My dearest FrogDiva Jr.,
It seems to me that the months fly by faster each passing year, taking me further and further away from that pivotal moment in my life of March 12, 1998 when you came into my life and transformed it completely and irrevocably.
My gift to you this year is a trip down memory lane through all of your birthdays that were also milestones for your growth as an artist.
1998 – You burst into the world during the Indian festival of Holi, the festival of colours and spring, a perfect beginning for your world of colours.
1999 (1) – Your first birthday, which we celebrated in the grandest of styles, with 100 multicoloured balloons to mark the occasion, and we were all dressed in series, lenghas, and salwar kameezes. Bright shades and sparkles surrounded you, and this was your safe space.
2000 (2) – Less grand than the previous year, but equally spectacular was your birthday celebration in Kesroli, an ancient for that had been lovingly restored to its former glory. Once again, the glow of candles and lanterns lit your path, while surrounded by love and colours of the landscape and royal interior decorations.
2001 (3) – We upgraded to a more majestic venue, and this time it was Neemrana Fort Palace. The magic and colours of Rajasthan were at the core of your celebration, and by now, colouring books, paints, crayons were an integral part of our world.
2002 (4) – Your first birthday in Berlin, and once again, balloons cake and flowers filled your day. This was the year you began making paintings / drawings as gifts for others.
2003 (5) – You celebrated with your Kindergarten class, the Salat Schnecken, at the Kita Flanaganstr. after which you were taken to an indoor play area to continue the festivities at the Berlin Borgisturm. Music began to compete with your art at this point, and you explored dance classes. Ballet was not really your thing but expressive jazz for children was more up your alley.
2004 (6)- Who could forget that afternoon at Schloss Charlottenburg where you and your friends were dressed in medieval costumes and walked through the Charlottenburg Palace?
2005 (7) – We booked the birthday package at the Berliner Zoo and you got to choose which animal you wanted to feed… and you had to choose the lion! This is the year you took your first pottery lessons, which would become the foundation for your sculpture work in the future.
2006 (8) – A break from the colours but delving into the adventures, we did a scavenger hunt in the Grunewald.
2007 (10) – Your first birthday in Manila, and we celebrated in stye with Nanay and Lolo at the Shangri La Hotel.
2008 (9)- You wished for German food for your birthday, so we landed at the Deutsche Club. This is the year you art as an afterschool activity, and later on it progressed to private art classes at home. You began to explore perspectives and textures, combining mediums and thinking more out of the box.
2009 (11) – First beach birthday trip and it was Boracay, and you discovered that chocolate banana smoothies was a great way to wind down after a day of building sand castles. A sketch notebook was always in your backpack, your doodles expressive and with philosophical depth.
2010 (12) – Well, we all thought that beach birthday trips were a great thing, so we went to Club Paradise, Palawan. Water is your sign, and you came alive at the shores of the ocean.
2011 (13) – A bit further south this time, and we celebrated at the Pearl Farm, Davao. By now you would draw and doodle on just about anything. But you were also developing your singing voice with the Philippine Opera Company.
2012 (14) – First birthday back in Delhi. This was the year art took a more serious turn for you, and your musical journey continued as well with the choir. The beat and rhythm of Bollywood were in your blood, but so too was the influence of Mughal architecture. More textures and the impact of colours and geometry took form in your creative brilliance. You were on a class trip to Nainithal and Haridwar, the very first birthday we did not celebrate together.
2013 (15) – Odisha, Kanchipuram and Pondicherry were adventures for all of us involved. You were fascinated by the ancient architecture of the temples, especially Konark, which continue to have a subtle impact on your drawings and designs in the present day.
2014 (16) – Sweet 16 and we took you and your friends to Goa for an epic girl power holiday. This is the year where emotions became a new component in your art, in addition to colour, dimensions, perspective, geometry and music. Up until now, your art was on the discovery path, but this was the turning point and it developed emotional depth. Your art became your refuge and your journal.
2015 (17) – First birthday in Thailand. Instead of the beaches, we to the mountains and mystery of Chiang Rai. From the boldness of Indian art and architecture, you transitioned into the magnificence of royal Thai art, as it gently seeped into your world and contrasted with the emotional transitions of teenage years. This was also the year you designed my first official logo.
2016 (18) – What better way to celebrate your 18th birthdays than on a Chinese Junk Ship in the middle off the ocean in Phuket! This was about you being neck deep in Art IB and preparing for university life ahead. It was the culmination of your Asian tour and growth, and a turning point as an artist. You found validation and accolades with your first exhibits.
2017 – 2019 (19 – 21) – The Florence years at FIDI. Florence was a whole new ballgame as you explored Art History and took a deep dive into art as a means of exploring your authentic self, and a time to find your wings.
2020 (22) – Stuck in Berlin as the pandemic years began. Your Florence phase dramatically comes to a close and we began to discover how to adjust to life as roommates. As it turned out, two artists under one roof is great for mutual inspiration. A return to the drawing board and water colours.
2021 (23) – The second pandemic year saw you clutching to your art as a means of coping. You rediscovered sculpture and took your first steps into the world of Dungeons and Dragons, uncovering the whimsical side of illustration.
2022 (24) – We parted ways this year, as I moved to Portugal and you to Fuerteventura. For you it meant a departure from the somber greys and blacks that were predominant in fashion and art around you, and you step foot into a world of sunshine, sea and vibrancy. Your art took another turn and this time the detail became more mature, drawing together all your influences of Asia and Europe.
2023 (25) – We celebrated in Fuerteventura, your new home and a brand new beginning for you after the pandemic years. As you settled down into a new lifestyle, creative flights of fancy with digital art took on a new look for you in addition to the watercolours and gouache. You became more selective in your medium and tools, and quality reigned supreme over quantity. The FogDiva logos were re-conceptualised and launched.
2024 (26) – Your first birthday in Valencia, and here you found foot back in university life, pursuing your degree in illustration. Art is once again the centre of your world, and this time around, you consume it, rather than let it consume you. Milestone moment is the launching of your art website!
2025 (27) – Another birthday in Valencia and you are looking towards the future, a career that will take flight in no time.
I am incredibly proud of you, my dearest Maike! From fragile feathers to majestic wings, you have found your artistic soul and have learned to nurture it to the fullest. Happy birthday and may colours always light your path.
Eternal love and friendship,
Mommy
FrogDiva Thoughts 