Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Lake, Jaipur.

This is the last painting with a Rajasthan theme before I move on to something new. This lake is somewhere near Jaipur, but I'm not sure where - could be Man Sagar Lake. I'm trying to get the feel for water, but at present it is still eluding me.

Rajasthani Woman

Rajasthani Woman: watercolour. Source: video frame.

Rajasthan lies to the North West of India bordering with Pakistan. While literally meaning "Land of Kings", it is also known as "Land of Colours", and it is easy to understand why, as everything in this country is so brightly coloured - furniture, embroidery, wall paintings and clothes.


The woman in this painting is wearing typical traditional clothing, most beautifully and brightly coloured, and adorned with beads and trinkets. Here, the cloth covering the head is both for protection from the heat as well as for modesty.


We hear that, the world over, traditional clothing is giving way to more modern attire, and I personally think that to lose traditional attire such as this would be a huge shame. Rajasthani women are the most beautifully dressed that I have ever seen.


I've tried to keep the work here as near as possible to the correct colours, but it is quite difficult to get the colours so bright and pure using those I have in my palette. Also, the photograph of the painting has lost some of the vibrancy of the work.