Botanica

Enrolling in Rutgers Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program has made plants of all types an ever expanding source of inspiration for my art. As part of the program I will be completing some of the required sixty  hours of volunteer work in the herb garden. The herbs above and below were created using papercut techniques.

Linked to Try it on Tuesday's Botanical Challenge and Paint Party Friday.

Paper Cut Art: Saffron

Papercut by Indira

Do-Something-Everyday, June 23, 2016

 Saffron, mainly used in the cuisines of India and the Middle East, is the most expensive spice in the world. It is derived from the flower of Crocus sativus.  Each crocus bears about four flowers, each with three red stigmas known as threads.

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

The threads are harvested by hand and dried to be used both as a flavoring and a colorant in food. Each flower produces about twelve threads and about 125 flowers are needed to produce one gram of saffron threads. The labor costs involved in the cultivation and the limited amount produced by the plants are the main reasons for the high cost of saffron. Thankfully, only a small amount is needed to add distinctive flavor and yellow color to food. To make the most of  the small amount of dried saffron, soak it in a few teaspoons of warm milk for a few minutes before adding it just as the dish approaches doneness. When buying saffron, which are sold at all Indian grocery stores, buy a small amount at a time, and store it in the freezer.

I love the taste and the color of saffron and it finds its way in many of the milk based desserts that I make. Below is Eggless Indian Tapioca Pudding topped with threads of saffron.  The complete recipe post is found here.

Thanks for visiting. Linked to Paint Party Friday.

Cut Paper Art: Cilantro

Do-Something-Everyday, June 9, 2016

 I picked up a bunch of fresh green coriander (also known as cilantro) while shopping for groceries. Coriander is heavily used in Indian cooking in pestos, sauces, dips and, as a garnish. Their fresh smell inspired me to make this paper cut.

The evergreen magnolias (magnolia grandiflora) have started blooming. This one was really huge. Each petal was about 4" wide. The petals are creamy white but in some light they look pale white. They don't make good cut flowers. Better to enjoy them them on the tree. The petals are so gorgeous that I am thinking of making a paper version of them. I think they will come out well with crepe paper. Will see.

Thanks for visiting. Linked to Paint Party Friday. Thanks to Eve and Kristin for hosting.

Gone Fishin'

Do-Something-Everyday, May 24, 2016

Cut- Paper-Art

I did this cut paper art on a black paper from an original sketch I did a few weeks ago. I layered it first on a printed paper to color the lily pads green. Then I layered it on a blue paper for both water and the sky. Then I cut out the text and layered it on white paper.  Below are some detailed shots.

I planted these irises almost twenty years ago. They still come up every year!

Thanks for visiting.

Linked to image-in-ing
Linked to moomania water challenge.

Cut Paper Art: Red Whiskered Bulbul

Do-Something-Everyday, May 19, 2016

Today I did a papercut out of a photo I took of a bird on a palm tree while travelling in Wayanad, Kerala. The bird is red whiskered bulbul, a bird common to Kerala. It  is not a particularly spectacular looking bird, but it cast a sweet silhouette against the morning mist shrouding the tree (see below).

What I made for Mother's Day

Instead of going out for lunch, I made kind of a gourmet lunch. First one is tomato-cumber yogurt salad; second is spicy (Indian) kidney beans; third is fried Indian bread. It was a very satisfying lunch.

Thanks for visiting.

Cut Paper Art: Shadow Play

Do-Something-Everyday, May 16, 2016

This is a henna hand design that I use often in my art.  I had originally drawn and painted it on a book page. Last night, I made a cut paper design out of one of them. Then I mounted it on a glass to get the shadow effect. This was bit of an experiment;  some parts of it turned out better than others.  I would like to improve the lighting part of it.

Thanks for visiting.

Do-Something-Everyday: Prince at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

https://instagram.com/p/BD29BXWh-85/

Do-Something-Everyday, April 27, 2016

Last Thursday Prince died. His death, like Michael Jackson's, saddened me deeply because I lived on their music during the first few years of my life in the US. He, along with Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna were the earliest torch bearers of the fledgling MTV and, his risque videos both shocked and captivated me. The apartment we had rented had free cable television and, 'Raspberry Beret, '1999' and Little Red Corvette' on endless loop kept me company

Do- Something- Everyday: Cut Paper Art Flora

Do-Something-Everyday: April 26, 2016

Cut paper art is something that I have always liked. In the past, I had confined myself to cutting maps. A few days ago, I picked up a book called The Art of Papercutting by Jessica Palmer. This book has inspired me to move  up my papercutting skills a notch or so.  The top picture is an original mixed media which I then made into a papercut. The one below is a watercolor painting of a tulip. After cutting it into shape, I mounted it on a bright yellow paper.