The Coup Card

Ever since I started working with chalk, people have been approaching me to create illustrations and do lettering in that medium.

And I couldn't complain because it really is fun.

Brown Paper Bag was relaunching the Coup Card which is their culinary loyalty program. On purchasing this card one can avail discounts at Mumbai's best bars and restaurants. It's pretty cool. Totally worth it. Not sure why I don't have one yet actually.

Now the Coup Card website has a whole chalk art look going on.

And so Bpb asked me if I'd do some chalk art video for them.

But not with chalk.

So I created digital illustrations for them that just looked like chalk.

And with it 3 fun videos were created.

Here's how it turned out.

Illustrations by me.

Produced by Supari Studios.

Good Juicery is here to save you this summer

I have always been the biggest fan of fruit juice.

If you see my Instagram bio it says -  Graphic designer and orange juice addict.

I can go for days without drinking any water but the first thing I have to drink every morning is a glass of juice. Any fruit juice.

My favourites are orange, watermelon, sweet lime, apple and grape.

So I pretty much drink any juice as long as it's sweet and freshly squeezed.

Yes, I am a princess who doesn't like juice from cartons.

But then I came across the locally made canned juices by Good Juicery.

Ok, so they're not like the freshly squeezed juices that I'm used to enjoying.

But they're amazing and very refreshing.

They have sparkling juices available in 3 flavours - Apple, Passion Fruit and Pink Guava.

And they have no artificial colours or added preservatives.

I had had their juices at restaurants around the city and loved them.

So, when they asked me to make a video for them, I was more than thrilled.

I love juice & I love making art.

So making art for a juice company seemed pretty exciting.

From 13-15 May 2014, Good Juicery will be travelling around Mumbai in their orange Ambassador selling icy cold cans of sparkling juices to Mumbaikars in need.

Locations will be announced via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Disclaimer: Good Juicery is a client. But that's not why I am promoting their juices. They are actually good.

Happy Mother's Day

There's no place like home.

Because Home is where your Mom is.

I know Mother's Day, like many other days has been created so everyone can make some money while you shop for your mother.
But who cares?
In my opinion, everyday should be Mother's Day.

So do something special for your mother today.

I was thinking of making some art for her or cooking her something.
And then I saw this.

 Chocolates by Chef Jorge Llanderal

What a brilliant way of killing two birds with one stone.

Happy Mother's Day!

Typographic video by me.

I am a Mango

Wake up and smell the mango, people!

It's that time of the year again.

I feel so happy I could do a little jig every morning.

To be honest I started eating mango a couple of weeks ago, when they weren't that great but the familiar taste was enough to make me happy.

I'm not hard to please. Especially if you're a mango.

I call it God's own fruit - sweet to the core.

They say You are what you eat.

So then I suppose for the next couple of months I am a suitcase of mangoes.

Photo and video by me.

Vote

This year, the elections have been quite a hot button topic of conversation.
And let me tell you - discussing it is just not a good idea.

My sister always told me - religion, politics and sex are topics you just shouldn't discuss.

Well, in an ideal world, we could all just agree to disagree.
But since that's not the way the world is, everyone pretty much just disagrees.

I know this year my friends and I are not voting for the same political party.
I think they're crazy and they probably think I am.

My decision is based on facts.
And more facts.

But to each his own.

Today is the day.
So don't sleep in because it's a holiday.
Get out and vote.

To conclude : Whoever wins this election, may the outcome be good.
To seriously conclude : Whoever I'm voting for - May the odds be ever in your favour.

Typographic video by me.

Be a Good Egg

Happy Easter.

Typography and video by me.

Say hello to Tangerine Arts Studio

There's one more reason to love Bandra.

Tangerine Arts Studio, has opened it's doors and is calling everyone over.

Tangerine is a studio space that holds classes ranging from Yoga, Zumba, Muay Thai, Belly dance, Contemporary and Bollywood dance daily from Monday to Saturday.

But it doesn't end just there. 

Every weekend one can also attend different fun workshops like different forms of dance and even hula hooping.

Founder Tanvi Mehra, is not only my yoga teacher but also a very dear friend.

From the very first time I entered this studio I fell in love with it.

It is a beautiful space with a warm wood floor and big windows on one side that draw all the sunlight in. And all around the studio one can see frames and other decorative elements put together by Rabanne Jamsandekar. Two of the walls are blanketed with floor to ceiling mirrors (perfect for dance rehearsals) and Tanvi was kind enough to give me the third wall to decorate with chalk art.

Creating the chalk art while my patient sister took photos for my stop motion video.

The studio just has such good energy. It draws you in.

Last weekend was the official launch of Tangerine Arts Studio at what was called the Big Juicy Weekend.

It began on Friday with a wonderful party hosted by Tanvi at the studio followed by 2 days of free classes in yoga, belly dance, contemporary, tap, salsa, hula hoop and much much more.

At the launch of Tangerine Arts Studio

The studio conducts classes daily from 7.30 am to 8.30 pm.
For anyone who wants to get fit or learn something new while having a good time, this is the place to go.

Tangerine Arts Studio

2nd Floor, Rukhsana, Near Puja Casa, Nargis Dutt Road, Pali Hill, Bandra, Mumbai

Facebook   |   Twitter   |   Instagram

All you need is Love

Love.

It's such a strong word.

Some people use it casually.

Some say it with feeling.

And others, well, they just don't use it at all.

I always end all emails with 

Love, Neha.

[unless it's a client - which is when I write Regards, Neha so they don't think I'm crazy].

But so often I've noticed how people, including my own friends end emails with

just a name.

Ok so here's the thing.

I know your name since I know the email is from you.

But what's the harm in sending a little love?

I won't get freaked out and think you want to marry me.

Don't worry.

I've been single for a long time now.

And when I say long, I mean a la la la la long, a la la la la long long li long long long.

Come on!

So since I haven't been able to shower all that love on anyone [and only sprinkle love in small quantities via email so I don't give people the wrong impression], I've turned all that love into creative energy and made you this...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are some funny cards. And then some more.

Photo and video by me.

Happy Sankranti

Typography and video by me.

Baden-Württemberg in 15 seconds

via

Last month I travelled all over Baden-Württemberg for 2 weeks.

And I had the best time ever.

In a nutshell I saw castles, sunflower fields, more castles, more sunflower fields, neat haystacks, stalagmites and stalactites, the bluest pond, organic farms, hills, forests, music shows and car museums while always being surrounded by beautiful vineyards and amazing company.

It felt like I was living a dream for 2 weeks.

We'd eat fresh berries and fruit picked directly from the trees.

Have the sweetest Aplesaft.

Eat Spaetzle. Drink Sekt.

And have the best breads and cheeses.

Everyday.

What does one call this if not heaven.

I spent 15 days in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany.

Here it is, in 15 seconds.

Video by me.
Music : Groove Armada - At The River.

Baden-Württemberg - A Photographic Journey

All photos by me.

Discovering Auvers-sur-Oise

via

A few weeks ago I visited some friends in Paris.
And together we did a day trip to Auvers-sur-Oise, a town only 30km from Paris.
It's where Vincent Van Gogh lived and painted for the last 3 months of his life.

We took the train from Paris to Auvers-sur-oise one morning and spent the entire day there.
It was a day so well spent.

Jumping in the Wheatfields

I have always been a fan of Van Gogh's.
Maybe because he was the first artist I ever knew of at age 5.
Back then I knew nothing about art or his distinct style or anything about his life.
But when I went home after visiting the museum and seeing his art, I painted my own version of Van Gogh's sunflowers.
What's funny is that I still remember how I was convinced that our paintings looked identical.
I love how confident and sure of myself I was at that age even when I didn't make sense.

Sketch of Eglise Auvers-sur-Oise by me

So when I got to visit Auvers-sur-oise and see where he lived and painted, it was quite an experience for me.
Van Gogh wanted to leave the hustle and bustle of Paris and so this is where he moved to find peace in the countryside.
He made 80 paintings in 70 days.

The size of his room at the Auberge Ravoux was tiny (only 7 sq.m.) and it seemed pretty depressing.
But Van Gogh didn't really paint here since it wasn't allowed so his paintings were mainly landscapes, and churches. And he also did a couple of portraits.
When you walk around the town you can actually see where each painting was painted.

Room No.5 on the 2nd floor of the Auberge Ravoux.

He was very close to his brother Theo [Thedore Van Gogh] and Dr. Gachet and wrote to them often.
Through his letters one can see that he was quite depressed - like an artist so immersed in his art that he drowned in it and couldn't come up for air and save himself.

Van Gogh shot himself in the wheatfields and came back to his room to die. He was only 38.
Dr. Gachet and Theo were by his side at his death.

Vincent and Theo's graves.

Van Gogh's life was as depressing as his art was beautiful.
It's sad that his art was appreciated only after his death.
Today people adorn their walls with his prints.
Some are even using his art to make art of their own.
While other's are making a feature length animation based on his life.



Here are some of his works juxtaposed with the locations where they were painted.

The Church at Auvers, 1890

Wheatfield with crows, July 1890

We ended the day with a picnic by the river Oise.
We bought some ham and camambert to eat with our baguettes.
And eclairs for dessert.

The day couldn't have been more perfect.

Photos by me.

Anything Makers

I am a big fan of creative people - musicians, writers, artists.
I call them Anything Makers.

Those who see beauty in everything.
And those who create it.

Here's an amazing video that I came across while browsing yesterday.

What can I say?
It made my day.

If you love stop motion, papercrafts and happy music you'll love it too.

It's a music video for Katachi - a song by Shugo Tokumaru.
And if you love the song as much as I do, you can buy it here for just $0.99.

The Not-so-big Ben

On November 5, I couldn't get out of bed and while lazing around in my half dreamy state I imagined that my wall clock had turned into Big Ben.

I then woke up and realised it was only just a dream.

I jumped out of bed charged enough to make that dream a reality and went shopping for Permanent markers of different sizes. And here's what happened...

I tried to fit the Big Ben into my room and that didn't exactly work so it's slightly bent at the top. Oh Well!
So now I wake up and see the time on the Not-so-Big Ben in my room everyday.


A special thanks to my sister, Akshaya who took a million pictures for my stop motion video without complaining.


Music by Katie Herzig.