Devi Durga in Dasavatar tash

 

I joined a two day online workshop conducted by Kusumkuja on the topic of Dashavatar tash. This session by our teacher Dr Avijit Majumdar gave a good insight into the folk-art form of Bishnupur. During the workshop each of the participants were assigned to create one tash or card from a set of 12 cards. I was assigned Devi Durga based on the ten forms of goddess we worship in each Bengali month.

 

The class was very informative. I loved to know the background story of Dashavatar Tash. While doing the assignment, I observed various Dashavatar tash I found in online museums and websites. I observed the kind of strokes and colour treatment done in Kalighat painting too.

I also learned how to prepare the card for painting. For this class we used cartidge paper. First I cut out two pieces of paper in round shape. Then I pasted a cloth with tamarind seed gum, behind one of the pieces. After that card got dry and sturdy, I pasted the other piece on the paper face of the card. After that was dry, I sketched on it. Then on the top of the pencil sketch I gave a very thin layer of Fevicol mixed with water with brush and left it to dry. After it dried up, I painted the drawing with poster colour. While painting instead of using just water, I used a mix of Fevicol and water as medium. This prevented the poster colours from getting chalky after drying up.