Afternoon ladies and gentlemen-Indian Clay pots with French-country upcycle here today and it took me back to little trips I used to take with dad.I’ve been seeing a lot of French Pottery around the blogland and it inspired me to do my little take on it!
I enjoy every bit of French Pottery and it’s pottery in general that quite takes me by fancy. Clay/terracotta/bone china- I am interested. Best part is, this wee country of mine is not behind in the league of fantastic pottery’walas’ (wala is a prefix added to a particular service that a person offers. Strange isn’t it? So for a guy who has a tea stall, he is chai wala. Similarly a catering guy would be known as dabba wala- dabba=tiffin cases. Rickshawpullers are rickshawala and so on!)- it has an ancient history and is one of the most tangible and iconic elements of regional art. History records that the evidence of pottery has been found in the early settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization and has slowly come down as a cultural art that is still extensively practiced. Among all the forms of Indian Pottery, the one I am particularly familiar with, is Terracotta.
An art that started from Neolithic age, today Indian Pottery has evolved. But irrespective of its aesthetic growth, I doubt anything can take away the charm and the beauty of frail, petit terracotta tea cups that are so ubiquitous in this country. 1 rupee/cup and often found if travelling by railways- its a different league altogether sipping sweet chai in terracotta cups, with a sound you’ve been told not to practice while drinking tea. If anyone of you ever travel by train from Mumbai to Guwahati (that’s an extensive West to East stretch) you’d find these Chaiwalas hawking hot tea in every station. And zillion years ago when we used to travel with dad (he prefers train to plane and a non-ac compartment as opposed to an ac compartment) we used to open the train windows, sip tea and watch the sun go down over the barren flats! You know what dad used to tell us? See the changing topography after every 25 miles, experience the cold and the heat for this is what you’ll really remember and cherish. He was right.
I am from West-Bengal- a state culturally very strong and which makes some of the best Terracotta products in the country. So when a friend of mine got me two terracotta cups from his recent visits to Madhya Pradesh, telling me he thought I might find use, I knew I had to save it.
PROBLEM
Terracotta, unless it’s the terrace space I’m talking about is not my color and style.
SOLUTION
French Country Love. A little slather of white paint, a rough brush to make it look aged and sweet signs modge-podged to live up to my style.
The process is simple-
2 coats of white
Sanding
Take printouts in reverse and stick it with modgepodge.
Once dry, peel the pulp off gently and coat it with a layer of modge podge.
That’s it!
Simple and easy, slathered with French love and with an all Indian heart. An Indo-French love affair if you’d like to call it. Reminds me of a book called La Nui Bengali! Have you read? It’s beautiful!
And guess what I will be growing in them- Microgreens!
Sharing @
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