#Handmade Paper In India

[kalpanahandmadepaper]

Buy Handmade Paper online - Kalpana Handmade paper industries

[uwmspeccoll]

Staff Pick of the Week

Growing up near the Ganga River in the cultural wellspring of Mithilia, Rambharos Jha spent much of his childhood observing the natural world and traditional arts of the region. When his father began working with a government project to breathe life into local art traditions, Rambharos had the opportunity to study Madhubani women painting walls and courtyards in their renowned Mithilia style utilizing natural dyes and pigments to depict people engaging with nature and deities.  

Inspired by these encounters, Rambharos began his artistic painting career in line with the traditional motifs of Hindu mythology but has since evolved his practice to better represent his personal experiences and experimental mediums. Waterlife, published in 2012 by Tara Books, is a culmination of Rambharos’s efforts to balance the delicate traditions of Mithilia art with his contemporary ideas. Waterlife is silkscreen-printed by hand on handmade cotton paper and masterfully plays with adding movement and new subjects and environments to the classic Mithilia medium marrying Rambharos’s childhood memories and folk legends.  

View more Staff Picks here.

-Jenna, Special Collections Graduate Intern 

[lubartdesign]

Watercolour practice

[paper-nest]

2025 Calendar India: A Complete Guide to Indian Holidays

The 2025 Calendar India provides a comprehensive list of holidays and festivals in India. Plan your year ahead with this detailed

calendar, including Indian cultural events and public holidays.

[thegreenchapter]

Buy The Best Gift Set For Kids That Is Educational And Eco-Friendly

The process of choosing the best gift for a child online is not just as simple a job as it sounds. When we bear in mind that nowadays everything revolves around sustainable growth, people should also think about how green their conquest presents. The Green Chapter has come up with an exceptional answer: Kids Sustainable Gift Set which mixes instruction with nature friendliness hence making it suitable as a present for any young child.

Reasons for Selecting Eco-Friendly Gifts

Eco-friendly gifts go beyond mere fashion, they are considered deliberate selections to ensure brighter futures. To enable children to understand the significance of taking care of our environment, one can purchase the best eco-friendly gift sets Online. Such gifts usually comprise items made from natural, recycled, or biodegradable substances which helps in minimizing their carbon footprints and urges children to comprehend the repercussions of their behaviors on this planet.

Our Sustainable Gift Set is ideal for children for fun and learning in a manner that respects Mother Nature. This blog will explore what makes this gift set distinct from the others and why anyone should give it to their young ones.

What's Inside the Our Kids Sustainable Gift Set?

This set for gifting to children is a collection of items that are educational and eco-friendly in nature.

5 Newspaper Pencils: Our pencils are made from recycled newspapers, converting trash into a creative tool. This means that students can learn about recycling by using these pencils and how everyday objects can be made from materials that have been used before.

5 Seed Pencils: The seeds inside these unique pencils grow when one has finished using them. When the pencil grows short, you can plant it in the soil as it is, and with little care, a full-grown plant will be there. Such knowledge enables learners to understand how plants grow and why taking care of them matters.

1 Seed Paper Poster: This Eco-Friendly Educational Gift for kids comes with a seed paper poster which is a type of eco-friendly paper with seeds inside. After finishing with the poster, children will be able to plant it in soil and watch it sprout making sure that they remain learning beyond their class lessons.

1 Grow Kit: The grow kit is fully equipped with all the necessary materials to start a small home garden. It serves as a delightful method for children to learn about gardening, responsibility, and the satisfaction of growing personal plants.

Why this Gift Set is Ideal for All Kids This gift set is appropriate for any age group of children. Whether it is a birthday, holiday, or simply as a token of appreciation, this is something one can give at any time during the year. The joy of watching seeds sprout into plants and the awareness that they belong to an environmentally friendly environment are what make this present special.

Also, it concurs with contemporary principles of eco-friendliness which both their parents and them will cherish equally.

Conclusion At The Green Chapter, we offer Buy Eco-Friendly Corporate Gift Set, Eco-friendly Shopping Bags Online, and many more along with gift packs for kids. These gifts mean sending environmental education, artistic skills, and environmental decision-making to everyone. A recipient of your gift would be happy to contribute towards greenery. Just like this unique and informative kit, is considered when shopping for an appropriate present for someone who is still young enough to learn this way. Such things are what they will always appreciate and treasure when they grow up.

[sepiksredux]

Remembrance

Watercolor & India Ink on Handmade cotton paper

[solarpunkbusiness]

‘Golden Feathers’, an Indian startup, upcycles chicken butchery waste into ‘wool-like’ fibre

Radhesh Agrahari is the founder of ‘Golden Feathers’, which upcycles chicken butchery waste into a ‘wool-like’ fibre and handmade paper. Using this waste as raw material, the startup manufactures shawls, quilts, stoles, diaries, fish feed and manure.

What started as a classroom project 13 years ago at the prestigious Indian Institute of Crafts and Design in Jaipur, is now a sustainable business working with 1,200 tribal women of Rajasthan who weave and spin the waste into fibre.

“Firstly, we collect waste from slaughterhouses and then we sterilise and sanitise it in a hygienic way using 100 degrees steam process to kill the various worms present in the waste. Using our patented technology, we use natural ingredients to process the waste into wool-like fibre which is similar to pashmina,” he says.

“Feathers themselves are lightweight and using that, we are able to make natural wool-like fibre similar to cotton, jute, wool, and silk. This woollen fibre is soft, warm and durable,” he adds.

For this purpose, Radhesh says he has trained 1,200 tribal women of Rajasthan who weave and spin the waste into fibre. Feathers which are not good for spinning are used to make handmade paper or converted into fillers for quilts, jackets, and pillows. In this process, the byproduct of chicken butchery waste is converted into compost and fish feed.

The company units are established in Jaipur and Pune. According to him, they sell the products in B2B business, generating an annual revenue of Rs 1.5 crore. So far, the startup has claimed to have diverted 73 lakh kg of chicken butchery waste from polluting the environment.

For his work, Radhesh has received at least 25 national and international level awards, including The German Design Award, Lexus Design Award, and Swachhata Startup Award.

“Personally, the journey from being a designer to an innovator has been extremely fulfilling for me. I always strived to do impact-driven work and received many awards and recognition for it. We are working at a small level but wish to expand this pan India,” he shares.

[art-killed-the-superstar]

day 11!! baby boy odyn inherited a love of comic books from his late uncles but it's hard to come by india ink and screen tones in the apocalypse, so what's his go-to? handmade paper zines, of course!

[kalpanahandmadepaper]

[banteredbrevity]

✨Bold strokes, vivid colors, and timeless stories—Kalighat paintings weave tradition and modernity into a canvas of culture and critique. 🎨

Kalighat Paintings are a distinctive art form that originated in the vicinity of the Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata, West Bengal, during the 19th century. Initially created as religious souvenirs for pilgrims, these paintings evolved into a sophisticated medium that depicted social themes, folklore, and contemporary issues of the time.

Key Features of Kalighat Paintings

Bold, Simplified Lines

Known for their fluid, sweeping brushstrokes, Kalighat paintings use bold and clean lines, creating a sense of movement and simplicity.

The lines were often inspired by traditional Indian calligraphy.

Vivid Colors

These paintings typically employ natural dyes and pigments, resulting in vibrant, eye-catching compositions.

Themes

Religious Motifs: Depictions of Hindu deities such as Kali, Durga, and Lakshmi were common, reflecting their origins near the Kalighat Temple.

Social Satire: Over time, the artists began addressing contemporary issues, critiquing the hypocrisies of the British colonialists, the zamindars (landlords), and societal norms.

Everyday Life: Scenes of Bengali culture, daily activities, and traditional lifestyles were also captured.

Mythological Stories: Stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other epics were frequently illustrated.

Medium and Material

Traditionally painted on scrolls or handmade paper using natural brushes and colors.

The art was later transferred to canvas and other materials to meet growing demand.

Stylization

Figures are typically flat, with minimal shading, emphasizing two-dimensionality.

The focus is often on the main subject, with little or no background detail.

Historical Context

Origins:

Kalighat paintings began as a means for local patuas (folk artists) to sell affordable religious art to the numerous pilgrims visiting the Kalighat temple. Over time, the art form gained popularity beyond its religious roots.

Cultural Commentary:

In the 19th century, the Kalighat artists began incorporating social commentary into their work. They critiqued colonial rule, addressed gender issues, and depicted urban life, making the art form both reflective and progressive.

Decline and Revival:

The advent of machine-made prints in the late 19th century led to a decline in Kalighat paintings' popularity. However, their significance was later revived by art historians and collectors who recognized their artistic and cultural value.

Influence on Modern Art

Kalighat paintings influenced many modern Indian artists and art movements. Their use of bold lines and minimalistic forms is seen in contemporary artworks.

They remain a source of inspiration for designers, illustrators, and folk artists, blending traditional aesthetics with modern themes.

Present-Day Kalighat Paintings

Today, Kalighat paintings are celebrated as an important part of India’s artistic heritage. They are often reproduced on canvases, textiles, and digital platforms. Their blend of simplicity and narrative power ensures their relevance in both traditional and modern contexts.

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[mihai-florescu]

Ive been on this account for 10 years and i wanted to remember the times i've met with people tumblr has brought into my life since my early teen years. I may not talk to some anymore (not for any particular reason, we just grew apart) but i still treasure our memories and wish them the best!

-Alex, whom i met through our shared love of musicals when she was still in middle school. We're from the same city and met to go to the theatre, and she has been my irl ever since to the point i forget this is how we met actually. As time went on we did develop a bunch of irl school and extracurricular acquaintances, i dont think any of them know how we actually met lol. Actually maybe one person, whom i also met through tumblr but she went to my high school so im not sure if it counts... if it does add her to the list too. She gave me her copy of radio silence in the early days of the pandemic and i shared loveless with her (i didnt really like the latter:/)

-India, my first internet friend. We had been friends for years and at 16 i flew with my mom to ireland for a few days to see wicked together. See how it all goes back to musicals for me... she now works in theatre and im so happy seeing the occasional instagram story, even if we eventually grew apart. I think about you a lot

-Maura, whom I started talking to while living in the US, and asked if she'd like to drive from west virginia to dc while i was on a trip. Her mom was outside in the car iirc, i infiltrated her into my hotel room, and we just chatted for a bit until the chaperones came to check and lock us in... i hid her in the bathroom, and then snuck her out with a hood on while the chaperones were talking to the room next to ours right before sticking those papers into the door that would tell them in the morning if anyone opened it overnight. The random girls i was paired to share a room with thought it was creepy im bringing a stranger to the room but like... tsk, you just dont get it. She's not a stranger, she's a mutual. Go back to breaking up with your american boyfriend over the phone.

-Anna, who saw I was depressed on main 2 years ago and said she'll come to my city to buy me bubble tea. And then we walked around and had ramen too and i learned she was skipping school to be here. A lovely day in an otherwise shitty semester.

-Moth, probably the only person you'd know if you follow me for enstars since, well, they're the himeruP mutual ever. Fun geography fact, belgium isnt a real country, it's just a backdrop for us to hang out. They build it up and tear it down just for us every time. They have such a nice handmade crazyb jacket and the enstars bible book is still my most treasured possession.

I think that is it? If i missed anyone i'm very sorry... here's to 10 years more? Maybe i should keep this for my exact blog anniversary in september... maybe i'll get to add to it by then?

EDIT I FORGOT SCHOOL ANON. Anon who goes to my uni and then we happened to share a course a few months later and finally met and we're irls now:)

[madeleinejubileesaito]

"Power concedes nothing without demand", Melanie Cervantes, December 2022, Screen Print • sold on the Justseeds store

More context from the listing on Justseeds

5 - Color Handmade Screen Print,140 lb/300gsm Canson cold press watercolor paper, Printed in my kitchen San Leandro, CA 2020 Edition of 70

One of my favorite quotes is from a speech delivered by Frederick Douglass on August 3, 1857 on “West India Emancipation” at Canandaigua, New York.

The full quote that I find so inspirational and which I believe elevates the need for organization among oppressed peoples is:

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”

[zennesamuel]

Puppet Theatre Around the World, a Pleasant Surprise

There are so very many different types of puppet theatre around the world! Here, I will create a sort of "tasting menu" of differing experiences that we have examined. I'd first like to venture to Brazil for Mamulengo: The Theater of Laughter. Local Brazilian puppet shows like these exist primarily in the state of Pernambuco, combining witty and humor with music, storytelling, and heavy political satire. These puppets are typically handmade from wood or cloth and depict a wide range of stock characters. (I see some Comedia del Arte here, folks!) Short sketches draw from popular culture, folklore, oral traditions. The performances are lively and scathingly critical of the government, power dynamics, and the struggles of the working class; they also carry influences from a variety of cultures through their colonial history. Next, let's take a trip to the continent of Asia. Now, there is a wide variety of categories of puppetry in Asia, but one that I found particularly intriguing were shadow puppets. When I think of shadow puppets, I think of the ones that we were taught to make with our hands as children. The puppets from Asia that I am referring to are flat and transparent. They are crafted from leather or paper, and are rather ubiquitous across several Asian countries (India, Thailand, China, etc.) Seeing shadow puppetry as a performance and cultural display rather than a simple children's game opened my eyes. It shows me that the simplest of elements can create an elaborate story. Finally, Russia and Czechoslovakia. Specifically, Russian and Czech folk theatre and puppetry. Morality plays in figurines. These performances prioritize adaptations of stories of old. Greek tragedies like Elektra, or Shakespeare. There are also puppetry performances that discuss serious social justice issues such as medical propaganda and political strife. I had no idea that puppetry could hold space for such elaborate plotlines and can provide such insight into the darker corners of the world around us.

[jatindersinghdurhailay]

Very happy to announce my paintings will be exhibiting at the India Art Fair 1st-4th February 2024  Anant Art Gallery

Self portrait combing Kes 2023 29x22cm Watercolour on handmade hemp paper