When it came to opting between ‘career' and ‘family', Kalyani Ravisankar, chose the latter. But that did not stop her from following her dream; a dream to pursue art for art's sake. She started Raindrops, a boutique in Velachery that specialises in more than one art form and has been spreading the pride of owning them among her customers. “Now, I am my own boss and able to juggle both,” says Ms. Kalyani.
Ms. Kalyani has been teaming up with 10 creative women, who are well-educated home makers sharing a common interest in art and craft. They take orders in paintings (fabric, Thanjavur, Kerala mural, charcoal, pencil, Meenakari, mural, glass work, warli and madhubani) embroidery (aari work, kalamkari, zardosi, silk thread, stone work and cut work) and jewellery making (using beads, silk thread, etc).
The team's passion for art shows in their work. The painting and embroidery works done on fabric are fascinating.
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Theme works (Rs. 3,000 onwards) including Egyptian painting, Bommi art, Warli painting (Rs. 1,000 onwards) and Madhubani have been done painstakingly and depict the uniqueness of each form. They are done on blouses (Rs. 500), saris and kurtis.
They accept only materials for aari orders (from Rs. 2,000 per sari). They include kalamkari patch works (Rs. 5,000 per sari), sequins, silk thread, zardosi, Kashmiri work, Kamal Kadai, Kantha, Kutch and Kasuti embroidery. They are done on silk, cotton, crepe, polycot, etc. “The skill lies in understanding what type of embroidery or painting goes well with what kind of fabric,” says Kalyani. The team does a sample work before working on the order.
Other forms of paintings are taken up as corporate and individual orders. Customers should place orders in advance and the time taken will depend on the volume of the work.
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Kalyani procures and out sources antique (Rs. 500 to Rs. 2,000) and diamond set jewellery (Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 5,000). Diamond sets are those done using zircon stones and are gold plated.
Her education in marketing management comes handy, says Ms. Kalyani. “I can read my customers mind and provide them their requirement with ease,” she adds.
Kalyani, whose mother Subhadra Ramakrishnan, (also an artist), says that it has been a mutual learning between them. “My husband is the reason behind all these ventures and my sons are my best critics,” she says.
She wants to promote the form of one stroke painting among art lovers. As the name suggests, the type involves sketching using just one stroke. “It gives a three dimensional effect and makes the art vibrant,” she says. She has planned to organise workshops in this form for employees of MNCs.
For details, contact Kalyani Ravisankar at 94435 63760. Email – raindropsarts@gmail.com