Illustrator: Maheswari Janarthanan

Hi folks! Today, we have on board Maheswari Janarthanan, a very talented artist from Chennai, India. I first discovered Maheswari while scouting for a card for my husband’s birthday. I fell for these innovative postcards Maheswari had designed on the Valentine theme, which was her launch pad into the world of illustrations.

Becoming an illustrator happened by chance, says the soft-spoken Maheswari. A graphic designer by profession, Maheswari decided to quit her job at a publishing house. While on her break, she started doodling and drawing, leading to what is today “Little One’s Doodles”.

For those of you who have met her, the brand name she retails under is no surprise. Underneath her “tiny” frame she hides oodles of talent, which is evident in everything she designs – from postcards, stickers, gift tags and home décor.

Maheswari’s workplace is as creative as she is. A corkboard features her latest doodles, shelves are filled with craft materials like ribbons and twine, that she uses to tie her postcards etc. Though, what catches my eye, are the miniature toys hanging above the corkboard, a collection that Maheswari cherishes.

She shares with me some food illustrations that have kept her busy off late. Inspired by Slovenian watercolour artist Meta Wraber, Maheswari decided to experiment with a similar style herself.

Maheswari admires illustrator Olaf Hajek (use of vibrant colours and details) and artist Pablo Picasso (abstract forms) for their ingenuity. Maheswari’s works are playful and magical, with motifs drawn from nature. People fascinate her too, and are a dominant theme across her works. Her favourite mediums are pen and ink, charcoal and watercolour. She has also used porcelain paint, for the series of ceramic art, shown below:

I especially swooned over a wedding card Maheswari worked on. Going beyond the conventional motifs, the design creatively depicts the wedding journey, through a couple on a boat. The desert motifs surrounding the lake, symbolize the bride, who is from Bahrain!

The icing on the cake is her work for Chennai based publishing house Look It’s Me, which launched a children’s book titled A Goodnight Story featuring her illustrations.