The Beacon - December 2023 & January 2024
Editorial Team : Harini Thiagarajan, Anishka Gogoi, Anvika Bheemarasetty, Guhan Thiagarajan
The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery. —Francis Bacon
〰️
The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery. —Francis Bacon 〰️
Showcase at Bellevue KCLS
Recent Highlights
Aditi Satrasala Showcase @Missouri
One of our students, Aditi Satrasala, participated in an artwork commission at the Thornhill Sian Luis County Library Branch in Missouri. Aditi put her heart and soul into creating a beautiful Madhubani art piece of an elephant, which was nothing short of stunning.
The project was a great opportunity for Aditi to showcase her artistic abilities. Aditi presented her artwork to Kathryn, the local librarian, during the first week of November. We are incredibly proud of Aditi and her achievements. It's inspiring to see our students using what they have learned to create something beautiful and share it with the community.
KCLS Bellevue Library
On December 2nd at the KCLS Bellevue Library, Deepti Designs gave a presentation on Madhubani art’s rich history and how it has empowered rural communities for generations. Volunteers Shriya Shaji, Aadya Bommineni, and Aradhna Praveen also got the opportunity to present their Elephant, Saraswathi, and Ganesha paintings respectively to the guests.
After the presentations, the volunteers helped run an art station where participants got to decorate keepsake wooden photo frames and coasters. The event, like all of our past library workshops, was very successful at educating the public on Madhubani art and spreading positivity! Here’s to similar future opportunities in the new year.
Redmond Winterfest
The Redmond International Winter Festival, hosted by One Redmond Foundation and Expressions Arts, was held at the Marriott in Redmond on December 2nd. Deepti Designs student Rama Panchapagesan hosted a booth at the festival with the intent of fundraising for a local animal shelter.
She sold an assortment of goods, including handmade earrings, hand-sewn sock stuffy koalas, and candles. She also displayed a couple of her Madhubani art pieces for guests to look at. The adorable table banner seen was also fully designed by Rama! On top of all of this, she hosted a free bookmark and holiday card-making event for the kids in support of Thoughtful Citizens, a non-profit group that serves the local community in various ways. Kudos to Rama for taking the initiative and making real change through art!
Bothell Rocks
In the heart of Bothell, our community embraced the Kindness Rock movement on December 2nd. Arunim Goyal showed our commitment by participating in the cleanup after Bothell's Christmas tree lighting event on Main Street. Bothell Rocks organizes free rock painting events for diverse age groups and communities, promoting creativity and spreading joy throughout our community. Be on the lookout for more Bothell Rocks events!
Merry Makers Cards
This year Deepti Designs took part in the annual Merry Makers Christmas card event. The Merry Makers is a virtual group of card-makers that create Christmas, birthday, and get-well-soon cards. In partnership with Santa for Seniors, they are providing these cards to several assisted living communities around the Pacific Northwest. In total, there were 9,668 Christmas cards, out of which 73 were created by Deepti Designs.
Reflections of 2023
As the year 2023 draws to a close, Deepti Designs reflects on the remarkable opportunities it has had to carry forward the Madhubani tradition. With gratitude, we look back on the year and the wonderful experiences that have helped artists grow and make a difference in their communities.
A/NT Gallery - March 2023
Through incredible opportunities to present at prestigious galleries like the A/NT Gallery, Seattle Art Museum, Artists on Ramps programs at WomenIkon, Northwest Folklife, and Bothell Culture Night, Deepti Designs was able to connect across several cultural opportunities to create wonderful avenues for budding artists to showcase and present their art. In addition to growing Madhubani techniques, students developed confidence in presentation and leadership, coupled with exciting opportunities and Creative Voices workshops. Adding to our school-wide creations like Kuteer, we welcomed the grand Govardhan Mural at the Bothell Hindu Temple and Cultural Center, amalgamating the efforts of over 35 artists/volunteers on a 13ft x 18ft space.
Milan Auction Piece - April 2023
Growing Deepti Designs’ global outreach and impact is an integral part of this year’s focus. Starting off with Art Focus Sessions to generate ideas for 5 vivid paintings touching on societal themes, numerous artists came together to realize these pieces for the Milan auction. The school was also able to interact across diverse communities in huge corporations like Google and Microsoft, as well as hosting several presentations and Diwali workshops at local libraries. The best one yet was being featured on King 5 News for Deepti Designs’ contributions to the Diwali celebrations.
Kathith - March 2023
Deepti Designs as a school equally grew with its accomplishments. Earlier in March, Deepti Designs partnered with various Indian heritage bearers and internationally renowned artists through Kathith to create accessible workshops from various Indian states. August was a trail-breaking opportunity for Deepti Designs—with its inauguration of the official Deepti Designs Studio, a feat that could not be accomplished without the support from our students, parents, and teachers. The Deepti Designs community got a chance to reminisce about this year’s huge success at the Young Artists Showcase at the Seattle Center, where students were honored for their wonderful achievements.
Seattle Center Young Artists Showcase - November 2023
Thanks, once again, for all the incredible support that made this year possible. Cheers to Deepti Designs for a successful year and looking forward to another!
Consular General Meet Up
Deepti Designs had a marvelous opportunity to meet and welcome Consul General Mr. Prakash Gupta, as the very first Indian consulate finds its presence in Seattle.
During the meeting, Ms. Deepti Agrawal and Ms. Nikita Thakalath got a chance to share their cultural practices with the Consul General and present him with a beautiful painting as a gesture of goodwill. The meeting proved to be a wonderful platform to introduce to CG Gupta with the Indian traditional arts and artists who are proud practitioners in the greater Seattle region and seek a 2-way flow of communication, opportunities and support with the counsalate.
It was a proud moment for Deepti Designs to represent the Indian culture and showcase their artistic talent to the esteemed Consul General.
Upcoming Events
&
Opportunities
Seattle Art Museum Mural Post-Production in Studio
Our studio is now open again for work on the community mural for the Seattle Art Museum. Since the project is in its final stages, the involvement now would be based on invitation only. The days and timings would be the following
Monday and Wednesday - 5-7pm
Thursday - 5-6pm
If interested, please reach out to Ms. Nikita Thakalath (425-894-5984 whatsapp only please) and express interest. We will try our best to accommodate everyone interested.
Seattle University Lecture
Seattle University is hosting artist Ms. Deepti Agarwal as a guest faculty on February 5th with their Department of History of Art and Museum Studies. The lecture, “Madhubani Painting - An Ancient Art that Tells Stories!” explores the cultural heritage of Northeast India through this type of art form.
Agrawal, an enthusiast of this style since childhood, examines the evolution of Madhubani, shedding light on its history and significance. The talk will show hidden stories behind iconic artworks from the early 1900s, offering insights into the cultural narratives in the ancient art form. Ms. Nikita Thakalath will accompany Ms. Agrawal for the talk and the presentation.
A/NT Gallery
After the grand success of last year's showcase, our school has been invited again to showcase our artists’ works at A/NT Gallery, a prestigious art gallery in the compound of Seattle Center. The show will exhibit about 40 pieces of Madhubani artwork for the entire month of March. The artists will volunteer in installation and wind up. There will be a formal opening reception where artists will present their pieces. At the Closing Ceremony, we will host a free art workshop at the gallery.
There is a $40 participation fee per artist to cover the cost of the event. Please reach out to Ms. Nikita Thakalath (425-894-5984 whatsapp only please) ASAP if you would like to participate.
On the gallery's request, we plan to keep the signed prints of students’ paintings for sale this time.
Check out the highlights of last year's show in the video below
Shantiniketan Brushes On Sale!
Looking for some high-quality paintbrushes to start the new year with? Look no further! We have just received a fresh shipment of handcrafted professional-grade paintbrushes all the way from India. Created by skilled artisans from Shantiniketan, these brushes are available in four different sizes: 000, 00, 0, and 1. With limited stock available, these brushes are priced at $2.25 each.
If you're interested in procuring, simply Zelle or Venmo the amount and let us know which sizes you would like. For in-person pick ups, we will have them available in class. If you're an out-station student, we can ship the brushes to you for an additional $5.75.
Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to upgrade your painting tools! The following link could also be used for the purchase
Vyakhya Blog Launch
We are taking the entries for Vyakhya again in the new year. The art blog is managed by Aadya Bommineni and Aradhna Praveen. Each month, the blog will showcase three artists and their paintings, all of which will be related to the theme of the month and categorized by quarters.
The first month of each quarter will focus on paintings that represent a holiday or cultural festival of that month, while the second and third months will feature three paintings each, including the artists' personal favorites.
Students who are interested in participating can submit their paintings and descriptions via email, and they will be given at least one chance to showcase their work per quarter. Selected students will need to attend meetings and adhere to strict deadlines for submitting their paintings and captions. This is a fantastic opportunity for young artists to display their work and gain exposure on a public platform. To learn more and participate, please click the tab below.
Kathith Events
Upcoming
Gold Leaf Workshop
Kathith’s next workshop features art from the royal city of Jaipur, The Rajasthani Gold Leaf Art. Mr. Hemraj Kumawat, who is based in Jaipur, will lead the workshop.
He is passionate about supporting the traditional arts of Rajasthan and has helped revive Thikri art as well as gold leaf work. A supply kit with authentic traditional material from Rajasthan will be mailed to participants, where it will be used in a composition in the Jharokha style.
The workshop will be held online on January 27th and 28th from 8:30-11 am.
Previous
Kaavi Kale
The four-day Kaavi Kale workshop recently held in November, has wrapped up! Kaavi Kale reformer Dr. Janardhan led the program, teaching in detail the ancient monochromatic art style from scratch. Participants painted a block with the original Kaavi and got to etch the designs with the use of some geometry tools. The name Kaavi Kale itself translates to “red oxide art form,” reflecting the red pigment made from soil that is then applied to walls. The beautiful art form originates from the Konkan region of India and is actually on the verge of extinction. Kathith is very thankful to Dr. Janardhan for helping in its revival. Stay tuned for other such workshops by following Kathith on Instagram!
Traditional Digital Art
Ms. Supraja Ganesh of Aditiyeva Studio has just recently wrapped up a 12-session course on traditional digital art. The beginner-friendly course was taught in Adobe Illustrator, and Ms. Ganesh expertly navigated the possibilities of digital art with the students without diluting the traditional aspect.
The participants learned about various digital art tools and after completion, received an opportunity to intern with Kathith in the future.
They are now working on their personal portfolios. Keep up with Aditiyeva Studio and Kathith on Instagram to learn about future digital curriculum batches!
Kolam Workshop
Sikku Kolam, a traditional art from Tamil Nadu, was recently featured in an online workshop on January 6th and 7th. Kolam, at its core, is an intricate pattern in which a line goes around dots in a grid and returns to the beginning point. The designs seamlessly loop without distinct starting or ending points, forming a symmetrical and geometric visual. The art form provides great mental stimulation and is even considered a form of yoga due to the positions of the body when making kolams on the floor and the mind-body connection it fosters.
Taught by Ms. Supraja Ganesh of Aditiyeva Studio, the workshop was a huge hit and garnered countless positive comments and feedback, with one participant saying “I really loved the workshop and found it intellectually stimulating. The number of designs one can create with just a few alphabets is mind-blowing. If given the opportunity, I would love to attend the workshop again!” Learn more about Sikku Kolam and future workshops by following @kathith.kala on Instagram.
The workshop was offered free of cost to all the existing Deepti Designs students!
Works of one of the participants, Sanghamitra Borgohain
Meet Our New Editor
Meet Guhan Thiagarajan, our latest newsletter team member! He is a high school freshman and has been practicing art for two years, and now he is here to bring a new perspective to the newsletter.
We are glad to have him as an editor, and you can look forward to his contributions to our newsletter!
Featured Artists
This month’s featured artists are Sivathmika and Oumsri R. Priya. These two young artists have worked hard on their paintings and have a little bit to say about them.
Sivathmika
Let's hear from Sivathmika, one of our younger artists. “My name is Sivathmika, l am in 5th grade at Tambark Creek Elementary. I recently joined Deepti Designs and the first project I did was The Sun Project, I call it - “The Vibrant Sun”. This project symbolizes the Hindu culture because the sun is believed to be the source of all life. One of my favorite parts of this piece is the Kachni because it really makes the Sun’s face pop out. Some colors I used in this piece are yellow, red, orange, green, and black.”
Oumsri R. Priya
Now let's hear from Guhan. My name is Oumsri R. Priya and I am a 2nd year student at UW studying bioengineering. In my art, I portray the significance of the nine days of Navratri through nine goddesses. Each goddess is distinguished by a unique color scheme and attire, enhancing their presence as incarnations of Goddess Parvathi. I have depicted these Hindu goddesses with symbolic items, embodying their strengths to combat evil, as highlighted in our mythological stories.
Activity Time
This month’s game is a Nonogram! You can use the digits to create a pattern of filled-in squares in the empty grid provided. Each number on the lines outside the grid represents a block of squares to be blacked out in that row or column. There will always be a space between a group of filled squares in the same row or column.
Hint : It is a simple shape
Click on the picture to get lead to the online version or take a screenshot and solve it on your phone using markups. Once the puzzle is done, please email it to newsletter.thebeacon.dd@gmail.com for a chance to get featured in next month's newsletter.
