Sunday, July 10, 2011

Sylvan Circle Tour ,Sept 17,2011

Add the Sylvan Circle Tour to a list of what you should do.
Check us out on Facebook [ sylvancircle]and at http://www.sylvancircle.ca/ .
On Facebook make sure you check of 'like' on the Facebook page!
See you on September 17,2011

Russ

Friday, July 8, 2011

How could I forget these craftsmen?

Shohel Abdulsattar Khatri

India
Year(s) attended: 2011
Bandhani Tie Dye When the Khatri community came to Kachch, India from Sindh, Pakistan, they brought along with them the ancient art of Ajrakh hand block printing that has long served as a defining practice for their people. Printers carefully prepare and decorate lengths of fabric using a specific design language in a stylized geometrical form. Their natural dyes are made from such products as jaggery and gram flour for black, alum and tamarind for red. Abdul Rahim Khatri began learning the craft at age 15 from his father and has since gained international recognition for his work.

Can you feel the excitement?

Santa Fe International Folkart Market starts today for many but it will be specially exciting for Rammu - a quilter from Hodka and Chaman a weaver from Bhujodi!

Ramu Devraj Harijan

India
Year(s) attended: 2010, 2011
Embroidery and Quilt Work Ramu is a Meghwal who was born in the Banni region of Kutch, where quilt making and embroidery are integral to the culture. Men source and sew the cloth while women are skilled in embroidery and mirrored work.
At 12, Ramu made his first quilt for his mother to embroider. Later traveling to government-sponsored craft fairs, Ramu joined a company in Bhuj where he learned new products and improved his skills.
Ramu has now trained two of his brothers and two nephews in the work.

Chamanlal Premji Siju

India
Year(s) attended: 2011
Handloom Weaving Chamanlal comes from the Vankar weaver community of Kutch, Gujarat. At 16 years old, he started working as a weaver to supplement his family’s income. Using natural dyes, his family is considered some of the best yarn dyers in the region. They use fine wool and silk threads in their weavings, and continue this tradition in the Handloom Design Center, the free residential school they founded to train and equip weavers for home production.

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World-Class Art That Changes Lives

Contact: Clare Hertel
505-670-3090
Clare@clarehertelcommunications.com

When more than 150 of the world’s finest traditional artists travel from the farthest corners of the globe to participate in the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market this July, some will arrive as widely celebrated cultural artists, while others will be leaving their villages and boarding planes for the very first time. Many will be coming from developing countries where the average income is less than $3 a day and where overwhelming political, social, and environmental challenges can make everyday life—not to mention the creation of art—a struggle. All artists will be taking part in an extraordinary event that not only showcases their work but helps change their lives and their communities.

The largest event of its kind in the world, the Market offers an unparalleled chance to collect treasures from around the globe and meet the artists who created them. Last year, more than 22,000 people attended, along with 132 artists from 50 countries. Mingling with the visitors and local market goers were dignitaries from Cuba, Oman and South Africa; representatives from Donna Karan, Martha Stewart, and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as representatives of the Clinton Foundation and UNESCO, both of which have partnered with the Market.

Friday, June 10, 2011

I am amazed!

Since I started this blog I have been checking from time to time to see how many folks have had a look either brief or long. To the date of June 10,2011 3,159 have accessed this site!
Thank you.
Where did you come from ?
Canada 1705
USA      893
India      407
UK         45
Pakistan 15
Australia 14
Germany 13
Spain          7
Switzerland 6
Sweden         4

I hope to go again if you would care to join me Send me a note!
Take care of each other.

Russ

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Details,details

In my eagerness to post I forgot some of the details you might need to know.

Tour starts Jan 9,2012 in Ahmedabad and terminates Jan 31,2012 in Bhuj.

Feel free to contact me for more details.

Russ

russ.mason@shaw.ca

Looking for adventure?

I still have room for four people to join this trip of a life time.
Contact me for details.
Thanks

Gaurav and Russ

russ.mason@shaw.ca

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Varansi


Street scene-Varansi

Varansi- old city on the banks of the |Ganges- holy city- near the place were Buddah started his religion.As it is old it is dirty and crowded. Streets are littered with trash, cow dung and people.But it has an appeal and a strangeness all it's own.
My hotel was about 2 km from the river so it required an autorickshaw ride to get there[ at least so I knew where I was going.In addition to autorickshaws there are bike rickshaws manned mostly by farmers from the country looking for easy? money- mostly no english and unsure of where to go.I think they upped the price when they saw my size- don't blame them it is hard work peddling a large white guy with a camera.
My first experience in Varanasi was an early morning river cruise in row boat! about 50 minutes to an hour and a half to watch the sunrise on the river as the banks start the morning din. People bathing in the river, others washing clothing- dogs, goats, kids,old folk all looking like they were the only ones there.