Spring Vibes

Bringing you all the first painting from my new illustration series, appropriately called Lockdown Freedom. Yes, the name of the series is an oxymoron on purpose. This series will feature a creature (my signature bird/s in this case) who is free from the global lockdown, and leading a life doing what they please. Also, now that humans are under lockdown, these creatures definitely have more freedom.

But look carefully.... and you'll find that we can also equally participate in the joy of the bird. Even in lockdown. By celebrating the beautiful blooms of Spring amidst the clear blue skies, thanks to zero pollution.

Since the lockdown is also about frugal living and using only the basics, this series has been painted using only the primary colours (red, blue and yellow) and their various combinations, along with just black and white. Watch out for subsequent paintings from the series in the coming weeks.

Stay home and stay safe. Participate in the lockdown in the right spirit. C'mon, dear readers, let us choose to focus on the positives during this period of crisis. And yes, turn to creativity to break the monotony of the lockdown.

#lockdownart

Nature Journal: M for... Mulberries in March

M is for March, and for mulberries! Though we are well into May (another M there), I thought of sharing the March page from the Nature Journal.

And a significant part of our March experience was devoted to mulberries....  Picking the fruit right off the numerous trees in the park as they hung, red and ripe. Shaking the trees and catching the fruit before they hit the ground. Collecting them gingerly in our palms so as not to squish them. And finally, washing them at home and biting into their luscious sweetness.

March also meant the advent of my favourite season, Spring. A time when our little terrace garden breaks into multi-hued splendour. Unexpected rains meant an extended blooming time for our beauties. And of course, this month I discovered the gorgeous Kachnar flowers; totally fell for the bright mauve-pink blossoms covering the tree and the ground underneath. Same for the Semul or Silk Cotton flowers; they literally make the term 'red carpet' come alive.

Nature Journal: February

Can you believe that half of February was already past, and my nature journal page had still not started taking shape. Nah! in fact I started work on it on the last day of the month.... and I have no one to blame but myself. Not that there had been any dearth of experiences.

On a particularly warm morning, when a pleasant breeze caressed my cheeks as I enjoyed the sun during my walk in the park, I rediscovered a pair of spotted owls. Little balls of white fur, they were back after their hibernation, and enjoying the spring morning as much as I was.

Then another day in the park, the hubby found a pretty yellow-green parakeet feather. We brought it home, of course. And now it rests with other bird feathers in a painted glass holder. Then the day the kids picked up yellow, green and red leaves, all beautifully dappled, and all fallen from the same tree. The small miracles that make nature journaling such a pleasure.... and immensely satisfying!

Now some of these experiences are captured in my February page, frozen for posterity. Did I tell you I am loving it?!!

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.