My first client get another first from me

Yuvaan I tell you is one lucky boy for me. Besides being my first client, he also happens to be one of those chocolate boys I would love to eat every day. While my first work, a photo collage for Yuvaan, was made when he was about to turn one, my second work for this cutey pie was made yesterday, on his 2nd birthday.

Life's been full of colour since I got his photo collage done, and of those, I splashed the best colours on a tiny little size 2 T Shirt. Yes, on his 2nd birthday, me and my husband thought of giving him something that he would not get his eyes off. And after spending almost every alternate day out with this Mehta Jr. we realised that he was obsessed with Chhota Meem (Read Bheem) and after his American sojourn, he started loving Mimmie Mouse (Read Mickey).

So we decided to get the two together. The question first that stood in front of us was kya banaaye? We thought of making a bedsheet, but already a hand painted bedsheet from our studio had gone into that house. He was too young to get a hand painted shoe, I mean we couldn't find the right shoe size. And anyway we made shoes for almost every second client so it had to be something different.

So then we decided to get a plain white T Shirt and I had to do my magic on it. So we went to a baby clothing store to get a plain T Shirt, saw a few things that got us excited and I started telling my poor hubby that, "Listen these kids clothes are expensive man!! But when we get a baby and because of his or her shopping, you cut down on my shopping budget, I will cut you into pieces."

But he quickly diverted my focus back to finding a T Shirt for Yuvi. We found one, liked it, took it and painted it. And yes, we got a birthday message on it too which got Bheem and Mickey saying, "Yuvaan's mom has told us not to let him date any girl till he turns 18"

Here's a quick glance at how the work on it progressed and eventually how the birthday boy looked when he got it. 

The plain vanilla Tee

Work in progress

Colours done, outlines left

All done

Papa Purav gets Yuvi boy to pose for a pic

And then the dude after wearing this Tee decides to comb his hair. Dont know for whom though!!

Emmy Awards winning character on my shoe

Finally Vinny got what he wanted for months now. Yes, Gautam's colleague Vinayak Shenoy had ordered a Breaking Bad themed shoe like 3 months back. We made one in quick time but unfortunately it didn't fit him. Then with loads of backlog, we had to keep his shoe making on the back burner.

Finally, I started work on his shoe about a week ago, and yes to make Heisenberg's face on the shoe takes that long. And last night I finished it. It was as big a challenge this time as it was last time around too. And I didn't want to make it in a rush because I personally liked this challenge of making a human face on the shoe. 

While making them, Gautam told me how Bryan Cranston, the actor who plays the character won his fourth Emmy Award for the role. When I saw him on the screen, he looked so different from what the character looked like. At the awards nite, Cranston looked pretty old and soft unlike the character where he looked menacing.

But anyway, I managed to crack the look this time too, not without Gautam messing around while I made them. But alls well that ends well. Hope Vinny loves them. And yes Vinny if you are reading this blog, I am warning you that you better wear them. I have had to work really hard to get the right look, and that too with Gautam around. 

P.S.: Coming up next; two rock band superstars. One a drummer, another a lead singer. Keep watching this space to know who they are. 

Bello!! Me want bananas

For some time now I was looking to get an order to paint shoe which would be out of the box. Then came in this order from Aanchal, who wanted a pair of gobbledygook but cute Minions on a shoe for her niece Uttara and a Spiderman for nephew Uday. Now Spiderman isn't anything new, but these Minions excited me so much. And they are so cute!

Honestly when Aanchal first told me about getting Minions on the shoe, I was wondering what are these Minions. Then google, as usual, came to my rescue and the moment I saw their picture, I knew I got an order which I was yearning for for such a long time. And then when the work started, I didn't stop for a moment, kept continuing on them till I actually finished them.

Probably these were the first pair which I actually completed in just 2 days. Thanks Aanchal for getting me to do this. I hope Uttara likes her pinky Minion shoes, and Uday makes the most of his web merchant Spiderman. 

Coming next: Heisenberg and another rock star. Wait and watch this space for more. 

World on their bed

I have come back to this blog after almost 3 months, a month of which went in planning my trip and going for the trip. After which I immediately got on my backlog, the destination wedding album and a wildlife coffee table book. While working my a** off on these, I got one of my most cherished works till date, an interactive bedsheet with World Map on it and another two single bedsheets with every cartoon character I've ever loved.

So this order came from my husband's former colleague Rahul Teny. He previously had ordered for two pairs of shoes for his niece Ira and nephew Ruhaan, but had kept it on hold for some reason. After he placed the order for bedsheet is we realised that he wanted to gift them something that could remain with them for the rest of their lives unlike the shoes which they would have outgrown in a matter of couple of years.

The idea of world map of course came from him. Rahul said that his 4-year old twin nephew-niece started recollecting country names during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. So he wanted them to locate the countries on the world map which would be drawn on the bedsheet. On the pillows, their names were written in their favourite colours of course. Ira obviously would like pink and Ruhaan like I predicted liked Blue. 

Like Rahul had asked for, only a few regions were marked and rest left empty for the kids to fill in as and when they realise.

And then in a matter of week, this was what came out. Though the kids haven't seen it yet because they are out of town making the most of the long weekend. But I am keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks Rahul for this opportunity, really!!!

My retro'est' shoe design till date

Yes. I just finished my retro'est' hand painted shoe till date. And the other unique part of this effort is that the client here is my oldest till date. Well he isn't old but then he is old compared to my other clients who are aged between 6 and 33. 

By the way shoe I made this time around is 'The Family Circus' themed. This was a comic strip from 1960 created by father-son duo of Bill & Jeff Keane. Trust me after reading their strips for research I realised their humour can still tickle your funny bone. 

The shoe has been made for a doctor who still loves the characters Bil, Thel, Billy, Dolly, Jeffy and PJ from this cartoon series. The docs doting sister decided to gift the pair to his brother after seeing her husband's Tom & Jerry shoe. Seema, the sister, has been trying to find the 1960's cartoon's comic book for her brother almost everywhere but in vain.

So the shoe probably is a substitute to the the unavailable comic book. I hope its a good substitute. Hope the doc, who is always impeccably dressed in his crisp formal shirt, a tie, formal pants and formal leather shoes can gather courage to wear colour in his feet. If he does, my efforts will be worth it.

P.S. Coming next: Heisenberg (Breaking Bad)

The Amazing Spiderman - 2, produced by Gopi's Studio

Just like Marvel Movies' second version of The Amazing Spiderman is out, how can my studio be far behind. Just a day before the release of Andrew Garfield starring The Amazing Spiderman - 2, I have also come up with my second hand painted Spiderman shoe. 

Though if I had not made the customary call to the client before starting work, the story would have been different. All this while I thought I had to make Chhota Bheem shoes, but luckily I made that one call to be reminded that it was Spiderman shoes. So with a new look and new pose, The Amazing Spiderman 2 from Gopi's Studio is released for all to see.

Check it out. Coming next, Pink Floyd, Family Circus and Winnie The Pooh. 

Who is Charlie? Who is Lola?

"I want a pair of Charlie and Lola shoes," said Anuraj, one of my returning clients. Earlier she had got a pair of Chhota Bheem shoes for her son and this time she wanted something similar for a friend's daughter. Such was my ignorance about this English writer and illustrator's characters that I had to actually ask the client thrice in a week who actually were Charlie and Lola.

Yes, I come from the Doordarshan era where Tom & Jerry, Pingoo, Swat Kats and to some extent Duck Tales were considered to be best cartoons. From the contemporary lot, I do know of Chhota Bheem, Dora, Doraemon, Winnie The Pooh and others, but Charlie and Lola, well. 

But anyway, after I saw their website, I was super impressed. Though they aren't the most cute looking fictional characters, but ultimately they looked good on the shoes. Brother sister pair of Charlie and Lola, with their friend Lotta and a dog named Sizzles adorn the shoes. 

I have to admit I need to brush up my fictional/cartoon characters' knowledge if I have to keep up in this space. Better late than never. Till then take a look at these shoes and yes, visit their website www.charlieandlola.com which will be a delightful experience. And yes, I also have my website live, I said it right earlier. Ohh yes, I did.