A traditional art form originated from the land of Gujrat, Mata ni pachedi is the pride of the nomadic Vaghari community. Mata ni pachedi translates to “ behind the mother goddess” a kind of regional cloth painting made for the worship of Matas. Living along the banks of the Sabarmati river in Gujrat, the inferior caste of the village was not allowed to visit the temples. Hence, they began creating the paintings about 3000 years ago. The Mata ni pachedi paintings were generally used as a backdrop or canopies in their temporary wooden temple as a symbol of devotion.

Painting is a very old form of storytelling and before we humans started developing our regional languages. Does it ever happen when you look at a painting for a long time, you start thinking what’s the meaning behind this painting, and what is so special about this painting? In this following discussion I would like to bring out one of the very special forms of Indian painting style called Pichhwai painting. Pichhwai paintings are a traditional art form originating from the town of Nathdwara in Rajasthan, India. These intricate and detailed works of art, usually done on cloth, are deeply tied to the worship of Lord Krishna, particularly in his form as Shrinathji, a representation of his child form. Pichhwai paintings are one of the devotional mediums in the Pushtimarg sect of Vaishnavism, founded by Vallabhacharya in the 16th century.

Oil painting is a process in which pigmented paints are incorporated with drying oils. It is considered to be one of the most respected types of art. World-famous paintings such as The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and The Kiss by Gustav Klimt were brought to being with oil paints. The most prevalent types of oils used in oil paintings are linseed, walnut, poppy seed, and safflower. Your pick of a certain kind of oil determines the impact on the paint’s properties and the canvas's outcome. The earliest oil paintings were done by a Buddhist artist In Afghanistan dating back to the 7th century AD. The Europeans used earlier oil paint for statues and wood. From the 12th century, its common use for painting began in Northern Europe, and during the Renaissance period usage of oil painting was heightened which led to the removal of the egg tempera paints for the panel paintings. As far as the orthodox icons and wall paintings are considered egg tempera and fresco were relevantly preferred.

Toys come in all kinds of fun shapes and sizes and they make for an important part of one’s childhood. Not only are they interesting to play with, but toys also help in the emotional and intellectual development of kids. Acquainting them with shapes, colors, sizes, etc, they are an effective way to learn concepts. While most people are enchanted by the toys imported from the West and other parts of the world, very few people know that india has a very rich heritage of handmade toys, especially wooden toys. These are made from a variety of materials like wood, clay, etc.

Negative space is a composition of space that is around or between objects or it may be called the “empty background,” those things that we aren’t usually conscious about in our daily lives. As it is shown in the above picture of sculptures of modern art made with white marble, the space around is the negative space. Similarly, in other art forms the area that surrounds and lies between a form or some object is the negative space, it is something that highlights the subject matter. ⁤To understand the concept of negative space in depth, we have to understand the concept of positive space as it excludes the main elements or compositions of the design. For example in a photograph of a long tree against the sky, the tree is the positive space as it is the only thing we can perceive against the empty sky. Another illustration might be a bitten apple, where the shape surrounding it and the positive space combine to create a unique and unforgettable silhouette. These two compositions together form a visual balance, influencing each other and impacting the aesthetics of an image or design. The deliberate use of these spaces allows artists and designers to create compositions that are visually appealing and convey meaning and emotion.