Memories ~ Warm recollections ( Part 2 )

Hello everyone !

Last week, I started  a chain post on memories about some things that were dear to me . In case you missed it, you can find it here.  I am back with the promise of bringing  you some precious memories preserved in the most beautiful manner by a lovely person.

Today, I am most delighted to present before you a very talented and a totally creative person, Boisali Biswas whom I met recently on another group ( thanks to some blogger friends who initiated the group) and came across this wonderful lady . Her talents know no bounds . She impressed me in more ways than I can express here. I was totally awe struck by the things she does and the way she lives her life. Let's get to know more about her in her own words . "I live in West Bloomfield, MI, US. I am a studio Textile  Artist, working with mixed media textiles and try to use  mostly discarded, throwaway materials in my work as well as any decor/ makeover in the house, giving it a new life altogether. I enjoy working in other mediums too and am always working on new ideas, love to live a life encompassed by the arts in all aspects ".

Is'nt that great ? There is so much that I love about her and would like to explore but today, since we are talking about memories, there is no other person than Boisali who cherishes memories the way she does. Her home is a walking - talking memory lane with each lane turning into a beautifully woven story behind each object that she fondly possesses and displays. I had a tough time  choosing what to share here and what to omit. It was almost like opening a delightful Pandora's box ( of memories) :)
So, without wasting much time here, let's hear what Boisali herself has to say :)

"Apart from browsing through old pictures, I have always loved to be surrounded by precious memories in my living space. Here I am sharing only a few around my home, which has become a treasure chest over the years. Everything from our kitchen table, coffee table, curtains, sitting arrangements, to cd cabinets, décor, has a story associated with it. I have refurbished furniture, closet doors by building some, painting some, etc. , giving them all my own touch. All of that is way too much considering how many years I have behind this entire collection.  I am mentioning only a few here.

Here is a tree of memory, made by my children, as my Mother’s Day gift, with circular pictures hanging from the branches.  I have some dry flowers arrangements here, dried at home, from my garden and some from various bouquets from very special occasions, happy and sad.  The most recent being a bouquet from the funeral of a very dear person in our lives. The flowers that dry well have been added to these over the years. They do collect dust, and I have been able to have them only because we have less dust here than in India. And I have them placed in places not to close to our living space. "

"Here, I have two special pieces. On the left are pizza boxes painted by a very well known Artist Shanu Lahiri, when she was visiting us. Her painting those is a very special picture etched in my memory forever. She has been my biggest inspiration/mentor for my Art career. She passed away last year and this is one way of having her close to us always, these boxes have been hanging as a mobile over our TV for many years now. On the right is another mobile made by me. They are strips woven with shredded unused photographs and this also hangs in another corner of our family room. And it is always fun to unexpectedly find a face or two peeking at us, in those pictures". I'm sure it is :)

Simply amazing ! Who would think of using used Pizza boxes in this ingenious manner ? Now, next time when my kids order Pizza, I know what I'm going to do with the used boxes. My paintings may not be as good as these  ( in fact, cannot be) but they can surely be put to good use :)

"Our kitchen table was an old sturdy table from our student days. The top was worn out over the years. So we built a box that sits on the top and I painted on it, inspired by our family favorite Kandinsky , and now it has become one of our most precious piece of furniture in the house, with fabric chair backs that I made matching the table."
What a riot of colors that is. It can brighten up a dull day any time :)

 "I have here a picture of my basement studio, my retreat, mainly because of that wall back there, which holds most of the postcards, announcements, posters of exhibitions of my friends and myself, over the years. I call that my inspiration wall, and love to be surrounded by all the love and creativity of so many in my life. The one on the bottom is another view showing paintings done by my kids and my friends’ kids, for a project that I did with them on Tagore and his Art ."

What a lovely wall and what a lovely studio. Sigh ! Boisali, you truly touch my heart with the little details that you've put into every thing we see here :)
So, this was just a slice of creativity that you get to see from a a very talented and skilled person, who is a lovely individual too ( how can she not be, going by the sentiments and emotions that she pours into mundane things ) . If you want to see more of her work and be more amazed, do visit her website :) And , yes, some more pics of her beautiful home can be viewed on her home tour feature on another blog , so do not miss it :)

Today, I not only want to showcase Boisali's ways of preserving memories and the way she has held on to them but I also want to showcase her skills in preserving lots more . Today,being  Earth Day , I think there would be no other person than her who can teach the world to reuse, recycle and rehash the things that we generally think of as trash. If we take a few leaves out of her book, we can definitely learn how to make a difference in the world around us and to preserve this planet so that the next generations to come may enjoy a greener and a brighter Earth :)
Thank you so much Boisali for this lovely trip down memory lane and for allowing us to take a peek into your beautiful life :)
I'm sure you have enjoyed this post as much as I have putting it together .  Feedbacks are always encouraging so Boisali and I will be delighted to hear from you :)
Keeping the memory wave going, next week will be the concluding part of this chain post and some of my very special blogger friends will share their happy memories with us here. You don't want to miss that, do you ?? Stay tuned for more .....see you next week . Keep dreaming and keep making those moments special.... you never know when they turn into beautiful memories  :)

All pictures belong to Boisali. Please do not copy without prior permission from the owner .