Made Ganesha Idol This Year

I still like creating handicraft stuff, really I do. Well that’s what I would do all day if I am not occupied with listening to the music, or flipping through pages of a book or hang around social media or FB, twitter, blogging, movies, food, friends. Can’t help it.   Too many distractions or should I say ‘too many interest’?

Well, last week I was with some friends in Tenerife and my friend suggested I make an idol of Ganesha for her. In India, during Ganpati season, all the stores are full of idols but in places out of India, it is difficult to find unless you visit an art store.

I have silicon mold to begin with, all I needed was the rest of the art materials.

I have an artist friend who also owns a hobby store, so it was not difficult to find the materials required to make the idol. Many years ago I had learnt to make clay by binding fevicol glue with corn flour (which is more eco-friendly) but my friend suggested I use chalk powder.

First step was to mix chalk powder with water and pour it into the mold. Let it set for 30 minutes and then remove it.

The idol was ready and now it has to be kept for drying for at least a week.

The idol has to be scraped and polished using sand paper, to give it a smooth finish, a special attention to be given to the base so that it is able to stand. I stuck the base to a rectangular cardboard and stuck few beans to give it a rough look.

After one week, the idol is coated with base solution (kind of rubber solution) that will prevent it from absorbing too much paint.

I selected white paint for the idol because it gives an ivory look.

A final coat of gold paint to highlight the jewelry on the idol.

It was important to mount it on a stand. I bought empty boxes, stuffed them with newspaper and covered it with gold paper.

And finally a decorative lace on the border did the trick.

Traditional Lace Work of Canary Islands

The first person whom I visit when I return to Tenerife each time is to visit my friend, Ana. She has been a great friend for a long time now and I have always seen her smile, does she frown ever? I doubt. Our mutual interest is Art and handicraft. I have spent many hours in the past making odd and ends creating art work and also painting in oils. She now owns a big store selling all the accessories of handicraft items. 

Ana has an art studio behind her shop, where she holds art classes to those who would be interested. Artists buy all sorts of art stuff from her store and she helps them how to use it. I go crazy when I see all the things at her store, there are paints, unfinished painting, sculptures waiting to be painted, stencils, art books, etc.

Her face brightened up as soon as she saw me. She shows me the latest trend in artwork and I am attracted by the lace work that is stretched tightly on the wooden frame.

Spain is famous for their lace work. Many tourists take back the souvenirs of this laced bed sheets and tablecloth with them. In the villages, lace days take place in the open air from March to December and the women can be seen seated at the tables demonstrating lacemaking techniques to the passerby.

Ana offers to teach me this art. A cloth is stretched on a wooden frame. The method involves drawing out the strings from the cloth in a certain pattern horizontally and vertically. Every lace is made up of lots of stitches, where you need bobbins to create a pattern. The stitch has to be tightened up so that it doesn’t look messy. There is a great sense of achievement when you see the finished product.

There are three main shapes – rectangular, fish or triangular and they are worked mainly in bobbin lace, especially Blonde and Chantilly, which is extremely fine. Motifs are mostly floral but expert make animals and landscape too. This requires lots of patience and concentration but the results are satisfying.

Ana shows me different books on lace making, tempting me to learn this art, I pick up the lace fan from the corner of her store and fan myself.

“If I have time I will come and learn from you” I tell her as I continue to study different designs in her books.

Mentally I make a note of making that beautiful tray from one of my own art work.