Playing with colours....continues...

Recently in Mumbai, i got the sharaf of presenting a glass painting  of Hutaib mubarak painted by me, in the Hazrat of Aali qadar Mufaddal Maula (tus). Aaliqadar Maula(tus) accepted it , and blessed me with a benevolent smile.  While i was rushing to saifee mahal to present the painting, i realized that i had not clicked any photo of the painting. But it was too late by then. So i just managed to click a couple of  hazy photos using my outdated mobile :)

And here are some of my glass paintings.

And these two paintings i gifted to two of my friends when they shifted to their new homes in mumbai.

I experimented with oil pastels on canvas and this is what i got...

Not too happy with the result, i  re-painted it with oil paints ;


And this is one of my oil paintings ;

I bought a plain white t-shirt, and to make it more interesting added some colors to it;



This is how i had fun with colors during my vacations ;)  and i got myself loads of colors and art material and now i am looking forward to experiment with new mediums.
p.s. If you want to see more of my work then  have a look at my posts "playing with colors" and "expressing with colors" on this blog!



The Kite Runner

I recently finished reading 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini. It is one of those books that leave a deep impression on mind, that make us pause during the hustle bustle of our daily lives, and think! Though the story is set in Afghanistan , but it rises above time and space , because it deals with issues that are universal. It is a story about friendship, loyalty, betrayal, longing for acceptance, courage, regrets, redemption and survival.

The story revolves around two boys _ Amir_ a privileged blue blooded Pashtun, and his Hazara servant boy _ Hassan. The two boys grew up together, Amir _ timid by nature, and Hassan_  courageous and  fiercely loyal and devoted to Amir. Amir is desperate to gain the approval of his father who it seems is more fond of Hassan than his own son. He resolves to win the local kite-fighting tournament to prove that he has the makings of a man. His loyal friend hassan_the fastest kite runner_ promises to help him. But neither of the boys could foresee what would happen to Hassan on the afternoon of the tournament, and what price he would have to pay to help Amir, which was to shatter their lives. And thus Amir's life becomes a long journey of regrets and remorse and finally redemption!

What i liked most about the book is its vivid description of Afghanistan. As soon as we think about Afghanistan , our mind conjures up an image of a country torn by war, landmines, Russians, drugs, mujahedeen and Taliban. But the author describes the old Afghanistan of 1960s and 1970s and he does a wonderful job! He paints a captivating picture of Afghanistan, with descriptions of the beautiful city of Kabul, snow covered mountains, and afghan tradition and culture. And then he paints another picture_that of Afghanistan after Russian invasion, and after years of war and Taliban, and the transformation is shattering. The contrast is devastating and it brings a lump of tears to the throat.

One more thing that i enjoyed while reading the book is the use of Farsi terms. There are words like Tashakor (thank you), Nang and Namoos (Honour and pride), Khastegar (suitor), Khoshteep (handsome), zendagi migzara (life goes on), and the wedding song _ Ahesta boro, Mah-e-man-Ahesta boro (Go slowly,my lovely moon, go slowly) . The use of Farsi terms deepens the Afghan touch of the book.

The phrase that has stayed with me from the book is ; "For you a thousand times over!" When Amir cuts the last kite in the kite flying tournament, and Hassan runs to bring that kite for Amir, Amir tells him ; 'Hassan! come back with it!" And the ever loyal Hassan replies; "For you a thousand times over!" This one sentence sums up the silent, undying and sacrificial love of Hassan for Amir. And this same phrase is repeated by Amir after almost twenty six years to Hassan's son, as a way of redemption and seeking forgiveness. Finally his conscience forgives him. Life has come full  circle for him!