Monday, March 31, 2014

"Over the hills and far away"

This painting is inspired by distant hills, and shadows of clouds and sky. I used the usual suspects colour wise - so, blue, green, yellow, (both ochre and lemon), a touch of red, some brown. What I did differently this time, I used purple! The photograph didn't come out so good though.


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

"Last Gasp of Day"

How does a painting get made? Do I have any idea what I'm going to paint when I look at the paper? Answers to these questions perplex me. The creative process is filled with mystery. I think the best thing to do is not to question it too much, not to overthink these things. In mysterious ways, the paint and the brush interact and give meaning to the creative impulse. That's all that one needs to know!
Enjoy today's offering.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

"The House in the Woods"

Do you remember reading fairy tales during your childhood? Today's painting is inspired by this memory. I used strong background colours, but lightened some parts - like the house and the trees in the foreground. Of course, there has to be a full moon, a "ghostly galleon" sailing the skies. Anything can happen in this moment. Imagination is a wonderful thing.


Sunday, March 23, 2014

"Wildwood"

Nature is the greatest of Muses. All my life, I have been enamoured of Nature's shifting moods. As a child, I remember being enthralled  by the blossoms of a tree (they were a cool mauve against a backdop of blue and white sky). I didn't tell anyone how profoundly it affected me simply because it seemed like they would laugh. I think lonely and reserved children rarely meet empathy.

Today I painted this - my impressionistic depiction of wild woods. It is not sinister, I meant it to be a place of rejuvenation, a recharging of one's soul. Hope you like it. The colours I have used are ultramarine blue, light green, lemon yellow and a bit of raw umber.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

This one is 'Heat'. I wanted the colours red and black, with some overtones of green. I used yellow and blue as well.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Its all about Perspective

Hearing words like 'perspective', 'value' or 'depth' really freaks me out. I've never been of a technical bent of mind. Let's say, I prefer the bigger picture; I'm a macro person. So, the art pundits all talk about these terms as sacred cows. It scares the bejesus out of me.

I think just by engaging in daily practice of art gives me an opening to discover what these terms mean in reality. It is helpful to read  up on them before you start. That's for sure. But you know, breaking your head over getting  it right, struggling to understand technicalities, doesn't work. At least for me.

There's this whole debate about whether you should be going to art school in order to call yourself an artist. I think back to when I had to own up to my inner writer. Did I have to go through an MFA in writing to call myself a writer? Nope. I don't believe you can't self-learn, specially these days with easy access to libraries and the Internet.

So, today's painting was about the dreaded perspective. I think I did get the effect I wanted. I've called it 'Path through the corn field'.


Thursday, March 20, 2014

A bit of a change in direction

I'm back to blogging after a long hiatus. Things happen. Seasons change. You discover newness inside yourself. Some dreams which were residents in your soul for as long as you can recall, suddenly become reality. Or maybe, they were always just waiting in the wings.

I had always been enamoured of painting and drawing. But I never had the courage to pick up a brush. Just like the internal editor who is ever present in a writer's mind, this killjoy never allowed me to even try. Instead I would look and yearn.

Something happened along the way as I realized that if I don't try, I would never know. So, one day, encouraged by my lovely girls, I gathered up the courage. I know what you are thinking - "...and then she became an amazing artist - ta da!"

Not so fast. I'm still very new to this. For so long, words were my media of expression. To translate that into lines, values, composition and colours is a long long process. My journey has just begun. I propose to document my journey. I wish to record it for my own edification.

You are welcome to stay with me.