coconut tree in the dark

i live under the umbrella of a coconut tree in the dark night above i see understated refined beauty a shot i tried to take for you but the camera did not see what my eyes and my heart did see - oh that unknown beauty so my love come you too see this spectacle in udupi but you must in the dark stand still and also quiet be late in the night when everything indeed does quiet be then you touch that which is dark, rich and velvety the night and its coconut tree ~ vani murarka

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Resume Visualization

This post has moved to my "visual exploration" blog. Please read the complete article here:
http://manaskriti.com/visual-exploration/resume-visualization/




A simple way (using just MS Excel) to create a crisp resume that displays your history on a timeline. A KISS design that facilitates comprehension without excessive visual excitation.

This post has moved to my "visual exploration" blog. Please read the complete article here:
http://manaskriti.com/visual-exploration/resume-visualization/

life: poem 2

evaluate not your life evaluate not your life, per perceived norms. there are many stories you know not. no scale is there to measure your life against. a wild flower as many in the unseen woods, or unique - what you are, you know not. it matters not. evaluate not, your life. embrace it. it is yours. yours truly. ~ vani murarka

life: poem 1

You and my life all that You have orchestrated in my life i find it all bewildering this, my life yet i feel that You love me and my life and i feel You have a vision of my life that is beautiful exquisite this, my life that You weave unfailingly this, my life despite me and my perplexity You love my life this life that You have created that You still mould this life that unshakingly with love You do hold ~ vani murarka

to my family ...

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. ~ Richard Bach

gratitude overflows from my eyes unspoken take me to your feet that i may speak to you, unspoken far from you my heart lies, sorrowful and broken yet with me, you are you say every moment, unbroken in the sorrow in the joy my friend you are my family and the truth in my heart remains unspoken untaken yet you know, and i know and we reach across to us and the bond that seemed unknown, sown again, unbroken ~ vani murarka

florence nightingale: an inspiration for art

In my last post, I shared with you this painting of mine and said that it took shape by itself as I let my hand move any which ways it felt like.

Its a rather unusual shape for a tree, isn't it? As it took shape, I realized it was a sub-conscious inspiration from Florence Nightingale.

How so?

Florence Nightingale was one of the pioneers of Data Visualization - of presenting statistics as images to make a point emphatically. She collected meticulous data on the cause of soldiers' death during the Crimean War and created this visualization below. This was way back in 1854! Blue indicates death due to preventable causes, mainly lack of hygiene. Red indicates death due to wounds in war. Black indicates other causes such as accidents.

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This image taken from GuideStar International's Blog.

Thus via this data visualization she clearly showed that the majority of the deaths that were occurring seemingly due to war were actually totally preventable by practice of better hygiene. This made a persuasive impact on the British government of that time. It laid the foundation of incorporating hygiene as an intrinsic policy in hospitals. Here is a lovely short video on this topic, which tells us more about this somewhat less known aspect of Florence Nightingale. http://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-mind/health/health-sciences/the-joy-stats-the-lady-data-visualisation

The painting above was made during the days when I was a student of Data Visualization at the university. Regarded as a classic and pioneering example of the efficacy of data visualization, this image of Florence Nightingale's work came up often in stuff that I read and talks that I attended. Not surprising that it meandered into a painting one day.

So what is the point of this post? It is this.

The way art takes shape when I just let it flow - at times it feels divine. The myriad ways in which what I see and encounter in life has an impact on me is fascinating. The impact is many a times not in a manner and direction that one would conventionally expect. That itself makes life so much more richer.

~ vani murarka

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The Vocal Tribe of Trees

When I paint or draw I mostly just let my hand move any which way it wishes to go. It is a discovery for me to see what is emerging. That is what happened with this painting too.

Once this painting was done, it seemed to me as if the tree, as a representative of the World-Wide Tribe of Trees is calling out and saying, "Hear me too! Hear me too!"

Trees are very very vocal. Only, their language is the language of silence.

Sitting quietly beside trees, one can't miss their banter. Listening to them intently and softly with your eyes, is so so ... There. There is no word for it. :-)

I love listening to trees. It nourishes my soul.

Listening to the language of trees takes me to a different world. A world that is also very real and exists everywhere; outside me and inside me. A world which in its silence, holds profound comfort and wisdom.

Listen, listen, O World. Listen to The Trees!

~ vani murarka

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