Step Into the Magic Realm

"See, this is my opinion: we all start out knowing magic. We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us. We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. 

After you go so far away from it, though, you can’t really get it back. You can have seconds of it. Just seconds of knowing and remembering. When people get weepy at movies, it’s because in that dark theater the golden pool of magic is touched, just briefly. Then they come out into the hard sun of logic and reason again and it dries up, and they’re left feeling a little heartsad and not knowing why. When a song stirs a memory, when motes of dust turning in a shaft of light takes your attention from the world, when you listen to a train passing on a track at night in the distance and wonder where it might be going, you step beyond who you are and where you are. For the briefest of instants, you have stepped into the magic realm.

That’s what I believe."

 -Boy's Life

 

 

 It's been six months since I put OLIE out there into the world, and it's been a lot of fun. I've met a lot of people, had a lot of dreams come true (already!) and since I celebrate every single small thing in our journey - it's been a whirlwind of joy and sometimes confusion (and frustration!) . But the magic stays, it's there when I need to call upon it, and it underlines everything I do with OLIE. And when I tell you my tales, the stories behind every cushion, lamp - I see you step away from reality and take a little magic back home with you. And a moment like that keeps me inspired. 

 

Such a beautiful quote from Boy's Life  !

Desperately Inspired

''do you think of writers the way i think of musicians?'' -the soloist
sometimes, rarely, I watch a movie that stirs me deeply, inspires my desperate soul and makes me so unsteady, crying feels like the only way to drive out the madness.

i miss writing, i sometimes miss illustrating, exploring. But olie- Im doing my best, most meaningful work right now, and it fills me up, uses every skill and helps other people. I cannot wait though, for a day when I can draw meaninglessly again, without thinking about anything at all. blindly inspired, mad, filled with crazy emotion - faced with a blank canvas, flinging buckets of beautiful colour across and crying, shaking blissfully.

It feels strange to write a post without an illustration. like Im cheating you somehow, but an illlustration is yet to flow out of me - maybe Ive found a sort of peace somehow in OLIE. maybe its just a phase. either way, this note is inspired, you should know.

I miss you, blog of mine. maybe I'll write you again soon, if you dont mind it being sans an illustration.
much love x

Lifting The Painted Veil

OLIE, my project that was undercover for a whole year finally opened doors to visitors, buyers and well wishers over the last weekend. The place looked like a dream, Raintree was at its most beautiful and friends and family pitched in to make sure everything went perfectly for the two days that we were there. Everyone who walked in loved the display, the stories and the products themselves and I cannot believe how many people will now have a little Olie touch to their home. It suddenly seems like everything is happening incredibly fast, but I am revelling in the love for this brand and simply dizzy with joy !

An illustration come to life, it was wonderful to be able to experience the magic in forms that one could touch and interact with.

moving shadows dance their way across walls and ceilings casting spells 

Love this pretty lady's outfit- the colours work so well for the brand !

cushion covers,table linen and lighting oh joy!

I cannot wait to walk into a home and see a little bit of Olie soul glowing over a table like a piece of art or like one lovely buyer told me, in her bedroom where the shadows each lamp creates would make the whole space incredibly beautiful and romantic.

I've been taking a bit of a break the past few days from all the rush of product and brand building, but the only thing that I did do this week was meet with the charismatic Asha and Sanam of Sunday Soul Sante. Happily, they seem excited to welcome us to their flea market. I always loved the sante, it seems so festive, a real market with music and wine and so much beauty in the stalls - It's going to be a whole new experience to be a part of it not as someone who is walking through enjoying the spirit but as one of the brands within the stall. Im excited. I hope you will be able to make it, it's happening on the 27th of this month !

All this excitement aside, I don't know if I told you - I moved back to Bangalore a month ago ! Back to long walks under beautiful flowering trees,plenty of cappuccino in quaint cafe's, lots of rides on the metro ( which for some reason fills me with joy even though its only about a 6 km stretch ! ) and friends everywhere. sigh, life is getting good again :)

Have a happy weekend! kisses!

Peep Into My Other World

 

Leaves of yellow

turquoise and olive

An intake of breath

(oh the wondrous joy!)

As they fall, dancing 

to the song of the wind

A pause in the flurry

of a moments breath

When glitter settles

as the dragonfly rests

the lovely nirmala, humoring my obsessive desire for the absolute perfect shade of teal.

A glimpse into the Olie world 

vintage love

photo credits : my lovely friend, heena pari 

So much is said so easily through a few pictures and words. This is why I sometimes feel that talk is always just that, long winding talk. And the reason why I love this space and blogging so much. Words are understood so much better when written and time is taken to look and absorb and stories learned. 

Every collection has a mood, an inspiration. A slow translation from sketch to product. A short verse accompanies each and I want you to interpret it as you will. Feel that sudden joy, the upside down feeling in the stomach, goosebumps as you relive an experience and then bring it home and tell your stories again,

through a cushion cover perhaps, or a glowing lamp - complete with shadows and colours. 

More soon, I can't believe how wonderfully people have been reacting to Olie. Thank you for your love - it keeps the silly smiles pasted on and spirits high !

Our facebook page is up and I would love for you to stop by and say hello ! www.facebook.com/olieindia

Have a great week !

Dreaming a Dream

If I could capture the moon

And paint a sky full of blue

Fight scattered storms

To light the night

If I could skip along clouds

And hear the wind sing out loud

Rewrite the rhyme

And slow down time

I see a world

Where every boy and girl

Has all they need

To live free

Where everyone

Could share the sun

Life is only a dream

Dream with me.

-Jackie Evancho

A storm has been brewing, and I have been killing myself keeping it from you ! But the time has finally come when I can tell you all about what I've been up to the past year .

You know all about my love for Pondicherry. So many of my first posts were written while I lived there and drew inspiration from people and places in that little town.

But before I left Pondi, another thought was born. The simple lifestyle there, the magic in cycling down a cobbled street, the time we all had to appreciate every little thing, the love the people in the town have for the sea and its wild unpredictability - these were what made it beautiful - the little pleasures.
I remember sitting by the sea, with my sketchbook and pencil -scribbling away, wondering how I could turn my illustrations into an experience. Bring this magic and whimsy into peoples lives, maybe their homes.

And so a year later I get to tell you about Olie. Olie meaning light in tamil launches in Bangalore in a few weeks with its first collections of carecrafted accessories and lighting. My inspiration translated into reality. Now a mood, an ethereal beauty for you to experience in your homes and spaces. And I am so excited about it ! The illustration above is a mindmap of sorts, mapping the journey and thought process that led to Olie. But the real journey has been in the learning, and the people I've met and the good and bad experiences I've had the past couple of months. It already is such a long, rich story to tell - and I'm going to tell you all about it, between scribbles and pictures.

More soon !
much love to you !

Fierce Black

Today I finally pulled out this piece of charcoal I had bought a few weeks ago and picked up a piece of coloured paper and did a still life drawing. As always, when a piece of charcoal is in my hands, all hell breaks loose and I am covered in giant black smudges. But, it was fun and I enjoy the satisfaction of seeing these dark black , fierce lines coming to life under my hands. Im an angry soul these days, I dont think Chennai suits me very well.

The pine cones in the sketch are picked up from walks in Ooty, gorgeous ooty with its beautiful trees and pathways with ponies and flowers. Now thats a better place to live in.

Songs that make you sing

I rarely get to take a stroll in the big cities that I now live in and sit with my sketchbook and draw.
Last week, we went back to auroville to wind down for the weekend and a friend and I sat down to sketch our surroundings together - it is a distracted sketch, I have to admit . We were busy catching up and I was simply and happily dragging my brush across the paper. Such good times :)

It is sweltering here, but I have found this great mix of music http://8tracks.com/penkemeg/good-music-warm-weather-summer-fun . Its making my weekend so much sweeter ! Much love.

Leave you with this lovely quote, I dont think they are talking about the song really but more about life in general. deeper stuff :)

First Birthday!

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This post is designed to make you go aww ! 

I got the chance to design for baby annika again, this time it was for her very first birthday and her awesome mom threw a big butterfly themed party ! She asked me to design a card for her and of course I did :) 

She sent me this adorable picture of annika with the card. Im all smiles now !

Happy weekend everybody!