Closing In

 

I am finally awakening from my winter hibernation. My spirit animal must be the grizzly bear cause that is exactly how I feel in winters, grumpy and inhospitable. Jokes apart, the very pleasant weather this month inspired me to work on my first painting of this year.

Lately, there have been too many reports of man-animal conflicts.... of animals entering human habitats. Err, wait.... or is it the other way around? Leopards especially seem to be repeatedly in the news for run-ins with humans and our settlements. And so, this piece is called 'Closing In'.

Closing in : habitats shrinking, territories overlapping, movements clashing.... just a matter of time before there's a full blown war out there!

 

I hope to use my art to give a voice to these unheard ones. So that we humans can be more mindful of the other species that cohabit this planet with us.

Check my Instagram page for more visuals and related videos.

Catty Conundrums

 

In the last couple of years, a black cat has been visiting my garden almost daily. Sometimes hiding behind the lilies, sometimes crouching under the frangipani. At other times, just passing through with a swagger and familiarity that sends the birds tittering away in fright.

Many times when I am out for a walk I notice that if a black cat crosses the path, folks ahead of me often stop for awhile or change their course. I am aware that in many cultures black cats are considered a bad omen and associated with negativity. But who can explain this to a cat lover? For the folks out there who feed black cats or own one as a pet, they are a source of joy and succour. And shall remain so, regardless of what the rest of the world thinks.

While I am not exactly a cat lover but I hold no grudges against a creature just because of its colour. Rather, I admire the sleek coat of the black cat that visits my garden often. Its fur shines in the sunlight as it swiftly darts between my plants. Its eyes speak volumes as I run to chase it away, for it digs up my plant beds.

That is why I thought of capturing this visitor in my artwork. For omens and prejudices are not worth a meow in my world. And they shall never cast a shadow on my creative outings.

Capturing Oreo Again

Remember my grand plans of doing a series on the canine inhabitants of our lane (see here). Well, progress has been super slow on that front as I have my fingers in too many pies! At any given point of time, I seem to have half a dozen projects running simultaneously (big eye roll at myself). But well, let me not digress...

In these past few months, all I managed to complete was this full portrait of Oreo (read more about him here). Since the guy loves bread and bones, I added them in. And those little triangles represent the tid-bits that he keeps getting from everyone in the lane.

Don't know if this series will go any further but if I add any new paintings, they'll surely be shared here. Do check back for updates. To commission any pet portraits, write to  creativerumblings@gmail.com.

The Great Chomper

In these last couple of months of lockdown and staying in, one has hardly had any human visitors. Just occasional interaction with the neighbours from a distance.

But one summer day we discovered someone new roaming in the neighbourhood. She came straight towards our giloy plant, plucking off all the fresh leaves at one go. After finishing chomping on the giloy, she made a beeline for the red hibiscus.

And thereby hangs the tale of how this painting was created and named. Our bovine visitor now comes by occasionally, and is always seen chomping on new varieties. Though the giloy remains her favourite.

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.

Lotus Pond Series

Finally I get to bring you my first painting series - 'Life in a Lotus Pond'.... Started in the summer of 2016, this is the first time I attempted a series. What is the big deal in painting a series, you may ask.... Making paintings in a series is just meant to be an opportunity for the artist to show how one can play around with an idea, and bring it to form in different ways, while keeping the essential elements intact.

I had been wanting to paint a lotus pond for a long time but not in your usual realistic style - there were already too many of those out there. So I tried a process of layering and detailing, trying to see if I could make it all work together. I didn't want the painting to look noisy and crowded, but I was a little unsure when I started as I had not done something like this before.

As my lotus flowers progressed, I placed an owl on one of the lotus leaves.... and that is where the idea for the series took off!! I wanted to have images of lotus flowers interspersed with the various creatures that one could find in a pond.

It was meant to be a fun series, and I am so happy that that is exactly how it turned out. And then, within an year, something magical happened! I showed my paintings to a dear client-turned-friend and she immediately picked up the first 2 pieces. Next I knew, she commissioned 2 more! I was on a roll... :D

So while I am juggling some more ideas and will be working on more paintings for this series, right now 4 paintings have already found a new home...

...Even as 3 finished paintings are ready and waiting for a wall.

Do let me know how you feel about this first series of mine. There is also another series waiting in the wings but more about that in a later post. In the meanwhile, if you are keen to commission anything on these lines or pick up the available pieces, write in to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com and we can discuss options.

Blue Elephants and Pink Whales

Few days back while browsing through Facebook, I came across these lines (you can read them on the left of the collage below). Fabulous expression of how we should let the inner child take over when we are working with colours.

Just reading those words made me want to work with more freedom, without a care about rules. And I simply love the outcomes! ❤💕

These bright, eye-catching drawings will look perfect in a kid's room or a play den. If you are looking for such artwork, write in to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com to discuss options.

So what is stopping you from finding red bears in purple forests? ☺

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.

Nature Journal: Back Cover

This final post under the 'Nature Journal 2015' series is to showcase the back cover of the journal. The back cover appropriately aims to capture forms of nature across different elements - air, land and water. It brings together three diverse microcosms.... read on to see how.

The thought process for the back cover started with the Tree of Life, since it represents different life forms living together harmoniously, and also since it was something I was hoping to try my hand at for a while. However, once I started making the tree, these other ecosystems evolved on their own... as though the artwork for the back cover had suddenly come alive with its own interpretations, that forced me to realize the limited vision of my tree of life. Why present only one ecosystem when I could present three together? And that is how each element got its due representation....

The birds and animals that made the tree their home, thriving on its bounties and the fresh air it produced.

The foliage and flora that got their sustenance from the earth. I could have added more to this section but lack of space made me keep things at a more representational level.

And finally the water-world with its flowers and other creatures. Here I love the turtle silhouette the most.

I am happy with the way the back cover finally turned out - combining multiple techniques of painting, small sketches, some impasto and lots of collaging. That it represents nature in all its forms only makes it perfect for my Nature Journal 2015.

Elephant Trio

Another brush-less attempt at capturing figures.... this time an elephant family gently ambling through the grasslands.

Made this sometime last year and really enjoyed doing it because despite not using a brush, I could depict the form and movement that this piece demanded. Hope you like it too!

A Peek Into My Journal Pages

A few weeks back I had promised to share with you the pages from my first art journal. Well, here goes.... hope you enjoy the visuals.

Mr. Frog and the toadstool were created by a personalised stencil cut. The design on the top right was made with the help of layers of masking tape, peeling layers as each colour was applied. It was then finished with some sponging. The flowers on the bottom right are paper collaging on an acrylic background.

Madame O was inspired by a family of spotted owls we spotted at the park recently, sitting exactly like this atop an eucalyptus tree. The creation on the top right is a combination of cloth, foil and designed paper. It so reminds me of a circus tent top though you can't quite make that out in this picture. The bottom right doodles were inspired by henna designs; made using pen and watercolour.

This panel has some of my favourite designs. Moving clockwise from top left, I Heart Art is made with paper collaging and acrylics, finished with some pen work. The top right piece is my attempt at being Jackson Pollock. Done entirely without any brushes using finger painting and splatter technique. The funny shaped houses (they didn't quite turn out how they were supposed to) are again a combo of multiple techniques but the most interesting part in this is the background. The brownish parts that give a smoky look are created using.... guess what?!?!...... Coffee!!! yes, really, it is coffee. Isn't that a fabulous finish? The last panel is an ode to okra; simple veggie stamping for the background and repeating the designs with markers for the foreground.

And that is how my tiny folding journal looks - folded and opened up. Phew! And I still haven't shown you all.... some panels didn't photograph well so maybe those will come in another post. Now you see how much a little journal can hold. So hurry up.... get started yourself and happy journaling!

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.

Mother And Child

As the winter chill picks up, somehow my mind goes back to the summers....

On my daily walk one such summer morning, I chanced upon this scene in the park. As I turned a bend, there they were right in front of me. A mother and a child, sharing food - the mother cajoling, breaking the food into smaller pieces and prompting the child to eat, the child playful and wanting to finish off quickly so he could return to his play.

Some walkers stopped in their tracks as they saw them. After all, simians are unpredictable. They could snatch something off.... maybe that expensive cellphone even. But I gingerly walked past, almost on tiptoe so as not to disturb their breakfast. For I saw only a mother and a child; the species did not matter.

The camera hasn't quite done complete justice to this one in terms of the colours; upfront the shades look far brighter, especially the yellow in the background, making it really striking. Hope you like it anyhow.

Folk Motif Bottles

Dancing peacocks, regal elephants, twittering birdies.... they are all there! Presenting bottles hand-painted with folk motifs and embellished with a dash of glitter for the festive season.

To stock up, write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com. And better hurry up, for I only have a few pieces of these. To see a close-up of the picture above, visit our Facebook page.

Goats And Other Cares

October has been a strange month. Oscillating between caring for sick children and celebrating festivals, to coping with disappointing false starts at work. One of those months where you can't put a finger on where time flew. And on the last day you realise, that even though you tried your best, you haven't achieved much to show! Sometimes the background settings take longer than you realize...

Anyhow, sharing with you this drawing I created a couple of months back. Inspired by goats grazing in an open field in front of our house, tended by shepherds in Rajasthani garb, with bright red turbans.