CHENNAI LOVE BIRDS
A few years ago I got on a plane and my life was never the same, in the best way! I traveled to Southern India to marry my best friend. Two very different worlds came together - Jewish / American + Hindu / Southern Indian. To this day we are lovingly connected across continents. His family embraced my family with open arms and vice versa. This collection celebrates my first time traveling to India, being open to new things, and the beautiful union of two contrasting worlds.
In Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, it is very common to see wild green parrots around the city. They come hang out with you on the terrace in the hot afternoon sun and they can be heard in the background mixed with the other noises of the bustling city.
One day, my husband wanted to take me and my parents to see the beach in Chennai. We went to Marina Beach and had a lovely day on the waterfront drinking fresh coconut water, sharing a delicious meal at Fika Chennai, and walking along the beach.
The beach is filled with little shacks selling delicious snacks and food, colorful arrangements of chairs, and these old school game areas.
Naturally we chose to do a ring toss because why not.
This turned out to be surprisingly hard. My mom gave it a go and was unsuccessful. My dad tried and got nothing. Then I tried and also got nothing.
My husband was our last chance. We all watched intently has he missed his first two tosses. The last one felt like slow motion, we watched it fly through the air in anticipation and actually land on something. We all erupted in cheers as if he has actually won something big and important.
A little ceramic ornament type thing was handed to us with two birds sitting on a mango together. My husband embraced me in a hug and gave it to me as a gift.
Thinking back this day was special and these little birds we won are a reminder of how happy and simple that time we spent together was.
After my parents flew back to San Francisco, my husband and I stayed back to spend more time with family and go on a mini honeymoon. We traveled to Kerela and stayed at the Rainforest Resort overlooking the Athirappilly Water Falls which is known as the Niagara falls of India.
They have normal rooms but we got their treehouse! Built by a Swiss architect, the treehouse is built to allow the living tree to continue growing. Up level with the forest canopy, you get panoramic views of the lush landscape and can see monkeys and wildlife from your deck.
We ate some of the best food I have ever had, hiked through the rivers and rainforest, and got to visit an elephant sanctuary. Everything was so green and lush and I loved every minute of it. One morning we sat for at least 5 hours in complete silence listening to our surroundings including many wild birds; I painted and my husband read. It was bliss.
It all came together when I was home, flipping through photos of the trip, and wanting to create something special to remember and celebrate these times in the rainforest, our honeymoon, and memories of our first time together in India. Chennai Love Birds is not just a beautiful repeat pattern that I designed with fabric and wallpaper in mind, it is a work of art that tells a story to celebrate these memories and moments.
Check out the rest of my HELLO INDIA pattern collection designed with fabric and wallpaper in mind within my creative portfolio. I would love to connect with you to share more fun stories, discuss alternative scales + colorways, and learn how I can support your brand through my thoughtful surface pattern design approach.
