'Side Over' - Sketch

A quickly captured sketch, done with water colour pencils. This divine scene greets me often, as the buildings on the other side of lake Powai throw beautiful reflections on the serene lake.I have watched this scene longingly for at least two years, always making strokes with my brush and almost smelling the buttery oils as I spread over the buildings, the reflections and the greenery. But, somehow or the other, I haven't been able to come and paint the scene on spot.

Well, the nearest I could do was capture it  on my sketchbook. I finished it within 15 minutes and touched up later.

Let me hope that this is only take one and I do several sketches/ paintings of this so that I come up with a great one, which actually brings forth the beauty of this! 

Urbania- Acrylic sketch on A4 size canvas

The creek, electrical/telecom towers, buildings and boats! Contrasts which complete a beautiful picture along with the sunset. That's the beauty of Mumbai .A city replete with the beauty of its concrete silhouhettes  against the backdrop of nature.   

From my sketchbook

Some more pages from my sketchbook. Hiranandani buildings and eastern express highway done from imagination with soft pastels. I actually want to do detailed plein air sketches and have sketched them a million times in my mind..but till then I'll settle for this.

Eastern Express- Sketch

A page off my sketchbook. Sights of Eastern Express highway impressioned in my mind. Done with gel pen and crayons.

Jammed! Sketch- Soft pastels

I came early from work yesterday as I had to reach someplace for some work but couldn't reach because of this in Hiranandani, Powai (Mumbai, india)!

Well, the first showers that we were so waiting for are gonna also bring these jams..that means long hours in traffic, clutch- brake- escalator syndrome, petrol bills hike and exhaustion! Phew!

This is a tiny sketch I did to try out some soft pastels that i bought the other day. They are amazing and blend very well on plain paper.

They are Artists' Soft Pastels by brand Gallery ( munovo) . They come for INR 300 ( in India).

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!

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!