For A Little Hope And Loving

Carrying on with my recent foray into paper collaging alongside acrylics, I created a couple of paintings last month based on another favourite flower - the poppy. Only this time I added some lettering to the pieces to give forth a message.

So this first painting has the words 'Hope' showing up. Somehow the colours and message in this one remind me of Easter; only lilies would have been more appropriate instead of a poppy. The special bit in this painting - the black speckles that you see in the middle of the flower are done with paper. Yes, it was painstakingly done and required loads of patience. :) But as they say, when you love something, it doesn't feel like work at all.

The second painting carries a message we should all imbibe in our lives. Especially in these days when big words like Secularism and Tolerance are being bandied around to get some extra votes at the polls. But of course, Love is something we all need to open our hearts to, and this doesn't just refer to romantic love. Enough moralising! The distinctive feature of this painting - the leaves are imprints of real poppy leaves from my garden. I love how they have come out....

Let me know if you would like to have one of these, or something similar; write in to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com. Hope you've noticed the new Twitter link in the right panel. Go on.... show me some tweet love too @CreativeRumbles! And while you are at it, carry on with some hope and lots of loving....

On The Window Sill

Anyone who has been a reader of this blog would know about my penchant for nasturtiums. Every winter they are all over my garden, adding colour to the greens and joy to our hearts.

So how could I not paint them this season again? I'm including the original picture just to give you all a sense of how and where I get my inspirations!

This time I have used a knife instead of my brushes, and added paper collaging to achieve the effects in the background. Just love the outcome! Whaddya say, dear readers?

Abstract Landscapes

I have been working on a series of abstract landscapes, the kinds that begin with a blank mind and a mark on the paper. You have no clue about what is going to emerge, where you are headed. You just make a random start and then go as your instinct guides you.

The first one started with sticking bits of plain paper on the sheet at random. I had no specific scheme in mind.... just tore and stuck those bits wherever I felt like. Then I picked up some black paint and laid down a few casual strokes in between those paper bits. It looked a bit dull, so I added red to spice things up. Still nothing emerged.... Next came the printed paper bits, followed by the orange streaks and bubble wrap prints. Then I was on a roll; added all the other colours and finally stepped back to have a look. To finish off, added the scratches with my knife at the bottom and there was a landscape ready before my eyes!

The second one started by making black marks with the sides of a bottle cap..... yes, those marks that now appear as tree trunks. Then came the plain paper bits, followed by arbitrary strokes in blue, green and mustard. Still I was clueless as to where this piece was heading, so I picked up my knife and scraped on some purple paint. Added the blues and then I suddenly knew how I wanted to end it all. Added the greens with a sponge and the whites, and another landscape emerged.

This process is so magical that you actually have to try this yourself to understand the surprises it holds. Go on, make one yourself.... and remember, you don't need brushes or a good hand to create an abstract. Anything can be used as a tool; all that matters is a passionate heart!