Exciting Challenges

Autumn is always an occasion for harvests and celebration. Every culture has festivals around it. This past weekend though, I was part of a celebration - a harvest of different kind. Our son and daughter-in-law completed the New York City Marathon in 4:22:10!!! After months of grueling training they ran a terrific race showing grit, determination and grace. We happily chased them around the course -in Subways, fortunately for us! We caught up with them at four different points, waved our banners, and screamed our hearts out as we cheered them on! I am grateful that the weather was just perfect and wonderful. We are all in awe of them and very proud too!

In Harvest -mixed media, 8x10", I learned to be patient and persevere as I mixed watercolors, color pencils and graphite to bring out form and texture. This is one of my early works and I remember finally feeling a little confident and enjoying the process as things began to take shape on the paper!

I have been away from blogging, sketching and painting for the past couple of months with my various trips and other things -in general, life coming in the way and taking time away from my art :). I plan to get back to it in full swing soon.

Brilliant Hues and Vibrant colors

Today I read that the combination of warm wet spring, typical summer conditions and sunny warm autumn with temperatures above 32F in the cool evenings is ideal for brilliant foliage colors. And Biology of the plants also plays an important part too in giving the leaves their brilliant hues and striking vibrant colors - carotene in the leaves are responsible for orange and yellow colors and xanthophyll for yellow of leaves. Besides these, there are three other pigments that help the foliage coloration -anthocyanin are responsible for blues, reds and violets; tannins give brown color to the tea, chestnut barks and the fall oak leaves; the flavones are what make the yellow of the sumac, tea and onions. If the cell fluid is acidic we see more reds otherwise it will lean towards blues. What a spectacular show mother nature provides us every year ! And as always I am so grateful that I get to enjoy these displays and marvel how it all comes together.

I tried to capture a bit of that beauty in Glory Days (watercolor 9x11"). I used layering, splattering and wet on wet to duplicate on paper what nature seems to do so effortlessly! I had found the leaves and mushroom in a puddle of water that was reflecting the blue of the sky. My sun glasses also deepen the colors and in the end, the walk I took on that beautiful fall day was not only a feast for the eyes but also nudged me towards trying the combination of colors in my painting. I always bring my special finds home only to find them teaching me again and again that all things change and its their nature.

Change is The Only Constant

I walk for exercise and try to put in 10,000 steps a day on my pedometer. Fall is one of my favorite times to go on long walks and enjoy the various stages of changes the vegetation around seems to show off. I usually come home from my walks with a collection of leaves all sporting different shades of red, yellow, orange and green. The painting above Changes (11x14") in watercolor was a lot of fun to finish as I experimented with my stash of leaves and various techniques.

Speaking of fun, check out this video on fun theory on how fun can change people's behavior. Who knew Fun theory was serious business for some!!

Taste of the Tropics

Weather and skies have been a major part of our India trip so far! Chennai was HOT with a only a couple of showers that really didn't cool the temperatures down much. And we have been caught in torrential rains for three days because of late Monsoons in Bengaluru. Here is a glimpse of Chennai sky taken from the terrace. The coconut trees always make the scene really special for me :)

Taste of Tropics Digital Photography

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.

Eenie meenie minie moe

"Flaming Petals" was an experimental watercolor painting. We had visited the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Garden in Washigton D.C. and of course, we took lots of photographs of the colorful water lilies. When the time came to paint I couldn't make up my mind and choose one color for the lotus so I decided to try a different color for each petal and was very happy with the result.

Flaming Petals watercolor 24 x 30"

Captivating Cappadocia

Cappadocia located in central Turkey is a surreal wonder of nature and human ingenuity. Whole cities, some dating back to 2nd century BC to Roman, and some later to Byzantine period - thrived in undergrounds or in the wondrous and most dramatic volcanic tufas and chimney rocks. Please check here to see a collection of photographs and a video of the amazing area. We stayed at a cozy, small and aptly named 'The Village Cave Hotel" at the village of Cavusin near Goreme. The ancient ancestral home of the owner, one among the many many cave dwellings in the area had been converted to a small cute comfortable inn - and has a super chef and a couple of cute resident cats as well. The sketch above does not do one bit of justice - but is the scene from our room looking into the other side, into the dwellings that belonged to the owner's mother's family. The owner later took us on a tour of the area and one morning we hiked for hours the beautiful Red Valley, Rose Valley etc., gorged on the tastiest wild mulberries and apricots right off the trees! I hope to paint the scenes and attempt to capture the beauty on paper soon.

Zen of Seeing

"I have learned that what I have not drawn I have never really seen, and that when I start drawing an ordinary thing, I realize how extraordinary it is, sheer miracle. " ~Frederick Franck, The Zen of Seeing: Seeing and Drawing as a Meditation.

I have been following 'urbansketchers' for a while now -admiring and learning a lot about sketching and making drawings on the go. I decided to apply that to my sketches from Turkey. To my simple pen and ink sketches I added color with a dozen pastel and color pencils I had packed and was pleased with the result. It was exciting to discover a new way of sketching for me and will help me keep up with my art as I travel to India to visit my family for the next month and a half. The sketch above is a simple quick rendering of the scene at Anadolu Kabagi on the Bosphorous Cruise by the traditional ferryboat along the waterway that divides Europe and Asia. It was wonderful to sit on the deck taking in the beautiful summer day and just watch the scenery as we savored the authentic Turkish yogurt from a vendor who got on board at one of the stops.

This is my 100th post and I thank all of you who have visited my blog and encouraged my efforts. I really appreciate you spending your time with me here and am grateful for your comments. I do hope you will continue to stop by and let me know how I am faring. Once again my hearty thanks to all!!!

The Thrill of the Search

This past week when I was in New York city, I was constantly scanning for things to photograph or sketch. I get excited just anticipating a scene that may capture my fancy. The only risk is I will drain the battery in my camera clicking away constantly! But mostly when I am least expecting, an interesting subject unfolds. I have discovered that being present in the moment opens up so many possibilities. I was listening to the guide inside the Radio City Hall when I unexpectedly caught another tour participant silhouetted against the window. Opportunities are endless and all I need to do is look.

Silhouette Digital Photography

Music in the City

Washington Square Park in New York city is lively and vibrant especially in summer. I am enjoying a few days here in the city and was able to sketch this musician while listening to the wonderful music he was playing along with his two fellow musicians. It was a treat! Hope to visit a couple of museums and also sketch some more before I head back home tomorrow.