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!:) 

An end is a beginning!

Hi Blog readers! It is that day of the year when all of us get geared to party and welcome the new year. I am reminiscing today as I leaf back month by month of my mind's year book. How was the year ? It was a year of love and a year of pain. It was also a year of decisions and responsibility. It was everything but a year of art  when it comes to painting and drawing. However, I did paint a few canvases and I did make a few sketches. I also put up my artwork in a restaurant in an upmarket place in Mumbai. I hopped into a few exhibitions too. The Flemish exhibition from Antwerp Museum was a real treat where they exhibited works of the great Van Dyke and Reubens. The India Art Festival was a proof of the ever growing number of Indian artists , big and small. Some learning that I did in the year:

1) The composition of an artwork is crucial in terms of how the outcome would be.

2) Next comes colour harmony. You might have got some great strokes but if you haven't worked out the colour theme well, the visual impact would be very feeble .

3)  An artist should stick to his or her forte in terms of style and themes. It is great for identity and sales.

4) Exhibitions are important not only for sales but for networking for the next level.

With that I end my post with best wishes for a New year 2014.
My blog has completed 5 years and it has been a wonderful journey. Thanks for all the encouragement!