The Red Umbrella

Back to the figures....with the rains having made a comeback and the weather turning oh-so-dreamy, I was reminded of this painting that was inspired by the magical monsoons.

I think I made this two years back but somehow never got around to sharing it here. The image took a long time to upload, probably because the background in this painting is a profusion of colours. Not sure if you can see it clearly but the major part of the backdrop is made up of little dots, in a bid to recreate the effects of Pointillism.

Wish all my readers a fabulous weekend!

On The Waterfront

Another of those innocuous pictures in the newspaper that makes for a great painting inspiration. Yes, this one is derived from one such picture I came across recently. Water and boats hold a great fascination for me somehow.... just cannot seem to bypass an opportunity to paint them.

Also ran a teaser on my Facebook page for this painting while it was in the work-in-progress stage. And got all correct answers! :)  That was some fun....

I also loved doing the little details on this piece - things like the chairs and tables lined up in front of the café, and the green vine climbing up one of the houses. Such details add to the general aesthetic and character of a painting. And yes, enjoyed doing the water as well; it is always a favourite thing to paint because of all the colours that you can play around with!

Going Figurative

This time I thought of sharing with you my forays into the world of figurative abstracts. No artist worth their salt would ever shy away from attempting to capture the beauty of the human figure. Only how we do it differs....

Making figurative art makes me realise that I'm just not cut out for realistic portrayals. I find realism in figures a tad boring for now.... but who knows, with advancing years you may find me on the other side of the fence. That is how things go in an artist's head.... no explaining the 'whys' and the 'hows'!

The next one is more like a tribute to American greats like Jean Basquiat and Mikey Welsh.

Love the freedom that comes with art that you make by your own rules! I think I'm finally figuring out my style - bright, bold and in your face.... the kind you can love or hate, adore or detest, but definitely not ignore. :) What say, dear readers?

Monsoon Skies

The weather is beautiful these days - just the right amount of rain that turns things pleasant instead of throwing life out of gear, a moist and caressing breeze that plays with your hair every time you go out, and green spaces looking misty and welcoming.

The sunsets are awesome too; full of colour and changing every second. Vibrant hues melting into each other and filling your heart with joy at being fortunate enough to witness them.

Perhaps that explains what led to this abstract.... one fine morning I just had to get all the colours of the sky onto the canvas. Loved how the shades intermingled with each other, much like it happened on the bigger canvas up there!

Somehow my camera doesn't catch the hues of purple too well but nevertheless, this is one of those paintings that lift up your spirits instantly, thanks to all those joyous colours. Wishing my Indian readers a fabulous Independence Day!

Shaping The Snapple

Spent most of last week working on a commission, painting Morning Glory flowers all around a Snapple bottle.

Today I thought I'd share with you one of the biggest challenges of working on such bottles that proudly display their product logos. .....Nah, not just display, they have them firmly etched or engraved, in a particularly eye-catching part of the bottle. Just to make our work that much more challenging.... Phew!!! But therein lies the joy of having overcome something formidable.... :)


The following picture shows how the Snapple logo originally looks - a large 'S' bordered on either side by leaves. And it appears on both sides of the bottle.

And now, this is how the bottle looks after I finished working on it. Can you spot the logo anymore?

Now that is a job that is easier said than done. Creating the appropriate design that works around the logo takes a fair amount of thought, and quite a few trials. Sometimes the engraving makes the surface so uneven that it is difficult to make the paint adhere, or behave the way you want.

Remember, the idea here is to recycle; so anybody looking at the bottle should not be able to tell where it came from. So do you think I managed to achieve that? Will look forward to your comments on this one....

In The Wilderness

Pretty poppies bobbing their heads in the wild.... reminding me of stray fields of glorious colour I'd come across in the suburban area I stayed in earlier, or even the hillsides where such flowers pop up miraculously by the wayside when you least expect them.

Painted on gallery-wrapped canvas (12"x10") for the first time, and loved the experience. The pre-stretched fabric gave me the liberty to do a lot of texturing on the surface, as you can see from the close-ups below.

It was fun to paint around the edges - so you can approach the painting from any side and still get the same kind of view. Also, wrapping the flower petals and stems over the sides gave the piece a nice, realistic feel. Now I want to paint on a bigger size, at least a 36"x36" if not more. Would be such an exhilarating experience.... Any ideas where in Delhi I can get pre-stretched canvases of this size?

Sunbird On Hibiscus

An oblong-shaped glass panel, an out-of-the-blue design, and there you have it.... a sunbird perched on a hibiscus flower, flapping its wings as it sucks in the nectar through its long beak.

Did I tell you before that every time I work on glass, I'm transported to heaven! :) I've taken a fancy to doing birds on glass now. The other morning I spotted a family of Goldenback Woodpeckers on my morning walk, and want to try that one now. Would look awesome on a large panel.... what say?