The lessons of 2016

2016 has been a very interesting year! One of the biggest breakthroughs in my painting journey came through this year with the nude sessions of Art Society of India.

It happened on two hot, humid months, on Sundays from May through to June in the office of the Art Society of India in South Mumbai.  

The sessions would start at 9:30 am and so you had to be there sharp at 9. There was no late entry allowed. The most challenging part was that there were no ceiling fans in the room where 12 artists along with the model were huddling and jostling for space with their easels and paint tools. Once the pose and lighting were discussed the model would take the pose and we would paint.

Very soon, I would be lost and not know whether the trickle down my hand is paint or sweat!!! A headache pill was a sure shot! 

The best part was that of the model. I was bowled over by the professional stance of these models! They would sit in the pose without battng an eyelid and retain the posture for about 20 minutes or so ! There would be long poses too, where they would take breaks only to come back to the same pose!

I learnt many lessons. Few were:

1) Perseverence

2) Concentration

3) Focus 

4) Glory

The most beautiful moment came when two of them were exhibited in India Art Festival and sold consequently!   

Can't wait to do this again! 

Skin

Two months of fabulous sketching and painting at the prestigious Art Society of India was a great treat for me! It was a time of sweltering heat in Mumbai. Once you reach the premises , the timings were adhered to very professionally. The models were great and professional and knew exactly how to pose! 

One of my most memorable experiences while painting happened during the last session of the life drawing class. I had taken my oils and knives to paint . I usually use kerosene to wipe my knives and clean off the paint. The kerosene happened to be in an old bottle which was once a mineral water bottle. As I arrived at the session huffing and puffing due to the heat and was readying my stuff, I thought of drinking some water to dry my parched throat. So on one hand was my kerosene bottle and paints and nearby was the water bottle. I did the inevitable! Poured kerosene into my mouth thinking it was water!! I spat it out immediately but the whole group was in a state of flutter including the model! I had just started dabs of paint on the canvas but abandoned everything and went about fixing the problem. Thankfully I hadn't drunk a drop and so alive to write this post. Anyway I lost about an hour and then came up with this artwork in the next pose! It was an eventful painting day and a lesson learnt!!

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!

Ella

Oil on canvas

Taking a break from painting flowers is difficult for me. Still, I did it.This is a long term painting. That means it was started long time back. But a lot of water has flown down the bridge since the day I started it. it was lying on the easel beckoning and tempting me everyday. Today, when it looked almost accusingly at me,  I picked up my equally sulking knives and completed it. I think Ella now looks happy. She has also got pride of place on my blog for the world to see!!! Who likes to sit and stay put on the easel when there's a place on the world's easel?

Lucky lips?- Oil on Canvas

A4 size

A brush work after ages! Part of my couple series.

Ecdysis- Oil on Canvas

A4 Siz

There are times when we have to moult, shed our past and move on with what lies ahead. The present is turbulent, past dark but the future holds promise! This work is a mix of palette knife and a bit of brush work to do the background. this pic is clicked with my cell phone but i'll try to upload a better pic later.

Beacon - Oil on Canvas sheet

At times when one feels abandoned, what does one do? It's a black night, everything seems bleak.There is no one and there is no place to go.... but is there some light there? At the far distance, or is it a mirage?
Whatever it is, it seems to be showing some direction. That's the crutch, the destination and the goal.. Keep trudging, keep swimmimg in the dark till you find some light.

This is the plight of many a woman,especially in our country (India). Indian women have to ultimately be their own fortresses, or they wallow till they are swallowed by the gallows of society. When a woman raises her voice, she has to find her own light or face the wrath of society.
Will she find her beacon?

This night painting hardly matches with a morning raaga, but then I want to keep my word from my last post and then, opposites always make for good semantic differentials.
So here is Albela sajan, a song from a movie based on raag Ahir Bhairav.

http://youtu.be/ZA5nR-HtotE

Multitasking

Acrylic on A2 size paper

My teenaged daughter caught in a pose, multitasking between laptop and TV!

I worked a wee bit more on this painting after I clicked the photo but am lazy to click another photo! 

Moi-Oil on Canvas Board- 45x 75 cms

Done with palette knives. It's a big sized board. The one I am working on is a detailed work with brushes. It will take some time.
I have got used to my loose work with the knives. So took a break with this. Had to go and buy a new box of paints as I ran out of colour in the midst of this painting.I had fun working on this.  

Uptown Girl-Water-colour on hand-made paper

This is a water colour done out of my imagination.

The faceless one-Oil on stretched canvas (16cmx22cml)

You can fit any modern Indian woman's face onto this!

Walk of Life -Water Colour

Walking towards the light? This painting depicts the confusion of of a young mind. Youth is an energetic but turbulent stage.We often don't know which path to take...there is the comfort zone of familiarity (home)and the sportiness of the age .

Trapped! Oil- 8 x 10 cm

This painting is based on the life of a friend of mine.Is it better outside..or is it better to be trapped inside.? The plight of many an Indian woman!

Practice Water Colour

This is a copy of an original, which was in oil.Trying to get a hang of water colours . However, I couldn't get the technique right I guess. My close friend, who is a violin artist herself took it to frame and hang it in her music room

Daily free hand painting

Acrylic Colours

Pensive

There was a calendar lying in the house, which had lovely paintings. I'd vowed to paint each one of them..they were really beautiful..I do not remember the artist now.Finally, I painted this one, but the finishing touches never got done as I was in my final year in Science and had a lot of studying to do.But it still adorns my Mom's drawing room . My Mom's drawing room by the way is almost like a mini gallery of my paintings and sketches. I really owe it to her for keeping my paintings well maintained .