Enlightenment and Other Thoughts

So did the title scare you? Yes, the words sound heavy, don't they. And coming at the end of the year, they could actually mean a whole lot of things.... but hold on, that is not where I want to go at all. It is just that there are too many things swirling around in my head, and I can't seem to figure out how I want to put them down. So let us take this one by one.....

All of last month I have been working on a Buddha painting called Enlightened One. Now you know where some of the 'heaviness' of the title comes from! ;) Well, this painting shouldn't have taken as long as it did but festivals and special occasions hogged the limelight, and my poor piece kept getting pushed to the back-burner.

But despite the distractions, I loved working on this painting because of the technique I used -  it was primarily made by running random paint drips on the canvas, giving the piece a multi-coloured underpainting. This was followed by numerous washes that helped tone down certain colours and highlight some others. The layers finally merged together to bring a cohesive unity to the piece that is unique.

Take a look at the picture above to get a sense of where the painting started (with the colour drips), and how it finally ended. It almost felt as if the painting "painted itself" with very little conscious input from my side. I had read about how using such techniques brought a certain freedom into our work but experiencing it first-hand was quite something. Enlightened One is now offered for sale through the website 1000 Words. If you want something similar for yourself - perhaps a different size or colour combination, or maybe some other figure - just drop me a detailed mail at creativerumblings@gmail.com.

Moving on to other thoughts....Now that the year is drawing to a close, it is time to take stock. Those of you who have been following the blog for a while would have noticed how the frequency of posts has gone down considerably this year. But I can explain that.... ever since I started toying with bigger pieces and newer techniques, the output has taken longer. And hence the falling numbers. This year my biggest achievement has been to get over my fear of working on larger canvases. I think adopting a more loose and abstract style of painting has helped go over the bump in the road. Now let us see what the next year has in store....

Meanwhile, here is wishing all my wonderful readers a happy, peaceful and creative 2014! May our interesting interactions continue into the new year!!

Morning Walk

Look who came along with me on my morning walk last week. Yes, Missus Cow decided to make a healthy start by ambling across the park in a leisurely stroll, as she munched away at the fresh, green grass.

After all, breakfast in the fresh air of a wintry morning does seem like a good idea! :)  Hope you all have a wonderful long weekend.

Diwali Greetings With The Red Hibiscus

The festive season is in full swing and we're all charged up to celebrate! The city is twinkling bright like a starry sky, and we are all making last-minute decorations at home. So sharing with you my Diwali gift to my home.... a mixed media piece on canvas that now hangs in my living area. It is called The Red Hibiscus and is my abstract rendition of the multitude of red hibiscus flowers that bloom in my garden.

The red hibiscus flower is associated with both goddesses Durga and Kali, and is supposed to be the favourite flower of Ganpati. No, I'm no authority on this; all my 'gyaan' (knowledge) only comes from my forays into various alleys of the internet. But if what I read is right, then I'm looking for some positive vibes from hanging this piece! :)

This painting has a lot of diverse elements coming together, right from metal foil to sand and plaster. I had lots of fun painting it because of this very reason, and love the highly textured surface that it now has. Here is a peek into the various elements it incorporates.

If you are looking for something similar for your home, write in to me at my mail address creativerumblings@gmail.com. I'll be happy to create a piece that focuses on your favourite flower or motif, and uses colours to match your decor.

I also want to take this opportunity to inform you all that some of my paintings are now available for sale on the website 1000 Words, an online platform for promoting affordable art. They also sell sculptures and photographs, so go take a look and pick out something for your home this festive season.

I will be adding more paintings to the 1000 Words website for sale but only after I get over enjoying all the festivities.... Till then, here's wishing you all a dazzling and cheerful Diwali! Hope goddess Lakshmi bestows you with loads of luck!!

Bamboo Shoots

I'm playing around a lot with mixed media elements these days. I'd wanted to do these bamboo stalks for a long time but just wasn't getting around to it.

And finally when I did.... the board sank under the weight of the gloop I put on it! So couldn't get more colour on to adjust the tonal qualities. But I still like the outcome.... now this stands at a corner of my work table. Hope it brings some luck too! ;)

Experiments and Trials

Last week has been one of experiments and trials. Primarily a prepping up for trying my hand at something new, and a tad bigger in size.

Thought I'd give you all a glimpse into the results.... I'm hoping the actual piece will look far more dramatic as it will involve more techniques and textures!

The Red Umbrella

Back to the figures....with the rains having made a comeback and the weather turning oh-so-dreamy, I was reminded of this painting that was inspired by the magical monsoons.

I think I made this two years back but somehow never got around to sharing it here. The image took a long time to upload, probably because the background in this painting is a profusion of colours. Not sure if you can see it clearly but the major part of the backdrop is made up of little dots, in a bid to recreate the effects of Pointillism.

Wish all my readers a fabulous weekend!

On The Waterfront

Another of those innocuous pictures in the newspaper that makes for a great painting inspiration. Yes, this one is derived from one such picture I came across recently. Water and boats hold a great fascination for me somehow.... just cannot seem to bypass an opportunity to paint them.

Also ran a teaser on my Facebook page for this painting while it was in the work-in-progress stage. And got all correct answers! :)  That was some fun....

I also loved doing the little details on this piece - things like the chairs and tables lined up in front of the café, and the green vine climbing up one of the houses. Such details add to the general aesthetic and character of a painting. And yes, enjoyed doing the water as well; it is always a favourite thing to paint because of all the colours that you can play around with!

Going Figurative

This time I thought of sharing with you my forays into the world of figurative abstracts. No artist worth their salt would ever shy away from attempting to capture the beauty of the human figure. Only how we do it differs....

Making figurative art makes me realise that I'm just not cut out for realistic portrayals. I find realism in figures a tad boring for now.... but who knows, with advancing years you may find me on the other side of the fence. That is how things go in an artist's head.... no explaining the 'whys' and the 'hows'!

The next one is more like a tribute to American greats like Jean Basquiat and Mikey Welsh.

Love the freedom that comes with art that you make by your own rules! I think I'm finally figuring out my style - bright, bold and in your face.... the kind you can love or hate, adore or detest, but definitely not ignore. :) What say, dear readers?

Monsoon Skies

The weather is beautiful these days - just the right amount of rain that turns things pleasant instead of throwing life out of gear, a moist and caressing breeze that plays with your hair every time you go out, and green spaces looking misty and welcoming.

The sunsets are awesome too; full of colour and changing every second. Vibrant hues melting into each other and filling your heart with joy at being fortunate enough to witness them.

Perhaps that explains what led to this abstract.... one fine morning I just had to get all the colours of the sky onto the canvas. Loved how the shades intermingled with each other, much like it happened on the bigger canvas up there!

Somehow my camera doesn't catch the hues of purple too well but nevertheless, this is one of those paintings that lift up your spirits instantly, thanks to all those joyous colours. Wishing my Indian readers a fabulous Independence Day!

Shaping The Snapple

Spent most of last week working on a commission, painting Morning Glory flowers all around a Snapple bottle.

Today I thought I'd share with you one of the biggest challenges of working on such bottles that proudly display their product logos. .....Nah, not just display, they have them firmly etched or engraved, in a particularly eye-catching part of the bottle. Just to make our work that much more challenging.... Phew!!! But therein lies the joy of having overcome something formidable.... :)


The following picture shows how the Snapple logo originally looks - a large 'S' bordered on either side by leaves. And it appears on both sides of the bottle.

And now, this is how the bottle looks after I finished working on it. Can you spot the logo anymore?

Now that is a job that is easier said than done. Creating the appropriate design that works around the logo takes a fair amount of thought, and quite a few trials. Sometimes the engraving makes the surface so uneven that it is difficult to make the paint adhere, or behave the way you want.

Remember, the idea here is to recycle; so anybody looking at the bottle should not be able to tell where it came from. So do you think I managed to achieve that? Will look forward to your comments on this one....

In The Wilderness

Pretty poppies bobbing their heads in the wild.... reminding me of stray fields of glorious colour I'd come across in the suburban area I stayed in earlier, or even the hillsides where such flowers pop up miraculously by the wayside when you least expect them.

Painted on gallery-wrapped canvas (12"x10") for the first time, and loved the experience. The pre-stretched fabric gave me the liberty to do a lot of texturing on the surface, as you can see from the close-ups below.

It was fun to paint around the edges - so you can approach the painting from any side and still get the same kind of view. Also, wrapping the flower petals and stems over the sides gave the piece a nice, realistic feel. Now I want to paint on a bigger size, at least a 36"x36" if not more. Would be such an exhilarating experience.... Any ideas where in Delhi I can get pre-stretched canvases of this size?

Sunbird On Hibiscus

An oblong-shaped glass panel, an out-of-the-blue design, and there you have it.... a sunbird perched on a hibiscus flower, flapping its wings as it sucks in the nectar through its long beak.

Did I tell you before that every time I work on glass, I'm transported to heaven! :) I've taken a fancy to doing birds on glass now. The other morning I spotted a family of Goldenback Woodpeckers on my morning walk, and want to try that one now. Would look awesome on a large panel.... what say?

Five Already!

The blog quietly turned five over the weekend. Quietly because unlike a lot of other bloggers, I'm not having a blog party or give-aways to celebrate.

Rather, I'm taken back to thinking of why I started the blog in the first place..... Five years back, as a tired but happy mommy I knew I had the creative bug in me, but with two small kids, managing a home and a full-time job, my hands were too full to indulge my creative self. Then I thought this blog could act as a catalyst to make we want to make new things, share my creative endeavours with the world, and create a repository for my kids (and other interested readers) in the process. That was the humble start.... Little did I know that as the kids grew, so would my hunger to create. With more time on my hands, I turned to painting bottles, and found appreciative patrons. I could never imagine folks actually wanted to buy my creations, but I made some fabulous new friends and shared wonderful experiences in the process.

Today, I feel thankful that I've come such a long way. I have had a wonderful journey.... And I know that this is one journey that won't end anytime soon. Every year I move on to a new bend in the road, a new vantage point, and more vistas open up. What can be better than such a satisfying trip!

Today, dear readers, let me share with you that I did have my periods of self-doubt. Low phases, down-in-the-dumps moments when I saw others steal ideas and forge ahead....but then creativity cannot be learnt or copied; it comes from within. Many promises were made and broken, many talks got stuck in paperwork and red tape, many a times deals with online shopping portals fell through..... but what is most important is that none of it made my creative outpourings stop. Or the appreciation of friends and patrons.... So, any of you out there looking for a steal on an original artwork for your home or office, or wanting a few quirky bottles to spice up the décor, just drop me a line at creativerumblings@gmail.com. And in the meanwhile, I'll just get back to doing what I love best.... making the world a little more colourful! :)

Seashell Paperweights

Remember that old tongue-twister that we all mumble at some point during our growing-up years: "She sells seashells on the seashore." Okay, now say that five times in quick succession before you read further! :)

Hah, no one sold us any shells but since we came back from a beach vacation, we brought along a bagful of pretty seashells. So naturally it was crafting time using our new-found treasures.... and we made these seashell paperweights, a reminder of our beachy vacation.

Good thing we got these done, for I always seem to have loads of loose paper strewn on my work desk. Finally, they won't keep flying off.... and maybe the hubby can be gifted one for his Father's Day gift.

Am planning to make more crafty things using our seashell collection. Meanwhile, for the how-to of this project, you can go here. Do drop in a comment if any of you try this out, and sharing pictures will be even more fun. You can find my email in the right sidebar. Hoping you all have a creative weekend!

The Final Outcome

The searing heat is getting too much to bear so am off on a vacation.... In the meanwhile, as promised last week, here is a peek into what that last sketch turned into.

I haven't named this one yet; any ideas from you all, dear readers?

First Strokes

Does it ever happen to you?....

...That the first few strokes look so amazing that you never get around to working on the rest of it!!!

Yes, it happens with me many a times. This one lay on my work table like this for a week before I actually felt like going in and finishing it. Of course the finished piece always looks quite different from those initial strokes.

Come back next week and I'll give you glimpses of what this finally turned into!

Laburnum: A Quick Study

My walk in the park today drew my attention to the bunches of yellow hanging overhead. The Laburnum or Amaltas was blooming again, the faint sweetness of its fragrance hanging in the crisp morning air.

As I looked up, I could see a maze of yellow flowers, green leaves and brown stems, with bits of sky filling up the background.

That is exactly what I have tried to capture in this quick study of the Amaltas, a flower I have admired for long but could finally bring myself to paint only now.

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Reflections

Again one of those abstracts that came to me as I lay in bed preparing to fall asleep. How these pieces assume shape and reach you through the haze between sleep and wakefulness is something I am unable to comprehend.

I remember thinking of beachy sunsets, and of that stage of sundown where the sky and the water seem to merge into one. And then this piece emerged.... carrying reflections of one in another.

The blues look strong and piercing through the camera but upfront they are a more pleasing shade.

Been doing some papier mache recently; hop over to my Facebook page to see what got made! Hope you all are gearing up for a good weekend....

Glassy Landscape

As I told you all a couple of weeks back, I had been working on a piece of cut and shaped glass for a friend. The glass had quite a few peaks, with a broad bottom half leading up to a narrow top. It was difficult to handle because of the jagged edges, and yet it was the ideal shape for a soothing landscape.

I really enjoyed doing this piece because it challenged me to think up new ways of depicting the obvious. So I mixed colours, used the process of stippling, and worked keeping in mind the tenets of reverse glass painting.

The end result is this gorgeous piece.... pity the camera doesn't quite do justice to the varied hues of  blue, especially used in the river. I can only give you a stilted, lying-down view but when you stand it up, the colours look amazing! Sharing with you a part preview for now since the friend has not yet seen the finished piece, and I don't want to spoil the surprise.

Snooze Mode Musings

Yes, the blog has been running on snooze mode for a while. Post-exam holidays for the kids, new session madness, and a hundred other things on my to-do list meant very little time for any creative endeavours. Also, the change of seasons somehow meant more photography and less painting. So while I have some fabulous shots from our garden, I have very little painted stuff up for the walls....

Even then I have started working on some very interesting pieces of glass that a family friend brought along. He got the glass pieces shaped and cut because he wanted a particular look, especially with the larger piece. To take a look at my work in progress, check out my Facebook page.

In the meanwhile, the Facebook page itself has thrown up some pleasant surprises. It reached a 100 Likes at an excruciatingly slow pace but it has amazingly crossed 200 Likes in a little over a month. I'm ecstatic, of course!

I have a thousand ideas in my head but don't know how I'll squeeze out the time to convert them all into reality. Hang in there, dear readers.... the pace may have slowed but as long as there is progress there is nothing to worry about! Leaving you all with one of my photo compositions for a change.....

Poppy Studies

After the poppy crop came out in our garden, I did some plein air studies. The balmy spring weather, the sun warming my back, the cool breeze caressing my cheeks, and the mingled fragrance of so many flowers - it was the perfect weather to be out in the open!

And this is what they led to in the studio...

No, the picture isn't complete. For seeing the whole painting, you'll need to wait for me to have an exhibition! Talk about goals and having a wishlist.... :)

Poppymania

Didn't mean to disappear for so long but the kids' exams and a nagging back pain kept me away from posting. Now the first is done but the second still persists.... Anyhow, remember the poppies I was waiting for? Well, with the warmer temperatures, they are blooming all over..... including my studio!

So what better subject to take inspiration from? This painting of poppies is made with lots of texture. All those yellow highlighted outlines leap out at you, especially when the light falls at a certain angle. A good example of tactile art, this is one of those paintings that should be framed without glass. Have framed it for you using the online editor Lunapic.... but according to me, it doesn't require a mount at all; just a wooden frame will work wonders.

More poppies are blooming on my work table.... taking shape from scratch. Will share those soon. Till then, wish you all a blessed week ahead.

Paper Poppies

Playing around with bits of paper - and that includes newsprint, cardboard, bread backings, and what have you! The poppies in our garden are full of buds, and I can't wait for them to burst into blooms. Till then, let us be happy with this version. :)

Try making some yourself - stain your papers with watered-down poster/tempera/acrylic colours and let loose your imagination.... some magic is sure to unfold!

Abstract Landscape: Up There Somewhere

This is what happens when you turn into an armchair traveller! Others travel, you dream, and then create.... Inspired by pictures of the Tiger Nest monastery in Bhutan comes this painting of the location (with some artistic licenses, of course).

Don't know if I'll ever make it to this place myself but painting it was surely an enjoyable experience. More so because instead of braving chilly winds and a steep climb, all I did was discover a new painting technique that helped create those gorgeous textures you see on the mountains. Aren't they beautiful? And to think that all I had to do was play around with loads of paint and then wait for the magic to happen!

I am bringing you a framed version of the painting with the help of online editor Lunapic. Super easy to use but doesn't allow much playing around with the frames. Just wish I could give the painting a wider mount; that would have added to the depth. Anyhow, hope you like my version of the famed Tiger Nest monastery.

Bangle Bottle

I created this bottle with bits of broken bangles and other glittery thingies some time back.

Now that the garden is getting its blooms, the Nasturtium plays the perfect foil to my bangle bottle!

More Flames!

In my explorations on the internet, I have recently come across the concept of Tactile Art, or art that you can 'touch and feel' apart from enjoying visually. Such art is usually framed without any protective glass covering so that the viewers can touch the surface of the painting to enhance their experience of the same.

The concept itself wasn't really new to me but the way it had been incorporated into paintings was something totally amazing. So I decided to try some myself. And keeping in mind the Valentine's Day spirit, here's presenting a red floral..... one of my favourite flowers - Gulmohar or Flame of the Forest.

See the crumpled petals? If you see from a distance, the petals look almost real because of the texturing on them. Can you guess what material I used to get that effect? Sometimes the most mundane things give us gorgeous results!

Abstact Landscape: Countryside

Carrying on my romance with the landscape, captured in an abstract/semi-abstract style.... this one is inspired by a road trip taken a couple of years back.

Great expanse of fields, trees, and barren patches, interspersed with water bodies full of water lilies and hyacinths - something I saw while driving down in eastern Rajasthan. Rather different from the desert and forts we usually associate with the state.

I am especially happy how the lilies turned out. The more I'm working on canvas, the more I'm realizing how much I love the buttery smoothness of pre-primed canvas. Ideal medium for flowy landscapes!

Happy Weekend!

Working on a bottle after a three-month hiatus; let us see what else finds its way on to it.

Hope you all are enjoying the long Republic Day weekend. I sure am!

Abstract Landscape: Coastline

Another travel-inspired piece comes up this week!

Back in 2001, I travelled to Chennai on work. And was lucky enough to be on a flight where the pilot loved his job.... For he especially flew us out over the sea just to give us a glimpse of the coastline from up in the skies. It was a spectacular sight - churning blue seas, foaming white surf, followed by an expanse of golden beach and then the green cover of the city dotted by red roofs. Not to forget the boats and ferries bobbing like little toys in the water.

My memories of that sight are captured in this painting. If you have any such special travel memories that you want captured for posterity, do write to me or send in your pictures at creativerumblings@gmail.com. No better way to relive happy times than have them hanging up on your wall, where you an see them and relive the special moments everyday! :)

Abstract Landscape: The Hills Are Alive

The biting cold of the last week has made us all compare our city in the plains to the freezing locales uphill. The chill of the mountains floating down here is unmistakeable, and the lack of sunshine only adds to the awfully cold conditions.

So naturally I was reminded of the many visits to the hills of Himachal in my growing-up years, and the beauty of the verdant landscape. The tall trees standing stately with their heads in the clouds, the swirling fog, the multi-hued hills depending on the light and the distance... and the hills finally merging into the skies. This is exactly what I tried capturing in this landscape.

I really enjoyed painting this piece and have used techniques like wet-in-wet for the mountains, and dripping for the trees. One of those paintings that looks far nicer upfront. Wish the colours could have been captured by the camera in their original brightness.

Still, a favourite piece as it helps me connect with my past travels. :)

Gift Tags

Another new year starts off.... should have been the season for much partying and enjoyment. But the ghastly happenings in the city had left me in deep distress, unable to do anything creative. Being the mother of a daughter myself it gave me immense anguish to see the apathy of the government at such a sensitive issue.

So, in the hope that the coming new year will bring us better times, I spent the last day of the 2012 making these handmade gift tags...

Some using wooden blocks and paints...

And others by simply doodling designs...

Helped bring the focus back to my creative work, and away from the craziness of everyday living. Hope in the coming year we have the sense to gift some respect and honour to our women.

And in the meanwhile, if you need any gift tags for all those upcoming weddings and parties, drop in a line at creativerumblings@gmail.com and get some handmade ones for yourself.

Happy 2013

Wish all my readers a happy, joyous, peaceful, and safe 2013.

Here's hoping this year makes us wiser to our responsibilities as citizens of the world's largest democracy. And may we find creative solutions to tackle all our problems!