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 :)  

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"

Looking and Seeing

I did a blind contour drawing with a new twist. I followed Marvin Bartel's instructions for teaching children to draw and made myself a 'blinder buddy' -basically a sheet of paper through which a pencil has been pierced. This shielded completely my hand and the paper I was drawing on. There was no way to quickly steal glances at the drawing I was working on! I really liked sketching that way in a very mindful, deliberate manner and was pleased with the results. I hope to use it often in my practices.

I am still nursing my cold and have spent more time reading and surfing than painting. I came accross a study by scientists at British Columbia that looked into whether 'color can color performance or emotions.' According to the New York Times article 'if a new study is any guide, the color red can make people’s work more accurate, and blue can make people more creative.' And the article concluded by mentioning that the New York Times newsroom walls are all 'tomato soup red'! I also enjoyed listening to NPR's version of it. Now, I am leaning towards purple backgrounds to make me creatively accurate :)