Molly's inspiration: India

Molly's Inspiration: India

Molly's work is inextricably linked to India. Molly discusses the significance of Jaipur in her block printing practice, as well as the history of this ancient practice.

Lesson Summary

• Jaipur is awash with pattern and colour.
• I strongly recommend visiting as part of your block printing journey. Jaipur is dubbed the 'pink city' and floral motifs are found all over the city.
• I collaborate with RASA Jaipur, a husband and wife team based in Jaipur that block-print a large portion of my homeware and fabrics.
• Different areas of India have different designs that are specific to them.
• My designs are carved into a wooden block, with each colour laid into the design using a different wooden block.

Places to Visit

• City Palace Jaipur
• RASA Jaipur
• Bar Palladio Jaipur
• Phool Mandi flower markets

Further Reading

If you are interested in the history of block printing in Jaipur, as well as Indian use of colour and textiles, the books mentioned below are excellent.

• Christine Chitnis' 'Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan'
• 'Block Prints From India For Textiles' by Lewis, A. B. (Albert Buell)

All About Jaipur

The city which changed Molly's life.

Jaipur, Rajasthan's largest city and capital, is also known as the Pink City. One of India's first planned cities, Jaipur was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1727 AD. For the grand welcome of Edward, Prince of Wales, Jaipur was painted pink, historically a colour synonymous with hospitality, during the reign of Sawai Ram Singh. Even now, the pink colour is still there.

Block printing is also known as woodblock printing, woodcut printing, or hand block printing in India. Beautiful works of art are produced by following the method of carving patterns onto wooden blocks and printing using natural dyes.

Sources; Jaipur.org and The New York Times