Lunch Break

I finished this painting yesterday. In most cities, there is at least one place like this where office workers take a break, reflect and enjoy the outdoors. I painted this in my head a few times before plunging into sketching and painting it using different water media on cold press watercolor paper. I am still wrestling with detailed vs loose and less is more. I am hoping some day soon my technical skills will catch up with my mental image of the finished piece :)

Speaking of 'reflecting,' I just watched an amazing video on TED on the 'uniqueness' of being a 'human.' Primatologist Robert Sapolsky offers an informative and hilarious look at human and animal behavior, ending the inspiring talk given at Stanford University by urging the new graduates with what resonates as Gandhiji's quote "Be the change you wish to see in the world." It is also interesting that he looks like the 16th century artist Albrecht Durer and peppers his talk with illustrations from the art world.

Lunch Break watermedia 9x12"

Patience and Perseverance

I put aside paintings that I am unable to complete to my satisfaction out of my sight and usually work on them years later as a warm up exercise before I start a new painting. This is one such painting that I have tinkered with over the years --yes, thats right -years!! A few years ago, I had set up some shells on a table and painted them. I couldn't resolve the background and so, of course, I shelved it. Couple of years ago, I took it out and added the lace doily and did not know how to finish it. Much later, I added iridescent white acrylic paint on one of shells. Finally a few months ago I glazed it with blues and deepened the darks. I decided it looks better this way and turned the painting upside down and now I have to paint over my signature I foolishly put down many years ago even before it was anywhere near completion!!!!

Working on a painting that I have kind of given up helps me experiment and take risks that I wouldn't otherwise take. It also helps me to work on a second painting to keep my brush wielding hand busy when I am waiting for paints to dry so I won't create 'mud' and ruin the one I am trying to create. I am not sure this particular painting is worthy of framing and showing but I have thoroughly enjoyed taking it through its metamorphosis.

Recently, while reading about various artists, I was comforted to know that many of them -notably Leonardo and Michelangelo, worked on some pieces for years and even had many unfinished pieces. So, it is surely unreasonable for someone like me who has been painting as hobby, on and off for 10-15 years to feel I should complete every single painting to perfection quickly and without struggle. I am looking forward to a long slow journey ahead in my art.

Shells watercolor 18x24"

Snow Blanket

Sunrise over frozen waters and a blanket of snow greeted me this morning. I spent some time taking pictures through the windows - I did not want to disturb the snow and didn't want to leave the warmth of indoors. I was contemplating what snow scene I should paint, but soon I was feeling nostalgic as I reminisced about the snowmen, forts and games my kids played and the various adventures they had with their friends with, of course, regular hot cocoa breaks in my kitchen only a few years ago.

Soon I was chuckling remembering Calvin's explanation to Hobbes regarding snow as his medium of art in a comic strip that was on my refrigerator for a few years "This sculpture is about transience. As this figure melts, it invites the viewer to contemplate evanescence of life. This piece speaks to the horror of our own mortality." I am a fan of Calvin's creativity and here is a link for collection of the comic strips featuring his brilliant and bizarre snow art. " I tell you Hobbes, its tough being the sole guardian of high culture"

Fun With Colors

When I have been away from painting for a few days, I usually pull out a 'failed' painting and mess with it before I feel confident again to plunge into new work. The still life with the potted plant and a stuffed toy cat is one of those. It started out as a watercolor and and got reworked with color pencils. The painting had been out of sight for many years and since I couldn't remember much of the set up, decided to just play with colors. I see a lot of problems with piece but had fun anyway as I experimented. And I don't know why the background photographed as shades of blue and orange!

Here is a part of a poem by Antonio Machado that seems to fit my aspirations.

Last night as I was sleeping

I dreamt - marvelous error! -

that I had a beehive

here inside my heart.

And the golden bees

were making white combs

and sweet honey

from my old failures.

Still Life watercolor with color pencils 12x9"

Hurry up and Wait

I am finally getting a little bolder about opening my sketch book and recording a few things (as discretely as possible) while I wait at various places. We did a lot of 'hurry up and wait' at the different airports on our recent trip to India and this time I kept my sketch book handy. But, I discovered that I need to learn to 'speed sketch' so that I may quickly capture people on paper as they don't stay still long enough for my skill level! Of course, I pretend to be thinking and writing in a journal as I try hard not to appear to stare at anyone. So, I only used an ink pen to draw and that also meant I couldn't erase and had to live with any and all lines that I put down.

As I keep a sketch book more regularly and diligently, I am trying to decide if I want to record ideas and not worry about how my drawings look like or work on renderings that are presentable. I have been spending a lot of time browsing Urban sketchers looking at how artists around the world do it.

Or, I should just get over myself, not worry about the end result and enjoy the process.

Cycle of Life

"The body is mortal, but he who dwells in the body is said to be immortal and immeasurable"

The Bhagavad Gita 2-18

The above photograph shows the rice balls offered as 'pinda' to my father-in-law who died the day after christmas, and to all the ancestors who passed on before him as we celebrated his remarkable 95 years of life. All the ceremonies emphasized our connection to the elements and to all of nature and once again reminded us the underlying unity of all.

Digital Photography

Season's Greetings!

And Best wishes for the coming year!!!

Digital photography

Needles and Brushes

When I first started painting I was still an avid needlewoman - sewing, knitting, crocheting and embroidering something or other all the time. So it was only natural that my pincushion came to be captured on paper in watercolors! It doesn't get much use these days but I still have a bag of knitting that I drag around everywhere, and I always stop to admire beautifully crafted and embroidered works of all kind. I also have closets full of materials, yarns and books on needle arts. Recently I purchased a book that combined my two interests: "In Praise of The Needlewoman, Embroiders, Knitters, Lacemakers and Weavers in Art" by Gail Carolyn Sirna. The book has in one place works of artists like Vermeer, Chardin, Velasquez, Monet, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, Renoir, Dali and others who have 'sought to capture the needlewoman's quiet concentration and artistic endeavor.'

Here is a touching poem by Hazel Hall :

All the tired women

Who sewed their lives away,

speak in my deft fingers

As I sew today.

Handy Helpers watercolors, 15x15"

Paradise Again

Bird of Paradise, is painted in watercolor (9x12") on Fredrix Watercolor canvas. I first painted and exhibited it more than 2 years ago. The paint sits on canvas and the watercolor washes can be lifted very easily with a moist brush. Since I had not sealed the painting, the past few days I have been playing with it all over again, lifting and adding paints and making changes. When I started this post, I thought I was done with it, but who knows!!!

Gladiolus: Strength of Character

The past few times I was at a particular store, I have been tempted to buy a package or two of bulbs that promise beautiful crops of Gladioli in spring and summer. We planted them a few years ago, but the rabbits loved them so much and munched on the tender shoots that hardly a bloom got a chance to show off its beauty. I would like to try again but am not sure I care to supply those rabbits with expensive gourmet treats!!!

The bulb packages reminded me of the painting above that I did some time ago as a still life exercise that called for quick contour sketch with a pen and literally splashing some paint on. It was great way to just get down to draw and paint and leave hesitation and indecisiveness aside.

And below is a poem "Gladiolus: Strength of Character " by Emily Dickinson who as a gardener knew her flowers well.

We never know how high we are

until we are asked to rise

and then if are true to plan

our statures touch the skies --

The heroism we recite

would be a common thing

Did not ourselves the cubits warp

for fear to be king.

Art and Life

Yesterday started out as a foggy morning in Chicago and I captured the skyline as I walked to the Art Institute of Chicago. I spent most of the day wandering through their collection of Indian Art, before venturing to check out the new "Modern Wing" building and art work there. The contrast in the individual works in the two sections had me musing about 'art' in general, and about creativity, skill, aesthetics, and emotions. Definition and evaluation of art is definitely neither easy nor clear cut!

I am always in awe of the skill, talent, beauty and spirituality expressed in the sculptures from ancient India and yesterday was no different. Its interesting that the oldest part of this current museum complex was opened in 1893 in conjunction with the World's Columbian Exposition, to host the World's Congress of Religions. A century later, Swami Vivekananda's inspirational speeches during that conference on tolerance and universal acceptance are still very relevant.

I also enjoyed Caravaggio's stunning painting Supper at Emmaus on loan from National Gallery of London. The special exhibit Apostles of Beauty: Arts and Crafts from Britain to Chicago had innovative designs of Morris, Ashbee, Strickley, Wright and others and was fun to see. In the modern wing, I admired the impressive collection of art by Dali, Kandinsky, Matisse, Miro, O'keef and Picasso. I left feeling humbled but inspired and determined to continue my meager attempts at creating my kind of art!

S. Michigan Ave, Chicago. Digital Photography

Flower Power

It has been a week now since the storm raged through our area. We saw some flooding on the roadways, experienced power outage and no phone connection for over 24 hours, and now are left to deal with lots of debris in the yard. Thankfully we did not have to contend with much damage to the property or life around here. Yesterday as I continued raking and picking up the yard, I was pleasantly surprised to see clusters of clover blooming and a few dandelions sprinkled around the lawn. We still have some clearing to do but as the annual Thanksgiving holidays approach, I am reminded of all that I am grateful for.

I still have not managed to get any painting or sketching done in the past few days and am dipping into my dwindling collection of finished paintings! The Bouquet in watercolors was done with no sketching and from a still life set up. I really enjoyed painting the flowers impulsively.

The Bouquet watercolor 11x5"

Amazing Beauty

Its barely four in the afternoon but its dark and stormy outside. We are bracing for a sever nor'easter here. Weather.com says a nor'easter is winter's most ferocious storm and Wikipedia calls it a macro-scale storm . True to its description we are already experiencing coastal flooding, high surfs, hurricane force winds and lots of rain! The movie "The Perfect Storm" was based on a true story of a swordfishing boat Andrea Gail that was caught in one in October 1991 -based on a book by the same title by Sebastian Junger. We are hoping and praying for minimal damage and flooding as the storm passes by this area in the next two days.

I took the above photograph couple of months ago as the sun was going down by the beach. The same scene today in sharp contrast is violent and stormy. And yet, its truly amazing that there is still so much beauty in mother nature's fury!

Digital photography

Exciting Challenges

Autumn is always an occasion for harvests and celebration. Every culture has festivals around it. This past weekend though, I was part of a celebration - a harvest of different kind. Our son and daughter-in-law completed the New York City Marathon in 4:22:10!!! After months of grueling training they ran a terrific race showing grit, determination and grace. We happily chased them around the course -in Subways, fortunately for us! We caught up with them at four different points, waved our banners, and screamed our hearts out as we cheered them on! I am grateful that the weather was just perfect and wonderful. We are all in awe of them and very proud too!

In Harvest -mixed media, 8x10", I learned to be patient and persevere as I mixed watercolors, color pencils and graphite to bring out form and texture. This is one of my early works and I remember finally feeling a little confident and enjoying the process as things began to take shape on the paper!

I have been away from blogging, sketching and painting for the past couple of months with my various trips and other things -in general, life coming in the way and taking time away from my art :). I plan to get back to it in full swing soon.

Brilliant Hues and Vibrant colors

Today I read that the combination of warm wet spring, typical summer conditions and sunny warm autumn with temperatures above 32F in the cool evenings is ideal for brilliant foliage colors. And Biology of the plants also plays an important part too in giving the leaves their brilliant hues and striking vibrant colors - carotene in the leaves are responsible for orange and yellow colors and xanthophyll for yellow of leaves. Besides these, there are three other pigments that help the foliage coloration -anthocyanin are responsible for blues, reds and violets; tannins give brown color to the tea, chestnut barks and the fall oak leaves; the flavones are what make the yellow of the sumac, tea and onions. If the cell fluid is acidic we see more reds otherwise it will lean towards blues. What a spectacular show mother nature provides us every year ! And as always I am so grateful that I get to enjoy these displays and marvel how it all comes together.

I tried to capture a bit of that beauty in Glory Days (watercolor 9x11"). I used layering, splattering and wet on wet to duplicate on paper what nature seems to do so effortlessly! I had found the leaves and mushroom in a puddle of water that was reflecting the blue of the sky. My sun glasses also deepen the colors and in the end, the walk I took on that beautiful fall day was not only a feast for the eyes but also nudged me towards trying the combination of colors in my painting. I always bring my special finds home only to find them teaching me again and again that all things change and its their nature.

Change is The Only Constant

I walk for exercise and try to put in 10,000 steps a day on my pedometer. Fall is one of my favorite times to go on long walks and enjoy the various stages of changes the vegetation around seems to show off. I usually come home from my walks with a collection of leaves all sporting different shades of red, yellow, orange and green. The painting above Changes (11x14") in watercolor was a lot of fun to finish as I experimented with my stash of leaves and various techniques.

Speaking of fun, check out this video on fun theory on how fun can change people's behavior. Who knew Fun theory was serious business for some!!

Taste of the Tropics

Weather and skies have been a major part of our India trip so far! Chennai was HOT with a only a couple of showers that really didn't cool the temperatures down much. And we have been caught in torrential rains for three days because of late Monsoons in Bengaluru. Here is a glimpse of Chennai sky taken from the terrace. The coconut trees always make the scene really special for me :)

Taste of Tropics Digital Photography

So, Who is the Real Me?

'Guest' done in mixed media (24x30") was started by pouring paints in shades of red, yellow and blue. Then various shapes were isolated or added with a pen. The saved areas of white were used to paint features of a face. I then used crayons, acrylics and watercolors to embellish the different elements. Finally I used gouache to tame some of the colors and bring coherence to the painting. On the whole, as I unnerving as I found it, I also in a way, really enjoyed the process of building a painting on the go, rather than having a finished concept in my mind and working towards it. I named it 'Guest' as I felt I had put aside my usual way of working and thinking and paint as if someone else was doing the work.

Eenie meenie minie moe

"Flaming Petals" was an experimental watercolor painting. We had visited the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Garden in Washigton D.C. and of course, we took lots of photographs of the colorful water lilies. When the time came to paint I couldn't make up my mind and choose one color for the lotus so I decided to try a different color for each petal and was very happy with the result.

Flaming Petals watercolor 24 x 30"

Captivating Cappadocia

Cappadocia located in central Turkey is a surreal wonder of nature and human ingenuity. Whole cities, some dating back to 2nd century BC to Roman, and some later to Byzantine period - thrived in undergrounds or in the wondrous and most dramatic volcanic tufas and chimney rocks. Please check here to see a collection of photographs and a video of the amazing area. We stayed at a cozy, small and aptly named 'The Village Cave Hotel" at the village of Cavusin near Goreme. The ancient ancestral home of the owner, one among the many many cave dwellings in the area had been converted to a small cute comfortable inn - and has a super chef and a couple of cute resident cats as well. The sketch above does not do one bit of justice - but is the scene from our room looking into the other side, into the dwellings that belonged to the owner's mother's family. The owner later took us on a tour of the area and one morning we hiked for hours the beautiful Red Valley, Rose Valley etc., gorged on the tastiest wild mulberries and apricots right off the trees! I hope to paint the scenes and attempt to capture the beauty on paper soon.

Zen of Seeing

"I have learned that what I have not drawn I have never really seen, and that when I start drawing an ordinary thing, I realize how extraordinary it is, sheer miracle. " ~Frederick Franck, The Zen of Seeing: Seeing and Drawing as a Meditation.

I have been following 'urbansketchers' for a while now -admiring and learning a lot about sketching and making drawings on the go. I decided to apply that to my sketches from Turkey. To my simple pen and ink sketches I added color with a dozen pastel and color pencils I had packed and was pleased with the result. It was exciting to discover a new way of sketching for me and will help me keep up with my art as I travel to India to visit my family for the next month and a half. The sketch above is a simple quick rendering of the scene at Anadolu Kabagi on the Bosphorous Cruise by the traditional ferryboat along the waterway that divides Europe and Asia. It was wonderful to sit on the deck taking in the beautiful summer day and just watch the scenery as we savored the authentic Turkish yogurt from a vendor who got on board at one of the stops.

This is my 100th post and I thank all of you who have visited my blog and encouraged my efforts. I really appreciate you spending your time with me here and am grateful for your comments. I do hope you will continue to stop by and let me know how I am faring. Once again my hearty thanks to all!!!

The Thrill of the Search

This past week when I was in New York city, I was constantly scanning for things to photograph or sketch. I get excited just anticipating a scene that may capture my fancy. The only risk is I will drain the battery in my camera clicking away constantly! But mostly when I am least expecting, an interesting subject unfolds. I have discovered that being present in the moment opens up so many possibilities. I was listening to the guide inside the Radio City Hall when I unexpectedly caught another tour participant silhouetted against the window. Opportunities are endless and all I need to do is look.

Silhouette Digital Photography

Music in the City

Washington Square Park in New York city is lively and vibrant especially in summer. I am enjoying a few days here in the city and was able to sketch this musician while listening to the wonderful music he was playing along with his two fellow musicians. It was a treat! Hope to visit a couple of museums and also sketch some more before I head back home tomorrow.

Small Wonders

The close up photographs of the bees and butterflies that I clicked in the past few days got me wondering how and what do they really see in a flower. So I googled and discovered that "The worker bee's eye is a very complex organ with 6,900 facets, known as ommatidia each carrying out separate visual processes. Each one of these acts like an individual eye, and they stand aligned together, rather like straws in a bucket. Each one ends in a small convex, transparent lens. These lenses form the outer, glassy and oval-shaped surface of the eye. As well as the two compound eyes on either side of their head, a bee also has three simple eyes atop its head. Its estimated that these latter three are used to measure the strength of the light. The bee's eye is superior to the human eye in two respects: it can see ultraviolet light and perceive the plane of light polarization." The miracle of nature - the smaller the creature, the more complex its anatomy and structure!!!

"Just because you can't see something doesn't mean its not there" -So started an inspirational TED talk by Willard Wigan who creates art so elaborate, so tiny and so unique that they are mounted on pin heads or the eye of a needle and you have to see them through a microscope. Check his amazing video here as he explains that since his sculpture is so small he has to work between his heartbeats!

Up-close and Personal color pencils on 11x14" on hot press paper.

Invocation by Design

This week it was my turn with the 'painted prayers.' I made simple and small 'rangoli' for friends who are getting ready for pooja celebrations. The first photograph shows three made on plates using different lentils/dals etc. The other two are on wooden boards. I roughly sketched the designs with a erasable marker on the plates. My friend Sudha helped me fill in with the grains and lentils. The designs on the wooden boards were done the traditional way using dots to plot out and then painted with white acrylic (the middle two) and chalk (last one). The links for my other posts on the age old custom of rangoli, mandala and explanations can be reached by clicking on the title of this post.

Traditionally, Rangolis are created in color or with just white rice powder as invocations to deities for protection and blessings. The rice powder also stops the ants etc by the door too! They vary in designs, form and style from region to region. They are painted daily or on special occasions by the alters, by the front door or gate, or anyplace a ceremony is to be held. Stephen H. Huyler's books Painted Prayers: Women's Art in Village India and Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion are good references on rangoli. I embroidered a rangoli to hang in my living room when we first purchased our house - my way of having a rangoli in the house all the time :). I feel blessed to be a part of the sacred ritual that brings balance to the daily existence.

Flying Colors

This painting is an experiment I tried last week. As I was rearranging my art papers and paints, I came across a sheet of landscape painting where I had been experimenting with pouring the paints a couple of years ago. I remember well that I was trying a lake scene and was no way close to getting it right! I never like to throw away anything and visit the stack of 'unfinished' paintings when I want to just play around.

As I stood staring at it I realized the white patch in the paper would work well as the beak of this toucan -photographed by Roy Taft in Honduras and on the cover of march april issue of Audubon magazine I was getting ready to recycle. I had some acrylic paints I wanted to try and this seemed like a good way to use it on top of the watercolors. I embellished the background from the original painting adding leaves and branches and used watercolors, acrylics and color pencils to paint the toucan. I always use my own photographs and sketches but decided to do this exercise as an experiment in working out problems in a painting. In the end, yellow is the only acrylic paint I used -it covered the blue of the lake from the watercolors and helped define the feathers on the toucan's body. I really enjoyed converting the old painting and gained new confidence in experimenting and not giving up. And, some day I would like to visit Honduras and see the wild flying colors!

Wild colors mixed media 11x 15"

Painting A Prayer

To witness the concentration, reverence and the skill with which the Buddhist monks construct a Mandala is a mystical experience. For the past ten years, every summer, we have had the privilege of looking into the Tibetan Buddhism and culture as the Monks spend a week paint and then ritually deconstruct a mandala. 'Rangoli' from India, Buddhist Mandala, Native American sand paintings all speak of yearning of the soul for enlightenment and I feel, are really painted prayers. Mandala Meditation is one of my attempts to capture that spiritual language. I originally posted this as one of the paintings in a slide show of my paintings last November, but decided this week, in honor of the Monks who are back in town, to post it by itself. You may check my other posts and paintings on this topic here. I am looking forward to watching the prayers unfold this week all over again.

Mandala Meditation, color pencils 11x14"

Happiness

Over the years, I always admired the photos I saw in National Geographic and other nature magazines. Yesterday, when I managed to capture this bee in our garden I was ecstatic, to say the least! I am so very happy to have been at the right place, at the right time with the right equipment.

Happiness digital Photography.

Butterfly Kiss

We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever - Carl Sagan

I watched this butterfly less than an hour ago kissing flowers right outside my kitchen window and shot this picture through the glass pane since I didn't want to disturb its morning dance. I love these butterflies even as they lay eggs on my favorite dill and parsley plants in the herb patch and the resulting caterpillars get good and fat as they gorge on them!!! I am in awe as I witness the cycle of change.

Butterfly Kiss Digital photography

Mystical Dance

Daylight, full of small dancing particles

and the one great turning, our souls

are dancing with you, without feet, they dance.

Can you see them when I whisper in your ear?

- Rumi

The Dervishes, followers of the Melvana Rumi, a 13th century mystic, Sufi poet and philosopher perform a 'Sema' ceremony where they whirl and dance (check this video for a glimpse of the ceremony) as they aim towards spiritual perfection. The whirling dance and accompanying Sufi music is quite mesmerizing and transfixes everyone in the vicinity. All over Turkey, there are performances of whirling dervishes most evenings for the tourists - done very respectfully. The ceremony ends with a quote from Quran: "Unto God belong the East and the West, and wither over ye turn, you are faced with Him. He is All-Embracing, All-Knowing"

Whirling Dervishes color pencils 12x9"