
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.
Categories: Illustration · Images · Picture Book · Writing
Tagged: Adobe Illustrator CS, Apples, Bushes, Colored Pencils, Fable, Oranges, Politics, Religion, Satire, Strawberries, Tracing Paper, Trees, Umberto Eco
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.
Categories: Drawing · Images
Tagged: Art, Chalk Pastels, Charcoal, Colored Pencils, Inspiration, Paper, Tracing Paper, Vellum