The Transformation

The years of childhood have gone by so fast that the memories are still very fresh in the mind as if it was yesterday. After the school I was wandering in the play ground near my house. In one corner of the ground I notice something which caught my eyes and thought they might be of some use to me, there were these small pieces of wooden blocks, six of them cut in same size and shape, very strange and quiet fascinating and without thinking for a minute I slide them in my pocket. That weekend after all my activities were over I straight headed to my study table with these blocks thinking what to do. I realize why not paint a picture? The next step was to join them. Now joining was a problem as these blocks had rough edges and glue would not hold them for long there was only one way, to paste these blocks on the card board and use cardboard pins and ice cream sticks to hold it from sides to make it strong and sturdy.

At First I thought I would paint beautiful trees, mountains and lakes, obliviously this was not a great idea I wanted it to be special. I remembered I had gone to one of my Muslim friends house where he had this antique collection of Christ face paintings dating to renaissance period made on small blocks of canvas and that struck me that I can paint something like this, but painting Christ isn’t that easy, I was still in the learning phase of painting but the simplicity of his mothers face made it easy for me and started my work on creation of “Mother of Perpetual Succor”. On the surface it was easy but it required more than what I had thought. Finally after two days of sheer concentration and calculation of minute details lead to this master piece of art on these wooden blocks.

Today after 10 yrs this master piece is still will me well preserved, I have not done any changes or enhancements to it.

When I look at this piece of art I still think how these wooden blocks were destined to become the picture of Mary. The transformation of these blocks into a life long art is what fascinates me till now.

We are like these wooden blocks untouched by the artist, lying in the corners of the world waiting for that moment when master will reveal the true master piece in you, wait for him to put you in the limelight. So let the artist work on you, till then have patience.

P.S. This will remain with me forever. Nobody knows about this, not even my best friends, but today I reveal this picture to all.