An Apple A Day

Yes, don't we all know how an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But in my case it just made me want to play.... with my paints and brushes, that is.

Chomping on a plateful of apple slices recently, I noticed how the light fell on the pieces to make a very interesting composition. And I just had to paint it. Showing you the process...

The Picture

The Sketch

The Painting

The colours don't quite show up right in the photo; the edges look too hard. Believe me, the apples look much better upfront! This was a quick painting, all done in a day. Would love to do that with all my work but mostly things tend to linger for days, sometimes weeks, for paucity of time. Maybe they'll get better now!

Teaser Sketches

Sharing with you two preliminary sketches that are on their way to becoming full-fledged paintings.

Any guesses what these are?

Okay, I'll give you a hint. Both sketches are of food items, all edible stuff. Chew on that and let me know your responses. :)

All Things Found & Beautiful

I have an obsession for collecting little 'found' things whenever I go out to any place special. So I have everything - from bird feathers, to pine cones, to shells - stocked away in various corners of my home, each reminiscent of special memories, and associated with special places.

Today I thought I'd share with you some of these 'found' things, and how a little labour of love can turn these into pretty stuff that you can display around.

These are the things I collected with my kids on a recent visit to our local park. Basically seeds, pods and flowers from Eucalyptus and Neem trees.

I dried them in a corner of my table, taking care that they weren't directly exposed to the sun. After drying them for a couple of weeks, I painted them and....

They turned them into these little jewels!

Now all I need is a matching little plate to hold them.

A beautiful reminder of a special day! Do you have a penchant for any such 'found' things?

Abstract... On A Bottle!

I'm in experimental mode again. Primarily to cock a snook at the grey dullness of winter days, when the sun is hidden for days on end. Trying something new always helps shake off the inertia, and awakens a sense of renewal.

That is where this bottle comes from....

Its cheerful and multi-coloured motifs starting off as disparate elements, but finally coming together in a cohesive whole.

I even tried colouring the bottle from inside but since my paints are a little past their prime, and I mixed a tad too much water, the result was this grainy effect. I actually quite like it, especially its unpredictability. And it brings a certain transcluscence to the overall bottle.

What do you think of it?

Coconut Shell Birdhouse

For those of you who've been wondering where my regular posts disappeared, the explanation is simple. The freezing cold and chill of last month had clogged my brain cells, and I was rendered totally incapable of thinking (forget creative thinking!!). It is only now that the sun is out again that my creative juices are flowing once more.

So one of the first things I made this year was a coconut shell birdhouse.

Three uneven pieces of coconut shell joined together by glue. Tied up some string on a little twig to hang it, and it adds to the beauty of my greens now. Just waiting for its visitors! :)

I am hoping that when the flowers are out later this month, smaller birds like the wrens and the sunbirds will come and check this new residence out. I shall be ready with my camera, of course!

Since it is simple enough to make.... go on, try one yourself.