More Journal Snippets

As an artist, I find myself using journals to express myself very often. A journal is like a diary, only more visual. You are already seeing pages from my Nature Journal every month. So thought of sharing a few pages from my Transition Journal that I finished earlier this month.

The above picture is the front cover, and the picture below features an amalgamation of some individual pages along with the back cover.

In these difficult days when our world is in the grip of the pandemic, maintaining a daily/weekly/fortnightly or even monthly journal is a good way to release some pent up stress, sadness and frustration. Try it, dear readers!

Wonderful World

Towards the end of February, as I started doodling and sketching arbitrarily on a pre-stamped journal page (those brown and pink marks are made using a chopped mushroom as a stamp), I ended up with this painting. Depicting life forms from all the habitats - land, sea and sky - the human figure in the centre uniting all to convey gratitude towards the wonderful world we live in.

Little did I know then that in under a month, the world would be battling a global health crisis. A pandemic that has come into existence because the human species refused to let Nature be; because we tried to show our supremacy over other life forms and habitats. How we have been humbled.... confined to our own spaces instead of forever intruding into theirs.

Stay home and stay safe, dear readers and followers. In the meanwhile, you can utilize the lock down to try out some of the creative ideas on this blog. Check out older posts and I'm sure you'll find something that catches your fancy. Happy creating!

Fantasea

Though it has been a while since I've been near the sea, but a bit of the sea is always in me! So I decided to put up a couple of sea-themed abstracts. While the square one is on canvas, the panel is a piece of treated board. 

I created the canvas way back in 2014 but forgot to post about it, and the poor fellow lay ignored along with some other canvases in a corner of my studio. When we moved into a bigger space last year, I decided to pull out these pieces and use them in our home decor. I had lots of fun doing the background for this canvas since it involved some crazy, unpredictable paint drips. One always lands up with interesting pieces of art if one lets go, and eases the control a bit. While the outcome may not always be what you expected, but that is where your artistic imagination is supposed to kick in!

As for the panel, I created it last month, and it features sea shells we collected on our last family vacation to a beach. The glass beads give a sense of sea glass, and the colour scheme matches that of the canvas. They now hang together as an arrangement appropriately named 'Fantasea'.

I have plans to do more panels in the coming days, and will share my experiments with you as always. Meanwhile, here's marching on with our creative pursuits as we near completing a quarter of the new year already....where does time fly, really?

Valentine Heart Inchies

Since February is the month of love, I had to post a Valentine special!

So here's a glimpse of the challenge I set up.... To fill up an entire page with little heart inchies, thinking up myriad ways of representation using the ❤️ symbol. Now if that doesn't spell love!

I had a whole lot of fun doing this challenge, and got ideas from the kiddos to help me along. The aim is not to repeat patterns or colour schemes. Go on, try it out yourself with your Valentine and loved ones.

Abstract Portraits

Even though we are well into January, thought I must begin the new year with something special. So here is wishing my readers and followers a wonderful new year and a fulfilling new decade as we start off with 2020. And these wishes come from my family to yours....

Attempted these abstract portraits of the fam; tried to depict some typical individual characteristics in all of them. Hope I have been able to bring those out...

And now that it is 2020, there is yet another project I need to work on - the revival of the Nature Journal. You may remember the month-wise nature journal I created 5 years back in 2015. You can click on the 'nature journal' label to see all related posts. Back then, I had planned to redo the exercise in 2020, simply to capture some interactions with the natural world every month. Over a period of time, these pictorial notes give us a sense of seasonal associations, and point towards changes in patterns that we observe around us. Thereby giving a forecast for bigger changes...

Canine Capers

This blog has been running on autopilot for quite a while now; what with festivals, pollution holidays, changing seasons, and just about everything else taking away my creative time. But I managed some DIYs around the house in the midst of all the chaos. Till finally a few chance photos clicked by the sonny got my creative mojo back.

So here's my first attempt at capturing our four-legged friends. But let me give you some background first. We have a bunch of doggos that we share our street with. Each mongrel has a name assigned, and a distinct personality or physical trait. Now what else does the artist need?

Presenting Oreo, the fellow who hangs outside our gate and sleeps under our car. And gets fed by both us and our upstairs neighbours. When we moved house in the beginning of the summer, Oreo was a bullied weakling, with the younger and healthier ones constantly picking on him. Now he is back to his confident self, frolicking around with his detractors. His only weakness now.... bones, of course! :)  And here is the picture of Oreo that got me going...

Now I am working on a series (my third) capturing our street dogs for posterity. But like I've done here, the style will remain fun instead of realistic. Hope you enjoy my paintings of these doggo fellas as much as I love making them. And yes, feedback is always appreciated.

An Ode to the Dettol Bottle

The other day I went down to the chemist nearby to get some Dettol. Yup, that same antiseptic liquid that we all grew up with.... our go-to solution for all ouchy cuts and scratches. Well, the friendly chemist informed me that Dettol is no longer available in the typical glass bottle it always came in. The company had changed its packaging to plastic - easier to distribute and use, but definitely adding to the environmental burden. Not sure if that is a good idea!

As I walked back home with my package, I realised that the absence of any more glass Dettol bottles meant  that my older painted bottles were now one-of-a-kind pieces. You won't get the same glass stuff anymore, guys! And I'm not at all keen to paint on plastic :P Call me an arty snob if you want but I don't want to encourage plastic use.

So here's a dekko at some of those lovely glass Dettol bottles that started my journey as a bottle artist all those years back... a trip down memory lane, full of nostalgia and love.

Most of these found new homes along the way, like this gorgeous Ganpati bottle....

....and this one featuring a coastal scenery that is viewed through a window adorned by a lush flowering vine. 




I hope all these babies of mine are still being loved and cherished, wherever they are. 


And meanwhile I better go back and check if I have any left to gloat over and display at home! 





#dettolglassbottle
#dettolart
#dettol

On Turning 10

Yes, today is the day when 10 years back I tentatively published my first post on this blog, starting off a magical journey. A journey after my heart...

So here is wishing Creative Rumblings a happy 10th birthday, and many more creative years ahead.

Thank you to all my readers, followers, patrons, clients, friends and well-wishers. This amazing journey would not have been possible without your support.

Virtual cake and champagne, anyone??

Woods Poster

Hey there, how is the new year treating everyone? I hope all my dear readers, patrons and friends started 2018 on a creative and adventurous note.

Well, as this is the first post this year, I thought I'd share something that would egg us all on to make the best use of the year ahead.... 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days - that's a lot of time. Let us make it count - accomplish our dreams, live out our desires, and spread some happiness along the way!

This poster features some of my favourite lines by Robert Frost. Hope they resonate with you too. Write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com if you want a copy of this poster for yourself.

Collaged Ladies

Inspired by something I came across on Twitter, I decided to try my hand at making these collaged beauties. A lady in repose, and another admiring herself in the mirror. A celebration of female vanities! And an occasional indulgence in abstract figurative work.

I must put in a word here for my fascination to use regular magazine or newspaper sheets for collaging over those fancy patterned papers available at craft stores. In my opinion, using patterned paper is like sharing your creative output with someone else; like two or more different people working on one piece. Whereas using regular paper that is easily available, or even creating your own patterned paper, opens up unending creative possibilities.

And yes, I especially love the peachy pink, flesh toned paper of the Economic Times! An artist can have idiosyncrasies, after all.... :) This artist has no qualms being called quirky!

Bharatpur Diaries

We visited the Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary at Bharatpur more than 5 years back. Ever since I have wanted to capture the sights and sounds of the place. The many animal and bird species we encountered, the stillness of the forest as the sun goes down, the nesting habitats and young ones that we were lucky enough to see right before our eyes. But somehow I still haven't managed to put together a composition that works.

Instead, here's sharing with you my attempt at catching a couple of foxes, as they sauntered out of a grove ahead of us. The experience was scary and fascinating at the same time.

I am not too pleased with the result though; more so since this is created in an experimental style that was adopted. Now I seem to have found a better style of representation that is my own voice. Hope to capture the vistas of Bharatpur in that style soon.

April Bouquets

So that special month of the year is here, my birthday month. That calls for celebrations.... and all special occasions deserve some bouquets. Sharing with you these collages of floral bouquets made in the abstract style a few months back.

These flowers are not still life portrayals of real flowers. Rather just a pure play of colours leading to imaginary flower groupings.

An exercise in loosening up, a slapdash style that focussed on negative painting and was fun to try out.

 

So which one should I place on the table on my special day? :)

 

 



Happy New Year 2016

Creative Rumblings wishes its readers, followers and fans a very happy and creative 2016!

 

 

Thanks for being with us on this colourful journey.... looking forward to new adventures in the new year. :)

Paper Beads Necklace

So I decided to take a detour into some jewellery making! Howzzat?!! Those of you who keep an eye on my Facebook page would know about the paper beads I had been making a couple of months back.

I posted pictures of the sheets of abstract art that me and my daughter created.... just random splashing of paint followed by equally arbitrary designs! No stress of creating art, this is just having fun with paints. And mostly we used the thick sheets that come in with the newspaper as advertisement inserts; their paper is glossy and thick enough to hold a decent amount of paint. So there, recycling was duly done.

These gorgeous sheets of painted paper were then cut into strips and rolled with pencils and toothpicks to form paper beads.... loads and loads of them, in all shapes and sizes. Well, finally we had enough beads to string together a long necklace. And just see how gorgeous it looks!

My daughter had a field day wearing this creation all through the festive season in the last couple of months. I just love the fact that it goes with any kind of attire - western or traditional. And between ourselves, we got a load of compliments for this unique paper bead necklace! :)

Curio Bottle

So who says bottles are only meant to hold flowers or money plants? See how perfect these found bird feathers look in the small curio bottle.

The abstract design (that many folks at the exhibition called the Tiffany stained glass effect) is eye-catching and attractive. Simple yet beautiful.

I absolutely love how you can view the design on the other side superimposed on the side facing you.

And of course, a single floral stem would look equally nice in that bottle! So what's holding you back from getting one? :) Write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com to get yours.

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!

The Old Godown At Mattanchery

Haven't we all come across these old, abandoned godowns, sometimes bang in the middle of a bustling megapolis. Why only Mattanchery?.... this could be anywhere in India. I remember seeing some properties like these both in Delhi and Mumbai.

Anyhow, coming back to the painting.... Leafing through a newspaper article I chanced upon a picture of an old, dilapidated godown at Mattanchery, in the old town area of Kochi (erstwhile Cochin) in Kerela. The blues, browns and whites of the picture made for a striking combination and inspired me to create this painting (click on the picture for a larger view). These abandoned spice godowns make for very interesting subjects and I remember reading a blog on them a few days back.

Now for the catch - this painting here is an entirely brushless effort. Yes, you read it right - no brush was used in the making of this painting. It has been created with a discarded credit card and was a very quick, inspired piece, made over an evening.

Also, today I officially complete 5 years of playing around with paints on paper and canvas. In these five years, from making a slow and shaky start, I have moved to bigger sizes and bolder strokes. And yes, given up the brush for more interesting mediums to paint with! :) Do wish me luck as I carry on my romance with colour.... for many more years to come!!

Art Journals: My New Love

Writing a post after 3 long weeks.... yes, you can say I have been ignoring the blog. Quite a bit. And I have my reasons...

The sultry heat of the past few days is making me listless and unwilling to  go through the whole process of taking pictures, downloading and sorting them, and creating blog posts. And then my readers don't seem to share any enthusiasm either; there was hardly any response to my call for ideas in the last post. So why write when no one reads! So there.... every girl has got to vent sometimes, what say?!?

Well, I write these posts most of all for myself, for my satisfaction, for keeping a virtual record of all the work I do. And that is why here I am writing again...

In the last month or so I have fallen hook, line and sinker for the joys of art journaling. Since you cannot put every little idea on to a canvas straightaway, these art journals come to the rescue. They help hold an album of tips, tricks, techniques and experiences.... and of course, great quotes!

I have started with a folding journal, pictures of which I'll share with you soon.... when I complete all its panels. The picture you see today is from that same journal, made earlier this month on the occasion of World Environment Day.

 Making an art journal is so much fun because you get to work on something new each day. And since the size isn't too large, you actually can finish a piece in a single sitting, something that is impossible to do with larger paintings. Do check out Google and YouTube for some amazing art journal lessons, and get hooked yourself! :)

Eternal Spring

A mixed media piece this time that says "In my heart lies eternal spring".... the piece is such an amalgamation of techniques and motifs that I'm not sure the picture will do justice to its varied nuances.

Maybe a list of the techniques I used to create this will help those of you who want to try something similar. So here goes... this piece includes:

1. Paper collaging, acrylic washes and stamping with real leaves for the background effects.
2. Stenciling (with handmade stencils and homemade modelling paste) for the raised effects in the foreground.
3. Then come the special effects that capture the essence of Spring - like the paper-torn sun in the right corner.... representing the life giver, the force that induces life to spring afresh; the butterflies and ladybirds placed strategically around the piece that are so symptomatic of spring blooms; bright coloured flower accents and real pressed flowers placed all over.
4. 3-D outliners to add specific accents like the butterfly feelers.

As a final touch, I pasted the quote in the lower left side, and voila!.... the piece was ready.

The beauty of mixed media lies in its undercoats, things that go into the background and only show up partially in the final scheme of things. They add a sense of mystique and the layered look gives a certain depth to the final piece.

Anyone wanting a similar mixed media piece for brightening up your walls, write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com and gift your abode some happiness.

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!