Showing My Art

Gentle Sway  14x10" watercolor by Meera Rao 

It's catch up time with regards to a few different places my paintings have traveled to :)  Gentle Sway in watercolors  a painting of a boatman in Zhujiajiao, a Watertown near Shanghai, China, has been juried into the Virginia Artists 2018 Juried Exhibition at the Charles Taylor Arts Center in Hampton, VA. The show will run from Aug 18- October 7.  My 'Thank you' to Juror Seth Feman, Curator of Exhibitions and Photography at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA.  

'Sunrise in the city'  Honorable mention, Peninsula Watermedia Society Juried Member Show Stryker Art Gallery, Williamsburg, VA. 

'Hurricane'  Also at Pennisula Watermedia Society Juried Member Show, Stryker Art Gallery, Williamsburg, VA 

"Sunrise in the city" received an Honorable mention at the Penninsula Watermedia Society of Virginia juried member exhibition.  The show will run May 21 -Aug 24 2018, at the Stryker Art gallery, Williamsburg, Va.  

I was featured on 'The Mind of an Artist' June blog spotlight at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop website:  http://www.chaw.org/blog/mind-artist-part-xxviii-meera-rao.  My painting above 'Haiku in Red'  was in the annual  Capitol Hill Art League exhibition "Winners' Circle" at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, Washington D.C. July 20-Aug 18 2018. 

Sound Reflections 2 and Sound Reflections 3 at Dr Halim's office- CHAL Juried show "Celebrate"

Two of my paintings Sound Reflections 2 and Sound Reflections 3 have been juried into Capitol Hill Art League exhibition 'Celebrate' and the show is at Washington D.C. July 13-September 7 2018. 

Magnolia in #directwatercolor  by Meera Rao

I received this photo of my painting "Magnolia" done in direct watercolor freshly matted and framed in its new home in New York state :)  I am so happy it is bringing joy everyday !

'Gift of Friendship' watercolor by Meera Rao 

'tulips'  watercolor by Meera Rao 

"Our Town"  was an Art Exhibit and Sale at Frame of Mine Gallery at Washington D.C. curated by Photo Artist Karen Cohen. It showcased affordable DC Themed art by 10 Women Artists.  My two painting "Gift of Friendship"  - painting of a Pagoda and Cherry Tree (Blossoms) - the famous gifts from Japanese citizens at the Tidal Basin, DC  and "Tulips" hung there July 2- Aug 2  2018.  

 Resplendent  watercolor on Yupo  at Artist's Choice, Capitol Hill Art League, Washington D.C. 

I had pulled the painting "Resplendent" out of it's frame and redid a part that was bugging me.  I was  then happy to have it grace the walls for the Capitol Hill Art league annual Members only Artist's Choice show June 14 - July 14 2018.

"Exuberance"  Cover photo and featured inside 

A pleasant surprise was in the mail in early June : My painting "Exuberance" is on the cover (and also  inside highlighting Miniatures and Small works by Tidewater Artists) of the Hampton Arts Charles Taylor Visual Arts Center 2018-2019 season booklet with calendar of events.  I am very  grateful for all the opportunities to showcase my art! 

Leafing Through

Meera Rao

Leafing Through Photograph by Meera Rao

This month I have my art on exhibit at three different galleries: 'Sunrise In The City'  in watercolor in the Capitol Hill Art League Juried exhibition at the Hill Center Galleries in Washington DC; three of my mixed media experiments in 'Small Works and Miniatures By Tidewater Artists' at the Charles Taylor Art Center in Hampton, Va; and my photograph 'Leafing Through'  in the  Capitol Hill Art League's 'Artists' Choice'. 

Sunrise in The City  By Meera Rao  at  Hill Center Galleries, Washington DC

Sunrise in The City , watercolor By Meera Rao

I am often told "you work in different media!" which makes me wonder if I should concentrate my efforts on one medium. Over the years as I play and experiment, I feel, to quote Alfred Stieglitz " The goal of art was the vital expression of self."  For me, it is as if each piece has its own distinct personality that seeks to expresses itself through me.  And somehow each medium lends to the understanding and use of another.  Dabbling in different things keeps me unstuck and for that I am grateful.  Thats permission enough.  

Gratitude  ink on handmade paper by Meera Rao

on exhibit at Charles Taylor Art Center, Hampton Va

Last Stop (NYC Rabbit Hole) mixed media on NYC Metro card By Meera Rao

on exhibit at Charles Taylor Art Center, Hampton Va

Exuberance mixed media on photograph by Meera Rao 

on exhibit at Charles Taylor Art Center, Hampton Va

“Here’s to freedom, cheers to art. Here’s to having an excellent adventure and may the stopping never start.” 

― Jason Mraz

Showing My Art

Morning Walk  Watercolor on masa paper by Meera Rao 

I never know which of my paintings will get a second glance from anyone at all. As David Bayles and Ted Orland write in Art and Fear,  'Simply put, making art is chancy- it does not mix with predictability. Uncertainty is the essential, inevitable and all pervasive companion to your desire to make art."   So it is always a pleasant surprise for me when I get to show my work.  This post is about some of my paintings that got a chance to hang out on different walls recently :)

'Morning walk'  was on display at the Capitol Hill Art League 'Winter' Show last month in Washington DC.  I painted this from one of my trips to Chicago. The red hood of the baby stroller against the white snow and an almost white sky, long shadows of the Grant sculpture was what drew me to the scene and I decided to leave the wrinkles of the paper as is to show the texture. 

Guest mixed media 32x40" by Meera Rao 

Dreamer  mixed media 40x32 by Meera Rao 

'Guest' and 'Dreamer'   are at the Hill Center Galleries, Washington DC as part of the Capitol Hill Art League's annual juried show Jan 5- Feb 25.  I am really pleased that both these paintings are in the same show :) 

Robin watercolor on Yupo By Meera Rao

Blue Blooms watercolor on Yupo by Meera Rao

Dreamscapes  watercolor on stone paper by Meera Rao 

Robin, Blue Blooms, and Dreamscapes  just returned home after a showing at the Hampton Arts League Small Works and Miniature Art Show at the Charles Taylor Art Center  at Hampton, Va.   Dreamscapes was also part of the Capitol Hill Art Leagues 'What I did on Summer Vacation'  show in September 2016. 

Serenity watercolor by Meera Rao 

Serenity will have wall space in the 6th Annual Metro DC Open Juried Exhibition: “VESSELS” -a creative interpretation of Vessels, from ships, to bowls, to blood vessels, bodies :)  I came across that garden scene at Colonial Williamsburg, VA on a sunny afternoon.  

I am grateful for all the jurors who selected my works and giving me an opportunity to show my work alongside my fellow artists.  

"The only pure communication is between you and your work"

Sound Reflections

Sound Reflections 3 watercolor by Meera Rao

Procession of people full of exuberance, in colorful costumes, playing music with shiny instruments stopped me on my tracks.  It was a beautiful sunny day and the first thing I noticed were all those reflections in the instruments. I was fascinated how the colors and reflections vibrated on the polished metals.  The need to capture the moment was immediate  :)

Sound Reflections 2 watercolor on hot press by Meera Rao 

These are two miniatures I painted along with Sound Reflections1  All three were in the  "Small Works- Miniatures by the Tidewater Artists " show at the Charles Taylor Arts Center in Hampton from Oct 25-Nov 30 2014.  

If you wait for inspiration you'll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street.

~Ben Nicholas

"Catoptric Bends of Lighted Sound"

Sound Reflections 1 color pencils 4"x4" by Meera Rao 

This is one of my three pieces that was selected for the "Small Works- Miniatures by the Tidewater Artists " show at the Charles Taylor Arts Center in Hampton from Oct 25-Nov 30 2014. ( I know I am way late in posting! )  Poets were invited to write a poem inspired by the artworks in the exhibition and the Arts Center hosted a poetry reading on Oct 30th in the galleries. Below is the poem by Dave Lego and I am thrilled that my piece inspired him  :)  The link on the title of the poem should take you to the audio recording of the poet reading his creation.  Please let me know if the link does not work -- I have been working on embedding mp3 links on my blog which has been harder than I imagined.  My heartfelt thanks to Dave  for this poem.  

Sound Reflections 1

catoptric bends of lighted sound
golds and bronze, greens and blues
bright brassy banded all around
a field marches to rousing hues

hear the crowd in white-bleached stands
hear teenagers shouting loud approval
hear percussion, horns, marching band
hear Americana just being youthful

batons spin air from majorettes
pom-poms shaking pretty cheerleaders
believing it's as good as it gets
with play-by-play from a loudspeaker

half-time show a steeped tradition
for a hundred years or thereabouts
you may think of a better addition
but truth is, i have my doubts

© Dave Lego 2014-11-25

ekphrastic for 2014-11-30 at
the Charles H. Taylor Arts Center
for Meera Rao's "Sound Reflections 1"

Art is Not What You See

Laundry  Watercolor on Yupo 3.4"x4.7" By Meera Rao 

Break time from Shoe Shine Watercolor on Yupo  5"x2.3" by Meera Rao 

Beverage Service Watercolor on Yupo 3.5"x4.3" by Meera Rao

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see"

~Edgar Degas~

I have three small paintings on Yupo in "Small Works: Miniatures by Hampton Roads Artists "  The show will run from October 12-December 1, 2013 at the Charles Taylor Arts Center in Hampton, VA. All the pieces had to be 20 square inches or under and it was fun to once again paint on yupo after months of only sketching in my sketchbook/journal! I am always amazed how vibrant and brilliant colors remain on the yupo unlike regular watercolor paper where the colors dry lighter than what goes on. I also love how the differently the textures and details show on the yupo. 

All three pieces are composites of my sketches, photographs and my imagination. So when I came across the quote by Edgar Degas, I chuckled and knew I had to include it here! Laundry is of course a scene from India, Break time from Shoe Shine is a scene I still see in some airports in USA and the  Beverage Service is from one of my airplane trips :) I was pleasantly surprised and pleased when all three were accepted for the show.  It is a beautifully curated exhibit with many wonderful pieces in all media.  If you are in that neck of woods do drop in and enjoy the creativity on display. 

Making Waves

Making Waves watercolor 4"x4"

Unruffled watercolor 4x4"

Splash of color watercolor 4x4"

These ducks were entertaining a toddler who was shrieking with joy as the birds swam gracefully in circles in a small fountain early last spring.  I watched the birds and the child for a long time and took many photographs. Later, it was pure joy for me to paint the colorful ducks and the water using watercolors. The challenge in the paintings was to capture the different textures of the birds, the fluidity of the water and a hint of reflection. My aim was to make the ducks sparkle with color. Each painting was a unique discovery of beauty of nature, of colors and patterns.  

These are miniature paintings and the top two - "Unruffled" & "Making Waves" were selected for "Small Works" exhibit at the Charles Taylor Art Center in Hampton, VA along with my other miniature "Slow Sunny Day. The show opened today and will run through December 4.  

Mini Sacred Pause

Slow Sunny Day watercolor 2.5"x6.5"

When I was in Istanbul two years ago, this scene by the square near the Blue Mosque caught my eye. I can't remember what she was selling as she sat there on that very sunny hot hot day. The square was quite crowded with pilgrims and tourists but I saw how the lady watching the child and the child joyfully chasing after the flock of birds were each in their own world.  In this miniature, I choose to paint just that. It was a challenge to paint small and only some of details but I loved the process. 

I read the other day in a article "Sacred Pause" written by Hugh Bryne and Rebecca Hines :"In the midst of daily life there are simple ways to take a “mini sacred pause,” bring awareness to what is alive here and now, and relax into presence" Doesn't it look like the lady and the child know how to integrate those mindful principles? As it is life is very fragile - we definitely need to take and appreciate these 'sacred pauses.'

Art Surprises

Partial view of Bellagio, Las Vegas  3.5"x11"

Waiting for the spectacular water fountain show in front of Bellagio I sketched the wings of the massive hotel/casino building from across the body of water.  I have a small sketch book  (3.5x5.5" )which easily fits into my purse and is handy for fast little sketches, even though, as I recently discovered, it  is difficult to photograph. Still, I love it because I tend to pull the book out more often as I find myself getting a little bolder about sketching in public. Next step is to equip myself with a small watercolor field kit and try my hand at doing small studies -until then I will happily play with my camera :) The Bellagio also has a beautiful glass ceiling installation by the artist Dale Chihuly in their lobby and a chandelier in the casino area. I also saw an exhibit  there : 'Figuratively Speaking: A survey of the human form'  showcasing about 30 paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture by artists from 1800 to present day. I enjoyed  the unexpected opportunity to see the works of Picasso, Renoir, Degas, Hockney, Lichenstein, Chuck Close, and others. 

Closer to home, I have two color pencil pieces - Hot Shadows and Reflections in the 'Small Works : Miniatures by Hampton Roads Artists' at the Charles Taylor Arts Center/The Hampton Arts Commission, Hampton, VA.  The opening yesterday was fun and the show will run through Dec. 5.