Folk Art Paintings of Patachitra

Patachitra

Orissa craftsmen, generally create paintings on cloth, in the form of scrolls. These paintings are known as Patachitra and mainly depict stories pertaining to Jagannath temple of Puri. Mainly cotton or tussar silk is used and coated with a mixture of chalk, tamarind seed and gum to give the surface of the cloth a leathery texture. These paintings are created in the form of scrolls. These painted scrolls depict mythology and stories relating to various gods and goddesses. These paintings are known for bright vibrant colors and distinct lines.

Decorate Your Wall with Tribal Paintings

Wall paintings and floor painting, apart from serving ritualistic purposes, are believed to create a harmonious atmosphere in the house. A broad border painted around the house along its base lends a grandeur to the dwelling. The front wall of the house separates the withing from without, the familiar from the foreign, the known from the unknown and must therefore be safeguarded. Any such decoration on the outer walls of the house is meant either to seek the protection of the Goddess or to ward off evil. The entrance of a house is also an important site for relief work in some tribal communities, such as the Agarias and Gonds. Simple decorations of ochre and mud on the platforms for keeping earthen pitchers, and on the four sides of the windows add color and charm to the surroundings.The decoration of the house, whether painting or relief work, is the responsibility of the women. Bas relief work is usually done on the inner walls of the house, around the central courtyard. It is usually done during the construction of the house when the wall is still wet. The wall rubbed clean so as to obtain a smooth texture. Dowels or pinches of clay are auickly and deftly applied directly on the mud walls to form ridges, lines, curves and dots, i order to produce the desired shapes. The motifs are the same as those found in painting: geometric patterns, foliate forms, lotuses, elephants, horses, other animals and human figures. Similar relief work also appears on grain storage bins. These bins of clay and husk made by women are quite massive. As opposed to the wall paintings, the bas relief work is a permanent fixture and lasts as long as the wall does.

India Arts and Crafts - Folk Art Paintings

The earliest examples of Indian art are the work of Stone age cave dwellers whose paintings, the oldest dating back to over 50,000 years BC, still survive on the rock walls of their primitive homes. Crude but lively, they were executed in a wide range of natural pigments, depicting hunting scenes with large wild animals like the bull and stick figures engaged in ritual activities.

No other evidence now remains of the development of Indian painting in the last few centuries BC. but by the 5th century AD cave murals had reached a very different level of sophistication. In the great Buddhist cave temple systems at Ajanta. In Maharashtra, the world's finest examples of religious wall paintings cover the surfaces of chamber after chamber with astonishingly well crafted scenes from Buddhist lore, the soft mineral colors retaining their richness down the ages. In the Deccan, fragments of 6th century Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cave temple murals show the influence of south indian painting, using few,but strong colors.

On a smaller scale, the palm-leaf miniatures of the medieval east Indian pala dynasty echo something of the style of Ajanta. These paintings illuminated Buddhist texts, written on palm leaves sewn between wooden covers, and exhibited exquisite nuances of color and line. In contrast, the palm leaf paintings of the Jains in western India were more angular and stylized, the colors bold and simple.

FolkArt Painting From India

Asian Art Miniatures India Folk Paintings are practiced in Jaipur and Bikaner regions of Rajasthan. Miniatures paintings are intricate, colorful handmade illuminations or paintings, small in size, executed meticulously with delicate brushwork. The colors used in the Asian art miniatures are derived from minerals, vegetables, precious stones, indigo, conch shells, pure gold and silver. These Asian art miniatures recreate historical episodes or tales of mythology in Schools that have come to be identified with the different kingdoms that merged in Rajasthan. Fine brush strokes signify miniatures from Jaipur and Udaipur. The colorful illuminations, which captured the fancy of the royalty and aristocracy, emerged in the medieval period. The illustrated manuscripts of Jains and Buddhists, and the flowering of the Mughal, Rajput, and Deccan Miniatures are noted for their meticulous execution and artistic skills. The fine stroke of brushes conveyed the themes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagvata Purana, Rasikpriya, Rasamanjiri, etc.These masterpieces of yore have a universal appeal which still touches the right chord of the audience. The irony of history never ceases to amaze. The mighty Himalayas nurtured in its western valleys, a School of Paintings known as the “Miniature”.

Batik art- Batik art of India Asian paintings come from Bengal. Batik art refers to the art of dyeing fabric by making use of resist techniques, covering areas of cloth with a dye resistant substance to prevent them from absorbing colors. The technique of Batik art dates back a thousand years and can be traced to India. Batik art is created in several ways like splash method, screen printing method, and hand painting one is by a Kalamkari pen. As patterns are applied by actual drawing rather than by weaving with thread, the artists can put forth their best in terms of creativity and imagination. The Batik art fabric is in high demand as dress materials, designer home decor and also as forming an important part of contemporary fashion accessory.
Gond paintings- Tribal art of India Gond paintings of Madhya Pradesh, specially the wall paintings of Bundelkhand, Gondwana, Nimar and Malwa are living expressions of the village people, deeply linked with their day to day lives. They are not mere decorations but also instant expressions of their religious sentiments and devotions. The tribal art Gond paintings, based on local festivals of India.
Kalamkari painting- Folk art of India Kalamkari painting is pen drawings on cloth. Andhra Pradesh are famed for Kalamkari paintings. This folk art form derives its name from kalam or pen, which is used to trace outlines patterns and images. The Kalamkari technique involves drawing outlines with burnt tamarind twigs dipped in molasses and iron fillings.
Madhubani Paintings- Rare Indian Art and Crafts From a Village in India Madhubani Paintings From North India. Madhubani is a small village in Bihar, in India. This undistinguished little village is the heartland of the internationally acclaimed school of folk art painting called 'Madhubani' or 'Mithila' painting.

Folk Arts of India, Madhubani Paintings

Seven years back I visited Madhubani in Bihar, a state in eastern part of India. Madhubani had already built a name for itself as a major centre for folk arts of India. I met about ten artists there, mostly women. I was amazed by the quality of their workmanship. Some of these artists had already made their name, winning coveted national awards. Some had even visited US, Europe and Japan to showcase their skills.

I learnt that this form of Folk Art started by decorating earthen walls in homes. Women would express their social and cultural life in their paintings on the walls.

Gradually, they began to practise this art form on handmade paper. In order to provide strength to paper, the artists would first treat the paper with cowdung. After that they would draw imageries in pencil drawings. Finally they would fill in color that were actually extracts of locally grown vegetables and flowers.

Themes used in Madhubani paintings are real life situations, ranging from birth, growing up, marriage, child's birth, to eventual death. Some of the paintings are quite poignant.

I was however disturbed by one aspect. Creating folk art was the only means of livelihood for several families here. In India, there are not enough buyers of folk art, even though many rich people spend fortune on some shoddy works of modern art. Consequently most families in Madhubani remain quite poor, despite their high skill level in art and painting.

Shalini Verma, a woman entrepreneur and a native of Bihar, sells Madhubani Painting online though amazon.com. Browse through Madhubani paintings at amazon. You might just fall in love with folk arts of India.