The story behind the calendar:

The past year was what it was. The one thing that kept me and my family going as we navigated the pandemic and the lockdown was watching my dad's favorite movies. They brought us all together and brought some love and color to the otherwise grey days. These watercolor paintings started off as a thank you to my dad, and now are a thank you to the golden era of Bollywood that makes everything beautiful.

A beautiful rendition in watercolor capturing the evergreen actors of Bollywood.

In each portrait, the intricacies of the actor's features have been captured, transporting you to the bygone era of beautiful melodies and stories on the silver screen.

These artworks have been recreated for you on 'seed paper'. Which is an eco-conscious paper made from waste cotton scraps with seeds of flowers, herbs, and vegetables embedded in them. Every month of the year, one can simply moisten the previous month and plant it under a thin layer of soil to grow the respective plants instead of throwing them away.
The entire contraption has been set to a reusable pine-wood stand.

As the paper sprouts, nurture the plant with your love, water, and light sunshine and watch it bloom.

Components:
12 Sheets of Plantable Months
1 Sheet ‘About the Calendar’
Pine wood stand with wooden nails

Dimensions:
Paper Sheets: 4.75” x 7.75”
Pine Wood Stand: 5.5” x 8.5”

About the Artist

Preeti Bhatnagar is an Agra based artist, an architect with a focus on alternative sustainable practices, a university professor, a mural painter, a zero-waste warrior and an angle loaded with goodies for the 30+ street dogs she takes care of in association with PFA, Agra. 'Samanilai' is a Tamil word, which means 'Balance'.
In her own words, she fell in love with the language and the word when she was working as an architect in the quaint town of Auroville, Tamil Nadu. In her professional career, she is inclined towards alternative sustainable practices with a strong focus on bamboo and earthen construction techniques. In her personal life, exploring art, especially watercolors, has brought emotional and mental balance back, the Samanilai back.

All proceeds from her art journey go towards feeding, vaccinating, spaying/neutering and taking care of 30+ street dogs in Agra, in association with People for Animals, Agra.