Lotus Pond - Oil on Canvas Board12x 20 coms

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Output of a Plein Air session in Borivali National Park, Mumbai, India. It was very difficult to choose what to draw, as we were out in the open in nature and two of us zeroed down on these flowers in the pond.

This one took more effort than I thought it would take. There was too much foliage in the pond and to do an oil painting was a little daunting.

However, I got my moment of truth when two talented photographers  requested me to allow to take a pic of my work in progress.

This is a snap of the work in progress clicked by Kapil Pandya : (Well the clarity in his photo can be easily contrasted with mine!!!)

Snippets:

Borivali national park is an interesting place , teeming with hobbyists.

Photographers with impressive cameras, freaking out on the wildlife there.

Painters ( especially watercolourists) painting beautiful, fresh sceneries.

I saw two cyclists with two very impressive looking cycles, who had some snazzy gear to strap the cycles on to the car!

Some people with hockey sticks in bags..(hockey???).

My most enjoyable moment was the gorging I did on leaffuls of raw cut mangoes, cucumber, Starfruit, sold by locals there!!

Think Pink- Oil on Stretched Canvas 20 x 30 inches

This painting took a while as I travelled in and out of the city after I started this and also because of my preoccupation with plein air.

I don't know what these flowers are called. I was inspired by a photograph sent by a friend. I did knife painting on the sides to give a rough background.

Being a big size canvas, It wouldn't fit into my cell phone lens, though I clicked a photo on my cam but well..it's now an open secret that I never get around to downloading and uploading those!

Am quite excited about my next paintout, as it's a little out of the city location and I have a lot of packing to do!

Riot-Oil on Stretched Canvas 18 x 34 inch

Riots of red and yellow! That's how the skyline of Guwahati( Assam, India) was looking a few days back when I was there! There were red Gulmohars and golden laburnums all over!

These two trees have been done from my imagination from two trees which I saw lined adjacent to each other, as if in competition to each other! One was bleeding red and the other was infusing gold hues! Wow! I itched to paint and upon reaching Mumbai , immediately started painting, even though I had an unfinished one still to complete!
Since its a big sized canvas, it took some time.
I used knife for the upper and lower portions to complement the unruly mess of colours presented by the trees.

Off Art? KFC - Oil on Canvas Board 30 x 40 cms

Output of an early sunday morning exercise. KFC Hiranandani, Powai. Done on the spot. I painted from the opposite street, and luckily found a ready made easel for me , in the form of an ornate pillar, so much a part of the Grecian architechture there!I could easily spread my oils, paints and rags and paint luxuriously. My painting group consisted of 2 youngsters this time and a painting enthusiast/ fan(!!!) , who isnt yet a painter but is fast converting into one!

Just when I thought I was off art ( previous post), I fell headlong into art all over again and have been painting like a maverick all through the week!  Well..thats what art is about..spontaneity!

Preparations for this one and half hour event:

Negotiated by daughter for an early morning reluctant swim ( on my part) on saturday, so as to consent to come painting with me on sunday.

Convincing other youngsters over the week for this event

Bunking a lazy sunday morning in place of hurry scurry, paint stuff packing and driving down!

Well the results were sweet.

I worked very fast today. I have got a pretty good hang of Plein air now.
Revelations:

People in Mumbai are early risers!

Curiosity level of people towards plein air painters is high!

Crowd gathering is a constant, whatever time of the day you may be painting!

Off art

I tried but couldn't keep up my daily doodle thing. Firstly I've been in and out of town for some days but I know in the height of art passion thats not an excuse for me. Then why am I off art? Because am generally not upto anything and do not feel like drawing and I believe art to be spontaneous, at least for me... so will wait till the creative urges surge back. Till then...  

Daily Doodle- Friend

Carbon pencil sketch

   This is a sketch of my friend, who had requested me for a sketch months back! My Daily Doodle ' commitment' got me to do it for her and also got me drawing! 

Flag Bearer - OIl on Stretched Canvas - 15 x 24 inches

Show us the path to follow and arrive there!

The concept has been woven here with a backdrop of warm/cool colours. It was challenging to keep the theme and mesh colours with it.

This kind of work is not my usual style. I toiled over this painting, changing, repainting and redoing it till wee hours of morning.  

This painting has story to tell. Lessons to teach .  

Daily Doodle

My drawing/ painting consistency has dwindled over the past 2 months. Wordly matters took me away from art for some time and it has gotten me into a painting inertia. To make a proactive beginning at drawing again, I have decided to start this daily doodle project. I aim to draw something or the other, every day!

I know its a tough deadline but of late the very fact that my drawing parapharnelia ( pencils, rubbers, paper, oils) are scattered , has resulted in my being too lazy to draw, as hunting for pencils is not included in my "artistic" longing!  So at least I hope this will make me come back !

I hope to start with my friend's long standing  and long delayed sketch tomorrow ( she has stopped asking me about it).

With that new benchmark, I hope I get some artistic dreams today. Subject ideas are welcome!

Aroma's Panaroma- Oil on A4 Canvas sheet

This is a long abandoned oil sketch done on one of the Plein air assignments, with my sketch buddy on a sunday. Truth be told, I never completed the entire panaroma that I selected. This was a view of the "Aroma's' cafe in Hiranandani, and we had painted from bang opposite the street near the busy D Mart supermarket.

Well, there was so much disturbance and so many people that I couldnt concentrate on the painting. Moreover, we had to cut short the entire session as there was a "mom' emergency that my buddy had to attend to ( I had in one of my very early posts commented that art and family life do not go together!).

When I finally got to finish it now, there has been a gap of almost a month and I couldnt recall the finer details . But I will safely bask under Ayn Rand's saying.. Art is a selective re-creation of reality according to an artist's metaphysical value-judgments!

I have used this canvas sheet for the first time. I wouldnt suggest it for seasoned oil painters, as we are more used to a hard or taut (stretched) surface .Good for learning sessions only. Doesnt take on bold strokes to bring about impressions of reflections etc. Maybe could be used for flowers or simple landscape, or some primary work in acryllic.

This is what I have at the end of it and add to it the crooked photograph ( living upto the expectations of my regular followers:), which I hope will help my viewers give some artistic leeway to the quality of my painting!