On 17th January 2020 my wife Juliet and I embarked on a 2 week visit to Mysore, India. Juliet was taking knitting workshops on behalf of the charity ‘Knit for Peace’ alonside her colleague Jane Crowfoot at the Green Hotel, Mysore and luckily I went along as husband-on-tow.
Neither of us had been to India before, so the whole thing was a whole new experience. The 30 degree temperature was most welcome. We flew into Bangalore and journeyed west along what we thought were very filthy and litter strewn main roads. Thankfully Mysore revealed itself as a beautiful and vibrant city, and the Green Hotel an absolute oasis of colonial beauty and tranquility. These sketches are a visual diary of my Mysore. It was great fun sitting and walking amongst street sellers, who were all friendly and accommodating, particularly with the sketching. We were so lucky to just miss the onslaught of Covid 19!
Favourite subjects were Deveraja market in central Mysore which was brim full of activity, colour and smells. Also the early morning farmers market on the outskirts of Mysore, though the sellers were a bit more wary of sketchers sitting in bolt holes around the market. My sketcher colleague David that was also staying at the Green Hotel helped with 'sketchers courage', though I didn't see him for hours once we got going. It will certainly be a different landscape now with the Covid lockdown etc.
Love to go back some day.
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