Works to be displayed in India Art Festival Mumbai 2014

Lapis

12x12"

Leiron

12x12"

Two of my floral artworks will be displayed through a Gallery in India Art Festival in Mumbai in November 2014. This is an annual art festival held in Mumbai and artists and galleries from over the world participate here.

Prithvi Cafe

 

Pen on Paper

B4 Size

 

The famous Prithvi Cafe' with its beautiful and artistic ambience. An artist's delight and an artiste's haven! This café is famous for its celebrity clientele and Irish Coffee! The Sulemani tea is one of my favourites. This sketch absorbed two Sulmani Teas, half a chocolate pastry and a chicken pan sandwich! The morning hours at Prithvi on Sunday are great. Many celeb...rities bring their kids for the morning children's show and the rest of the crowd comprise classy people with chic dressing. Prithvi is the place to bump into singers, actors, flautists and artists hanging around discussing projects or just sipping coffee thinking about the next production! When I sketched this, the food counters were still empty as the morning food batches weren't delivered .

 



Azure

 

Azure 

8x 10 " 

 

Day 5 of painting challenge and I must say that quantity affects quality! Moody internet, work , errands et al !

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Peep Toes

8 x 10"

 

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

 

 

These are from my latest collection of shoes. Day 4 of the 30 paintingsin 30 days' challenge. Phew! A already running out of steam!

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Cup O' Life

 

 

8X 10"

 

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

 

 

This is Day 3 of 30 paintings in 30 days Challenge!
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Horta

 8x10 "

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

 

Day 2 of 30 paintings in 30 Days Challenge on Leslie Saeta's blog
Adding link to http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.in/

Antheia

 

Oil on Canvas with Palette Knives

 

18x24"

 

I painted this from a bouqet I received. This is special as it is the first entry to my 30 day's painting challenge by Leslie Saeta. Hope I can live up to the challenge.
http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.in/

  

Athena

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

18 X 24 "

Beauty, Strength, Power - A lethal combination. A woman who has these three combinations is lucky and can rule the world. However, such women suffer from a lot of pain. When you are at the top, you are always alone. But would you rather be average than the best? Would you dress yourself down just to be with them? Tough Call!

Facial

 

Oil on Canvas

12" X 15 "

 

Did this from a photo. I dare not say whose photo this was, lest I get a few brickbats! This took me about an hour using the Alla Prima Technique.

 

I got lots of browns on my palette. Only thing is to use that up. To do that I must paint more often. My house is so cluttered with the regulars of life these days, that art is fighting for space. Obviously, it will win as it always does. Incidentally, this is a brushwork. My knives must rest you see.

 

Mellow

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

8' x 10"

 

 

When I painted this, my weekend was mellow, so had decided on mellow colours. But by the time I uploaded this, it had become quite interesting. Just when I thought life was slow and uneventful, things started happening. We never know what is round the corner.

I am planning on starting a bigger work next weekend. Let me see if I can manage to do that.

 

 

      

 



Farrago

 

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

12 x 14"

 

 

Miscellany is so cofusing but so beautiful. Life is interesting because everyone has different aspects to contribute. All wouldn't have been so beautiful without each! We face it everyday in our workplaces, our families and societies. Each person comes with a variegated combination of strengths and weaknesses which makes him or her unique . 

 

I have walked this earth through a number of paths now. Met many, kept many and discarded many.  We have to live among all. It is often a clutter, jostling for space in a small bowl but at the end it is the final piece that counts!

 

This work took me about two months. Life is hectic on all other aspects so the only place where I can pace my time. Till the next one, then!     

Ross Lynch

 

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

6'' x 10''

 

 

A painting of Ross Lynch done from a reference photo. However I realize that Ross has grown into a lad now, as I see his other photos! I did this painting for my friend's daughter who is his fan and wanted me to paint Ross for her.

 

For those  who don't know who he is, Ross Shor Lynch (born December 29, 1995) is an American television actor, singer, dancer, and musician. He is one of the founding members of the pop rock band R5. He is best known for his debut role as Austin Moon on the Disney Channel original series Austin & Ally ( Sourced from Wikipedia).

 

 

 

' Un'

10x 12 ''

 

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

 

 

Uncompromising, unnerving , unfriending - It takes guts to be an Un. You can be in a milieu of small blooms but still struggle to bloom larger in the midst of the leaves. What does it take to be un? It takes willpower, integrity, boldness and bravado. Uns are sometimes better than Ins.

Sula- Zinfandel Rose'

 

10x12 inches

Oil on Canvas with Palette Knives

 

Another one to my -OH series. This is a bottle of Zinfandel Rose' from Sula Vineyards in India, Sula is a brand of wine which has revolutionized the Indian wine industry in the past 7 to 8 years. The vineyards are in Nashik, in the state of Maharashtra and Sula is responsible for 'legitimising'  wine drinking amongst the urban middle class in India. Wine drinking, which was a thing for the upwardly mobile crowd has now become affordable and acceptable due to the reach that Sula has made possible. Sula also has lovely wine tours and resorts in the vineyards in Nashik. 

 

A very happening music and wine festival, The Sula fest is held every year in the vineyards which I would like to visit some day!  Coming up next on the -OH series is a bottle of Sula Portwine!

 

 

Ahir Bhairab

 

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

14" x 16"

 

 

There are times when you stop still and realize life is just a journey. This journey must come to an end. Today or tomorrow. The only certainty is the guarantee of death. All else is fake. It is a cliché we often use but what of those who are faced with this eventuality? Do they have any choice but to pick up the strings and move on with life because there is absolutely nothing else they can do. The near one who was so full of flesh and blood, mirth and rage, conversations and contemplations is suddenly snatched away and is just a part of memory. 

 

This is a tribute to my cousin Ahir Bhairab who passed away suddenly at a young age, at the height of his career. Unusually tall, highly creative, and massively multi talented, he was a very popular cousin, friend and colleague  to different people respectively. Though I had not met him for a few years , we have grown up together and share many childhood memories. May his soul rest in peace. these white flowers are my way of offering tribute to his departed soul.

Gardens by the Bay

 

 

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

 

8"x 10"

 

I dedicate this painting to the memories of the spectacular Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. I made this painting for my friend who lives there, but the visit to the Gardens so impressed me that I carried some of those impressions onto the canvas. I know this small painting can hardly make up for the wonderous beauty of the Gardens.

 

Gardens by the Bay is a man- made, huge expanse of gardens by the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore consisting of North Gardens, which are marked by huge gardens highlighted by the supertree grove and South Gardens which consist of two domes - the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest Dome. The most amazing part is the Cloud Forest where one can see how science has been used to recreate nature. You feel like you are in the middle of a real tropical rain forest with a waterfall, mist, typical flora and fauna and cold weather with moss! The gardens have all the varieties of flora and fauna one can possibly imagine, from cacti to tulips. At the time we visited, a tulip festival was going on, where in they created a mini Holland with windmills et all!

Zinfandel

 

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

A bad photo but still a photo till the time I click a better one! This is a bottle of White Zinfandel wine that I had got myself from an airport while on a trip. Now that I have opened it, I thought I should bring it on my canvas!

Bottle Green

Oil on canvas with palette knive

4 x 6"

This tiny painting has history ! What's the big deal about a small still life, you would wonder! Well, the story goes such. This bottle is important! About a year or so back, I read an article that plastic bottles are not good for storing drinking water and long usage leads to cancerous diseases. I realised then that I did not have a single glass bottle at home. I went out to the nearby stores to buy glass bottles, only to realise that they weren't easily available. That was when I asked some friends to pass on whatever throw-away bottles they had. In the stock of bottles that I received as donation, this was the biggest bottle; however, it came with a cork and smelt of wine every time you filled it with water, in spite of washing it several times. Eventually, it gave in to the rinses and became the "show stopper" water bottle of the kitchen! Well, to cut a boring story short, I soon lost interest in filling up glass bottles and especially this bottle, as it was too big in size. Every time I walked into the kitchen, it reflected beautiful reflections in the green colour and so it finally landed up on my canvas! The green bottle that is painted with bottle greens is an evergreen bottle on my kitchen rack, albeit empty!       

La mer à Manori

Oil on canvas with palette knives

6 x 10 "

It was a lovely Sunday when we set out to paint in Manori, which is a small beach about an hour's drive away from Mumbai.

I'd gone painting en plein air after ages and it was the first time I painted in the afternoon. After checking into a lovely resort for lunch, I decided to set up my easel in the backyard, overlooking the sea. I chose this spot with the three boats, which were bobbing up and down. It was a lovely experience as there was a cool breeze amidst the many coconut trees there, which gave me the right blend of sun and shade for the painting. As I was about to spread out my paints, I realised that I'd forgotten to carry my palette and went running into the kitchen to ask for something to paint with. After much begging and pleading the manager was kind enough to lend me a broken plate, which I grabbed with lot of gratitude! 

This scene took me about two odd hours to paint, with some curious onlookers, who thought I was crazy to spend time painting instead of lazing on a hammock! The only challenge was the bobbing boats which moved everytime I looked up from my canvas. I came back home and touched up the canvas a bit and this is what I have!

Manori is a beautiful getaway from Mumbai , which takes you into a Goa like setting of a small village with beautiful cottages. It is the first time I painted the sea and it was a good move from the lake scenes that I usually did!  

Ivory

Oil on Canvas with palette knives

14 x 16 "

Tuberose ( Rajanigandha) is one of my favourite flowers and a few stalks regularly adorn my living room. This painting is inspired by a few white lilies that I bought along with my regular Rajanigandhas. Inspite of my penchant for dark colours, I have always chosen these white flowers for my living room, both for their fragrance and purity. The connection goes back to my younger days. After my father suddenly passed away, my Mom used to adorn his portrait with a bunch of these flowers and they became a part of our living room decor. Another connection is with the song Rajanigandha from the movie of the same name, which I sang right through my childhood and am still singing. After many years, I have fallen into the same habit of putting a few stalks in my living room and delighting in their familiar fragrance. All is well, except for the price of these flowers, which is quite steep! 

I have to put a few finishing touches, once the painting dries a little. Uploading a link to the song. Hope you like it!

Rajanigandha song  

Solitary

10 x 12 "

Oil on canvas with palette knives

A lone woman who dares to walk the streets alone, who is ready to take on the world on her own! Boldness is a virtue that only a few possess! What lies round the corner? What awaits in the next alley? Whatever it may be, she is ready to tackle it!

Lalita Lajmi's Solo Exhibition- 2014

I was privileged to have got an invitation for senior Indian artist Lalita Lajmi's Solo Exhibition- 'The Masque of Life', held in Jehangir Art Gallery early this week . What a treat it was! It was a collection of watercolour paintings depicting relationships and the unique thing about this exhibition is that the whole collection was done using only pale blue and black colours. Her usual rendition of humans playing different roles or masks to coexist with other aspects of life has been beautifully brought out in serene, soothing colours. The Lajmism of the expressions stand out in the white backgrounds, giving a feel of serenity. The simple, yet classy artist herself sitting next to her work was a double treat as if only exemplifying the divinity of her works. At the age of 80, she has worked on a few life size water colours with intricate work!

The opening was buzzing with a host of celebrities from the film, theater and of course art background. That was however not enough to take on the exquisite artwork.

I have come back inspired and motivated. I spent some time towards the end of the show talking to the artist and realised that there is no other short cut to success than simplicity and hardwork.

This is the third or fourth time that I have had a chance to interact with lajmi. Each time I have been awestruck by her grace and underplayed class.

Bandra Banter- Cottages and Churches of Bandra

Hi All, 

An article of mine, with some sketches that I had done on the cottages of Bandra, a sea-side suburb of Mumbai which is famous for its pubs and shopping got published in a local paper, Bandra Buzz.

Here's a link to the article:

     http://www.bandrabuzz.com/cottages-of-bandra-a-sketchy-story.html

It's been a while since I have been raving about the other side of Bandra ( not the shopping and pubbing) in my mind's artful eye. I haven't yet finished with all the sketching and discovering of the churches and bungalows, but here are a few of the ones I did:

A sketch of an old cottage near a brand new cafe which has sprung up recently:

 SOLD

A lovely old bungalow on a tree lined avenue speaking of the past and trying to stand out in the present:

SOLD

An old Bungalow with a large compound with tress and shrubs:

SOLD

A huge bungalow in the middle of a quiet neighbourhood slowly being overshadowed with tall buildings:

St. Andrew's Church near Hill Road in Bandra is the oldest church in Bandra and first church to be set up by the Portuguese.It is a white and grey sombre structure blaring the Portuguese connection of Bandra.(Photo courtesy Wikipedia).

Mount Mary's Church, featured in many Hindi movies has beautiful Roman architecture and people from all religions flock to this church: 

Collage 2013

Some of my works of 2013. Flowers, music and house facades were the major themes that I worked on during the year. Some of the work adorns the walls of someone else's. Some of them are with me. This year I hope to paint with a vengeance and I hope I do also sell with the same force!:)