The Wicked Dragon of Pelmel

Aditi Raychoudhury. Forest Fire. 2009. Adobe Illustrator CS.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Mother Owl. 2009. Adobe Illustrator CS.

“Whoo hooo, whoo hoooooo,
Has lost his grace utter-ly?
What can I do?
About this hullabaloo -
It wakes my chicks up early!

Aditi Raychoudhury. The Wicked Dragon of Pelmel. 2009. Adobe Illustrator CS.

There was a wicked dragon

And so wicked was he..

That every night
When all slept tight

He went on a burning spree..

(Excerpt from The Wicked Dragon of Pelmel by Aditi Raychoudhury)

Synopsis:

The Wicked Dragon of Pelmel Forest is a story about the addictive nature of power, and its potential to devastate, or to create. When the dragon accidentally discovers his ability to breathe fire, he uses it to terrorize the little creatures of Pelmel Forest. Disturbed by these developments, the little creatures make it their mission to find this monster who is destroying their forest and their lives with it. When they do, they are in for a big surprise! Not only is the dragon sleeping quietly, but looks terribly innocent. So they promptly include him in their circle of trust. What will this invitation to friendship beget? The scorching heat of his breath, or the gentle warmth of friendship?

The Bomb and The General V2.2009

Aditi Raychoudhury. Strawberries. 2009. 6" x 4". Adobe Illustrator CS.

The original ‘The Bomb and the General’ is a delightfully optimistic, anti-war children’s book – written by Umberto Eco (The Name of The Rose), and brilliantly illustrated by Eugenio Carmi. It was published in 1989 –

In Italian: By Gruppo Editoriale Fabbri, Bompiani, Sonzogno, Etas S.p.A.;
and
In English: By Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.

This version of “The Bomb and the General” weaves in some of the original text (italicized), which initially inspired this story. Like the original story, this version also maintains a naïveté to create an anti-war message for children, and for adults, a more complex tale about hegemony and insular faith.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Land of Plenty (In Green). 2009. 22" x 11". Adobe Illustrator CS.

The General of our story enjoys a life of utter ease and gluttony, till he is compelled to seek God, during a moment of personal crisis. This pivotal encounter awakens in him an unshakeable passion for God’s word. But his myopic obsession with the details of God’s message clouds its original intent, and provokes an ominous future. Will his country slumber on through the impending doom or will they arise to reclaim their right in a peaceful world?

Aditi Raychoudhury. Land of Plenty (In Pink). 2009. 17" x 14". Colored Pencils on Tracing Paper.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Land of Plenty (In Orange). 2009. 17" x 14". Colored Pencils on Tracing Paper.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Land of Plenty (In Orange). 2009. 17" x 14". Gouache on Paper.

The Loudest Firecracker

My illustrations for The Loudest Firecracker by Arun Krishnan have been published by Tranquebar Press (January 2009). This will be the fourth book to be published with my illustrations.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Dabbawalla. 2004. Pen and Ink.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Disco Ganapathi. Pen and Ink. 2004.
Aditi Raychoudhury. Twilight Zone. Pen and Ink. 2004.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Man-Lion. Pen and Ink. 2004.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Ebb and Flow. Pen and Ink. 2004.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Death By Fire. Pen and Ink. 2004.

Synopsis:
It’s India versus Pakistan and as the excitement soars in the final over of a memorable cricket match, ten-year-old Siddharth sets off a firecracker. The blast that follows will change his life.Siddharth discovers that growing up isn’t easy: he has to handle a tragic death, his best friend is gravitating to a rightwing political party, and his film-maker father has troubles of his own as he shifts away from the commercial but lucrative world of Hindi movies. And Poona is nothing at all like Bombay.

Will tennis matches help, or can his mother’s beautifully retold myths do the trick? Will instant noodles come to Siddharth’s rescue, or will it be his old elocution standby, The Charge of the Light Brigade? In this touching, poignant and often hilarious debut novel, Arun Krishnan has created a world we all recognize, one that will appeal equally to young adults and a more mature audience.

From the Author:

“Please disregard the message on Amazon that says Ships within 1-2 months. It ships instantly, like any other order. I am working with Amazon to get this message removed.

The novel is excellent reading for friends and family, so don’t feel scared to order more than one copy. (I think the Surgeon General recommends 4).

If those friends and family, turn against you, you can use specific portions in Chapter 4 and 9 that can be read out aloud as a form of retribution (recommended by the Government as an effective alternative to waterboarding).”

Study for “Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh (with Candles)”

Detail: Study For “Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh (with Candles)”. 2008. Chalk Pastels and Charcoal on Newsprint. 18″ x 24″.

Study for “Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh (with Candles)”. 2008. Chalk Pastels and Charcoal on Newsprint. 18″ x 24″.

Total Time: 2 hrs

Study for Primitive: Dance, Mon Petit Singe, Dance

Aditi Raychoudhury. Head Study For Primitive Series: “Dance, Mon Petit Singe, Dance”. 2008. Charcoal on Tracing Paper. 14″ X 20″.

Total Time: 2 hrs

Forbidden Portent: Studies

It was not the best day. She had been stripped of her womanhood. Shrivelled up inside this unfamiliar androgyny, she felt too debased to dare this world of wondrous, demeaning, and fragile promises. Debarred from tasting such tantalizing portents, she fumbled for a pencil, and touched color to paper for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Forbidden Portent (Study 3), 2006. 14" x 17", Chalk Pastels on Vellum.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Forbidden Portent (Study 2), 2006. 14" x 17", Chalk Pastels on Charcoal Paper.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Forbidden Portent (Study 1), 2006. 14" x 17", Charcoal on Charcoal Paper.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Forbidden Portent (Working Sketch), 2006. 8 1/2" x 11", Colored Pencils on Xerox Paper.

Aditi Raychoudhury. Forbidden Portent (First Sketch), 2006. 8 1/2" x 11", Colored Pencils on Xerox Paper.