If you get a chance, read the article in the new National Geographic concerning Indian cave paintings. Fascinating and beautiful. I grow more enamored of India art every day. My strong desire is to share this love of all things artful and Indian with the gallery’s patrons by choosing the most compelling and exquisite miniature paintings and driving a hard bargain so all of you who share this obsession can feed it affordably. Watch the website for developments.

I watched Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby while on the plane. I have to admit channeling Hillary Swank in that movie was one of the factors which led me into boxing. Actually I was working out with my trainer one day and asked him to think up a way to make cardio more interesting. He asked me if I wanted to learn how to box. I thought it over for a nano second and answered in the affirmative. Although I am just hopeless at jumping rope, I am making progress as times go by. By the time I am ready to step into the ring, I should be collecting social security. It is all good fun and fabulous way to stay fit. It is always difficult to say good bye to my coach, Matt Thorne, when I go back on the road. Matt has his own blog: bloodnsweat.blogspot.com. I am a fan of this fitness fanatic. You may find him a little scary.

Boxing and collecting paintings are my main passions at the moment. I also was born in the year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese Zodiac. Hence, my partners, David and Susan Killebrew, decided to name the gallery Boxing Dragons. At first, I didn’t like the name. Then I realized it is actually all about ME!!! I get to buy the art, and my life on the road becomes me being a hunter of treasures, not just a tour director.

I am going to sign off soon—jet leg and all… I was looking out the window of my room here at the Delhi Oberoi, and I can see the dome of Humayun’s tomb. The tomb itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and considered the architectural precursor of the Taj Mahal. And what monument could be more appropriate to this blog as it was Humayun, the hapless second Moghul emperor, in exile ,who brought the Persian and Hindu aesthetic together for the first time at his royal court in Kabul, by importing two court illustrators from the Sayyid court in Persia. The melding of the two styles led to the burgeoning of miniature paintings as the form of court illustration—the Moghul Emperors used them in their official autobiographies, and the architectural miracles of such monuments as the Taj, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri come directly from this artistic melting pot. More on miniatures later… have I told you that in the old days, the artists creating miniatures would use brushes made from the ear fur of CATS????

This Boxing Dragon is hanging up her gloves and picking up her suitcase in a week to head east to India. During my six week away I will lead two tour programs, and as the major treasure hunter of the Boxing Dragons, I will also be on the prowl for new works for the Gallery. I am especially excited to be visiting India on this occasion as I will be experiencing the erotic temples of Khujuraho for the first time. I have wanted to visit these wonders for many years. I hope I don’t get over stimulated!

It is always very exciting to return to India, although in some ways it is not an easy country to visit. There are certainly some disturbing aspects to the culture that cannot be overlooked. However, the marvelous aesthetic, the fashion sense, the artistry of even the most humble Indian is amazing. The country assaults the visitor with its colors, its smells (most of them good!), the beauty of the country itself, its convoluted logic, the deep spirituality, the chaos, the food, the constant celebrations, the hospitality, all guarantees a compelling and life changing experience, even for a veteran visitor. All aspects of Indian culture indicate a deep well of creativity which is one of the reasons India is such a compelling destination. And of course the shopping is wonderful with so many treasures to discover!

I was last in India in November 2007. During that visit I developed some contacts in Rajasthan and acquired some miniature paintings in the Jaipur and Mewari styles. They are gorgeous!!! So I am determined to ferret out some more of these beauties and try to bargain even harder to bring home the savings to our Gallery clients. If you don’t know what Indian miniatures are…well stay tuned to my next blog entry which should be up on the website on January 21st.

Signing off for now,

Annie

PS. We are in the process of putting our entire inventory of paintings on the site, so you can look at what we have on offer at your leisure. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us, by email or by phone. We’d love to hear from you.