Abstract Landscapes

I was always a huge admirer of landscapes, given the inherent nature lover that I am. Lately I'm leaning more and more towards semi-abstract and abstract depiction of landscapes.

Trying to capture the beauty of the world around us using the fluidity and freeform of abstracts is very liberating. There are so many different interpretations you can give to the same scene, thanks to the boundless quality of abstract and mixed media art.

Nah, what you see here is not an actual canvas; it is just a rough sketch I made on a 1"x1" square card. But I am currently working on a series of landscape abstracts, in small format (10"x10"), both on paper and canvas.

Some of my landscapes are derived from my own recent journeys, and some from pictures and settings that have left an impression on me at some point of time. Hope to share the results of my efforts soon.

On another note, I'm really enjoying the balmy weather these days. As the days get warmer, it is so obvious that my favourite season Spring is just round the corner. There is a song in my heart and a spring in my step that is making me want to paint more and more!

Revisiting the Ghats

So many days into the new year and no post on my blog yet.... tch, tch! Well, the winter blues are getting me down so I have only managed one small landscape painting in all these days. But that is not what I'm sharing today.... let me first show you the last painting of the last year that somehow got neglected and never appeared on the blog.

This one was finished just a day or so before the year ended. But what I really loved about it was the abstraction.... especially the shadowy areas in the background. I tend to get very definitive with forms so keeping things loose and undefined was fun. Also depicting the shadows with wide swathes of colour, rather than trying to achieve specifics, was a learning experience. Then I hardly used brushes to make this; relied on the smooth tip of a plastic knife instead!

I want to try my hand at more abstracted forms this year and have already made a start by stocking up on more canvases and paints. Let us see how and where things go now.... maybe that explains why I started the year with an abstract landscape. But more on that in my next post.

Enlightenment and Other Thoughts

So did the title scare you? Yes, the words sound heavy, don't they. And coming at the end of the year, they could actually mean a whole lot of things.... but hold on, that is not where I want to go at all. It is just that there are too many things swirling around in my head, and I can't seem to figure out how I want to put them down. So let us take this one by one.....

All of last month I have been working on a Buddha painting called Enlightened One. Now you know where some of the 'heaviness' of the title comes from! ;) Well, this painting shouldn't have taken as long as it did but festivals and special occasions hogged the limelight, and my poor piece kept getting pushed to the back-burner.

But despite the distractions, I loved working on this painting because of the technique I used -  it was primarily made by running random paint drips on the canvas, giving the piece a multi-coloured underpainting. This was followed by numerous washes that helped tone down certain colours and highlight some others. The layers finally merged together to bring a cohesive unity to the piece that is unique.

Take a look at the picture above to get a sense of where the painting started (with the colour drips), and how it finally ended. It almost felt as if the painting "painted itself" with very little conscious input from my side. I had read about how using such techniques brought a certain freedom into our work but experiencing it first-hand was quite something. Enlightened One is now offered for sale through the website 1000 Words. If you want something similar for yourself - perhaps a different size or colour combination, or maybe some other figure - just drop me a detailed mail at creativerumblings@gmail.com.

Moving on to other thoughts....Now that the year is drawing to a close, it is time to take stock. Those of you who have been following the blog for a while would have noticed how the frequency of posts has gone down considerably this year. But I can explain that.... ever since I started toying with bigger pieces and newer techniques, the output has taken longer. And hence the falling numbers. This year my biggest achievement has been to get over my fear of working on larger canvases. I think adopting a more loose and abstract style of painting has helped go over the bump in the road. Now let us see what the next year has in store....

Meanwhile, here is wishing all my wonderful readers a happy, peaceful and creative 2014! May our interesting interactions continue into the new year!!

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.

Diwali Greetings With The Red Hibiscus

The festive season is in full swing and we're all charged up to celebrate! The city is twinkling bright like a starry sky, and we are all making last-minute decorations at home. So sharing with you my Diwali gift to my home.... a mixed media piece on canvas that now hangs in my living area. It is called The Red Hibiscus and is my abstract rendition of the multitude of red hibiscus flowers that bloom in my garden.

The red hibiscus flower is associated with both goddesses Durga and Kali, and is supposed to be the favourite flower of Ganpati. No, I'm no authority on this; all my 'gyaan' (knowledge) only comes from my forays into various alleys of the internet. But if what I read is right, then I'm looking for some positive vibes from hanging this piece! :)

This painting has a lot of diverse elements coming together, right from metal foil to sand and plaster. I had lots of fun painting it because of this very reason, and love the highly textured surface that it now has. Here is a peek into the various elements it incorporates.

If you are looking for something similar for your home, write in to me at my mail address creativerumblings@gmail.com. I'll be happy to create a piece that focuses on your favourite flower or motif, and uses colours to match your decor.

I also want to take this opportunity to inform you all that some of my paintings are now available for sale on the website 1000 Words, an online platform for promoting affordable art. They also sell sculptures and photographs, so go take a look and pick out something for your home this festive season.

I will be adding more paintings to the 1000 Words website for sale but only after I get over enjoying all the festivities.... Till then, here's wishing you all a dazzling and cheerful Diwali! Hope goddess Lakshmi bestows you with loads of luck!!

Bamboo Shoots

I'm playing around a lot with mixed media elements these days. I'd wanted to do these bamboo stalks for a long time but just wasn't getting around to it.

And finally when I did.... the board sank under the weight of the gloop I put on it! So couldn't get more colour on to adjust the tonal qualities. But I still like the outcome.... now this stands at a corner of my work table. Hope it brings some luck too! ;)

Experiments and Trials

Last week has been one of experiments and trials. Primarily a prepping up for trying my hand at something new, and a tad bigger in size.

Thought I'd give you all a glimpse into the results.... I'm hoping the actual piece will look far more dramatic as it will involve more techniques and textures!