Reflections

Reflections color pencils 4x4"

I have been planning and sketching. I discovered those sketches don't show well in photographs.  Fortunately I still have a couple more finished pieces from way back when -except they are under glass, framed and sealed :( These wooden spoons and tin mugs with reflections caught my eye in Colonial Williamsburg 'market place' many years ago and I tried them out in color pencils on tinted paper. It is a small piece framed and under glass-too well sealed- which once again I had difficulty photographing.  I welcome any suggestions, tips and tricks from fellow artists - what are your experiences and solutions for photographing issues?

I came across a very interesting story in the blog  "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin.  She calls the story a Koan on creativity and credits it to Arthur Koestler's book  "the Art of Creativity' :  " An art dealer (this story is authentic) bought a canvas signed "Picasso" and traveled all the way to Cannes to discover whether it was genuine. Picasso was working in his studio. He cast a single look at the canvas and said:"its a fake." A few months later the dealer bought another canvas signed Picasso. Again he travelled to Cannes and again Picasso, after a single glance, grunted "Its a fake"   "But cher maitre" expostulated the dealer, "it so happens that I saw you with my own eyes working on this very picture several years ago"  Picasso shrugged: "I often paint fakes"

Gretchen's comments in that blog really resonated with me. She asks- "Do you know this feeling, feeling of painting your own fake?"  I always worry about painting pieces that don't quite feel authentic or that I did not perhaps give my best.  Now I know the perfect answer for those doubts :).  Of course, that question will be included in the ones I often ask as I evaluate my finished painting.  I am also eager to  read Koestler's book "the Art of Creativity"

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 :)

Imaginative Reality

Rose Pencil 9x12"

Yesterday as I was working on the Rose, I heard a discussion on NPR about "Scientists Pinpoint Monet's London Balcony." According to the reporter, artist 'Claude Monet spent the winters of 1899, 1900 and 1901 freezing on the balcony of London's Savoy Hotel, painting a famous series of images of Waterloo Bridge and Charing Cross Bridge. Now, the scientists at Birmingham University have used solar geometry and historical weather data to figure out exactly which balcony Monet was standing on and what time of the day he was likely working.' I chuckled to myself as I followed the conclusions. I am sure if anyone tries to figure things out from my art work they would be in for a surprise because I do take a lot 'artistic license' when I sketch, draw and paint. I change or eliminate things often to match my technical abilities(or rather lack of) and to change the composition to suit my taste. And I started wondering how many artists really faithfully follow the original subject (other than for illustration purposes) and how many viewers think an artist is true to the subject's every detail :contour, shadow, value, color etc. ? Should we come to major conclusions about historical facts from an artist's creation or are these just fun exercises - not major theses. Along the same lines, earlier there was this piece on "High Art: Were Boticelli's Venus and Mars Stoned? " The object of discussion here was the identity and effects of a fruit that was in the hand of one of the little satyr in the painting. Click on the highlighted words in the blog and you can hear/read the scoop.

Rose is done using 2, 4 and 6B pencils and some Prismacolor cool greys here and there in the background leaves. It was an exercise in values I came up with. I had taken color digital picture of the rose from our garden. Then using the photo-software changed the color to black & white and played with the settings for light and shadows. I then printed it out for sketching using grids. The final piece is an composite of all that and my imagination as I simplified the background.

Something to Crow About

I finally got around to painting this guy in color pencils! When we visited Hawaii a few years ago, I was delighted to see lots of hens and roosters roaming around scratching and clawing the earth looking for food. I also have a few photographs and sketches of their cousins from India. Somehow I never got around to drawing or painting them until now. By the way, a rooster can and will crow any time of the day or night -not just at break of dawn. And they cannot crow if they cannot fully extend their necks.

Fowl Vision color pencils 9x12"

Innocence

It has been gloomy and dark even during day time and raining relentlessly for the past couple days. I was unable to photograph the two paintings I just completed. Mangalore Beach is a watercolor, color pencil and graphite piece that I did in a class several years ago when I was first trying out my hand in art. Looking at it now, I was reminded of a remark by one wise old artist friend who once insisted that 'How innocent' is what I will find my early paintings :) What a beautiful way of looking - no judgement, no regrets, and no harsh self-criticism - just full acceptance.

That is what I discovered when I was demonstrating drawing last week at the 'Festival of Arts' arranged by the local Elementary School. Most of the children were thrilled to try 'upside down drawing' and were very pleased with their 'masterpieces.' Once again, I was made aware to 'be in the now' - to get excited about creating and enjoy the process fully.

Mangalore Beach Watercolor, color pencils and graphite. 11x9"

Spring Fever

Spring is in the air. The daffodil plants are poking through in the yard. I see gardeners excitedly spending time clearing winter debris and getting the garden ready for spring planting. Ducks are frantically looking for a place to nest and lay eggs. During my walk in the local fitness trail last saturday I saw patches of beautiful tiny blue flowers whose name unfortunately I haven't learnt yet. And, I came across a fascinating article "Breezy Love or Sacking of the Bees" by Olivia Judson in New York Times.

The flower power was indeed strong. I pushed aside the two paintings I was working on and decided to do a quick small color pencil flower sketch. The simple flower took longer than I anticipated. I got carried away, covering the paper with design and color!

Red Beauty color pencils 6x6"

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"

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"

One of Many Faces

Last week, when I was almost done with this self-portrait, my husband took his first glance at it and said "no, this is not you. That look is a very rare expression. You always have a big smile" Since then my smile has been even bigger -if thats possible.

I started sketching using a mirror and then used the camera eye on my computer to snap a photograph so I had a reference photo to use in completing it. I tried warm color for underpainting on the hair and eyes and cool on the background before finishing with black grape as final layers. Some day I will try again with my big smile :)

One of Many Faces color pencils 9x12"

Best Buddy

Mr. Bones, as his blog (here) shows is very special. I have been working on his portrait for a while now, trying to figure out how to paint his black shiny coat and those soulful eyes. I did a light underpainting with different colors -peacock green and  ultramarine blue on his body and touches of pumpkin orange on his face before using black grape. I am very happy with the final piece and I hope Mr. Bone's best buddy will also think so because his birthday is very special to me too :).

Mr.Bones color pencils 12x9"

Windows to the World

I have been sketching animal eyes the past couple of days and its been really helpful. My resolve about drawing something in my sketchbook everyday, I am sorry to note,  does need a good shot in the arm.  But right now, I have a sneaking suspicion that  I am not making up lost time, rather using sketching as an excuse to avoid starting my next project!  I have the outline done but still debating if it should be watercolors or color pencils.  I know that rather than procrastinating, I should just plunge in and get my stuff done. 

  

'Windows to the World'  graphite 7x9"

A Special Moment

This is Liza and her friend Ollie. I was inspired by the spontaneity, the love and affection I saw when she was giving Ollie a drink of water from her hand. The photograph this is based on is from a couple of years ago. I looked at it several hundred times before I finally cropped it, decided on the composition and sketch it last november.  Two days ago I finally plunged into doing the final piece.  Liza and Ollie are done in color pencils (10x8") 

Happy Birthday, Liza!  

 

They Never made it into History Books.

March is 'Women's History Month'  It recognizes and acknowledges amazing accomplishments by women. I decided to post Sarah,  done in color pencils, a portrait of a 'slave' from Colonial times.  Colonial Williamsburg  has actors portraying and reenacting life from that period. I used my photographs as reference and wanted to highlight the spirit of survival and dignity she was exuding.  She is one of the many unsung and unseen heroines of the world.  This year's theme is 'Women taking the lead to save the world.'  Its a tragedy that it is the 21st. century and  women are still treated as slaves in many parts around the world. They bear the brunt of war and violence.  Many never even get a chance to discover and nurture their talents.  Isn't it time we all worked to change that?   

Sarah color pencils 11" x 14"

The Age Old Question

Early this morning, as on most days, I was listening to 'The Writer's Almanac' on NPR. Garrison Keillor was reciting a poem  "He Gets Around to Answering the Old Question" by Miller Williams  which ended with this stanza:

So now you have asked me the oldest question of all,

You want to know how I'm doing, I told you before,

I'm dying. Been at it for years. Still, I think 

I could hang a few more calendars on the door. 

This reminded me of a conversation my husband and his brothers had with one of their Uncles -whose portrait  'Narayan Mava' (color pencils 13 1/2" x 10 1/2") is today's post. Couple of summers ago they were visiting their uncle and one of them asked 'the age old question.'  When Uncle replied with a twinkle in his eye  "Sometimes I am not sure whether I am here or there' - one quick witted brother urged "Please Uncle, Just  be here more often than there!'  

This portrait was done using as reference a bunch of  photographs taken during that visit.  I wanted to evoke the feelings he expressed that evening. 

Renditions

This is the companion piece for Low Tide - also done in color pencils.  Most of my subjects are things I encounter in my daily life and rendered in 2-D.  Sculptures and other three dimensional art fascinate me. Recently Scientific American had an article and slide show on seemingly impossible sculptures.  According to the article these "impossible sculptures can only be interpreted (or misinterpreted as the case maybe) by the visual mind. All of the accompanying slides show real objects. No photographic manipulation has been used. "  These artists remind me of  M.C. Escher.

Blue Blood

I spent the day yesterday glued to the TV. I couldn't stop marveling the smooth transition of power as Barak Obama became our new President.  Every four years we get to vote for the leader of our choice - no privileged 'blue blood' nobility assuming power through hereditary claims in a democracy. 

All that TV watching also meant I didn't paint or sketch yesterday.  So today when I was looking  through my collection to pick a painting for my blog,  Low Tide, in color pencils jumped at me. The way the brain makes connections is another amazing thing : Horseshoe crabs have blue blood - something I learnt as a biology major in college and never forgot because its such an interesting factoid.  I see these crabs washed up on the beaches around here quite often. Their colors and the shadow they cast on the wet sand even as they lay in pieces compelled me to try and capture their beauty on paper.  I have done two color pencil pieces on colored paper in the past couple of years. And I am grateful that the only 'blue bloods' I get to see here are horseshoe crabs.   

Low Tide, 11" x14" color pencils. 

Hot Shadows

Yesterday I read a review in New York Times about a photography exhibit: Eudora Welty in New York: Photographs of the early 1930s, Portraits Taken by a Writer as a Young Woman (in Hard Times.) There is a slide show that goes along with the article that highlights the exquisite black and white photos taken in early 193os. They tell wonderful stories and focus on beautiful shadows, expressive faces of the people enduring difficult times, and taken from some unique angles. The show will be up until feb 6 at the Museum of The City of New York. I am so grateful for the internet that I am able to read about it and get a taste of the the photographs in the slide show right here from the comfort of my living room.

Hot Shadows is a miniature painting (3"x3") done in color pencils on watercolor paper. I wanted to show the texture of the gravel on the road and the watercolor paper did the trick. I also discovered that coloring and then erasing with an electric eraser left enough color on the paper because of its texture. This technique gave me the desired look of the gravel along with some depth. I was happy to leave a few jewels of color embedded in the shadows. I took the photographs of my bicycle and its shadows one saturday morning in September a few years ago waiting along the road side to cheer my daughter as she ran her first 5k. I played around a lot with the composition and finally settled on just the shadows.

Fishing Eyes

I subscribe to e-mails from TED  - an organization that spreads most innovative ideas by the world's leading thinkers, artists, scientists and others. The videos are anywhere from 5 minutes to hour long and are amazingly inspiring. Just yesterday I watched one by David Gallo with footage of wonderful sea creatures.  

Fishing Eyes is a mixed media piece using watercolors and color pencils on masa paper(size 14 x 18".) I painted it a few years ago, framed it and put it aside.  A year ago I took it out of its frame and changed the parts that were bothering me a bit. I think I am happy with it now. 

Frayed Nerves

I just finished jumping rope --I am trying to keep warm while waiting for the repairman to show up and fix our heating system.  Yesterday afternoon it started making awful noises and to be safe we decided to switch it off. Its almost noon today and the repairmen haven't showed up yet. We have a few spot heaters out and running but its 34 F/ 2 C, cloudy and drizzling outside and about 50 F/ 10 C indoors (I keep checking the thermometer we have) and my nose and fingertips are just COLD :(  I have been alternating drinking a lot of hot coffee and tea (and even just hot water to keep my caffeine level under check!) I have rubbed my hands together vigorously and stood in front of the heaters but was still cold and so decided to jump rope to keep me warm.  My mind wandered all over the place as I was skipping rope and I suddenly remembered The Post done in color pencils a few years ago.  We live not too far from Colonial Williamsburg which showcases and interprets life as it was in the 18th century.  There are lots of horses in the colonial replica of the city and many posts to hitch them when they are resting. I loved the look of the weathered wood, frayed rope and the rusting metal chain and had to try and capture them on paper. 

The Post color pencils on colored paper. 9 x6"

Happy New Year!

May a year full of splendor unfold for you and your family!

And on a lighter note- which one are you? - " An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves " -Bill Vaughan.

Butterfly  watercolors and color pencils  12 x10 1/2 "