Shop @ Shopo

Shopo is a recently launched website that provides a platform for Indian artists and craftsmen to showcase and sell their work online. She Sells was one of the 20 first brands to be handpicked by creators Krithika Nelson and Theyagarajan S to be featured on the website. After several months of designing, uploading, testing, tweaking, tinkering and debugging the website has been launched and the word is slowly spreading.

To check out my store please visit : shesells.shopo.in

There is lots of fun stuff available at Shopo, and you can have it all at the click of a mouse. After the payment is made, products are delivered within a week's time. So now there's no need to carry heavy bags and walk around from store to store when you crave some retail therapy.  Besides what is already available, Shopo plans to keep expanding the number and variety of sellers.

Here's what Hindustan Times had to say about Shopo
Lots in Store - Hindustan Times, July 1st 2011 (Rochelle Pinto)

The Utopian Tropical Spring-time

     Living in the tropics does not really allow for the experience of spring time. However, being a student of Literature, inevitably leads one to vicariously live the season. For some of the most dreamy and seductive poetry has been written with the back drop of spring. 

 

     These notions of this yet unexperienced  season lead to the creation of Primavera: an interpritation of the utopian tropical spring. A collection of pendants, adorned with the vibrancy of tropical flowers.

Septa

 Generations of scientists and artists have been confounded by the sacred geometry of the Nautilus, an ancient mollusc that has resisted evolution and remained structurally unchanged for over 450million years. The cross section of this creature reveals the Golden Mean Spiral, an almost universally appealing aesthetic form that seems to be a manifestation of the geometry of the universe.Ironically the seemingly stagnant form is one of the most evolved patterns in nature, that may hold the key to understanding nature's beauty.

Inspired in my own humble way by this creature, I present 'Septa' : A collection of shell pendants that draw from the compartmentalized spiral that reveals itself in the cross section of the Nautilus.

maritime moods

Turns out beaches are moody.

During my last visit to Goa, monsoons were waving goodbye and the ocean was still defending her beaches like an angry tigress. Though visually enticing, the sea was too treacherous to tread into. So I was forced to cautiously walk on the fringes of the water and humbly pick sells that were offered to me. my presence was tolerated, not welcomed.

On the last day of that trip, I made my way to Bambolim beach, the mood was as mentioned above. As if to symbolise this aversion to my presence, the ocean kept sending jellyfish my way. I could see beautiful shells shimmering, just under the foamy waves. But I heard the ocean growl, and did not take any.

During this visit, I was determined to make amends with Bambolim beach, so it was the first beach I went to. This time however the mood was completely different. The absence of jellyfish and the calm water seduced me to enter. As if to make peace for the earlier grumpiness, beautiful silvery blue disk like shells kept appearing at my feet.

Peace has been made with Bambolim beach, and the former foul mood has been lovingly forgiven.

siridao beach and sea nymph

My last visit to Goa led me to Siridao beach. This beach is so full of shells that every crunchy step made me apologetically cringe. I was overwhelmed by greed, I wanted to bag  the beach, and had to exercise great control to pick only a special few. What particularly attracted my attention were flat disk-like shells which have so brutally been abused in the creation of decorative lamps, chandeliers and other such eye-sores. So I was really choosy and picked only a few.

With those I brought away, I have created a collection of neck-pieces titled 'Sea Nymph'. The rocky shore of Siridao seems like the perfect playground for these coquettish mythical creatures. The presence of fishermen with their nets and boats adds to the imagery. I'm allowed to be a little whimsical, aren't I ?

of good ol' days and gran'mama ways

It is well agreed on that the traditional Indian grandmom led a pretty sustainable life and had a fairly small carbon footprint. Pickles were aged naturally, water was cooled in earthen pots, fresh herbs were picked from the backyard and clothes were stitched on a noisy sewing machine that sat in one corner of the house. I never met my paternal grandmother, but she left us her sewing machine. For many years, it sat in an unused corner of the house. It served as a table on which decorative items were placed, and for a brief time, even doubled up as a storage unit for discarded toys. 

Recently, I decided to resurrect the trusty tailoring tool, and with a little help from my mother got the thing to work. I've become quite absorbed in this needlecraft; I find the metallic sound of the foot paddle quite comforting. At the risk of sounding traditionalist, it reminds me of a simpler time.

Now, the jewellery I make comes nestled in a soft bag of cosy cotton, stitched on this very sewing machine. I'm sure gran'mamas everywhere will smile.

she sells more than just a shell

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I vowed to keep certain practices consistent, even though they may be logistically challenging. I decided I would collect every shell myself, and not take too many. The ones I do not use, I promise I will return to the sea. I choose to be like the household fisherman who catches enough to feed his family, and not the fishing trawler that wipes out shoals of fish at a time. The idea is that I am borrowing these shells from the sea, to adorn myself and a few others. They are not mine to keep. The sea is being kind enough to share a piece of her with me; I vow not to abuse her generosity. And for those of you who do buy one of these pieces, after you're done with them, or they break or you simply get bored of them, please throw them back into the sea. It's not silly, I promise you. Somewhere it's helping the earth.