the person was confused etc etc...

          Well, that is it. But the fact remains, the mood that I wanted to finished is not finished. Maybe that's the beauty or even maybe I will finish it one day soon. However, you can still see the different mood and personality in the lady in the painting.

Last Words: You know, you have seen this character somewhere, without the hand and the cigarette!!!

Journey Unknown.....Or Maybe Not...!!!

          Its been a while since the last time I have written a post on my blog and I am really sorry if you one among many who follows my blog. Hope it doesn't continue this way in future, I admit, I am such a lazy a**. Anyway, here we are and I am doing good. Hope its the same at that end of yours too.

          Well, officially I haven't got much to share as I haven't done much lately. Four new paintings done and that's all, but unfortunately, I ain't posting those pics here (or anywhere) very soon or until my next exhibition. So, lets talk unofficially. In the mean time, so that you don't get bored with my crappy style of writing and also because, many of my friends wanted me to post it, I am posting some sketches of some T-Shirt designs that I have done recently for a fest. Consider it a Pro Bono project.

Girls T-Shirt Design 1

           First, I am an artist and that means I have to put in a lots of hard work within the boundaries of being alone for hours, to just come up with a piece of work. Its not a very fancy thing to fancy about. Sometimes its really very hard. Well, I am not complaining about it, but here is a rough picture of what it takes me to come up with a painting.

          What/How I do is, come up with a blur picture in my head (a time consuming process), then make a rough pencil blueprint of it on the canvas (sometimes this is really frustrating for me because of my very bad shaky hands), now make an under paints of it and decide what stays and what not, then the serious paintings and finally, the final touch. Sometimes a painting can take like a month and at times it just take 2/3 days. Well, that's when things goes right (which usually does) but at times things doesn't turn out the way I picture and that's when my mind is like, "why don't I just pick up a knife and tear the whole things into pieces" (I wish I could do that).

Girls T-Shirt Design 2

          Now, you are wondering why I wrote this. This maybe a little funny and to be honest, I really hate to talk about this. But lately, I started to feel that its kinda absolutely necessary for a struggling artist like myself to discuss this and set the message clear. Believe it or not, but lately many people (rather friends) had express their desire to own one of my works. This is supposed to be good right? Well, it's not when they wanted me to paint them for free.  Now I am kinda in a situation where I don't even want to pick the phone calls. Yes, the last exhibition was followed by a Cover Page by a magazine, two National Daily newspapers and some more local newspapers coverage and a TV channel broadcast. Since then, I have made a lot of new friends and also came in touch with a lot of old lost friends. Its a very good feeling and specially when they appreciate my art, but this doesn't mean that I can now stop paying the bills. At the end of the day I still have to pay my bills, eat my daily meal and survive. And when I say I am a struggling artist, I mean it. Why don't these people realize that this is my work and my livelihood, exactly like the way they go on to their daily work schedule. What would their answer be if I ask, "Can I take your one month paycheck because I really like your work?". Well, I hope now you get my point.

          Yes, I do free paintings but that's for charity purpose where I am supporting some genuine cause through some NGO's and will do so in future whenever or wherever I feel the need to. But please, yes please don't come and ask me to paint one for free for you. Just think about the price of a 250 ml tube of oil colors. Its anywhere between 300-500 bucks depending on the color for Christ Sake. Now let me not mention the price of brush, canvas, thinner etc.

Men's T-Shirt Design 1

          Well, that's about it and apart from that, recently me and some friends had decided to start an online business for online shopping and have been pretty much busy with the said business thingy. I should say, its going well on that side but as you know it, like any business, its in the initial stage and we are just hoping it works out well. For now its just investment and investment and advertisement , can't wait for the returns to happen...hahaha (Just kidding).

          As I said earlier, apart from the four paintings mentioned above, I did two more paintings but that's for charity purpose and I don't want to reveal much information on it. I prefer it that way. And one more painting as a gift to someone who has been very kind and help me and my friends a lot when we started out as an artist. Well, this person deserve it because where I came from, art is like a canyon in the desert and it has not been very easy for us in our journey, but this person has help us in reaching out to many people and also to our own people and it has been going good so far and we are so very much oblige.

Men's T-Shirt Design 2

          Apart from art and business thing, for sometime I have had some bad Insomnia bug caught up with me for over two months and did had some real frustrating times. Well, that's me every summer and I really wish this goes away from my body. But fortunately, today is the 8th day with proper sleep and so, I guess my mind is working perfectly good. Now, a little writing on the collection of short stories I am working on is what I plan to do along with the next art exhibition which me and my friends are planning and looking forward in the month of October/November if things work out the way we have planned. Please pray for us as were are meeting up a lot of people, advertising and also looking out for help from wherever possible. Some meetings has turned out to be very good but to be honest some of the meetings have really piss us off. I think that's the part of the game and there isn't much to complain about it for now. And yeah, I really miss my family these days. Its been over 6 months since the last time I met them and I really look forward to this Christmas to see them again. If you are from here, you know the reason why and if you aren't from here, then its just a long and boring story.

Men's T-Shirt Design 3

          And finally, these days I am also trying to save up some money as I am thinking of an art show back home from where I came from early next year.

          Its just a thought for now but I will talk more about it very soon. For now its better this thing stay in the dark because it will not make much sense to you right now if you aren't from around here (my place). And yes, I haven't wrote much about myself or where I came from to make things easier for you to understand. But these I will not do today, but I will very soon, I promise. Then you will understand what these lines really means to me or us. And oh...What do you think about these T-Shirts designs?

          And be blessed.

Magazine cover follows....

So, finally after a long wait North East Sun gave us the cover story. But unfortunately, the final print got something wrong and my article for which I spend three sleepless night o write twas given credit in my friends name. For correction, a fortnight to wait. That's too long, so here is the original article I wrote, "The Story Behind Our Recent Show" and I am pretty sure many of you will never get to see the actual magazine itself as it is only distributed in India. Of course, this article was printed with a little editing.

Me, Cynthia and Jithuw (From left)

I am not the best but I am one of the best and I pray, even Jithuw and Cynthia have the same thinking. I hope this is a good way to start off with our story. This is not my story, neither this is Jithuw Pfuzeh’s story, nor Cynthia Kolakhe’s story. This is our story. This is “Random Lives and North East India”. This is us. Though just the beginning, we have come a long way.

When Mr. Kallol Dey (Principal correspondent at North East Sun) requested me to write about us and the story behind our recent show “Random Lives and North East India”, in front of Café Coffee Day one fine evening, I readily accepted his offer on the spot. I knew what I was going to write. But then, when I started to penned it down, I realized I barely knew anything about either Jithuw or Cynthia. I was completely lost. I couldn’t even find a word to start with. It was like; the dictionary had just run out of words. This is very me (lost every time within myself) but I needed to start. This cannot be just another story. It has to be good. It has to tell our story. I seriously needed a journalist perspective.

September or October of 2010, we met Cynthia over a cup of tea at a common friend’s place. I don’t remember now if it was a morning or an evening. Jithuw and I were roommates for nearly two years at that time. It was not the best of time, but I guess everything has its best time and it came. I was not painting for nearly 5 years, just some random sketching on my sketchbook when I get bored. Colors were totally forgotten. Jithuw was in his third year. He was busy with his studies and as a roommate, I know, he was barely painting. He was rather actively taking part in posters making at college competitions. But Cynthia must have been painting seriously at that time. I heard she did a solo show and also, she was into T-Shirt designing in collaboration with a clothing store at Lajpat Nagar, because a friend text me to go and check out some of her creations. I didn’t go and that’s funny. But let me take a wild guess here as I don’t remember exactly, it must have been that day that the seed of “Random Lives and North East India” was sown somewhere within us. Of course, the name “Random Lives and North East India” didn’t take its birth at that point of time. It came in much later. It was not a day of introduction. We have met quite a few times. Especially during our Mao student union function in Delhi, where we collaborate with some of our few other friends and worked together as a team from interior designing to choreographing fashion shows. Actually, by then we had become quite a very good friend.

Me, Cynthia and Jithuw (Bottom to top)

Unlike any other projects that we had worked together previously, “Random Lives and North East India” was something personal and dear to every one of us individually. It was not a project completed within a week or two. It was our baby and it took its time to grow up. It first open its eyes within our laughter, it took its first steps over dinners, adolescence, then time for teenager came with confusion and dilemma and finally when the time came for our baby to take the world, we knew we would do everything within our limited capacities to bring out the best. There was no going back. We hired the best curator we could find, Kapani S Kolakhe. Then, Jithuw and Cynthia was running around and meeting up people for sponsorship. They were hardly sleeping. They didn’t mention it, but I knew it through their sleepy eyes (especially Cynthia, funny!!!). It was going rough and soon we couldn’t keep up with it. I quit my job but it didn’t bring in the desired result. It was frustrating and I guess it was the worst phase we went through. We didn’t know what to do first or last, or whom to meet. Already limited resources were draining up fast with no returns. One meal a day was a luxury of time we could afford. Sleep deprived and some people we met even added to the already grave situation. And unfortunately we had to delay our show. From far, quitting seems like the best option but that option we wouldn’t take. Then, the wind changed its direction.

Me with my recent work

Indus Flavors steps in, the first sponsor Jithuw and Cynthia could tap in. Then sevendairy.com opened us with a new window. Sponsors started to flow in, we grew even stronger. Time was very limited and we needed publicity. We had to divide our works; Jithuw and Cynthia would handle the sponsors and printing part, and I would run after the media. I ask our curator Kapani to go along with me. Hindustan Times agreed to do us a story and we are still very much thankful to that sweet lady at HT whom Kapani and I met. White Smile and JK Construction agreed for sponsorship. Asian News International agreed to broadcast us on DD News, Asian Age was going to give a very good story. North East India Foundation extended their hand of brotherhood and became one of our sponsors. Financial and moral help came in from visionaries and, from families and friends. And finally, one very sweet and beautiful young lady joined us through the journey and gave us a very beautiful and encouraging story through Morung Express.

Resident Commissioner, Mr. Jyoti Kalash and Deputy Resident Commissioner, Mr. John Chawang, Govt. of Nagaland, stood by us and willingly offered Nagaland House to showcase our works. North East Sun gave us the big brother hand from the beginning and still continues. Indo-Bhutan Photography (indobhutanphotography.com) left behind cherished memories through their amazing photographs and with their continual help since our journey started. It started as an individual dreams and most likely a social cause, if it ever worked out. Hopes were tiny but still were hopes. We needed a fire to kindle. And we got that from everywhere and everyone. Jithuw will later say “The theme Random lives and northeast India came as a random choice and so is my profession as an artist”. And to Cynthia, “it’s about our life with full of surprises and serendipity. Being open to unexpected turns in the road is an important part of success”. Two days exhibition and it turned out to be a big success. Crowds thronged the venue and Jithuw says, “Our exhibition brought in many media, hundreds of crowds from students to professors, diplomats, officers to retired persons, foreigners and many Delhites”.

The rectified version of the article i wrote

“Random Lives and North East India” is a journey of the three of us spanning over a year. A journey, through the path of inspirations and depressions, understandings and misunderstandings, laughs and fights but it did leave behind traces of us along the path through the success that we achieved after the show. It was a path less taken, I would say, by our own people. But we took it and we are proud for that.

@ToriWilsonMusic

    When I was 12, I don’t even remember what I did. But she is 12 and she is already touching hearts with her music and is fighting for a great cause. So, I don’t want this to be just another article on my blog. I want it to be more of a personal story of this person and her cause. A story of a person once a victim of ridicules and bully, because she wanted to follow her dreams. Now she is fighting back against this inhuman act/thinking and she is all prepared. This is the story of that amazing person. This is the story of an inspired kid. And this is the story of the cause she is fighting for. Meet Tori Wilson; the rising star on the horizon and she is here to rule. We just have to wait for the time. For time will tell us the story and this time not just a story, a great story.

     Tori Wilson goes to school in Long Island, New York, and like any other beautiful kids in the block, Tori likes to participate in school basketball, volleyball, dance and kickboxing and she is an avid reader and an artist. At the age of four, after doing a camp talent show Tori was inspired to become a performer. I guess at the age of four, I was still crying for food when I was hungry. I wish this was a joke. Anyway, Tori began appearing on commercial prints and TV shows. In 2008, Mr. David Doan, the casting director at Nickelodeon offered her to showcase her talent on the TV show. She was just eight and she found her true calling. There is no stopping since then. But unfortunately, there were people already trying to get her gone. After appearing for a Nickelodeon Thanksgiving special, Tori became a victim of ridicule and bully from the local kids. It must been worst for her. All possible attempts were made to conceal and preserve her talents but the world was too small to conceal a true gift and talent. Some of Tori performances became public and the situation got even worse. Her parents intervened. Tori currently attends a private school where she still passionately follows her dreams and hopes that one day it will make the world a better place for everyone to live.

     With the face of Dido and the spirit of Pink (it’s my opinion), Tori Wilson is trying her best within her limited capacities to spread the message that bullying is no good for anyone and she needs our helping hand in spreading this message to the people. As a victim of bully herself, Tori say, “The cause of bullying and working with the children means a lot to me. Bullying starts much younger and I feel that peer to peer intervention works much better and I am trying my best. Every time I hear, another kid has taken their lives due to bullying it enrages me even more. No one has the right to put down another to make themselves feel better. I think if we all took that simple approach of treating others how you want to be treated the world would be a much better place.” This is the messages that Tori wanted to convey in her single “Not Today” that has became Anti-Bullying Anthem which is giving other kids a hope and courage to take a stand and believe that there is a better world out there.

     Not in Tori’s exact word but I feel this is what she wanted to say to everyone;

“What do you say about?

That girl you pushed down the other day. She's already being abused at home.

That girl you called fat. She's starving herself.

The pregnant girl walking down the street. She got raped.

To that girl you called a slut in class today. She's a virgin.

The boy you called lame. He has to work every night to support his family.

The boy you made fun of for crying. His mother is dying.

The old man you made fun of cause of the ugly scars. He fought for our country.” I hope Tori agree with me.

   Tori Wilson has appeared on Eye on NY with CBS’s Dana Tyler, ABC’s One Life to Live with her message. She has also performed at Madison Square Garden, charity benefits shows including LI2 Day Breast Cancer, LI Chapter of Chrons and Colitis, Lexibean Foundation, Talk Therapy TV’s USS Intrepid and Robbies Run. The Mulchay’s show for Breast Cancer raised over fifteen thousand dollars and many more. Tori has written articles publish by Newsday several times, and was also invited by WPIX Morning News to share her song.

     Tori has been doing what she can do best and thankfully things are changing around her. Media outlets are taking notice and helping Tori spread her message. Enquiries are received as far as Bosnia asking if her songs could be used at the town assemblies. Tori constantly receive packages at home filled with letters from children thanking her along with videos children singing “Not Today”. That must be very heart whelming and I have this hope that you will join Tori’s fight for justice and she is counting on you.

     I haven’t met Tori Wilson personally; I only met her on twitter when she sent me a YouTube link of her new single “Not Today” which happened to be an amazing song with an amazing cause from a beautiful person with an awesome big husky voice. Now I know that she is call a little girl with the big voice and that Pink voice influence her. We have grown to be a good friends on twitter over a period of time but of course, I would like to meet her in person. And I am very glad and honored, when I ask Tori if I could write her story on my blog, she readily accepted and offered me with her details and story. Thank you. Anyway, Tori Wilson was not the first person who sends me YouTube link, but she was the first who tweeted me back. She was different, she was being a human and I already knew she was winning hearts.


     Currently, Tori is working on finishing her EP to make it an LP (Well, I have no clue what this EP or LP means). Anyway, she has 5 originals and is working on 4 more which she expects to complete it by this July.

Best wishes Tori and be blessed.
 


And please do remember to check out her video and maybe subscribe her.

Me and Charity, Continue....

           After my last post on Alicia Silverstone, things aren't going very good at this end. I sat down to paint but hardly any new inspirations has hit me lately. Even the one I am working on right now, I couldn't find the strokes I needed in me. So, I am kind of unemployed here on Facebook and twitter (hahaha).... Anyway, as I am a little free today and tomorrow, I wanted update what had happened after my last show.

Untitled. 

Medium:  Acrylic on Canvas.

Size: 24x36 Inches

Not For Sale 

           Its been quite a lovely journey. Two paintings done, as gift. One for lovely friend of mine which is till lying here in my room but I cannot post the picture of it yet, because my friend doesn't want me to post the pictures until she sees it first. So, I am kind of still waiting for her to collect it soon. I will update the picture as soon as she collects it.

           But here is the picture of the painting I painted for the children home. (The picture quality is bad and now I wish I had a phone with a better camera, blackberry camera s**ks. Anyway, here is what I could come up best with some editing).

      Very recently, I met one of my long lost childhood friend on facebook after almost 14 years. Its was heart warming and we exchange our phone numbers. Then, one evening he call me up and we spoke for nearly an hour over the phone. During this conversation, he told me that he and one of his uncle was running a children home for unprivileged kids. And as I found out that some of the children at the children home were very interested in paintings but have no clue how to start or most likely no opportunity. So, I assure my friend that maybe I could do something about that. And I told him that I was willing to paint the kids one painting as it was not possible for me to physically down go there and teach them (or at least at this point of time) as my friend live in another city.

          Later it seems my friend conveyed the message to the kids and the kids were very excited about my painting (and I was very excited too) and my friend also told me that they even wanted to see me (I hope that plan works out very soon). Well, this is what I came up with for them. My childhood dream to own a modified Ambassador car (no, still I don't have one).

         Last heard the kids were too excited to see the final work. Wow!!! I am even more excited then them.

Alicia Silverstone Defends Baby Feeding Technique

           Since the time of Aerosmith's "Amazing", I have been a big fan of Alicia Silverstone. Of course why wouldn't anyone fall for her beauty. And yesterday morning, I came across this wonderful and disturbing piece of news on paper and everywhere on the net about how Alicia Silverstone Defends Her Technique to feed her 10 month old son, Bear Blu. But before I continue, here is the news piece and two pictures which I find it very cute and adorable.

           "Alicia Silverstone has defended her controversial practice of feeding her son by passing chewed food directly from her mouth to his.

       The actress sparked a parenting debate last month after publishing video footage of herself demonstrating the technique with her son, Bear Blu, with some critics saying the practice is unhygienic.

           The "Clueless" star admits she never expected the clip to cause a media storm and insists the tactic has been used by moms for "thousands of years" to help toddlers adjust to solid foods.

         She says, "People have been feeding their kids that way for thousands of years. It's a weaning process. ... I think it's adorable and it makes me laugh every time he does it. He attacks my mouth and I think it's adorable. He also knows how to use his hands and he also eats regular food, so when babies are weaning, he still breast-feeds. Some people think that's disgusting too, which is insane. It's just a thing that has been going on for thousands of years."

         Despite the backlash, Silverstone has no regrets about sharing the video with online fans, adding, "Every time my husband goes to the YMCA, some guy comes over and says, 'That's how we do it in the South!' Between him getting those great comments and me knowing in my gut it's natural and lovely, I really wasn't trying to tell anybody what to do. I wasn't saying this was anything somebody should do. I wasn't trying to be independent or cause such a ruckus. I'm very glad that I did it."

           First of a all, I find it very cute and adorable (Alicia, I just loved it). And how can anyone say that its unhygienic. Yeah, maybe its unhygienic but if it is, then what about couples kissing. In the same line I guess then, kissing is the next 9/11. Maybe, declare kissing unhygienic or ban it, then come back and tell Alicia that the way she feed her son was unhygienic. Leave her alone and f**k off.

          Oooff.....that was harsh!!! and I hope all of you (desperate souls) didn't like it. But still I will continue. Maybe before even poking your smelly nose in another personal life, how about this? Go back to your mom and ask her how you were been feed when your were a little toddler. I guess Alicia Silverstone was right, it has been in practice for like thousands of years or even maybe since the time human race got their first baby. And I am pretty sure you were not an exception. Maybe you don't remember, that's not your fault, even I don't, just because we were too small to remember.

          Lastly, if how Alicia feeding was unhygienic then didn't it never occur to you that the population of human in the present world we live in would have been even less then 50% of what we are today. Many infants would have died due to infection and diseases and most probably you would have been one of the victim. Thank God!!! That didn't happened and you are still alive. So, stop complaining to your mother and think something constructive, rather then wasting your precious time with such bullshits.

          I am not a mother and will never be and I might never come to know of how it must have been to felt that very amazing feeling. But I am human and a man. And as a man, I just wanted to thank you all for raising us with the greatest love of humanity. We just hope and pray to love you back with the same love. Thank you Mom.

          I know, I shouldn't have wrote about this things on this page. It should have been just for my art thing, but still I felt the need to. Well, at least this is my page and I guess have the right to write whatever I wanted to. So, I did it and I hope you would agree with me. Thanks.