Stillness

Snow-capped peaks, a partly frozen lake, and a lone shikara.... that makes for a quintessential picture of the beautiful state of Kashmir.

Inspired by a newspaper photograph clicked earlier this month during the intense cold wave sweeping north India, the colours and reflections in this picture made for a compelling subject.

It also reminded me of the time I had visited the valley as a kid, and inspired another painting. But I'll share that one on a future post.

Hope everyone has a good week ahead!

The Final Cut

This one is a scene seen straight from my kitchen balcony - the farmhand cutting the final few of the season's standing crop.

The aim in this painting was to lay more stress on the figurative depiction. And to capture the tones of colour and folds in painting fabric.

Hope I managed to do justice.

Hurrying Home

Today it is one of those rural life based pieces that I created from the scenes I see around me everyday. It also happens to be my first painting of 2011. :)

The grass-cutters hurrying home in the fading light of the evening is a sight seen very often around these parts. Their days' work balanced primly on their heads, their skirts and dupattas billowing in the breeze, they make such a pretty sight. Here is a close-up of the work.

Work has been slow this month owing to the intense cold, and the extended school break of the kids. I'm trying to get back to a daily schedule slowly.

Time For Something New

New year, new styles.... so I tried out this impressionistic landscape representation.

Inspired partly by imagination, and mostly by the lovely work of Jennifer Woodburn, a Canadian artist I discovered sometime last year. I love how she packs in so much detail in such a simplified format. And her finding inspiration from her everyday surroundings.

Someday I hope to be able to do the same.... Amen!

Evening Light

Starting the year with one of the last paintings I did in 2010. My perception of the colours and shades associated with the evening, as the sun goes down like an orange ball of fire.

Here is a close-up of the piece...

...and another detail of a tree trunk.

I'm enjoying my mixed media outings. Since last month I have also been working on a series of paintings inspired by the rural milieu I see around me. Living in a suburban area often gives you rare insights into the lifestyles of people from another strata that you would never be able to catch in a bustling city set-up. Hope I can catch a glimpse of that through my work.