Red Earth, River

Sky at Dawn - Abstract

In solidarity

Reading the news is an activity fraught with unease these days. There's always something brutish going on. Specially where women and girls are concerned. I painted this one to express my feelings for the kidnapped Nigerian girls, and loved ones who are living the nightmare. I have tried to show the sense of helplessness, the lack of voice, the pain and the trauma they are going through.

Tall grass

Landscape colours of green and yellow, earthy brown and pale blue. I've paid special attention to light and perspective. Imagine yourself at the edge of the field here, among the tall grass, soaking in the sunlit silence. The dark pine woods are behind.

Experiment with texture

A painting needs texture. And light. In this simple landscape, I've incorporated rough and smooth surfaces, elements of light and dark, while keeping the composition simple.

Woman (Enclosed)

I've never tried drawing with soft pastels before. So this is my first try. I have tried to concentrate on line, texture and organic shapes. It was an interesting experiment.

The Jump

It's quite possible that a picture tells a story which is sometimes obvious, sometimes not quite. In this painting, I have tried to depict a figure, fire, movement and bold colour. You decide what the story is. The idea of a didactic artist/writer 'telling' you what the story is, doesn't gel with me. I prefer arriving at my own conclusions. I'm sure you do too!

Glade - Abstract

I woke up with a confused jumble of sensations and knew that it was time to pick up the brush/palette knife again. Colours stood out, deep shades of green, yellow and red. A sense of movement, yet, a hint of stillness. Where else would you find it but in a forest glade?

"Earth"

This is my depiction of Earth. I have used mainly blues, green, yellow, and a touch of red.

"Diversity"

Life isn't uniform - we all know that. There is a melange of colours and textures, darks and lights. And yet, they meld together to form this fabric which sometimes stumps us. How rich a tapestry it can be! Hope you like this one.

"Upwards"

My take on a staircase leading upwards. Naturally it has metaphysical overtones. The netherworld is dark. I've tried to depict the tension between the two worlds. Make of it what you will.

"Boat in stormy waters"

"Spring - a study"

I had this idea of welcoming Spring through painting, specially since we suffered through such a terrible winter in Canada. But I didn't want to depict this via the usual images associated with the season - tulips, green trees etc. Not that that would not make a good picture, but still...call it the whim of an artist,  if you will! So, I decided to try an abstract representation which would suggest movement and Spring colours emerging after a dreary winter. This is with a variety of palette knives, and a succession of bright colours.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

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

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'.

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.