Terttulia

Remember when I woke up one day and decided to draw on the wall in my room?

Well, it wasn't that long ago.

If you don't remember, I have a video to prove it.

Well, that was just practice.

Now people hire me to draw on their walls.

How cool is that?

And sometimes people refer to me as a chalk artist.

Or that girl who does chalk art.

I find it funny because chalk is just a medium.

I could scribble on your wall with just about anything.

Not a problem.

Terttulia, a popular restaurant in Pune, opens in Bombay today.

But the food isn't the only thing that I'm excited about.

It's also the art on the walls of the restaurant.

Because I was responsible for it.

I've done a mix of illustration and hand lettering and it was a lot of fun.

It was a lot of work for one person so I worked on it with the wonderful Rabanne (he makes furniture too) who was just the best guy to hang out with - while working, traveling, lunching and dinnering (my English isn't bad. I just have a talent for making up words).

Here are a few photos of the restaurant:

You can see more photos on my website. And then some more.

I've eaten a bunch of things there but highly recommend the mud cake.

It makes you forget all the troubles of this world and temporarily makes you feel as happy as a new born baby.

If you plan on going there, here's the address:

Terttulia

Ground Floor, Hotel Parkway,

Near Natural Ice Cream,

Shivaji Park, Mumbai

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

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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.

Happy New Year

It's that time of the year again.
When people make resolutions that last about a week.

by Sapling Press

Ok, so that pretty much sounds like any day of the year.

But, if you'd like to make a resolution for this year that you'd like to stick to, I have one for you.
And it's pretty simple.

Chalk lettering by me.

Happy New Year!

The quick brown fox...

In college, I was a Typography student.

I carried my Typolog and Letraset with me everyday. And they were heavy books which had nothing in them besides the pangram - The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog written in hundreds of fonts.

Looking through these books everyday turned my mind into a kind of font book.
And when I'd be out and about and look at road signs and movie posters and shop name boards, I'd browse through my own little library and look through the hundreds of fonts embossed in my mind.
And most of the time I'd be able to tell which one it was.

Now it's not a talent that I was excited about and I felt more like a machine scanning a fingerprint to find a criminal.

While daydreaming, I visualised this line and decided to draw it out.

And then I thought why not make it a little more interesting and build a story around it.

Q: Why did the quick brown fox jump over the lazy dog?

A: Maybe he was the star acrobat in a circus jumping through a hoop of fire which was positioned right above the lazy dog who just happened to be drinking a glass of beer.

Or maybe not.

Erase and Rewind. 

But with the ballet shoes on. It's important for a fox to look foxy at all times.

Or maybe they were just auditioning for Rose's part in Titanic.

Drama drama drama!

Or maybe not.

I just wanted to have some fun.


Concept & all illustrations by me.

Thank You #14

Inspired by thxthxthx.

Concept & design by me. 

Sarcasm or honesty?

Something I would love to have said to 98% of the people I've done any design work for.

by Graham Smith

The designer was kind enough to leave this note:

You can download the A3 JPEG version of this poster direct via Flickr, so you can throw darts at it or wipe you’re bottom with it.

Have a great da(y)ne

by me

Noone can pull a cloud and make it rain

So put on a bow and have a great dane.

Wedding Planner

I've been wedding planner for a while now thanks to my dear sister Aku who got married yesterday.

She conveniently made me CEO of her wedding which left me feeling like a one-man band. Something like Vinod Khanna in Amar Akbar Anthony (which I always thought was pretty cool).

So, Aku & Anand met while working in the same Bank a few years ago but he managed to charm his way into her heart by teaching her tennis. Clever one!

This is what I made for Aku so she could send out Save the Dates emails to her friends.

save the dates emailer by me.

But, Aku being Aku thought it was cheesy and rejected it.

Luckily the same didn't happen with her wedding card.

Congratulations!

chocolate box label by me.

Happy Wedding Day :)