BRAND NEW PAINTINGS!!

With a new year come brand new paintings here at ShishyaArt! Here are some glimpses at a whole new set of paintings added to our Etsy Store!! These paintings are great as gifts to friends and neighbors!! Be sure to spread the word, and buy a few pieces for yourself while you're at it!

Thanks for reading,
~ShishyaArt Creations

Our Trip to Vivekananda Vidyalaya in Chennai

In December 2013, we were fortunate enough to visit the school to which we are working towards bettering. We were able to spend some time with the children in the program and hand over the money that we were able to make from selling paintings over the past two years. The program consists of 40 children who come from underprivileged families who earn about Rs. 100 (about $1.62) a month. The children are taken in by the school and educated in Vedic rituals as well as science, mathematics, English, and arts. All of this is done free of cost to the childrens' families, which is why the money we make for this venture is so important! It covers their tuition, books, uniforms, the teachers' and wardens' wages, and any other expenses that may be incurred in the education of the children. 

Below are pictures from our trip to Vivekanda Vidyalaya in Avadi, Chennai. 

We hope these picture encourage you to spread the word about our organization and the work we do!! Please be sure to tell everyone you know!!

Thanks for reading,
~ShishyaArt Creations

Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya - Chennai, India.

Today, we'd like to introduce our lovely supporters to a very worthy cause. We finally have enough information on the school that we would like to donate our proceeds to, and we'd love for each of you to know more about it!

Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya CBSE School is in the city of Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, India. It has recently taken on the responsibility of opening a new section of it's school that teaches religious texts along with the current educational syllabus at the school. Teachers from the local well-known and well-established temples, namely the Kanchi Kama Koti Peetam, come to the school to instruct the children in the Hindu vedic arts and scriptures, while they also learn a "normal curriculum" during school hours. The children accepted into this program are all from low-income Brahmin families. They also live at the school, though a formal hostel hasn't been constructed for them yet. A floor of the school has been evacuated for them to stay in when school is not in session. These children wake up at 3am each morning so that they can learn religious texts from 4:30am-7am, when they go to school for the "regular curriculum" in science, math, english, etc. After their classes finish at 4pm, the students return to their religious study until 8pm each day. Everything (living arrangements, food, clothing, and education) is provided free of cost for these kids thanks to the donations of various sponsors. 

All the proceeds from selling any of the paintings from ShishyaArt go towards this cause. As of now, we have collected $500 in the past year from the sales of paintings. This would most likely support a child in this school for one year, and cover food, clothing, living accommodations, and education expenses. Our goal is to sponsor one or two children all the way through their education (10 years). Below are some pictures from the school's opening and celebratory functions. 

Here's hoping that ShishyaArt is successful in its goal! Keep checking back for more pictures and updates!! Be sure to check out the new additions to our store on Etsy!

Thanks for reading,

~ShishyaArt Creations

Embellishments!

When working on a painting, I've often come to a point where I realize that it needs "a little something extra" to make it look finished. While exploring the local craft store, I came across some embellishments that seem to do the trick!

"Puppet Show" is a great example of a case in which embellishments really lifted up the object of the painting! The first picture shows the painting when I had finished the piece, while the second picture shows the complete work of art after the embellishments were added! 

Notice how the small elements really tied together the painting, and created a 3D effect that catches the eye!

"Cuckoon Bird" is a painting that completely relies on the 3D flower embellishments to make a statement. Without the flowers, the piece would be quite bland.

Thanks for reading,
~ShishyaArt Creations

New Custom Orders!

We've been lucky enough to get a few custom orders lately! Here are some of the pieces that we've completed in the month of June!

"Purple Tree" is a large 2ft x 3ft gallery wrapped canvas, and depicts a simple tree with flowers against a background shaded with purple hues! Each flower was shaped differently in comparison with its neighbor, and the tree itself is a totally odd shape!

"Red Moon"  is a 18x24in gallery-wrapped canvas that was inspired by a cherry blossom painting I had seen a while back. It depicts the branch of a white flower tree in the moonlight, while a howling wind blows by. This piece contained many small elements that made a huge impact on the final product!

Thanks for reading,
~ShishyaArt Creations

Springtime Inspiration

Spring is here, which means that inspiration is all around us! The budding flowers and baby animals are great for painting! I just finished a few pieces that I think embodies everything that spring has to offer: color, vibrancy, and the inherent notion of happiness. Let the inspiration flow!

Spring gives us a reason to celebrate! ShishyaArt is having a SPRING CLEANING SALE! Some of the pieces in our store are currently listed at 50% off their original prices to make room for more unique artwork!! Returning customers will also receive 10% off their orders!

Another reason to celebrate is that ShishyaArt has officially crossed the $250 mark in raising funds for underprivileged children! We have decided to donate all the money that we collect to a new school in Chennai, India. The money will go towards housing, feeding, clothing, and educating children from underprivileged backgrounds. We're hoping that we can reach our goal of $500 before the end of the year! More information on this later!

Thanks for reading,
~ShishyaArt Creations

A New First!

ShishyaArt is making new waves! I recently finished my first custom order of my first large-scale painting! Having never painted such a big piece brought on some new challenges, but it worked out in the end. 

Inspired by nature and some of my previous artwork, I call it "Sunset." This is a 24inx48in piece on a gallery-wrapped mounted canvas. 

 Thanks for reading,

~ShishyaArt Creations