I recently ran an interview with Jane Smith about her wonderful illustrations and I was so pleased when she got back in touch to let me know about an exhibition of her work on India that’s taking place now. India is such a colourful country full of exciting sights, sounds, and smells, and Jane captures all of this perfectly in her eye-catching pieces, so I asked her to write a little bit about her exhibition and her time in India especially for Wanderarti. Take it away Jane…
I am an east London based artist and illustrator and have travelled widely in India over the years, always with sketchbooks, a few pens and my trusty, battered old box of watercolours.
I currently have a small exhibition in a cafe/restaurant in north London, the Haberdashery in Stoke Newington until 1 Feb 2015. I include some of the pieces here.
As can be imagined, India provides an unending visual feast, and it can be frustrating to see so much and not be able to draw it all.
With a friend, I spent a lot of time in a small village in Rajasthan called Kosana staying with a farming family from the Bishnoi caste, and we were very well treated and honoured guests, and got to know the extended family well. Here is the father, Birbal, sadly no longer with us and much missed, and a view of the village. We were also joined by some women from the Rabari caste, shepherds, who were more than happy to pose for me.
Birbal
Kosana
Rabari Women
We spent a lot of time in Bhuj, Gujarat, just a few weeks before the earthquake that destroyed large parts of the town and surrounding area. I was able to feature some of the drawings in the press here in the UK and to be able to send the fees as donations to the relief fund at the time. The town centre and palace pictured here were badly damaged.
Bhuj
Cows
Fortunately the boatbuilding yards in nearby Mandvi were affected less.
Boats
There were plenty of opportunities to draw crowd scenes, and it was always easier if it was possible to find a step, ledge or balcony for a vantage point, as the less visible I was the better, or I could have a crowd of fifty or more people watching. These scenes in Pushkar, Puri and Jodhpur were done from well-concealed spots on balconies.
Pushkar
Puri
Jodhpur
As well as human life, there was always plenty of animal and bird life to keep the sketcher happy, and cows were good for their shapes, and because they moved relatively slowly.
Cow
Crows
There were enough opportunities to spend time by the sea too, and again, it provides more than enough sketching material, including this Gujarati saddhu and the Goan fishing communities.
Sadhu
Fishing
I draw everything there that catches the eye. It is never ending.
You can see more of Jane’s work on her website and follow her sketching and travel escapades on Facebook and Twitter.
Have you been to India? What did you love most about it? Share your thoughts below!
