It seems like yesterday I was a young girl watching my mother, aunts, and cousins putting henna on their hands in the summer heat of Rajasthan, India. More than an art form, the application of henna was a social event for the women in a family. I remember spending hours learning how to create the intricate designs on my own hands. My interest in art started from those early beginnings. I started painting and decorating all kinds of household objects, from drinking glasses to curtain valences. My family and friends were impressed with what I did, and gave me encouragement and opportunities to continue pursuing my interest.

In college, I majored in biology, but the most interesting part for me was creating incredibly detailed drawings of anatomy and plants. After college, I continued my interest in art by taking courses in embroidery, beadwork, wire sculpture, and batik. I also made my first forays into painting, specifically oil painting, clay, and plaster-of-paris sculpture. I had my first one-person art show at this time in Bombay, where I showed paintings, embroidery, sculpture, and decorated textiles. After I got married, I came to the US with my husband, and started displaying my work at local art shows. Later, I became part of a “Partners in Art” program in an elementary school. Through this program I helped teach art to elementary school students.

Later on, I started thinking about learning more modern art techniques and mediums. I started taking art courses at North Hennepin Community College. This was an incredible experience for me. I was exposed to new ways of creating and expressing myself. I felt free in my art. I used bolder colors, bigger and more expressive brushstrokes, and experimented in pastel, watercolor, pen-and-ink, mixed-media, and photography. I particularily fell in love with photography and the darkroom process. I learned how to take black-and-white pictures and also how to develop them to achieve the effects I was after. I’ve been taking black and white pictures everywhere I go since then, pictures of nature, flowers, people, and buildings. I also completed the graphic design program at North Hennepin. The most important thing I gained from North Hennepin was that I started to develop my own personal style. I began to integrate elements from my Indian heritage with modern methods and mediums. I continue to search for new ways to expand myself as an artist in this way.

While at school, I had the opportunity to meet other artists as well, and from there I got involved with a local art group called Artists Del Norte. I started participating in the shows, and was surprised when I won some awards at juried shows. This gave me the confidence to continue in the art world. I did some freelance graphic work for Magnetic Goodies, designing magnets depicting different cities around the world. I also designed posters, flyers, and other advertising materials for different companies.

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