koukla carolyn

Kolhapuri Shoes, pitt pens and tombow markers in kraft paper sketchbook, 2008

I only did one after work sketch this week, which was this sketch of my kolhapuri shoes. I bought these shoes the day before we left India to come back home. I spent a lot of time trying to find a pair that fit me properly—I have wide feet to begin with and Indians have exceptionally small feet in general. Each pair was different and they were all handmade and embroidered with gold thread. Interestingly, there is no distinction between the right and the left shoe. I would often see this style of shoe painted on the backs of buses as decoration. Now I just have to find an outfit to wear them with!