Today we’d like to introduce you to Ratna Dalal.
Ratna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am an architect by profession and an author (of 2 books!), artist and blogger by avocation. For over 25 years I have indulged in botanical painting to unwind from the highly computerized world of architecture, as it leaves me hungry for color and curvilinear forms. Hence the subjects of my paintings are colorful flowers and leaves.
These are inspired by the beauty of the four seasons in the North-east of U.S.A. and are in the medium of mostly watercolors. What began as a hobby has evolved me into an artist as my paintings have adorned many exhibition walls in New York, book covers, book pages, e-magazines and blog posts. As evolution dictates, it is time to grow by sharing it with the world. Hence I launched my online store titled Ratna’s Seasonal Art.:(https://www.zazzle.com/ratnas_seasonal_art)
But why do it and how to do it? With rapid urbanization and advancing technology, people are losing touch with nature. It is estimated that by the end of this century ninety percent of the human population would be living and working in urban areas. This will create and is already creating a hunger for green pastures and the delightful sight of plants. Hence with the objective of infusing your life with the joy and beauty of nature, digital images of my original artwork are applied on a variety of products as a canvas.
Consequently, the products of this store attempt to reconnect people with nature’s beauty. I think of it as humanizing machine-made objects with handmade, original botanical art… While seasons come and go, botanical art is never out of fashion! This store was launched in November 2017 and I am hoping that large retail stores like Kohl’s, Pier One, IKEA, Pottery Barn etc buy in bulk from my store and then sell the products worldwide for a global market. This way maximum people can bring the delightful sights of nature into their daily life.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are two aspects to this journey. One is art and the second is business. The artwork was done over the past 28 years as a hobby, so it was pure bliss. Now with this store set up, I have even more reasons to make many more botanical paintings!
As for the business aspect, in the past, it was not possible to build it into a business. But now we are living in a supernova-driven economy that is based on computer, internet, mobile, and broadband. Thomas Friedman has said that in such an environment, “the markets have become a maker’s paradise… By leveraging the supernova, you can do much more with so little time…. conceive an idea, bring it to life, and scale it at an ease, speed and cost that make the whole process accessible to so many people.”
To convert art into products I have collaborated with Zazzle as a designer. They take care of mass production, shipping, handling, customer service etc. That leaves me free to do all the fun and creative work. So I would say that it has been quite a smooth road so far.
Please tell us about Ratna’s Seasonal Art.
My company/ online store is called Ratna’s Seasonal Art. Here machine made products for daily use are humanized by handmade botanical art by me.
By vocation, I am an architect with many years of experience in New York state. My architectural experience has been in the sectors of hi-end residential, healthcare, retail, and hospitality. By avocation, I am a botanical artist. These two fields complement each other tremendously. Besides this, I have authored two published books and have been a blogger for over ten years. Now I have evolved into an entrepreneur with this online store.
As a company, I am happy and proud of all the products that I design as they bring joy in the lives of people who use them. The botanical art connects people to nature and refreshes their mind and charges them with renewed energy provided by nature’s beauty.
What sets me apart from others? My background of architecture and botanical art, that complement each other and help me to create unique designs. After all how many botanical artists do you know who are also architects? Or how many architects do you know who have over 25 years of experience in botanical art? When I make botanical paintings, I use the rendering principles learned as an architect. When I format these on different products (e.g. iPhone case, iPad case, products for home decor, clothes etc) I use my architectural sense of design that deals with scale, proportion, composition and many other design aesthetics.
My sense of design is also shaped by the colorful culture of India and Europe and the professionalism found in the USA. Besides this I have lived, worked and studied in New Delhi, Chicago, New York and now Massachusetts and traveled extensively in Europe. All of these factors have given me a lot of exposure to design sensibilities and shaped me into the professional I am today: an architect, artist, author, blogger and now an entrepreneur! This is what sets me apart from others.
With all this in the backdrop, you will find that my product designs are very unique, distinctive and exclusive.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I had a very happy childhood and hence have many favorite memories. Some of them are celebrating Diwali and Holi festivals on a grand scale, attending many weddings in the family (with over 500 people!) and playing with many cousins, being loved by many aunts and uncles, long summer vacations with tons of unstructured, free play time, travelling to exotic places in India with family such as Kashmir, Gujarat, Jaipur, Karnataka etc. But most of all, having the best parents on earth who made it all possible!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.zazzle.com/ratnas_seasonal_art
- Email: ratnadalal@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ratnadalal/
- Other: https://www.zazzle.com/mbr/238225677865909404
Image Credit:
S.M.Dalal, Zazzle
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