Happy New Year 2011

New year greetings to all my readers... May 2011 turn out to be bigger and better, in all respects. And add a host of new colours to your lives!

That I achieved to create double the number of artworks in 2010 as compared to 2009 is a big enough high for me to end the year on. :) So what if I am unable to post a picture for you all today (I got all confused between wires, and carried the wrong set on my vacation, so no downloads!).

Blogging tends to get a bit slow around this time of the year, but thankfully work hasn't stopped. So I shall be back around mid-Jan with a host of new paintings to show.

Till then, wishing you a creative start to the new year!

Beer Bottle Landscape

Right after I finished my last bottle (Gulmohar), my son knitted his brows and asked, "Mama, why do you paint only flowers on your bottles?". Good question, and the only answer I had was to promise him that next time I'd paint something different. I also quietly told myself that it was time to face upto a new challenge!


As I looked at the empty beer bottle standing on my work table, suddenly an idea flashed.... why not try something totally unrelated. And that is how the landscape emerged; after all a beer is best enjoyed on an outing to the countryside. ;)


So you have blue snow-capped mountains, green rolling hills, and miles of farmland on this bottle.

It has been tough photographing this particular bottle because you can take in the entire effect only from a distance. But I hope these pictures give you some glimpses of my efforts.


As for my son, he is happy that mommy kept her promise of making something different! :)

Bottled Gulmohar

Here's an attempt to catch the pretty Gulmohar blossoms again, this time on a bottle.

Let the pictures do the talking this time. :)

I'm happy because I could capture the see-through quality of the leaves.

Am currently working on another bottle; will show you the results soon!

Kingfisher

Spotted a white throated kingfisher from my kitchen balcony the other day. That reminded me of a few kingfisher pictures we had clicked last year on our annual picnic. And so lies the story behind this piece....

I was determined to paint in a loose hand, and focus not just on the subject but on the painting in entirety. I think I have managed to achieve that as the foliage blends in pretty well.

I am also painting in a bigger size (15" by 10.5" approx) now and enjoying the expanse of a larger scale.

Someone's Trash, Someone's Treasure

Can't believe I actually got home someone's trash (well almost!) to work on. Collected this carton full of used liquor bottles from a dear friend a couple of months back.

Though I haven't done much work with them yet, but hopefully they will turn into some sort of stuff worth treasuring once I'm done with them. While the coloured bottles aren't working too well for my liking, I have already started work on the first plain one.

Can you imagine what the finished piece would look like? Well, neither can I.... Really prefer working with no set design. Make up each bit as you go along, that is the fun part!