Chaukhandi Ornament
Continue to explore the wide world of historic ornament. This one is my interpretation of a detail found in the Chaukhandi Tombs, a 500 year-old necropolis richly carved in sandstone, near Karachi in Pakistan. Photos were graciously shared with permission by Tahamie Farooqui, a very talented photographer referred by Jenny Farooqui. Many thanks for the gorgeous pictures and referral! Shaded and colored with Inktense and Pitt Artist Brush pens.
Although the original necropolis is entirely monochromatic in a rich rust brown color, I added some details in my picture for a bit of contrast. The palette has somewhat of an ancient Egypt flare! Here’s a before and after shading and embellishing:
The picture measures 4x6 inches on hotpressed watercolor paper.
Here you can see a close-up of the original fragment taken by Tahamie, in a black and white photo.
And here are a couple of close-ups:
Feel free to share or pin these images.
Remember that images of the art are Copyright Eni Oken.
Photos of Chaukhandi Tombs are copyright of Tahamie Farooqui, used with permission.
While Alan and I are safe from the recent Los Angeles fires, some of our loved ones were affected in a most brutal way, losing everything. I am extremely thankful that everyone is healthy and safe, but I have not had the emotional space to create any drawing or painting. The only thing I barely feel like making right now is some canvaswork embroidery which brings me comfort and reminds me of my grandmothers. This little canvas measures 4x4 inches.