‘Bonding over art’ was the theme of Ekal New England’s first ever IndiArt Workshop held on last Sunday at Acton. Participants learned about traditional Indian art forms - Madhubani and Kalamkari, while connecting with their friends and family. Successful artist and committed volunteer, Raksha Soni and Ekal Youth Leader Sanjana Krishna set up a fantastic workshop, teaching the basics of the two art forms and helping participants with their own creations. Everyone surprised the teachers with their talent and left the venue with bright smiles and beautiful drawings.

The event began with Youth Leader, Sanjana Krishna, who demonstrated the basics of sketching and coloring in the Madhubani style. Characteristics of this art form include big eyes, natural objects such as the sun or moon, and distinctive geometrical patterns. She did a wonderful job of explaining the important parts of Madhubani. Mothers and daughters enjoyed making their first ever Madhubani painting. Avni Mishra, Shobana Sampath and Chhavi Tiwari Mishra helped the budding artists. After a short break, participants placed their drawings in the shape of letters - E K A L - truly coming together to support Ekal.

Next, Raksha Soni shared her expertise in the Kalamkari art form. Kalamkari is derived from the words qalam (pen) and kari (craftmanship), meaning drawing with a pen. This art form evolved in Andhra Pradesh, India. The Kalamkari style traditionally uses natural dyes and is hand-painted, while incorporating intricate details.  In this portion of the workshop, participants had to fill in most of these details. Although intimidated at first, they showed their talents with their decorative designs and vibrant choice of colors.

Ekal Vidyalaya continues to bring education to rural India. It is now running over 70,000 schools. There is still a long way to go. By supporting art, everyone supported Ekal and left with a better appreciation for the organization. Fun fact: Madhubani originated in Bihar, India and was practiced mostly by women, Bihar/Jharkhand is also the Ekal Vidyalaya hub, and 70% of Ekal teachers are women!

Cheers to Ekal New England volunteers for making this event a success. Special thanks to Raksha Soni, the mastermind behind this event. If you are interested in art, looking to spend quality time with friends and family, or just want to support a great cause, then attend the next workshop on August 25th. If you are even more inspired, please register for the Ekal Indi Art Competition, submissions are due by September 1st!  

For details, visit http://brushandpaisley.com/IndiArtEkal/ or email indiartekal@gmail.com

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