Palm Leaves and Palm Designs

Today we went to DakshinaChitra, which is artist's village about 45 minutes out of town.

See the scoop at http://www.dakshinachitra.net/

The idea is there are traditional arts and crafts, dancing, and recreations of old-style living from different parts of India. It was interesting and fun, but at first I thought we had driven there for just the usual hard sell. Lots of friendly vendors with many wares. But the first thing we saw I liked. It was traditional palm leaf art. They dry the palm leaves and cut them into rectangular strips. The strips are strung together like blinds. But first they are decorated.

The shot above shows one of the steps. They sketch in the design and then cut it into the palm with a thin, precise knife; like an Xacto.

Then the wash it with an ink. The ink goes in the cut like a tattoo and washes off the slick surface of the palm. He was describing this as he did it, carelessly sketching in some swirls. When he washed off the ink, a delicate, swan with perfect lines appearred.

But the kicker was that the art also has these circular doors built into it. You flip them open like advent calendars and the picture changes. Each one flips both ways, so you get three pictures in all. Good morning, good afternoon and good evening he quiped as he flipped them over.

Themactically, the art has a slick, linear quality that reminds me of Japanese prints. Of course most of the work is around religious themes and stories. Krishna was a popular subject, and his pieces often had little couples inside the little windows, all Karma Sutra style. You know I bought one of those.

I also picked up a painting on silk of a bird from a different vendor. Very fine detail and line work.

And speaking of ink sublimation and line work; along the way we encountered an old woman doing mendhi. Val had wanted to get some of this henna art and signed up right away.

The process seemed effortless to the woman, who spoke very little English. She just looped her brush and the perfectly-even chocolatey lines flowed into an intricate pattern.

It took probably five minutes and cost about a dollar. After a half hour or so, Val washed off the henna and revealed a surprisingly-orange pattern. It should last a few weeks.
The woman was gracious and amused and probably the highlight of the morning.

Afterwards, in a theme that is becoming popular, we went back to the hotel to bum around the pool. After a while of doing nothing, a movie crew suddenly showed up and started filming a scene of a couple talking near the pool. We couldn't understand it; something to do with treasure? When the exited on camera, they walked by us, so I gave them the thumbs up. There was no re-take so look for me in a scene from something called E Action from Kollywood sometime soon! Yes! Art and theater all around me!