Lemon Tea In The Shade

The summers are here, with afternoons turning real warm. The last of the spring blooms are flowering in a hurry before the heat wilts them away.

Wouldn't it be nice to sit in the shade and enjoy some lemon tea at midday? Come join me for a refreshing break....

Another quick tablescape painting to liven up things; hope you liked it. I especially enjoyed the cool pastel of the table setting. So summery in its feel! :)

Beachside

Here is my attempt with my new watercolors; a typical beachside scenario. I admit I chose an easy subject to start with! ;)

My first foray with watercolors has only proved right all those points about the medium that I knew all along. Still, I'll put them down here so my readers can learn from my experience.

Firstly, the paper is paramount; you cannot execute watercolors on just about any paper. You have to get good quality stuff specially meant to soak up the water, and help spread the colour.

Secondly, watercolor is a very flexible and fun medium, something that allows you to play around much more than acrylics do. Acrylics have brilliant shades but limited reach. So you can actually paint exactly as you have in mind; they allow more control. Watercolors have a mind of their own.... you have to play along and try and get as close to what you wanted when you started out.

Also, since watercolors take longer to dry than acrylics, you can add more dimensions to your work as you go along. I found this aspect especially liberating since this means you have a better chance of hiding your mistakes. In this aspect, acrylics are tough and you have to work with a very sure hand.

Sounds complicated? Well, it isn't really. Moreover, you get to appreciate any medium only when you dabble in it yourself. So go ahead, pick up that brush and discover for yourself! :)

The Majestic One

Another figurative bird drawing, started and finished in a single day.

Our favourite picnic spot in town has a rare abundance of peacocks, roaming in a jungle-like setting. We always encounter some on our visits, and this painting has been inspired by this recent photograph taken by my husband.



Somehow after painting this large, colourful bird, I seem to have lost some of my earlier fear and hesitation for figure-based paintings. Hopefully now I'll have the courage to attempt more figurative subjects.



I hope I have captured the proud, majestic bird well. Do let me have your feedback on this one.


p.s. - Hubby dearest gifted me a set of watercolor tubes recently. Can't wait to explore the new medium! :)

Outdoor Cafe In Spring

Weekend ahead.... so what are your plans? How about spending an afternoon in this outdoor cafe amidst the beautiful spring blooms.

Aah! I love the setting.... just ideal for spending a lazy, gossipy afternoon with friends! Hope you all are coming over. :)

Pansy Passion

The theme of spring continues in my work.... my ode to the loveliest of seasons!

This painting is inspired by the lovely pansies currently blooming in my container garden.

The pansy has long been another of my favourite flowers (after the nasturtium). I especially love their bright little faces swaying in the gentle spring breeze. The dazzling colour pallete only adds to their visual allure.

A subject I thoroughly enjoyed painting! Hope you too like this bright pair of pansies.

Getting Back & Welcoming Spring

I was back from my vacation to Jodhpur earlier this month, and have finally managed to bring out my brushes again. The weather has warmed up all of a sudden, and spring is in the air. My garden is blooming, and so I thought it would only be appropriate to paint something floral.

This sketch has been lying around for more than a month but somehow I felt apprehensive to approach it. But now that I have splashed the brightest of hues on it, I am pretty happy with the results. That I could bring out the layers of colours in the petals of this Nasturtium has been my biggest satisfaction out of this painting. Hope you all enjoy it as much.

I promise to try and increase my frequency of painting from now on so I have more to share with you.

I know a lot of you have been stopping by this blog even while I was away. A big "Thank you" to all of you who have cared to visit and revisit! :) Do keep checking in, and all your comments, observations, suggestions are more than welcome.

In Vacation Mode

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...." : John Denver (Leaving On A Jetplane)

January has been rather low-productive in terms of artwork. Not for lack of ideas, but mostly for a mix of reasons that I won't bore you with. Guess its time for a fresh perspective.

Maybe I need to recharge my batteries to start afresh.... so I'm off on a short trip to Jodhpur. Meanwhile you can catch some of my framed artwork here.

Hope to be back with something new to show soon.