Nature of Mind

Nature of Mind  mixed media on wood 15x11" by Meera Rao

nature of mind

swirling dancing racing thoughts

standing still lingering 

doubts playing hide and seek

 sometimes blue darkest black 

sunshine yellow with crimson temptations

colliding gliding

 thousand fleeting feelings 

holding tight letting go

searching

white bright sparks 

seeking

that elusive clarity

~Meera Rao~

Whispered Words

Whispered Words watercolor and ink 4.5x4.5 by Meera Rao 

Every year when November /Thanksgiving day rolls around, the air infused with the idea of importance of giving thanks.  All the scriptures and the wise though advice us to lead a life filled with gratitude for things small and big every day all year long. The Bhagavad Geeta emphasizes that our life and being is eternally indebted to the whole Universe and that we should express our gratitude through every single act, word and thought.  When we see and acknowledge how we are connected to the whole Universe, we learn to value all life and and the world around us. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying:  “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”  The choice is clear.  

In this little painting I tried to express that thought by weaving the words into the composition- a reminder to embed that thought into my life. 

10th Blog Anniversary!!!

Silence Isn't Empty watercolor and Ink 4.5x4.5" by Meera Rao 

Today is the 10th anniversary of my blog!!!  498 posts to date :) What a wonderful adventure it has been.  My art and blog have nurtured each other. I have basked in the warm support of all who have taken the time to read my blogs, to leave comments or to follow/subscribe - for that I am ever grateful.  As I have indicated on my comment form,  it is the viewers who complete the circle of creating art :) As the Thanksgiving Day approaches, I am reminded of my privilege to share my art and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.  Thank you all :) 

"Silence isn't empty" - It is full of answers is a small painting 4.4x4.4" (framed 9x9)  I am excited that it, along with Haiku in Red  and Thinly Veiled has been selected by Juror Carolyn Thompson Dudley for the Charles Taylor Art Center, Hampton,  Miniatures and Small works by Tidewater Artists Exhibition.  The exhibition dates are Dec 8th 2018 - January 20th 2019 

Thinly Veiled watercolor on Yupo 4.5x4.5" By Meera Rao 

Haiku in Red  watercolor 6x9.5" by Meera Rao 

Enchanting Alchemy of Art

Enchanted City  mixed media on wood 6x6" by Meera Rao 

Trapped mixed media on wood 6x6" by Meera Rao 

Color is the keyboard,

the eyes are the harmonies,

the soul is the piano with many strings.

Artist is the hand that purposefully plays

touching one key or another

and sets the soul vibrating.

~Wassily Kandinsky~

It is always a lot of fun painting with the  mixed media Pebeo oil based liquid alkyd colors.  I continue to be amazed  at how 'Prisme' gives honeycomb effects that reveals itself only while drying -so to be patient and give it time to divulge its' secret.  I am still astonished when the hammered effects of 'Moon' with textured pearl finish is unveiled instantly.  I love the glossy transparent and luminous 'vitrail' colors; and the smooth enamel effect with lacquer finish of the 'ceramic' paints. And mostly, I am totally enamored by the exciting mix of art and science: using the chemistry of these liquids to paint, to bring about different effects and looks.  I wish the photographs showed even more clearly the wonderful textures and dimension of the art works. 

Enchanted City and Trapped were done on wood panels by pouring paint and deliberating on when and how much to manipulate the paints by keeping in mind their reaction styles and times.   On the whole,  it has been exhilarating to attempt to conquer the fear of the uncertainty and abstraction :) 

In A Fog

In a Fog casein  7x9.5" by Meera Rao 

"One of the things I like about music is, it is an abstract art,

 totally abstract, where you can convey an emotion 

which I find amazing" 

~Bernard  Sumner~

I loved working in casein, teasing out emotions from its unique texture. Trying out new mediums and styles is simultaneously very exciting and unsettling for me. But then, it is also the same mixing bowl of emotions I find myself in as I paint, draw, and sketch everyday- the joy, the uncertainty, the fear, the expectation. And always wondering, worrying if I stopped too early or went on on too long ! Amazingly though I find my self fully immersed and lost in the process of creating. That is totally satisfying :)  

Explorations and Expressions

Abstract watercolor  4x6" by Meera Rao

In 'Art and Fear' the authors David Bayles and Ted Orland write : "The dilemma every artist confronts, again and again, is when to stick with familiar tools and materials, and when to reach out and embrace those that offer new possibilities"   They then conclude:  " In time exploration gives way to expression"  And I find that I thrive on explorations.  I love the journey that the different paths - the various materials, methods and styles take me on.  When I am working without being trapped by a desire for perfection, I discover a different expression of my art. As I proceed on this long journey I strive to find the right balance :) 

This art work is available at the fundraiser auction  Maury at the Market  for Maury Elementary School in Washington DC.  Mobile bidding: April 13-19; Live and Silent Auction on April 21 at Eastern Market, North Hall. 

"Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting,

experience treacherous, judgement difficult"

~Hippocrates(460-400BC)~

Haiku In Red

Haiku in Red  watercolor by Meera Rao 

colors burst swirl spill 

flow in harmony 

splash a visual poetry

~Meera Rao~

Altered Facts

Altered Facts  mixed media on photograph 5x7" by Meera Rao

I had been fascinated with how artist James Gurney ( I love his art, and his wonderful treasure of blog posts!) uses casein paints in his art. I decided to try casein paints on one of the photographs I have been using in my mixed media experiments.  Along with casein I applied Pebeo Prisme, ceramic paints and white gel pen to manipulate the photograph. It is no exaggeration to say I had loads of fun painting and then coming up with title :) 

All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Altered Facts  mixed media on photograph 5x7" by Meera Rao

Interlude

Interlude Mixed media on photograph 5x7 by Meera Rao

Playing with mixed media presents plenty of dramatic entertainment! Here I used Pebeo black ceramic, alcohol inks, and white gel pen to transform the photograph. As always some paintings come with an obvious title.  Even though I did not work on the photograph in this orientation I liked it this way when I was through with it.  Who knows, another day I might find it speaking to me in a different way altogether :)  

WIP and the Photograph before altering. 

Swirilng Ideas

Swirling Ideas mixed media 5x7 by Meera Rao

I have discovered it is truly exciting to explore patterns, textures, colors, and line by poring and manipulating the different paints and mediums.  It is almost like making music -conjuring rhythm and melody.  Google gives this definition of abstract art that I really liked :  'art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures.'  

Thank you all for the wonderful support you have showered on me this year and I wish everyone a very happy and peaceful 2017.  

Swirling Ideas mixed media Prisme (buttercup), ceramic(black) and Vitrail (crimson) paints on 5x7photograph. 

Magical Metamorphosis

Magical Metamorphosis mixed media 5x7 by Meera Rao

magical metamorphosis

inevitable

sparking unexpected notes

 to dance

a whirling imagination

 stirring textures

to fold 

jewel bright colors 

 into a song

inciting 

beauty

 inevitable  

~Meera Rao~

More experiments on photograph with Prisme, Moon, Vitrail, ceramic paints and alcohol inks.

Metamorphis mixed media 5x7 by Meera Rao 

Rock Paper Paint!

Abstract Landscape watercolor on Mitz Terraskin Stone Paper by Meera Rao 

I was given a sample of Mitz Terraskine stone paper by an artist friend and I set out eagerly to experiment on it  knowing very little about how paint behaved on the paper and not researching its unique qualities beforehand. I did not sketch anything on it and had a vague idea of a landscape design for composition. I discovered the paint floats on the paper like on Yupo, takes time to dry and is therefore a bit unstable and easy to get mud if I was not careful. The surface is not quite as smooth and slick as Yupo and has a faint tooth to it. Painting wet on wet, tilting paper to blend the colors gave layered effects and some unexpected results when the paint dried. Spritzing with water and alcohol in the sky area brought on wonderful texture. Paint can also be scratched off without ruining the paper. I found the paint texture on the Mitz terraskine stone paper had a bit of matt finish to it on drying.

After completing the piece, I found a great source of information on Cheap Joe's web site  on their product information page. In the manufacture of this environmentally friendly paper no water or bleach is used and it is therefore acid free and archival quality.  It is made from rock and resin, very tough, cannot be torn or creased and does not damage easily- though I did not test it! It is a multimedia paper and can be used with oil, acrylics or watercolor. The paper can bend nicely and can be stretched like a canvas on stretchers. Pencil and graphite marks do not erase well.  Joe Miller used 'paint-erase rejuvinating sponge' to take some paint and watercolor pencil marks off the paper in his video demonstration. In another demonstration by D.D. Gadjanski, granulation medium was used with watercolor paints to get some beautiful texture.  So watching those videos, I learned about two products I was not aware of before :)  On the whole painting on Mitz Terraskin stone paper was a bit of a fun challenge and I hope to work on it in the future. 

Abstract Landscape watercolor on Mitz Terraskin Stone Paper 5x7" by Meera Rao 

http://www.cheapjoes.com/mitz-terraskin-multimedia-art-paper.html

Fleeting Patterns

 Fleeting Patterns  digital photography

I wonder if the little duckling was aware of distorted reflections, colors, and patterns around it as it swam about that particular morning  few months ago in San Antonio, Texas! Do ducks see color? depth? patterns? They must - because drakes - Mallards, Mandarin and Wood ducks are colorful and patterned. And I see duck hunters wearing camouflage and hide in covered boats.  Anyway, I am really grateful I was in the right place at the right time to capture a fleeting moment in time. 

Always Reflecting

 Reflecting watercolor on Yupo 7"x11"

I, like countless others, have a fascination for photographing reflections.  I am intrigued how the reflections are sometimes mirror images and other times diffused and forming beautiful abstracts. To me, the play of light, color, patterns echoing the reality in its own terms - when an object is reflected off glass, mirror, water or any other shiny surface - is a mystery and miracle at the same time. Fortunately or unfortunately,  quite often I  find I become aware of the beauty of the surroundings as I catch the reflections. 

I enjoyed working on the yupo and now I want to explore this same image on a larger size regular paper soon!

To Simply Paint

Blue Crab Special  watercolor 24"x18"

This painting is from about fifteen years ago when I learned to paint wet on wet and also to bring abstraction to a painting. Jan Ledbetter whose class I was attending then, in preparation for a workshop 'Watermedia Encounter' by Doug Walton, gave us her version of a set of steps of his style of painting. Doug Walton was a student of the renowned watercolor painter Ed Whitney and  he passed on some of Whitney's wisdom. The one I remember the most: Any teacher can teach how to begin a painting but you have to be the one to finish it.  Some other things that stayed with me from that time are : to let go and not be afraid of drawing and painting instinctively, having dark darks and white whites in a painting,  touch a point optimally once and no more than 3 times,  paint shapes,  have big readable nouns and most importantly you don't have to paint or fix everything! 

Color Abstraction

Grand Cycle  color pencils 13x16"

This was an exercise in color theory and abstraction that I started in one of the classes I attended when I first tried my hand in art about fifteen years ago.  We had to bring a picture of a landscape to class and then proceeded to strip it down to the most basic shape and form.  Then starting with warmest red to the coolest violet, we had to color the forms from foreground to background in order of the warm-cool scale regardless of what color the object was in the reference picture.  Of course, having chosen color pencils as my medium to do the exercise, I was too slow to complete it in class. Many years later I went back to it and finished it with a modified version of the instructions as by then I couldn't remember much about the rules we were supposed to follow. 

Recently, I came across a quote by artist  Marc Chagal that explains the color theory succintly:  All colors are friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites.  I also just now discovered that googling 'color theory' yields a wonderful collection images and information! So off I go to explore :)

Color of Life

"A picture is not thought out and settled beforehand. While it is being done, it changes as one's thoughts change. And when it is finished, it still goes on changing, according to the state of mind of whoever is looking at it. A picture lives a life like a living creature, undergoing the changes imposed on us by our life from day to day. This is natural enough as the picture lives only through the man who is looking at it. " - Picasso

A stainless-steel plate with ripe bitter-gourd busting with seeds sunning on my deck last summer was the inspiration for this painting. Does it matter?

Color of Life watercolor 9x12"

New Possibilities

I am always trying out mixing different media and experimenting with shapes, values and color in my quest to improve my art. Painting this particular abstract piece was a compositional challenge especially since I did not have a blueprint to follow. So, in a way, it was liberating to just 'let-go' and play with watercolors, gouache, pastels, gesso and acrylics.

Another way to improve would be to draw everyday. It is pretty impressive that New York artist Jason Polan is on a mission to draw every person in the city. He has so far drawn over 8000 people from New York city. Check out this video by my daughter of Jason sketching.

untitled mixed media 22x23"

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.

Tangled Web

This past week in between sketching and thinking about my next painting, I came across an old half sketched abstract design and for some reason abandoned project. I even had some paint on it. I was looking for a diversion and needed to just play on something that I wasn't too attached to.  I picked up some masking fluid and merrily made abstract lines/designs with it. Once the masking fluid was dry, I started painting and defining a few shapes  here and there with no particular design in mind. I thoroughly enjoyed the process since I didn't have to worry about messing up the painting! After a few hours I decided it was time to stop. So of course, the painting does not have any up/down orientation :). 

As I was painting, I was listening to a program Art and Evolution  on NPR's "On Point".  Host Tom Ashbrook's guest was Denis Dutton, who has written a  book " The Art Instinct, Beauty, Pleasure and Human Evolution."  It was interesting to listen to Dutton argue that art is what helped humankind evolve from the caves and that art is instinctive. As Ashbrook put it "....cave drawings, natural selection, and Picasso. Mating habits, sexual selection and Pavorotti. Art, he argues, is not sublime. Its intsinct,  from cave to concert hall."  Its something to think about -would we be humans without art? 

Tangled Web watercolor 16 x 13"