Soar

One of my first tries at doing an intuitive painting. Takes a lot of courage to let go of all plans, shun any pre-defined ideas and not look for pointers.... an intuitive process demands that one just jumps into the fray with a brush and paints.

However, since this was my first attempt, I tried to make the process easier by adding another background layer to the piece. I started with some doodling or random sketching using permanent pens. After that I splashed paint on the page - no order, no specific plan. Just put whatever you please wherever. And see what emerges.... Make things up as you go along.



After the paint wash on the pen sketches, I approached small sections one-by-one. Adding a detail here, a motif there. Till it all seemed to come together. Especially loved how the first layer showed up in parts through the final layers, bringing an extra dimension to the piece.





But what was most interesting about this piece was to see the transformation to the central part of the painting. What started out as a checked criss-cross metamorphosed into a flying bird by the time the painting ended (click on the second picture to see up close). And that is why I named the painting Soar.... a celebration of life!

Dandelion Inspired Bottle

The bottle featuring today takes its name from the very common wildflower - the Dandelion. Little yellow flowers bobbing up their heads in between the grass, tough enough to bloom in the most arid conditions. You can read more about them here.



But the beautiful thing about the Dandelion bottle, with its swaying seed-heads, is that it takes me back to childhood. Running after the white and wispy flying dandelion seed heads in the park is a memory that gets evoked every time on seeing this beauty. The minute one caught a fluffy dandelion ball in one's palm, it would disintegrate into a thousand little wispy white strings (basically individual seeds) that flew off immediately. Doesn't that sound familiar? :)



In fact, in India children call the dandelion seed-heads " buddhi mai ke baal" (or the "old woman's hair") in Hindi, given the flying tufts of wispy white strings. Isn't it strange, funny and awesome.... where all one can get inspiration from!

Nature Journal: The April-May Spread

Here is a peep into the April-May spread of my Nature Journal.

 



 As I mentioned in one of my posts last month, the April page features a lot of doodle flowers and sketches done randomly. But the best part of our April experience was getting up close with the blue pansy butterfly.



As for May... since we had been reeling under a severe heatwave, it led to repeated illness and I had to miss my morning walks many days. Moreover, the mornings at the park - my best time to commune with nature - were crowded and chaotic due to ongoing summer vacations. But nature doesn't stop its annual cycle; the Amaltas and the Gulmohar bloomed with as much abandon this year too, though their blooms dried up much faster this time.

My idea of countering the may heat and drying blooms? - I created some paper flowers on the May page.... and they won't dry up ever! Try some yourself; they are great fun!

Crane Spotting at the Pond

Last week I worked on a bottle again. After 6 long months!.... Yes, if you scroll down this blog, you'll see the last bottle I did was back in November last year. I wasn't even sure I'd pull this one through but once I started, there was no stopping me.

This time I thought of extending my bottle design oeuvre, and worked on a large water bird motif, painting a scene that any birdwatching enthusiast would identify with.

A crane or egret walking slowly with its long legs, amidst lotus blossoms and reeds in a pond, searching for food. A slight sound, and it looks up, startled for a bit. Then, assuring itself that all is well, the bird goes back to its search. Yes, that is what I tried to capture - all on a round bottle.

The finished bottle is one of my personal favourites. And I'm sure all birdwatchers will enjoy this one! The bottle has a broad mouth, and will work very well as a centrepiece on a table. Use it simply as a vase or to hold straws at the next dinner party. Heck! you could even prop up tissues in it. 

Meanwhile, I'm already dreaming of the next bird I want to put on my bottles....

Creative Rumblings Bags a Baggout Award

Can't believe it is June already! Where did the months go?!?

But June brings some wonderful news - Creative Rumblings features at number 10 on the Top 14 Socially Active Art Blogs list by Baggout.



What an honour! You'll find a new badge in the blog sidebar to announce the new award.



Big thanks to the Baggout team for featuring the blog, and to Priyanka Jain for coordinating this so beautifully.

Now, dear readers, please spread the word about Creative Rumblings and my work to push our page views, likes and engagement levels a few notches higher.

Dancing the happy dance! :)