Showing posts with label travel art journal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel art journal. Show all posts
Thursday, October 2, 2025
Unexpected Street treat
I came across the colorful piano at Durango on our trip last year. It was on the sidewalk outside a bookstore. While I was admiring the bold colors and designs, another tourist walking by stopped and put down her backpack. She sat down and played a beautiful melody expertly. When done, she laughed happily, joined her partner and both walked off :) Later on, my research said that the ‘Durango Street Piano Project’ was by Zack Robinson. What a fabulous idea! I really enjoyed reliving the moment when I painted this later in my Travel Journal.
Thursday, February 27, 2025
Float Like A Blue Lotus
Blue Lotus page from my India Travel Journal 2024 by Meera Rao
float like a blue lotus
graceful, grounded
and
unbothered by the mud
The Blue lotuses bloomed in a mini pond on the balcony. They are small but oh so beautiful and graceful. I used my newly acquired Japanese Kuretake Gansai Tambi paints on this page and am very pleased with the results. I had penciled in the sketches in my Strathmore tan-toned sketchbook, and painting in the colors had to wait.
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Reliving the Memories
Misty Paro Tatsang Palphug -Tiger's Nest Monastery
watercolor by Meera Rao
Happy New Year!! The year has started in full swing - a continuation of the busy days of the past year. The sketch above is from the inspiring, and unforgettable trip to Bhutan last year. The monastery is perched precariously on a cliff at 3,120 meters (10,240 ft), about 900 meters (3,000 ft) above the Paro valley, on the right side of the Paro Chu (‘chu’ in Bhutanese means ”river or water”). The hike up to the monastery was arduous - nearly vertical! But walking slowly and steadily (it took me almost 3 hours each way!), enjoying the breathtaking views was a gift. Of course, the view from the Monastery, and time inside the monastery(just about an hour) were awe-inspiring.
In fact, I have been energized by all the wonderful sights at home and from our trips this past year to various places in the US and abroad. Observing nature, learning, doing my small part in preserving and passing it on have become my passions. It is helping me stay sane in these tumultuous days I see all over the world. I have enjoyed reliving the experiences as I was finishing my travel journal to Bhutan. I eagerly look forward to finishing half-done entries in three more journals from the other trips. Sketching and painting is my way of journaling my days :)
“Art is the stored honey of the human soul.”
~Theodore Dreiser~
Friday, February 19, 2021
Way of the Warrior
Edo Samurai Armour with Swan crest watercolor & ink by Meera Rao
I was very impressed with the ceremonial samurai armor from the 1700s at the British museum. The colors and the ornamentation were very impressive. The elegant Swan crest on number of the artifacts also caught my eye.
Edo samurai armour by Meera Rao
A very interesting article Beauty in Battle: the refined artistry of samurai armor and photographs of a few different armors are at LA county museum of Art exhibit website. There is also a great pdf Samurai: art of armor. for educators and students. Here’s a little fact from there : The name “samurai,” stems from the word saburafu, meaning “to serve by one’s side.” These warriors followed a code of idealized behavior known as the “way of the warrior,” or bushido, which focused on seven virtues: honesty, courage, respect, benevolence, rectitude, honor, and loyalty. Bushidō also prescribed acceptance of death, as exemplified by the fact that samurai preferred to commit ritual suicide by disembowel- ment, known as seppuku or harakiri rather than seem disloyal or suffer a stain on their character.
Saturday, February 13, 2021
Lunar New Year
NewYear Celebration, China Town, London watercolor ByMeera Rao
A year ago we were in London in January. We bumped into a Lunar New Year celebration as we got out of the tube at Westminster Bayswater area to head to the Hyde park - a favorite playground for our grandson. The ‘dragons’ danced in front of Chinese Restaurants and stores. The owners ‘fed’ lettuce to the dragons and then gave money in red envelopes. I captured the festivities on video and later sketched in my travel art journal. Fun fact is that an American of Indian heritage enjoyed a Chinese dragon dance celebrating the Asian Lunar New Year celebration in London, UK :)
“Chúc Mừng Năm Mới”
“Gong hei fat choy”
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Set In The Midst Of Knowledge
British Museum Great Court watercolor and ink Meera Rao
‘And let thy feet millennium hence be set in the midst of knowledge’
This quote by Lord Tennyson is engraved in the floor of the beautiful and imposing Great Court of the British Museum. It is taken from his poem ‘The Two Voices’ . I read that he used to visit the Museum’s Reading Room often when it was still housed there (in the 19th century). Above is the tessellating glass and steel grid roof giving it that airy open space look. Check the Museum blog here to read and see photos of the engineering marvel the glass roof and the Great Court is.
My sketch is from our visit there in 2019. The place was teaming with people but I opted to sketch just a few to show the scale. I hope to be able to travel again to see more of the museum sometime soon post Covid !
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Fierce Colors
Fierce Colors watercolor Meera Rao
Before covid put a stop to all travel, we had visited London and this watercolor is from my travel sketchbook. I realized I had forgotten to share those sketches. This Lion etched in glass graced the doors of British Museum in London. I loved how colors outside the door shone through and it showed me a way to paint the glass lion:) So it’s a full circle as illustrated by a quote from Leo Steinberg : “Whatever else art is good for, it’s chief effectiveness lies in propagating more art”
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