This bedroom is on the first floor of the house and opens up into a small sitting room. The main theme of the bedroom is “red” and it feels very cosy and comfortable. Every piece of furniture is an original antique in the British colonial style. The bed, I was told, was originally from Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).
But let us begin to talk about the art in the room. Painted plants grow up the walls, curling here and there. Flowers grow from the wooden floors.
There is a small surrealist painting above the light switch which depicts a road made up of memorable scenes from my childhood. This painting belongs to a collection of 25 , 30.48cm X 30.48cm paintings dealing with memories from my childhood. There are three paintings displayed in the house in Mussoorie from this collection.
There is also a very beautiful well preserved collage hanging next to the door to the change room. This collage uses cut outs from magazines, glass paint, glass beads, and heavy paper varnish. The subject deals with Christianity.
On the side next to the bed, a rhododendron tree grows up the wall, its red flowers in bloom. This tree also grows outside the house and local people make sherbet with the flowers.
Under the window there is a bed of painted irises, this is a bow to the artist Van Gogh. Iris flowers also grow beneath this window outside.
In the changing room attached to this bedroom there is a painted curtain blowing in the wind painted on the wall. It is inspired by what I saw when my neighbours in Mussoorie had a wedding for their daughter. These very same style curtains surrounded the wedding party. A small antique mirror hangs above it.
Overall, the room has a very cosy feel to it, and guests visiting always choose this room first.
My mother, who is a tapestry weaver, really liked this painting. She made a beautiful tapestry based on it that is just the same size as the original. It is included here.