Indian Artisan Forum

Indian Artisan Forum thrives to create an environment to give the upcoming Artists a place of exchanges.

Every budding Artist dreams to hold exhibition of his creations so that the world recognizes and appreciates his achievement, but due to various constraints the gap between reality and dream is never closed. This Forum provides a great opportunity for the non-highlighted to come into the limelight in an affordable manner and show what have to give to the ever increasing infinity.
Website: http://indianartisanforum.com

'craftmark intiative'

The 'Craftmark Initiative' is an effort by the 'All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA)' to help denote genuine Indian handicrafts, develop sector-wide minimum standards and norms for labeling a product as a handicrafts product, and increase consumer awareness of distinct handicraft traditions. Under this initiative, AIACA will license the Craftmark logo for use by craft-based businesses, cooperatives and NGOs for use on product tickets and labels.
AIACA is a membership-based apex body for the handloom and handicraft sectors and seeks to represent a range of organizations in the handloom and handicrafts sector and to engage in policy advocacy activities aimed at increasing the domestic market for handloom and handicraft products and improving the standard of living of craftworkers.
The Craftmark logo is intended for organizations that are producers or retailers of Indian handicraft products. The logo is licensed to applicants only after a verification of their craft products and the craft genres they belong to.
Website: http://www.craftmark.org

AIACA

The All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA) is a membership-based apex body for the handloom and handicraft sectors. It seeks to represent a range of organizations in these sectors and to engage in policy advocacy activities aimed at increasing the domestic market for handloom and handicraft products along with improving the standard of living of craft workers.
In addition to policy research and advocacy work, AIACA also implements a range of initiatives to enhance access of crafts producers to mainstream markets. These initiatives include the Community owned Companies Project - a unique initiative piloting producer-owned companies in rural areas, the 'Craftmark Initiative' - a certification program for Indian Handicrafts to distinguish them from machine-made products in the market and a tie-up with Aid to Artisans, a US based NGO, for providing marketing and capacity building services to craft producer groups.
Website: http://www.aiacaonline.org

Indian Institue of Crafts & Design

Indian Institute of Crafts and Design is an autonomous institute of excellence, set up by the Govt. of Rajasthan, to act as a catalyst for the crafts sector. Presently, the institute is being managed by the Ambuja Educational Institute (AEI) under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The Indian Institute of Crafts and Design has been set up to function as a research, knowledge and skill based Institute that makes craft sector contemporary and relevant in the present macro economic scenario. The main programmes of the Institute are Education, Training & Outreach, Research & Documentation and Advisory & Consultancy Services.

Programmes:
* 4-year Undergraduate Programme in Craft & Design
* 5-semester PG Programme in Home Textiles and Furniture Design & Interior Products

Contact Address:
Indian Institute of Crafts and Design
J-8, Jhalana Institutional Area
Jaipur-302017
Ph: +91-141-2701203, 2701504, 2700156,
Fax: +91-141-2700160
Email: info@iicd.ac.in
Website: http://www.iicd.ac.in

BOARDS for Discussion & Questions

Very soon we will be launching boards for our fellow visitors where they can share, discuss and question on all art & crafts related topics.

We have planned to launch Two boards, One for Discussion and Questions and Second for showcasing your Projects with link to Pictures or Tutorials.

At WOH, we personally believe that our blog can serve as both valuable and productive platform, for sharing knowledge and educating our community (esp. young generation) about the true worth and scope of Indian handicrafts.

You are all invited to pour in your valuable suggestions and comments.

Abture: An Indian e-commerce store

Ok, so all of us who have been looking to own an online store specifically on Indian e-commerce website, here is a chance to do so. 'Abture' is an e-commerce website, promoted by chennai-based company, that provides user-friendly software that can help anyone to open web stores online in minutes.

Abture provides the tools for you to become a 'online retailer' without the headaches of customer service, inventory costs and shipping, product fulfillment, merchant accounts, and returns.

All you freelancers, individuals and small businesses including designers, architects, NGOs make sure to visit: http://www.abture.in

Kalamkari - The Art of Textile Painitng

Kalamkari or Qalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, produced mainly in Andhra Pradesh, India.

The name kalamkari is synonymous with both painted and hand block-printed textiles that incorporate natural vegetable/organically-derived dye stuffs. While there are many forms of kalamkari throughout India and the world, the focus of this site is kalamkari practice in Sri Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh, in South India.

The cotton fabric gets its glossiness by immersing it for an hour in a mixture of myrabalam (resin) and cow milk. Contours and reasons are then drawn with a point in bamboo soaked in a mixture of jagri fermented and water; one by one these are applied, then the vegetable dyes. After each color, the Kalamkari is washed. Thus, each fabric can undergo up to 20 washings. Various effects are obtained by cow dung, seeds, plants and crushed flowers. In addition to the traditional style narrative wall hangings artists also create hand painted saris, dupattas, personal items and home accessories.

Expressionism: Fantasy through Art

Expressionism gained importance as an art genre in the 19th and 20th centuries. Unlike Impressionism, its goals were not to reproduce the impressions suggested by the surrounding world but to strongly impose the artist's sensibility on the world. It is marked by exaggeration, distortion, primitiveness and fantasy.

Country to get its first 'Handicraft Mall'

According to reports, India will soon get its first 'Handicraft Mall' and for this purpose the process of allotment of two and a half acres of land in the Vasant Kunj area of New Delhi is in its final stages.

The first and one of its kind, 'Handicraft Mall' will house Handicraft products from all the states across the country and will make way for their trade. Efforts are also being made to establish a 'Marketing mall' and a 'Crafts Institute' and the 'Indian Institute of Crafts' in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Handicraft sector fighting odds for survival

Despite the fact that the Indian handicraft industry is doing well (at least on paper), craftsmen on the other hand, who are the facilitators of this sector, are slowly moving out of the sector in search for more profitable and viable options.

India is one of the important supplier of handicrafts to the world market. Although export of handicrafts appear to be sizable, India's share in world imports is very small. Despite the existence of production base and a large number of craftsmen, India has not been able to encash existing opportunities.

On the issue of availability of finance from banks and other financial institutions, Shambhu Kumar, a maker of Madhubani paintings from Bihar said, "We have a very limited resources in terms of cash. Due to lack of money we can't procure raw materials too. There are times we have to sit idle because we don't have raw material to start our work. The people from whom we buy these raw materials don't give credit."

When asked about profit margins, Muthulingam, who makes items from terracotta clay said, "It is not that there is no demand for this art...there is. But since the artisans are poor they are compelled to sell their products very cheap to the local agents. Authorities need to facilitate us in finding our customers directly....something like this Dilli Haat concept."

"However this is not enough. There are millions of artisans and a couple of these haats will not solve the problem. There should be some direct marketing technique, where the artisans can sell their products at a reasonable price under the same roof."

"Here I came to know that one can sell handicraft items by using the internet. But I have no idea how it works. Authorities need to help us in this. Skill development is very important to remain profitable," he adds.

Indian handicrafts, typically considered a cottage industry has shown an increase of Rs. 2761.29 crore from Rs. 14526.85 to Rs. 17,288.14 crore, an increase of 19.01% in rupees term.

In the changing world scenario, craft products exported to various countries from a part of life style products in international market. The impact is due to the changing consumer taste and trends. In the view of this it is high time for Indian handicraft industry to go into the details of changing designs, patterns, product development, requisite change in production facilities for a variety of materials, production techniques, related expertise to achieve a leadership position in the fast growing competitiveness with other countries.

The 6 million craft persons who are the backbone of Indian industry as provided with inherent skill, technique, traditional craftsmanship, but that is quite sufficient for primary platform. However, in changing world market these craft persons need an international support, at their place i.e. craft pockets for value addition and for the edge with other competitors like China, Korea, Thailand etc.

Disclaimer: Original article is written by Mr. Saurabh Gupta

AtoZ Supermarket

Hi Folks,
I am sure most of us have been to or heard of auction sites like eBay.com to sell & buy products. But like no free-lunch thing, they come alongwith lot of tags attached to them including listing charges (whether product sold or not), sale fees & other host of other service charges. Moreover, it has been noticed that there is a constant fear among users, of their account being suspended (sometimes without no reason & rhyme too).

Recently, I chanced upon a website - http://www.atozsupermarket.com, which is actually not run-of-the-mill auction based sites stuff. Wanna know why?? well here are some of the reason's list...

• Buy now, Shop & Auction listings - Free
• Additional category fee - Free
• Images upload fee - Free
• Highlighted item/Bold item fee - Free
• Buy out - Free
• Make offer - Free

The website covers almost all product catgeories and has different Store Account Types with Basic Account for upto 20 items free and end of auction fee - paid by seller upto Rs. 10,00, 000 is also free.

ETSY: A place to buy & sell handmade things

Are you a DIY type? Do you like to knit, sew, weave, paint or build? And have you ever wished to sell your articles/objects but couldn't because you didn't know how to?

Here is a solution called...ETSY, which is a thriving marketplace for handmade items of all sorts - home decor, clothing, pottery, jewelery, knitwear etc. So, go on, sell your stuff with style!
Visit Link: http://www.etsy.com

Metalworking

Metalworking is the craft and practice of working with metals and alloys (brass, bronze, copper, iron etc.) to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large sculptures, artifacts to jewelery.

Metalworking generally is divided into the following categories: forming, cutting, and, joining. Each of these categories contain various processes.

LOST-WAX CASTING:

It is an ancient process by which bronze or brass is cast from an artist's sculpture.

1. Sculpting: An artist creates an original artwork from wax, clay, or another material. Wax and oil-based clay are often preferred because these materials retain their softness.

2. Moldmaking: A mold is made of the original sculpture. Most molds are at least two pieces, and a shim with keys is placed between the two halves during construction so that the mold can be put back together accurately. To preserve the fine details on the original artwork's surface, there is usually an inner mold made of latex, vinyl, or silicone which is supported by the plaster part of the mold. Usually, the original artwork is destroyed during the making and initial deconstruction of the plaster mold. This is because the originals are solid, and do not easily bend as the plaster mold is removed.

3. Wax: Once the plaster-and-latex mold is finished, molten wax is poured into it and swished around until an even coating covers the inner surface of the mold. This is repeated until the desired thickness is reached.

4. Removal of wax: This hollow wax copy of the artwork is removed from the mold. The artist may reuse the mold to make more wax copies, but wear and tear on the mold limit their number.

5. Chasing: Each hollow wax copy is then "chased": a heated metal tool is used to rub out the marks that show the 'parting line' or 'flashing' where the pieces of the mold came together. The wax is 'dressed' to hide any imperfections. The wax now looks like the finished bronze.

6. Spruing: The wax copy is "sprued" with a treelike structure of wax that will eventually provide paths for molten bronze to flow and air to escape. The carefully planned spruing usually begins at the top with a wax 'cup', which is attached by wax cylinders to various points on the wax copy.

Ceramics

Ceramics are made out of clay bodies and fired into the hardened ceramic form. Ceramic pieces are classified as fine art, decorative & industrial or applied arts.

Historically, ceramic articles were prepared by shaping the clay body, a clay rich mixture of various minerals, into the desired shapes before being subjected to high temperatures in a kiln. However ceramics now refers to a very diverse group of materials which, while all are fired to high temperature, may not have been shaped from material containing any clay.

Fine art ceramics include ceramic art made by hand and designed to be purely art, that is to be looked at and enjoyed visually and contemplatively, without any further uses. It is often one of a kind.

Blue Pottery

Today, India is the home of glazed Blue Pottery, which has its origin in Persia. Its distinctive feature is that no clay is used. It is used out of a mixture of Fuller's earth, Quartz and Sodium Sulfite. The special turquoise blue and deep blue color comes with addition of other inorganic oxides.

The blue pottery articles like vases, pots and jars, lampstands and many more, are decorated with traditional and arabesque motifs of animals, birds & flowers and are a shopper or collector's delight.