It is so strange – that feeling that Dad is not there with us any more, is something which is so strong… He is gone, but his presence is felt all around.
Tea Cup Coversations
When I make that morning cup of tea, and sit with the newspaper, I remember him each day… He was very fond of drinking tea and used to cherish his three cups of tea everyday.
Each doodle or sketch of a tea cup I draw, Dad, is for you.
conversations with Dad
This one is for you, Dad
Dad left for his heavenly abode on the night of 18th April 2012, after a brief, intense battle with Glioma (brain cancer). He left very peacefully at around 11.45 pm (at home), with me and my mother and my wife at his bedside at that moment.
A believer in hands on approach to solving problems, he was born in village Mahichal, Multan district (now in Pakistan). The entire family moved into India during the 1947-48 exodus following the partition. A self made man, he did his mechanical engineering at Mathura. I am proud that he was at Nangal, building the Bhakra Nangal Dam in the late 50s, before joining Steel Authority of India Limited at Rourkela Steel Plant, Odisha.
He was an animal lover and we had the spectrum of pets at home from cows to hens to rabbits and parrots, not to mention several dogs. He liked to spend his free time tending to his plants in the small kitchen garden we had. I remember the roses he grafted, with a red rose on one branch and yellow on the other. I owe my understanding of Botany and the plant kingdom to his passion for gardening.
A methodical person, he made sure I knew how to clean the spark plug and replace the spare wheel, before he taught me how to drive a scooter.
A loving Dad, he always encouraged me to pursue my dreams, even though he had other thoughts for his son.
Love you Dad !!!
and there is very little time left for the current year to end.
Times have been hectic with several significant things happening – both at professional, academic and home fronts.
I promise I shall come back soon and be more regular in my posts. Meanwhile check out this picture taken by my student, Manoj Naorem during the visual identity classes.
I quite like this picture – nicely cropped and captured just the right moment.
Summer vacations in between the academic year. Though the students are not on campus, there is ample administrative work to be finished. But I am so glad that I could take out some time and return to my old love for hand-book binding. It will not be wrong to say that I am returning to it seriously after almost a year (barring two large notebooks which I bound for my routine use – more on these later).
Meanwhile, enjoy the preview – there are five or six different designs – most of them stitched, but all in limited editions of 20 pieces (max 24), with customised hand drawn covers. All of them use uncoated paper and card including handmade paper.
Do watch out for the full batch to be released at NIDUS early june.
I have been rather quiet for sometime now. It is not that I was away from the battle field.
several interesting things have happenned. The annual Convocation, My presentation at the international Vision Plus Conference
Radha Pandey, a hand-book binder from Delhi coming in and taking a two week workshop at NID (more on that later, meanwhile you can give yourself a visual treat on her blog)
Right now – I have been very busy with organising the international seminar and workshops, Typography Day 2011 at NID as a part of its Golden Jubilee Celebrations. It is exciting – the pleasures and the pressures. more details on the site
shall come back soon
cheers
