“Indo-Chinese Classical Dance" (2024)

Ink drawing of a Bharatanatyam (South Indian Tamil classical) dancer. The hand gestures are "Mayuram" which means peacock, and the pose taken by the dancer is a peacock pose. Hence, the body is surrounded by peacock feathers. Intricate details in the jewelry, lotuses in the hair, delicate feathers, and bold eyeliner are the focus of this piece. The pleats of the skirt, painted marks on the feet and hands, and bells on the feet, are all features of a Bharatanatyam costume.

Drawn with ink and pencil. This sketch was intended to show the artist's style of interconnected shapes with a human face. Curves, sharp angles, and continuous lines dominate this piece. Thicker shapes mark the lips, brows, and eyes. The eyes themselves are intended to unsettle the viewer with their empty gaze. Pencil was used to fill in the lower lip, eyes, and outline the flower in the hair.

Freehand pencil sketch using 4B and HB pencils. Drawn on a train from Moscow to St. Petersburg, with focus on blocks of unblended shadows and looser, flowing shapes. The goal was to blend realistic and surrealistic styles between face and hair. The linework outlining the profile purposefully thins and thickens to create delicacy.

Illustrated with pencil for a Drawing class assignment, in which students were instructed to create a piece that incorporated a hand, an object, and glass. Thus, this illustration is of a small, isolated, angelic figure trapped in a globe. A raincloud in the globe showers onto them, and the feathery drops turn into wings. Hence, the title of the piece. Meanwhile, outsiders attempt to offer comfort, represented by a hand holding a cocktail umbrella up to the glass. However, their efforts are futile; the figure is beyond their reach, and it will take more than a frail umbrella to shatter the glass. The figure, drafted in the second image below (you'll see it when you scroll down), has wrapped their limbs into a near-fetal position. They peek out at the hand, at the comfort being offered, but do not engage with it. Note the use of shading in the glass and wooden base of the globe, the high contrast of the figure's outline, a spot of light upon the glass, and the mechanical drawing style of the hand which breaks it into its simplest forms.

Created with ink, draft (scroll down) created with pencil. This illustration depeicts the Hindu god Sri Rama as the center of the universe, providing balance between opposing sides. He carries an arrow (with a crescent-shaped head, similar to that of ancient Indian arrows, which had different shapes) and bow whose string curls around his arms. His crown, belt, and jewelry indicate his status as a warrior king, and a sun-like halo surrounds his head. His forehead is covered in the symbol of the god Vishnu, whom he is the incarnation of. His pants are drawn stylistically to show draped silk. His feet have small sparks next to them. He is surrounded by a structure which contains suns and moons, planets and stars. Rama's name, in English, Telugu, and Hindi, is written amongst these parts of the universe. The structure symbolizes both the universe and an atom: to suggest that Rama is present in the largest scale and smallest scale. In this illustration, centering him within the smallest particle is a reference to Telugu poet Annamacharya's writing on the same subject. Finally, the sacred syllable "Om" outlines the structure. Note: This piece was intended to be the first in a series of illustrations for a devotional kirtan (song) about Rama, written by the late Dr. Advikolanu Muralidhar. So, this imagery reflects the lyrics. This style of art is inspired by the Vedic Art style, hence the curved body of the male figure, the oval-shaped face, and elaborate ornaments.

Sketched with ink markers. Piece depicts the Hindu goddess of beauty and wealth, Lakshmi Devi. Two lotus flowers are tucked behind her ears, and her golden crown contrasts with the blue tone of her skin. Lakshmi is symbolically shown with blue skin to indicate that she is the wife of Sri Vishnu (who is also depicted with blue skin in Indian artwork to indicate that his skin is very dark, akin to that of blue rainclouds). Lakshmi's facial features in this peace are meant to bring a sense of peace, and her hair is drawn stylistically in curls.

Freehand ink sketch of a South Indian Tamilian grandmother with two nose stud piercings. The style of her bottu/bindi is also associated with Tamil culture. For the sake of the sketch and in a break from the typical bottu/bindi, this design is repeated along the bridge of the nose. The eyes are slender and wing-shaped; the tinge of blue in them represents the onset of old age in a dark eyes. The hair is shown to be white and black, and bursting flowers are tucked behind both of the grandmother's ears. Her necklace is shown in the upper-right of the sketch. A hint of colored pencil was used to color the blue-green in her eyes and in her face. The lips are curved to indicate a hidden smile. This style is influenced by Bapu, a South Indian Telugu artist.

Drawn in pencil with minimal use of ink. This piece was inspired by a reading of the English epic poem "Beowulf." As part of a project to understand the character of the monster Grendel's mother, this piece was created. It was based on a photo taken by the artist of herself; from there, the image takes on a fantasy theme, with fangs, horns, and serpantine, curled hair. The idea for the piece was to disrupt the viewer's sense of Grendel's mother as being purely a monster. Here, she is shown to be a tearful mother in mourning, horrified at the death of her son. She screams through her pain and the path of a dark teardrop from her eyes is captured. The viewer is meant to feel discomfort at the human emotion in the eyes of what is otherwise an inhumane, terrifying being. Thus, this illustration forces the viewer to acknowledge her humanity, rather than simply reducing the female character into a villainous or seductress stereotype. Hence, the more humane parts of her (most of her face, especially her nose, eyebrows, and eyes) are shown in a detailed, realistic style, while the more fantastical parts of her are shown in a simple, surreal style (her horns, fangs, and voluminous hair). Note the enlarged pupils, the sharp fangs, and depth of shadow on her face, horns, and neck. An image of the draft version and the attempt to find angles in the breakdown of her face is provided below (scroll down).

Drawn with ink. This piece depicts the five-headed, ten-armed form of Karthikeya, the Hindu god of war. His vehicle is a peacock which bites a snake, representing the triumph of good over evil. He carries different weapons in his hands, including: a sword, a trident, an arrow, a bow, a shield, and a noose. In his third arm on the right, he carries a rooster, which is his symbol. Each of his foreheads is marked with the symbol of his father, Shiva, and each of his heads are tilted in a different direction. A halo glow fits around in body in a circle. His chest is adorned with jewelry and his pants are drawn stylistically to show their draping. His first and second hands are facing forward to bless the onlooker. This piece is inspired by Raja Ravi Varma, the Indian painter who often chose mythological figures as his subjects. There is intense detailing in the crown and in the hands, as well as the attention to maintaining general symmetry in the arms and heads. The style of the peacock is inspired by Russian Orthodox icons. Note: the number of heads and arms is symbolic for deities in Hinduism, and the artist wanted to challenge herself with this piece, hence the outcome!

Created using Adobe Illustrator. Brochure cover designed to incorporate each piece from the repertoire. Since one piece featured a looming mountain, a mountain with a cascade of music notes in a staff contains the rest of the illustrations. Since "Defying Gravity" was being performed, 9.8 m/s^2 (acceleration due to gravity) was crossed out beneath the witch's hat from the Broadway musical, "Wicked." Since Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" was being performed, a nutcracker soldier is kept in the boat. Three snowflakes, drawn in the Celtic knot style, represent the "Celtic Folk Songs" piece. Since "I See the Light" from Disney's "Tangled" movie was part of the setlist, the sweeping riverboat from the lantern scene is kept at the base of the design. Showcase details are boxed to grab the onlooker's attention, and an original, hand-drawn font was created to accompany the festive, candlelight theme of a holiday concert. The rich maroon and white color scheme is meant to be bold and eye-catching from afar.