In a world of people who whip out their DSLR every five minutes and declare themselves 'travel bloggers', it's refreshing to come across someone who'd rather sit for hours staring at a landscape to perfect the colours on canvas. Meet Kasturi Roy, aka Stationery Hoe – the Indian girl who's travelling the world, one painting at a time.
What is most striking about Kasturi's work is the vivid colours, the easy brush strokes and the careful attention to detail. "Whimsical" is the word she likes to use to describe her work. She hopes her paintings provide an immediate escape to people from the monotony of life.
Through her work, Kasturi manages to capture not just the scenes she sees, but the very idea of travel. Waves captured in a light bulb show just that, the bright idea of a beach holiday. An envelope with mountains is a prayer to the universe to send a letter with tickets for a mountain escape.
The journey of combining travel with painting began on a solo trip to Ladakh. A few years ago, Kasturi went off the grid in Ladakh for two weeks and feels that is where her illustrative style really developed.
Currently, Kasturi is working on creating a series of doors and windows that she's spotted across her various trips. A fitting ode in the times of lockdown, when the only escape from home is through doors and windows.
The next destination on Kasturi's travel bucket list is Italy, specifically the Amalfi Coast, and we can't wait to see what art she produces in the land of Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci!
To check out more art by Kasturi, click here.