Umbrella Fun

Umbrella Fun sketch by Meera Rao 

As I was getting ready to post this sketch of my granddaughter in her brand new rain gear, I began wondering if the umbrella was first invented by whoever  to protect against the sun or the rain as I used the umbrella often this summer when I was in India to shield me from sun as well as rain.  

Of course, I googled the history of umbrellas. According to that article: "The origins of the umbrella are most probably China in 11th century B.C. although ancient sculptures have been found in Nineveh, Persepolis and Thebes (Egypt) depicting the use of umbrellas. There is also evidence of Umbrellas or Parasols being used at the same period in India. I don't think anyone really knows whether it was first used to hide from the heat or the rain, but I found lots of interesting information about them.  Do click on the colored links and enjoy the history :) 

sharp focus

Sketch of my thumb reflected on a shiny knife blade as I cut a mango

 by Meera Rao

The mind of the painter must resemble a mirror, which always takes the colour of the object it reflects and is completely occupied by the images of as many objects as are in front of it.

Leonardo da Vinci

Earlier in the year looking for ideas for daily sketching I came across many suggestions : draw your thumb, a reflection, sharp edges, a fruit etc.. Of course I could not make up my mind. As always, stalling the decision making I stepped into the kitchen.  Cutting a mango  for lunch suddenly I knew what to do :)

A palace for Art

India Sketch Book 2014 panels 27,28 by Meera Rao 

The last four panels of the sketch book are filled with details from the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery and Performance center at the Jaganmohan Palace.  The performance hall has many beautiful stained glass windows. The beautiful building is unfortunately crumbling and in dire need of renovation and restoration.  

India Sketch Book 2014 panels 28,29 by Meera Rao

The arches on the many doors on the hall were also decorated with colorful paintings and sculpted relief.

The circular motif sketch is from the front facade of the building - there were about 10 motifs on each of the pillars and each was different scene.  This was the lowest one that I could see clearly :) 

India Sketch Book 2014 panel 30 by Meera Rao 

I was able to sketch only a couple of the stained glass windows before a 'Yakshagana ' performance started.  I did not sketch on the back side of the pages as the sketches had bled through to the other side on a lot of the sketches. 

Sketchbook spread out on the floor 110" x3.3" 

I tried to take a picture of the sketchbook all spread out little over nine feet long ! This was the best I could do  :)

Time is Life

Sketchbook India 2014 panels 24, 25 26  By Meera Rao

It has been almost two months since I posted on my blog - longest absence as I mark the sixth anniversary of the blog! I had just sketched the Jaganmohan Palace Art Gallery and Performance center in Mysore when my parents came to spend a few days with me. My Mom was very pleased and proud to see my sketchbook. She would look through it again and again. It is hard to believe that she suddenly passed away on Oct 13. To quote William Hale White : 

"Whenever anybody whom we love dies, we discover that although death is commonplace it is terribly original. We may have thought about it all our lives, but when it comes close to us, it is quite a new, strange thing to us, for which we are entirely unprepared. It may, perhaps, not be the bare loss so much as the strength of the bond which is broken that is the surprise, and we are debtors in a way to death for revealing something in us which ordinary life disguises."

On the Road

Sketchbook India 2014 Panels 19-22 by Meera Rao

Sketchbook India 2014 Panels 23-25 by Meera Rao

Road scenes in India are always so very fascinating. Once I started sketching I began noticing all the little details and interesting things that take place. I am attracted to unique vignettes that tell a story. I have learned not to look for perfection in my sketches but hope to capture the emotions.

The scenes get etched in my mind once I start sketching like the time I saw the horse 'checking' out the autoriksha -his competition - while his owner was chatting with the riksha driver! Or the pleasure on the face of the tripple riding motorcyclists -living dangerously with no helmets! The Mother -son pair in the back of the little truck with all their possessions exuded the excitement of moving day.  This time I was pleased I was sketching on the accordion/ Japanese album sketch book :) It was a challenge to keep the sketches connected to one another. 

I needed a couple days to finish each of the sketches- drawing one day and then coloring them the next day. Drawing and sketching in a journal like this make me explore different styles as well as ways of seeing that I have not tried before :) 

Sculpting Devotion

Sketchbook India 2014 by Meera Rao panels 5, 6, 7, June 9-10

Tulasi Katte and Ratha (Festival Car)

The trip to Mysore from Bangaluru takes around 3-4 hours. When the taxi driver discovered that I had not seen a couple of beautiful temples along the way and that I did not have to be in Mysore by a certain time, he took it upon himself to make a few stops! (We still made it to Mysore by 3pm!) I took  photographs and during the next few days filled over dozen panels of my sketch book.   

Most every Hindu home, and all temples have a special place for the tulasi (sacred basil) plant. The 'pot' that holds the plant is sometimes very simple and most often very ornate.  

Ratha is a huge chariot used during festivals to take the temple deity on procession pulled manually with ropes.  It is decorated colorfully and towers over all the devotees assembled.  Check out Google images  to get a taste of the festival excitement!  

Sketchbook India 2014 by Meera Rao panels 8, 9, 10, June 12-16

Temple premises

Sketchbook India 2014 by Meera Rao panels 11,12, 13 June 18-19

Outside the temple

Sketchbook India 2014 by Meera Rao panels 14,15,16, June 19-22

Temple gopura, Utsava Murthy

Gopura is a towering gateway, entrance to southern Indian Temple. An architectural wonder, it is ornately carved, sculpted  and decorated with stories from Mythology connected to the main deity. There is also a massive and again beautifully decorated door through which one enters the temple complex. Check here to see images from google search of the gopurams.

The main temple deity  is never moved - so, for festivals special  'Utsava Murthy' are created by sculptors. After divine spirits are invoked in them, they are carried in a procession, either on the Ratha Festival cart, a palanquin or sometimes on the head of one of the priests. 

Sketchbook India 2014 by Meera Rao panels 15-18, June 22-27

garuda utsava murthy and stone wall in the back

Most of the temples are all ancient - several centuries old, some better maintained than others. It is  very common to find beautiful carvings, statues and walls in heaps covered in dirt around the premises.  Its heartening see that the citizens are beginning to understand the value of the art that surrounds them and efforts are being done to restore them.  

I think the beauty of the temples is a testimony to the creativity of the many anonymous  artists that sculpted and built them to make the ephemeral quality of spirituality and devotion more concrete, grand and immediate.  To visit a temple, to be surrounded by the beautiful statues, to take in the burning lamps, sounds of conchs, bells and invocation, the scents of the flowers, incense is a memorable and stirring experience. It did not matter that there were worldly business happening too. I really am awed by the incredible power of art that has lasted centuries! 

A Long Journey

View From Balcony Sketchbook India 2014 June 4-7 by Meera Rao

View From Balcony Sketchbook India 2014 June 6-8 by Meera Rao

"Then India, everyone has his own idea of India"

-Milton Hays.

I have been here in India almost two months and yesterday I did the last sketch in the small Moleskine Japanese accordion style sketchbook.  I have finally figured out (for now!) the quirks of the computer and the programs here and been able to successfully post the first two photos from my sketchhbook :) 

First few sketches in a new book are always tentative in nature as I am learning what will work best. On the opening page (which I forgot to photograph) I tried out color pencils, watercolors and Faber-Castell Pitt basic color  brushpens. I mainly used Prismacolor Verithin color pencils, Prismacolor fine line marker pens and micron pen on these four pages. The hard lead color pencils are good to sketch with but difficult to color and shade on the slick beige Moleskine paper. I may build color with my regular Prismacolor soft pencils once I get back home! The background washes are watercolor (Koi watercolor field kit) and I am yet to master using them on this paper! The accordion style sketchbook gave me freedom to sketch wide and an opportunity to link these different sketches.  The idea was to have continuity though here I may be only partially successful as I don't plan ahead of time and am not sure what my next day's sketch will be! I sketched everyday but often took a couple of days to complete a panel - so it has taken me almost two months to finish 30 panels in the book that opens into one long 5.5" x 105" page  :) 

About the sketches: As the title indicates its the view from second floor balcony. I was excited to see the papaya tree top laden with fruits of various sizes right by the balcony, the collection of little lamps, the electric pole with its wires and a branch of "Kadam" /Adina Corifolia tree sporting a badminton ball like composite flower mass.

Today I will start using the large Moleskine Japanese album sketchbook  (5x8" when folded). It has 48 accordion pages. If anyone reading this has suggestions, constructive criticism and helpful hints on using these sketchbooks please feel free to pass it on in the comments section :)

Passions

My Passions sketch by Meera Rao

I want to sketch something everyday but there are days when my muse doesn't show up or sometimes life gets in the way! Once in a while I will check daily painters lists for ideas.  'My Passions'  came about when I combined two different such lists. One listed sketch your hobby; sketch an heirloom said another . I decided to combine the two :I would sketch an heirloom and add my camera review pane around it ! I am feeling very clever and pleased  :)  

This sketch was done in couple of months ago and I did not post it then. I am in India now, my annual visit to take care my Mother-in-law.  I am unable to post the sketches done here as google platform and microsoft PC seem to be at odds when it comes to posting photograpahs :(  Blogger won't recognize crops and edits done in Windows and I can't seem to import into Picasa to do my edits there to upload to the blog!!! I hope I will find a solution soon or I will have to wait till I get back to my own computer to post my sketch book.

I am trying something new this time - using  Moleskine Japanese style accordion sketchbooks in two different sizes.  The smaller  one that folds into 5.5x3.5" is almost full.  I love how it unfolds and I can vary the width of my sketches depending on the subject and how the sketches are not in isolation but run into each other reflecting life itself. I am excited about how it feels and can't wait to post them. I hope I will know more about how to work this computer  soon!!!!   As the saying goes :Thunderstorms are as much our friends as the sunshine.” ― Criss Jami  Challenges make life interesting and I am banking on being a bit more computer savvy by the end of it!!!

Adjust the Tension

Adjust the Tension  Photography by Meera Rao

I am excited that my  photograph Adjust The Tension was selected to the  2014 Juried Photography Competition by Juror Jim Jones for the York County Public Library.  It is on display along with other selections at  the York County Public Library- Tabb Branch till July 11 2014. If you are in that neck of the woods please do stop by and check out the exhibit! 

Sketching Outdoors

"Matteson Trail" En pleine aire sketch by Meera Rao

One beautiful day early in spring, during my daily walk I was inspired to stop and sketch the scenery. I usually carry a small 4x6 book of Arches post cards with me and on that day I had a pack of brand new Faber-Castell 6 PITT artist landscape pens that I wanted to try.  The trail was quiet with not too many walkers.  I leaned against a tree and spent a few minutes taking in the scene and then set to work. I was somewhat satisfied with my results. I later gave it a watercolor wash for sky and water -mainly to test and see if the pen marks would bleed. 

Here is a shaky photo I took with my phone before I continued with my walk -it was a challenge to hold the camera in one and the sketch in the other and manage to click :) 

  

I just finished reading an article 'From sketchbook to Studio"  by Iain Stewart in the June issue of Watercolor Artist. I like what he has to say about sketchbooks : "A sketchbook has no other responsibility than to serve you. It is completely private unless you decide to share. Safe from the critical eye of jurors, it is a place where you can explore with abandon all your ideas. It's also the best tool I can think of for preparing to work in the studio. "    His advice is to be 'an observer, an editor and a recorder'. He writes: " When I return to the studio, I find that those observations can serve as well or better than any of my photographs"   

Most importantly he states :"Don't let anything you do early in your process limit what decisions you make later in your painting. Be willing to change anything, but remember your game plan."