Can’t afford a 25k painting? Pick up a hand-painted kettle or tava

Water Colour at Mahim stocks hand-painted products of every day use that fit every budget

Water Colour at Mahim stocks hand-painted products of every day use that fit every budget

It has the feel of an art gallery, but is actually a treasure trove of art-inspired products you can use. Located on the busy Mahim stretch, once dedicated to displaying canvases, Water Colouru00a0 now has something for customers with varying budgets and needs.

Artist K Prakash, the man behind the store, has a background in textile design and he says this store is an attempt to add colour to things we see around us every day, whether kettles, shoes or bags.

Ambience: The store is a delight to browse through, even if not spacious. The Bombay fixation is apparent, with Prakash using aluminium lunch dabbas to hold up shoes and scarves, and a table decorated with cutting chai glasses. Asbestos sheets decorate the walls, and the brightly-painted pop artware hangs in perfect contrast to the metallic look. Look out for aluminum bins (usually used for storing wheat) that have been converted into interesting seating options (Rs 3,000).

What's on offer: Most of what you see is hand-painted by Prakash, with a few pieces sourced from others. Water Colour stocks jewellery, bags, shoes, glares, kettles, watches, trays, scarves, paintings and movie posters. The garment section offers T-shirts, tunics, hand-painted dresses (Rs 695 onwards) and shoes (Rs 495 onwards). Bollywood fans can check out framed paintings of iconic posters of classics like Deewar (Rs 25,000).
Most of the paintings and murals (Rs 500 onwards) depict Lord Buddha and Ganesha. The book section carries titles on textile design, spirituality and Warli art.

We liked: Hang a hint of pop art on your walls with Prakash's wall clocks (Rs 500 onwards), some of them depicting life in this metro, including a picture of pigeons flying across the Gateway of India, and nimbu-mirchi to ward off the evil eye. There are painted kettles (Rs 1,000), funky trays (Rs 600 onwards) and handbags (Rs 595 onwards) depicting street kids and roadside stalls.