Collaging Capers

Playing around with papers, that is what I mean by collaging capers! :) Yes, paper collaging has been something I used to enjoy doing even as a college kid and suddenly the love seems to have resurfaced.

So an old half-finished painting that lay unwanted in a corner of my art supplies cupboard got a new lease of life last month as I gave it a collage makeover. The half-painted version looked uninteresting and drab; must say the papers added quite a bit of verve to the piece. I finished it with a glossy coat.

The process of first selecting the right papers, matching the shades, tearing up the papers to the right size, and finally putting them on is definitely tedious.... but I find it almost meditative. It gives me the opportunity to put my patience to test, almost willing myself to push my limits and learn to stay calm. Maybe I should try collaging on larger pieces now....

Sea Gulls

Drive along a river or go down to the beach and you cannot miss them.... Standing at the water's edge, rummaging for food in the wet, marshy soil. The bright yellow of their beaks in sharp contrast to the white and black feathers. No coast can ever be complete without these gulls and their loud, screechy calls.

My inspiration to paint seagulls came from two close encounters with them. One was years back on the Pacific coast in California, where I spotted them atop a beach shed, perched in an orderly queue. I remember clicking a picture that must be tucked away in my albums somewhere (digital photography was still very new back then). The second encounter happened last year during a vacation to Goa where I spotted hordes of them on a drive along the backwaters. Anyhow, this painting was another satisfying attempt at my new brushless technique.

I haven't been painting much lately; am going through a creative impasse of sorts. Hope relaxing over the upcoming long weekend puts my mind back into the creative mode.