What is in a name?

[Cynthia Daniel]

Tarique,

The artist's name is Arul Raj and you can see his work at http://www.arulrajpaintings.com. Perhaps you know of him also.

[Timothy C. Tyler]

I also use 3 names because i want to be distinct from the other "Tim Tylers" out there in the business. There are at least 4 pro artists with that name. I can't order art supplies with just my name there are too many. So if I pay for the promo, I want to be sure who gets the credit.

I sound defensive huh? Sorry.

[Tarique Beg]

Karin,

Actually, in India my full name was Mirza Asadullah Tarique Beg. Likewise, my sister in India is Amina Razia Rafatnaaz Begum. Although, there is a lot of history behind these names if one gets into it, I felt mine was too sleep inducing for this part of the world. So, I shortened it.

On the other hand, if I ever got to paint some of them wealthy oil sheikh dudes, who are into Far Eastern history etc. I could get paid a couple of extra grand for each name, depending on how history crazy the Sheikh was.

By the way, your friend Yogurt, er..., I mean Yogesh is no less than a God. That's right, in Sanskrit Yogesh means "The GOD of YOGA". Hey, even "God of Yogurt" is not too bad as long as you're a God. If only Yogesh were into portraits, they could actually be signed by a God!. Wow, I'm sure a lot of people would cough up big dinero for that signature.

Tarique

[Tarique Beg]

Cynthia

I checked out Arul's site. It seems he was in Delhi around the same time I was there. From 1971 to 1980. Actually, our family was somewhat well known in New Delhi, because my dad was a Supreme Court judge there, who went on to become the Chief Justice of India in 1978. There was much controversy in New Delhi at that time, since Mrs. Gandhi appointed my dad over another senior judge who only had a month left for retirement. In 1978 when, our president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (who Arul painted) expired, my dad, being the fourth citizen of India, was summoned to the Parliament as a standby, in case something happened to the Vice President, who temporarily took over the president's office - the order of precedence is Prime Minister, President, Vice President, and Chief Justice.

We have a mixture of British Parliamentary and US Presidential democracy. The Indian President is the head of the armed forces, but otherwise is a figure head for the most part. The Prime Minister holds governing power. My dad, then swore in the next president of India, Gyani Zail Singh in 1978. So, for a while in those days we were in the news off and on, but not in a big way, because the Judiciary is expected to excercise a certain objective sobriety and isolate itself from political leanings and the general commotion that sometimes goes on in the House of Commons where some neophyte ministers settle differences by throwing slippers and shoes at one another.

Arul it seems also painted Mrs. Gandhi and other officials whom we occasionally met at official gatherings and have therefore known our family. So, it must have been in those days that he heard of us. Although I don't remember his name in The Delhi College Of Art (actually the best painters never went to Art School), I do once remember visiting a painter who had done an outstanding full length portrait of Nehru (Mrs. Gandhi's father). But again that artist was middle aged then which would make him in his seventies today.

My Dad (1913 - 1989)

[Cynthia Daniel]

Tarique,

Thank you for the link on your Dad. I will read it!

I shrieked with laughter about "throwing slippers and shoes". That's too much!

[Stanka Kordic]

This is such a funny thread. Another great topic from Karin!..

Back to the nickname thing we Americans have a liking for..I've noticed that in my son's Kindergarten class there are names such as..Nathaniel, Alexandra, Jeffrey, Andrew, Victoria...and none of them go by nicknames at all. Can you imagine the signatures on their art projects? Just spelling their names take up the whole picture. I think the "spell" might be broken by this generation.