Latest original painting developed from a recent idea.
In this painting I wanted to show a young, teenage boy helping his grandmom make pickles. The bright shirt with a gaming controller print gives a contemporary setting to the context.

Having the grandmom around to guide him is not just an opportunity for bonding, but also to show a perspective shift from a few generations ago to now, of having boys helpout in the kitchen more.

As a mom and an artist, have thought about how many of the traditional gender roles of society start at home and how even small changes in what we do, both at home and how its portrayed even in artworks and media around can help move conversations forward.

Also wanted to show a simple element of nostalgia in India that so many of us associate with our grandmoms kitchens ... pickles and the white and brown 'ooruga jaadi / barani ' or the pickle jar.

Kept the background light, flat and minimalist to have the focus on the two and what they are working on. And some parts with more direct brushwork and some with a more detailed finish for the same reason

Glad to have my super sportive mother-in-law and my son go along with my idea and patiently posing for all my instructions to the many photographs I took with the concept and painting in mind.

And yes..we did end up with a jar of tasty lemon pickle at the end of it 😄