Annual Recap & HNY

It is that time of the year again. Time to sit back and mull over the year gone by, and make wishlists for the coming year.

This past year, 2011, has been a mixed bag. But most of all, it has been a year of immense learning. On a number of fronts. And that is what is the most important takeaway for me. So even while I have not been able to paint as often, or finish as many pieces as I'd like to, the fact that I have grown through my random experiences (good and bad) is what I'd like to remember this year for.


As for 2012, I'll use these much-loved lines from Robert Frost:

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep."

Wish you all a colourful and creative new year!!!

p.s. - The kids start their vacations tomorrow, so the artist takes a backseat for the next couple of weeks. Just an alert, that the posting may get a lil' sparse till the mommy is kept busy! :)

Poppy Fiesta

It is too early for the poppies to sprout. They only show up when the chill recedes a little, and the days start to get longer. But their deep red colour is so evocative of the holiday season, of X-mas cheer and year-end happiness.

So I thought it appropriate to share with you all this piece I had painted sometime in spring this year. A wave of red poppies dancing merrily through the swirling fog as I drove down for my groceries every morning is one sight I'll always remember. Much like Wordsworth's Daffodils! :)

Merry Christmas to all my readers. Catch you next week with the last post of this year. Phew, another one gone!

City Lights

Painted a smaller piece (8" x 11") after a long time. Came across a picture in the papers that caught my eye, especially the juxtapostion of the brightly lit buildings against a deep blue sky. And that is how this painting came about.

Probably one of the last pieces of this year. Wish I could paint more frequently and quickly, but try as I might I never seem to paint as often as I want to. Hope the next year changes that a little!

By the way, have you all noticed that the Creative Rumblings Facebook page gets some extra art-related posts while this blog continues to focus on my personal journey in the world of colours. Well, to catch up on those additional updates, visit the page and click on the Like button now. That'll ensure you never miss out on any of the news!

Sending Some Winter Warmth

The best way to enjoy a foggy winter day? A mug of steaming hot strong coffee... ...and blobs of bright paint on my brushes.

Always brings a warm fuzzy glow to my heart.

Enjoy this bunch of flowers that are part of a painting I finished last month. And have a great weekend, everyone!

Portrait Trials

Last weekend I tried my hand at portraits despite having zero training on this. Just picked up a newspaper, opened a random page, and attempted a few mugshots from it.

Managed to get some degree of likeness with the actual pictures but eyes do seem to be a tough area. It is not for nothing that they say that eyes define a person's face. You get them right, and almost everything else will fall in place.

As my dear hubby rightly says, portraiture is all about lines. You have to know which ones to use and which ones to skip.

With one of my favourite Bollywood icons, the inimitable Dev Anand passing on last weekend, I just have to try sketching him now.

Beat The Gloomy Greys

Winters are here, and so are the blooms. So what are you waiting for? Follow these quick steps to add some colour to your rooms in this grey weather.

1. Pluck a bunch of hardy flowers (chrysanthemums, gladioli, gerberas and tuberoses work very well), or pick a bunch from the florist. Needn't be a huge number; just a couple of sticks work fine.


2. Fill a matching bottle vase with water, and pop the flowers right in.


3. Display and enjoy.

And take a bow when the room looks all perked up, and the compliments come your way! The button chrysanthemums in the orange hibiscus bottle fetched me quite a few. :)