One more week!

I’ve been counting down the months, weeks and now it feels so surreal that it’s only a few days before we board the plane and head off to India. As part of my design degree in Fashion and Textiles, I’ll be doing an intensive block-printing workshop with artisans in India, organized by UTS.

The two and a half weeks (definitely not long enough) will be spent in Delhi - sourcing fabrics and materials, then off to Jaipur in Rajasthan, Bagru – mud resist indigo dyeing and the majority of block printing done in Pushkar. It feels like these are all just names at the moment, morphed with a collective of vague background information off Wikipedia and stylised images off pinterest boards.

Our brief asked us to choose an aspect of Australian culture to develop into a woodblock print. I decided to choose a botanical theme to my design using native Eucalyptus flowering gums. My hand drawn gum flowers were done in such a way that would coincide with the Indian aesthetic. Drawn to fit within a paisley like shape, I am hoping that my woodblock design can be used in conjunction with pre-existing woodblocks in India.

In amidst the rush to finish off what assessments I have from other subjects and jet off on a clean slate, preparing for India has been tough. From applying for new credit cards for overseas travel, to finding a decent digital camera for the millions of photos I plan to take, to prying out the necessary vaccinations from my awkward doctor – hectic doesn’t seem to cover it.

I’ve become accustomed to this continuous state of stress and excitement, but since the days have dropped to single digits, it’s becoming more and more of the later. See you soon India!