A Short Break

For the moment the window mural is not happening for the reasons best known to my friend. But the idea was fantastic and it might come to life someday at some other place. Thanks for enquiries.

Friendship

This image in black and white was commissioned by a friend who wanted me to sketch something on love. I always look around my space for inspiration. Be it live or photographed. The human figure and face with myriad expressions never fail to capture my attention. The moment I was given the concept, this picture struck me and I knew I would capture this beautiful moment, between friends, on my paper. 

Of all the pictures that I come across, there are a few that strike a chord with me, instantly. Be it the intensity, the fragility, the innocence, the smile, the anger, the irritation, the confusion, the wonder, the bliss, the wisdom, the experience, or any other emotion that a human being is blessed to feel. It  is these expressions that make it all so beautiful and real and it stays in my heart. This image happened to be one of them. What struck me about it was the overflowing love and trust without the worldly care. Blessed  are the moments when we can smile just like that, like a child. Its a beautiful flashback of our own divine moments! 

I like my work to make one connect with emotions which we may sometimes forget in the regular rigmarole of life. I am not an artist who likes to intellectualise the white space of a virgin canvas. To me its a space to splash the colours of heart. Not of the mind or intellect.

 

Pop Art

I recently attended a Pop Art Workshop. Strangely, right before I received the notification for the same, I had been toying with the idea of making a self portrait in Pop Art. The simple lines and vibrant colours got me digging deeper into the art of 1950s. And there came along the workshop. There was no chance of missing it.

At the workshop, however, I made a Marilyn Monroe which was a lift from the original work. But to my admiration most of the novices attempted at making their very own pop art from the magazines. Quite a few had never sketched before and most others were wondering how to play around with the medium. It was amusing to watch them at work. It was like driving the car for the first time. They struggled with the lines, the shapes, the sizes completely disillusioned in the beginning to the point of doubting their decision to join the workshop but slowing and steadily getting the hang of the art of doing it.  I, on the other hand, was pretty much at ease with my work and chose to go for the easiest because for one, I am finicky about my work and second, I like to take it slow and easy. I believe in getting acquainted with the territory first and moving to the more complex parts after the built-up of a good foundation. Moreover, I work my best when I am alone because that's when I am truly in tune with myself.

What I loved watching around was the naivety, the awe, the wonder of making things come to life on canvas, the doubts, the thrills. While I chose the safe path, they were pushed to take the plunge. And, wonder of wonders, I only saw master pieces around me! Their honest attempts at their work, the shaky lines, the colours spilled over, added honesty to the paintings and left fresh hand prints of their emotions and imagination. At the end of it, their smiles were their awards which they took back home.

I came back home with my painting and was inspired to add my own touches, colours and designs. I was amazed at the ideas which poured in and was pleased to add them. As ever, the best ideas come to me when I am on my own. When I am in tune with myself the creative forces take over and I am more than happy to allow them to do so. As of now my painting is incomplete. Needless to say I am looking forward to posting it as soon as its done.

In the meantime, I have posted a rough pencil sketch. This was an attempt to create a pop art from a magazine. This is very different from what I made at the workshop and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the boundaries of light and shade. This was the kind of work the novices attempted at. And it re-affirmed my faith that no art is bad art, though I have my preferences!!

Tung

I had always been looking forward to trekking all my life. It seemed like an elusive adventure that kept me waiting for a long time. Few days back I finally decided to make a call to a friend pretty much expecting the reply in the negative given her tight schedule. But, what a surprise!!!...She said YES without a second's wait.

Just as mine this was to  be her first trek too. We were excited because this became an adventure even before it started given the fact that every moment would throw in a surprise it being our first experience. After a short train journey we reached our meeting spot. And any wonder that we were the first ones to reach infact, even before our bus. Now that definitely proved we were the first timers =) Soon the bus arrived and so did the fellow trekkers. It was an eclectic mix from teenagers to middle-agers(to my utter surprise!), from novices to seasoned veterans. The journey finally started. The ride en route to our destination was scenic. We moved around the winding paths of the mountains. We had mountains and valleys for our neighbours who faithfully kept us good company for the most part. The calm presence of mountains was in complete contrast to the excitement that me and my friend were experiencing. From a certain point in our journey we could see a  very large mass of white clouds seated comfortably in the valley and daring to touch the peaks of its neighbouring mountains. It almost looked like they were in some serious conference to decide the next stop to shower themselves upon us mortals. I just hoped that they had my city on their inti nary. They would be welcome with open arms!! =)

The route was surrounded with valleys and lush landscape. The season's first few showers had already revived the greens and given the soul to the flora. The mountain sides too were turned to various hues of green and the dying yellow was on its way out. After a short stopover we reached Tung. This was the sentinel fort to Lohagad and stood just beyond Pavna dam surrounded on three sides by water. It was used as a watch tower to warn the rulers of the imminent invasions. After a short brief, our trek to the top started. I had chosen this trek cause it promised to be a 'soft' one. Being scared of heights, I did make it a point to get certain assurances from the group to make sure that I was not chewing more than I could digest. I have a history of going weak in the knees(literally) standing at a height and many a times I have had to be brought down with the help of  strong arms almost dragging me. How embarrassing!!! But as the trek started I realised this was exactly what I had 'not' wished for. Though the height was a given and naturally so, a height phobic in me did not expect it to be so narrowly winding at many places. Had I attempted anything like this a few years back, I would have freeze midway or fallen off the height after a dizzying spell. Phobias are best experienced than explained.

 As the ascend began I decided to concentrate on the path rather than look sideways now that I had already bargained my life for a measly sum. Even a week back standing on slope of the Solang valley for a para-glide take-off had made me shiver. I couldn't believe why I had to be so harsh on myself. After a few steep climbs, I finally decided to face the fear. I turned my gaze from my path to the slope running below, the fellow trekkers following my path, and finally to the 180 degree view of the mother earth who's lap I did not wish to 'slip' down to. My eyes loved what it saw but I could not believe that I stood there fearless. To make sure this was no mind trick, or a stunned mind at its frozen best, I continued soaking in the scene. The height did not make me tremble nor dizzy for the first time in my life. To my utter amazement, I could finally face my fear. I was FREE!!! Finally =). Oblivious to my inner jubilation, the trekkers behind me were fast catching up. I decided to move on.

The rest of the trek was arduous for the most first timers and they shared my experience. Me and my friend were not alone in our struggle to make it to the top. Though she was more deft at getting to the top while, as it turned out later, I was better at the descend. She had to face her phobia on our way back =) Despite the physical strain and the occasional visits by scorching sun we continued with our ascend. We made through the first leg of journey and hit a flat level. I was haggard by the time I got there only in a matter of an hour and decided to stay put. The peak was just a short distance away but I thought I could take the climb no more. After a decent rest, with my friend and some other teen aged trekkers(who shared my sentiments) egging me on,  I decided to reach the summit. After the final climb, the high of making it to the top ,for a phobic like me, was like nothing else. I made it!! =) The 360 degree view of the Pavna lake and the surrounding mountain forts was beautiful. It was worth every bit making it to the top. And I was so close to missing it. It was time to unwind with the breeze crashing against the ear-drums.and it's hardly a chaos but more a company in the silence of the peak. A light banter with the fellow trekkers is inevitable and  interesting.  The unobstructed cool breeze and a light lunch replenished me for the walk down. After an hour's stay we started our journey back. The descent is usually on a fast-track thanks to the gravity! It is the best time to truly soak in the beauty all around in its details be it the flora, fauna and all the green and red creepy crawlies that constantly crossed my path asserting their sense of  belonging.  Climbing down is the perfect reward for making it to the top.

Besides the natural beauty around what also inspired me was an amazingly youthful 66 year old couple. They were simply awe-inspiring to me. I salute their will to test themselves and make it to the top and back at their age. They gave me something precious to look forward to in a distant future. Were they old? I don't think so. Not in the spirit. As I overcame my phobia, they overcame their age with their spirit as it happened to be their first trek too. Its well said, Its all in the mind!!

The Butterfly Effect

Tossing and turning in my bed, it was time to wake up to the buzz of the day. The empty mind from a restful sleep had started buzzing with thoughts already. Mostly old from the previous night or so. The image appeared, an odd one, standing out from the rest which caught my attention. It had to be looked at, a little deeper, before it disappeared.

I saw the image of a serpent slithering out of its skin. The struggle continued for a while before it slid out with a brand new shiny coat, more radiant, more disco-shiny. I was wondering what made me see something like this, out of the blues. I was compelled to bring my attention to it than to simply brush it off as just another silly vision. As a few seconds passed by, I was reminded of all the times when I had felt let down. The impact was undeniable. After the initial drama of shock, hurt and reaction, I had invariably paid them my final tribute with moments of mourning. I wondered the link between such a reminder, thrust from the depths of my subconscious, to the vision ? Was it my story? Or is this OUR story?

Its every man's struggle to slip out of the done-and-dead and move to the brand new. The struggle indeed makes it worth the effort in the end. Doesn't nature pay handsomely? A shiny coat or the wings of a butterfly to flutter through the breeze. Wonder of the wonders happens when an earth-bound worm takes to the skies. Wonder if any one of us would want to complain then? And to all the dream catchers, yea, the odd dreams can mean something after all =).

Gosaiji

I finally managed to complete this painting after a long 'waiting'. I was done with most part leaving the details to be completed. Eyes went off well and then the lull set in for the accessories. It looked done, though, for the most part except that it wasn't. The constant questioning of the viewers about its completion didn't help either. Well, like I said 'waiting' is difficult to explain =).

Soon enough, with the grace of the divine, and I thank It profusely for that I got the urge to finish the rest of it. I donned my painting suit and by the end of a few hours I finally managed to put a fulls stop to the painting. It was finally DONE =).

This painting is for my sister. She clicked the picture of Gosaiji-the son of Mahaprabhuji, in one the beautiful Krishna temples in Mathura, popularly known as 'Haveli' by vaishnavs. Mahaprabhuji is the founder of the vaishnav sect who took the teaching to the masses through the length and breath of the country during the time of  Lord Krishna. To my sister's good fortune she was allowed to click the picture within the premises of the temple since this was a framed print. The 'idols' are beyond the range of the camera lens in most reputed temples in India.  The simplicity and vivacity of the colours inspired me to do it for her. In that, she was lucky that she had the sense to inspire me with the right picture =)

The miniature style was the first time I had attempted and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Abstract is not my style, but portraying those beautiful long eyes were an absolute pleasure. I had noticed similar eyes on  mukhiyaji's(head priest of the temple) wife -long and sharp, almost fish like, so in all possibility it  may be only a beautiful exaggeration of the real a few centuries back. Fortunately, the good genes have survived!! =)

It was a pleasure putting it up. Hope you'll have enjoyed watching it as much as I enjoyed making it =)

The Valley

I have just returned from a short but fulfilling trip to Solang valley aptly located in the beautiful terrain of Himachal Pradesh. Just a drive of a few kilometers ahead of the hustle and bustle of the 'ever-more-so-commercial' Manali and you find yourself in the midst of the beauty that relaxes the tense muscles and joints of the body and gently jolts the mind from the stupor of travelling for hours although the way to the valley does keep the senses engaged. And boy, is it worth it!!

The way to the valley winds along the graceful path of the river keeping you a constant company and promising you the river side to rest your tired feet in on having reached the valley. As one moves closer to the valley, the snow capped mountain peaks gently lift their heads wondering who their next guests would be this season. And then starts the game of hide and seek. Making their presence felt by peeping out every once in a while seemed to make the distance longer although only more enchanting =)

When we reached, we were welcomed by the starry night, the sound of the gushing river flowing nearby, the silence of the neighbourhood invisible in the pitch darkness, the chill of the night,  the bonfire of the neighbouring tents, the lights of the accommodation. The dark of the freezing night kept us guessing about the scene which was to be unveiled only with the first ray of the morning sun =). As I stepped into the balcony the next morning, I stared at the majestic mountains standing right in front of me. They seemed bigger and better than they would have looked on any 70mm screen. What a view!!! I thanked my stars to have found the right place to stay to make such a wonderful surprise possible. The mountains were splashed with God's favourite shades of greens interspersed with the browns here and there. The icing on the cake was, of course, the snow which proudly occupied the topmost place as it always did. Like the crown of diamonds and pearls it shone in the light reflecting back its beauty which was overflowing in abundance.

The weather has its many moods. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold, sometimes infuriated and sometimes calm like a Buddha.  Does it sound familiar? =) Well, aren't we part of nature =) We are very much related and not an island unto ourselves. Its many moods had their own beauty. I was fascinated. Sometimes raining with all its loud announcements and soaking you with its love. Sometimes calm, almost indifferent to your presence. At times sunny and compassionate, like its almost coaxing you to get out and run in its lap. At other times, a bit mad, windy, crazy, warning you to stay away. Almost telling you 'I WARNED YOU'.

Me and my cup of chai almost empathised with all its changing colours and remained a witness to 'Your Majesty'. I soaked it all in. Back in the city and away from nature, the memories of sight, touch and smell flood me and take me back to the paradise when it seems to be missed.

The mountains changed their attire everyday. Sometimes, their real self, uninhibited, sometimes accessorised with mist and the clouds, almost hiding away. The picture is only one of its moment, Caught and captured!! But the beauty is in the dynamic. Unfortunately, it cannot convey the sound of the silence, the chirping of the birds, the grazing of the horses, the sound of the passing breeze, the drifting clouds, the whispers from the nearby tents, the locals going about their jobs( minus the frantic rush), the smells of the nature, the cold of the river, the constant greetings from the river, the starry nights. Fortunately, it will inspire you to experience it all by yourself =)

The Waiting...

Until recently I was working on a painting for my sister. Although I managed to complete the painting quite some time back, adding the final touches took much longer than expected. There are two reasons for that. Firstly, The intricate work tends to slow down the pace as apposed to the wide spaces of a fresh canvas. Secondly, its very important to have the right frame of mind to work on the painting. Try picking up the brush when your whole being resists and you will know why it ever resisted in the first place!! =).  Anyone who's ever painted will be able to relate to that.

This is the thing about painting in my experience. An artist only ever truly paints when he gives in to an irresistible urge to paint defying everything else at that point. Appointments, phone calls, hunger pangs, door bells don't matter then. Its THAT force that creates the painting and not the artist per se. Its that madness that passes the life to the images. Its that passion alone that gives the soul to the painting.

However, these moments are rare and beautiful. They are absolutely priceless to me. People say that sometimes I take too long waiting for the right moment to start work on paintings. But its difficult to explain 'why'. Its a matter of experience and not words. One is blessed to wait! what else can i say....

The Moonlit Night

Yesterday, as I was watching TV late into the night my area experienced a power cut, quite out of the blues. The power cuts are few and far between since quite a few years now. Usually, the power cut is in a particular lane leaving the rest of the area lit. So I was quite petrified when I could simply see NOTHING. What was this 'nothing'supposed to mean? Why wasn't any light whatsoever coming into my house so that I could at least find my way to the next room to get the torch? I was quite baffled!

I started groping in the dark, not sure where my mobile phone was. Finding my way would have been easier even with the dim light of the phone, in fact ANY light would have been a messiah to me in those moments of eerie darkness. I  groped my way to the cupboard(mercifully, without any head bangs =)) and after some more frantic efforts I did manage to find my 'priceless' torch. With the light from the torch leading my way, and my confidence back in place,  it was now time to assess the situation. I reached the room facing the main street and to my utter surprise it was a TOTAL BLACK OUT!!

Can you experience a total black out with only the silhouettes of the nearby buildings and trees in sights, and I am asking the city-souls? The day you do, bless your stars. The black out turned out to be the perfect backdrop for the full moon. I had almost forgotten the intensity of the moon light until I experienced it all over again yesterday. The soothing light filled the part of my room with radiance I had never experienced before in my own house. The black and white visuals of shade and ligth seemed almost surreal. I just sat there soaking in the radiance before the white of the moon would be replaced with the dim of the street lights. For the first time, even in the heat of the summer, I did not wish the lights to come back soon. I thanked God for keeping me awake to experience that moment =).  The eeriness of the night was quickly forgotten by the heavenly light from up above.

I often get reprimanded for staying up late. But it is these nights when God paints his canvas like never before that its all worth staying up for. And all I can say is....He is one hell of an artist!!!...the one who can evoke strong emotions with his 'black and whites'...

Preliminary Work

After a few glitches, I finally managed to get the right techniques on the right surface with the right mediums for the window mural to the delight of my friend(and hence, to mine too =)). Now, all we need to do is wait for the materials to arrive before we start our work.

There are always discussions and assumptions when we first try to paint new surfaces based on our past and visual experiences. However, the 'real' challenges only surface after the preliminary work.

Many a times, the 'assumed and imagined' challenges do not even exist. It is the ones that have not yet been conceived of  that leaves one baffled. And I wonder, isn't it the same with our own life experiences =)

What a start! =)

A few days back I visited my friend to collect a few pieces of scrap glass to get the feel of its surface and the play of colours on it. I was pretty excited and managed to select 3 pieces. We started cleaning the dusty surfaces before I could pack them away in my safe jute bag. By the time I neatly reached the last piece, I cut my thumb. What a razor sharp edge!! It did its job in a split of a second. With the stream of blood flowing away merrily, all I could think of was BAND AID!!!!

My friend being an expert at the job, we got through with it pretty quickly and I was just about OK. In the past I have managed to put back together the big toe of a man which had split into half while the rest of the people moved around in daze waiting for the medical help to arrive.  There have been a couple of other gory incidents too but I surprised myself this time when my hands started shaking at the thought of pressing down my wound with turmeric. Guess what, my friend had to do the job for me while all I could do was soothe and caress it to the amusement of everyone around me =)

When I did reach home finally, my mom aptly said..."What a start!!" ...and rightly so...and whats the take away from this experience?? ..Respect the mediums...=)...

Window Mural!

I recently got a call from a friend who wanted to paint her renovated room a little differently. She came up with the idea of painting murals on her windows leaving the walls white washed.. She obviously needed my help with that. I have never painted windows in my entire life, but I got all excited about it, because this was an opportunity to paint on a new medium alltogether. And God knows how much I have wanted to paint murals! =)

She wants to paint a series of sunrise and sunsets over 7 window panes lined up on one side of the wall. The room will be her workshop and the windows will break the usual monotony of the work space.

So the work is in progress. As we get the act together, will keep you'll posted on this wall. Keep coming back for more!

A passing thought...

I am still a toddler in this world of blogs =). But I can say I am quite impressed with the means now available to communicate with the world at large with the bare mininum of a computer, an internet connection and a decent keyboard. One of my dear friends, Gandha, asked me if I write daily and it struck me, why not?? I had started with the plan of writing the thoughts and stories that go behind each painting. But then, isnt everyday a journey, with or without a painting? Isn't the work-in-progress a journey in itself? One never know when a beautiful idea or a thought may strike. Doesnt it get better with sharing?

Since the answers are in the affirmative to all the questions I have asked myself, I intend to write as often as it comes to me, if not daily =)

Many thanks to my dear friend. We live in the web of ideas, constantly moving in and around them, some catch us, some simply drift away making space for new ones. As they say, the ideas and possibilities are infinite. I have somewhere doubted that, but then I call it 'lack of experience'. Thousands of years of history of creation and evolution only affirms it. There is a lot to be experienced yet =)

Sathya Sai Baba - A tribute to my Guruji

This is the sketch of Sathya Sai baba as most of us would know of him. He resides in Puttaparthy. This sketch was given away with love and respect to my Guruji who decoded the Bhagwad Gita for me. I also had the priviledge of listening to various other texts which would have been nearly impossible for me to have understood had it not been for his efforts.

When I could continue no longer, it was time to offer my Guru-dakshina as the tradition goes in Guru-Shishya parampara. He would not accept any token of gratitude in kind so I decided to sketch him a picture of  baba. He has faith in him and hence I could not think of anything  better than this to thank him with.

He was pleaased with the sketch but he mistook it for a photograph. On being told it was sketch, in almost disbelief he took a closer look(perhaps, a critical one =)). To my relief he could relate to all of the fine details of baba's facial features and was pleased with the work. The best compliment comes when people can identify  for eg. 'the small cut on the upper lip' or 'a minor scar on the right brow' of the people they have known and loved. He brought those details to my notice and I thanked God for not having missed out any =)

That day I realised the importance of every small details that goes to make the face of the person. Not just from the technical point of view but the character it adds to the face and the way their near and dear ones ralate to it.

So, that was the story behind this sketch. God bless my Guruji for his immense love and blessings that he has always showered upon me on my spiritual journey. For showing the faith in me at the time when I had none in myself to understand our great texts. For not discriminating against a fresher like me with no substantial background in the scriptures and allowing me to enjoy the journey. Without their interpretations those scriptures would remain simply in archives.

Ocean

This is one of my favourite paintings. This also happens to be painting with acrylic paints. This medium challenges me the most when it comes to blending different shades for realistic rendering of the subject. But this medium also helps to complete paintings in the shortest possible time with better practice.

I love beaches and they hold a very special place in my heart. They invariably soothe tense nerves and make happy moments more happier to say the least. Since I have lived closer to beach all my life I cannot even begin to imagine my life without it.

This painting sat proudly in my dining room, after I framed it, for a short while to gather some reactions from the visitors to my place. It was the first one to welcome anyone into my house staring at them as soon as they made way into the living room. I have used oil paper for its base which invariably made people think that it was a framed poster and they passed by without saying a word. In that lied the compliment for my work =). I enjoyed their reactions the most when they realised that it was indeed a painting. Those were truly my good moments!

Every medium and base has its own beauty!!

Ganpati

This painting was a commission too for the same friend for the same reasons. For this painting I had the reference of a beautiful greeting card. I changed the colour scheme to my liking and went about completing it within the deadline.

This was a completely new style for me and hence challenging. The textures, the bold strokes almost forced me to be more confident while working on this subject. Every painting challenges me to live upto its true worth. And each time there is something new to learn from it.

It can be said without exaggerating that learning is a never ending process.

Mahatma Gandhi

This painting was a commission for one of my dear friends. He wanted to gift it to his professor from the university where he completed his masters. It was to be a token of love and respect and something beautifully 'Indian'. And he suggested I sketch him Mahatma Gandhi whose influence is anything but restricted to India.

I had the task to complete the sketch at a very short notice. The reference I had to work with was pretty dark and the contours of his right eye were nothing but the dark hollows. With limited time I decided to simply move on and face the challenge along the way(thats pretty much my philosophy for life!!..not necessarily the best one). As the sketch developed I gave shape to his right eye based on my understanding of how it could have been. The sketch was completed, appreciated and given away. With the passage of time I came upon a clearer picture of Mahatma Gandhi and was tempted to match it up to my work. And to my utter amazement it was pretty much what I had sketched. It made me happy.

I recenlty read an aritcle by English author Jad Adams. One of the lines that stayed with me went something like this.... "Every peace protest anywhere in the world owes its debt to Gandhi "...now who can argue with that.

Innocence

 

I got the inspiration for this painting from a sepia photograph in one of the magazines dedicated to the natives of Gujarat. The composition inspired me to bring it to life with vibrant colours. What pulled me the most in the composition was the face of the little boy hidden behind his tiny hand. The mystery of his hidden face perfectly adds to the innocence and beauty of this painting. I just knew I had to paint it and re-tell their story as seen through my eyes.

This is how I feel about this painting. I would love to know what you'll think about it. Its always interesting to get a different perspective.