HAPPY NEW YEAR

Shubha, Pencil on Paper (11" x 7")

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas.  Here's wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous new year.

 I have picked up the pencil after a long time today. This is a sketch of my wife, Shubha. I asked her to put on the stole to create that Iranian look. I shall be making a complete painting of hers in the same pose. 

Thank you for dropping by, all comments and suggestions are most welcome.

Morning Mist .... Watercolour

Morning Mist, Watercolour, 14" x 20"

Owing to work and other distractions I haven't been able to paint much lately. I did this one about an year ago. Boats are always such a pleasure to paint in watercolour.

Thanks for dropping by.

Eleanor Dashwood

Eleanor Dashwood, Oil on primed paper (11" x 14")

I love most of the movies based on Jane Austen's novels. "Sense and Sensibility" is my favourite. Emma Thompson was very impressive with the way she played Eleanor Dashwood, my favourite character on film.

I did this painting more than an year ago. I hope I could do justice here.

All comments and critiques are most welcome.

Low Tide....SOLD

Low Tide, Watercolour, (11" x 15")

SOLD

I love painting boats in watercolour. I always have problems photographing my paintings. Any advice on this shall be of good use.

All comments and critiques are most welcome.

Boats by the beach

Hello everyone!
Wish you all a very happy Diwali. I hope you all have a great time.

I completed this painting from a photograph last evening. I am satisfied with it for certain reasons and not so satisfied for others. I particularly dont like the way I have divided the spaces on the canvas. I am thinking about cropping this one a little bit. But I am not sure about which crop would work best. So I created the following digital images from the photograph of the painting. Please take a look and tell me which one you think is the best crop.

Case 1. No cropping

Case 2

Case 3

Case 4

Case 5

Case 6

Please tell me which one you like best and why. I would love to hear the technicalities or emotional responses that are involved here. It will help to know a thing or two about how artists think.

Thank you so much!

P.S. Any other suggestions or criticisms are also most welcome.

Busy Evening

Busy Evening (8" x 20"), Watercolour

First of all, let me wish very happy Dussehra to everyone. I hope everyone had a great time!


This painting was done from a photograph of a fishing port. I am happy with the overall mood of the painting, although not much with the way the reflections are handled.

Thanks for stopping by. All comments and critiques are most welcome.

Finally Selected......

Ganeshnath ( 15" x 11") (Oil on primed paper)

After all this while, I do finally have some news to share with you guys. My painting Ganeshnath has been selected to be displayed at the Indian Royal Academy of Art and Culture's Annual National Juried Exhibition 2010. That is the reason why I am posting it here again.


I have been applying for this competition every year for the last three years. This is the first time my work has been selected. I am absolutely elated about this and am really looking forward to the exhibition. Thank you all for your support and guidance. Best wishes.

More Sketches from the Archives...

Tumsar (Pencil on Cartridge Paper)

Dhantoli (Fountain Pen on Cartridge Paper)

These are a few more old sketches. I particularly  like the second one. Perhaps it the subject of the sketch that draws me to it. This old house used belong to my maternal grandfather's neighbours. Neither the house, nor its inhabitants nor even my grandfather are there anymore, only memories and nostalgia!

All comments and critiques are most welcome.

Some more sketches!

Here are a few sketches that I made a couple of years ago at the lovely Railway Station of Lonavala. I dont think I will ever grow tired of this place. 

All comments and critiques are most welcome.

An old 20 minute quickie....

Watercolour (8" x 12")

Lately, I havent been able to paint anything worthwhile. So I am posting an old sketch that I had done a couple of years ago. Please give your comments and suggestions.

Thanks for dropping by.

Travelling Light

Watercolour (15" x 11")

This is one of my old paintings. This is from the time when I used to copy works of established artists with an intention to learn. I dont remember the name of the original artist. I did not bother to note it then. However, today as I remember the quality of the original I have come to hold him/her in high regard.

I gave up copying works of other artist some time ago feeling that it would hamper the development of my individual style. I cant say whether the decision was right or wrong. Please let me know what you think about it and also about this sketch.

Thank you all for dropping by.

Not a care!

"Not a care", Watercolour, (15" x 11")

This is another of my older paintings. I do not thing the green shadow looks convincing. 

Anyways, the subject is so interesting that i felt it still deserves to be posted here. This "old man" can be seen anywhere and everywhere in India. There is of course the ubiquitious "beedi", the only thing he relishes in this whole wide world. At times he likes to give some unwanted advice to people whom he doesnt know. He has no role to play in the scheme of things, except that things would somehow look so incomplete without him. India wont be the same without his dirty dhoti and smelly kurta.

All comments, suggestions and critiques are most welcome.

A few old sketches

Lonavala (Pencil on Cartridge Paper)

Lonavala 2 (Pencil on Cartridge Paper)

Khadki, Pune (Pencil on Cartridge Paper)

Farm near Tumsar (Pencil on Cartridge Paper)

Here are a few sketches from my old sketch books. I love going through these old sketchbooks and ruminating on the good old days.

Unexpected Visitors

Watercolour on Paper (15" x 17")

This was done from a spot sketch I did in the junk yard of the place where I work. This is the not so pleasant side of engineering and technology. This is where all the rusted junk is thrown away and no one comes here, the reason for the title. I love to roam around this place though and feel its romance!

All comments and suggestions are most welcome.

Headed for the River

Oil on Primed Paper (22" x 15")

This old man is walking down the stairs to have a dip in the Ganga for his ablutions and prayers. The reference for this painting is the same as for Ganeshnath.
All comments and critques are welcome.

From the Archives

Kerala (Watercolour on Paper)

This is an old painting which I had done from one of Sujit's photographs. He is as good a photographer as he is a painter. I do not like the way I have handled the stone wall. All comments and suggestions are welcome.

On way to Kerala

Watercolour on paper (11" x 14")

This one was done from one of the many photographs I took on our way to Kerala. It was one tiring journey from Hyderabad to Munnar which consisted of everything from rail travel, air travel and of course the unforgettable road journey from Bangalore to Kerala. However, when we finally reached our destination we were glad that all the effort was nothing compared to the peace, beauty and a sense of being in heaven that awaited us.

I plan to paint many more paintings from these photos. 

All comments and critiques are most welcome.

Self portrait

Oil on Paper (14" x 11")

This is a self portrait I did two days ago looking into the mirror. I have been invited to join Arti's blog "Artists of India". This is my first post on the blog.

All comments and suggestions are welcome.

A thousand years of Irish history .....

Watercolour (9" x 4")

In this sweltering Indian summer, its really difficult to get out and paint en plein air. So I have decided to stick to still lives for the time being. Besides, our teacher Mr. Mahurkar used to say that still lives can be a good way to regain your confidence that can be lost due to irregular painting and long breaks.

This is a small sketch of a miniature bottle of "Irish Mist". Its from the collection of a friend who is just crazy about these miniature wine bottles. It took me some effort to get him to lend me one of these bottles for an afternoon of painting. I hope I could do justcie to the beauty and romance of the subject here.
All comments and critiques are most welcome.

P.S. Irish Mist is said to be made according to a thousand year old wine recipe.

Kokan ..... Monochrome in Burnt Umber

Watercolour (11" x 14")

I have been to Kokan several times and the fascination for the hills and the thatched roofs grows with every visit. I did this monochrome from a photograph of a small village that  had taken during my last visit. I like to do monochromes once in a while. Its a great relief when one doesnt have to bother about getting the colours right and fresh every single time. All one needs to do is to bother about the values.

In my limited experience I have come to realise that Burnt Umber and Prussian Blue are the two colours that are least likely to granulate, whereas Cobalt Blue and Fresh Ultramarie are the most likely. I want to try this subject with french ultramarine too, so as to strike a comparison in terms of added value (or reduced value) that granulation lends to a watercolour.

All thoughs, comments, critiques and suggestions are most welcome.

Railway Colony

Watercolour on paper (11" x 15")

Nice, warm Sunday afternoon and a quite, shady place to sit and paint, what else does one need? Well, one does need the skill to paint, and I guess I am on my way to gaining some. I did this in the railway colony area near Secunderabad station. I am not perfectly happy with the effort. I wish I had handled the sadow side of the house as well as the roof of the distant house better. Figures, as always, arent working the way I wanted them to. Anyways, wa a good learning experience.
All comments and suggestions are welcome.

Telangkhedi Village

Watercolour on handmade paper

Again one of those occassions where you (or rather I) have to begin from scratch. When I feel that I have absolutely no skill or familiarity with watercolour. This happens to me quite often, when I feel like all my previous watercolours were painted by someone else. I need a sureshot solution that works everytime I get into this slump. Terry Miura , an artist I greatly admire has written a very nice and helpful post on his blog. Click here to see the post.

This painting was done from a sketch I made of the Telangkhedi area in my hometown Nagpur. All comments and suggestions are most welcome.

Contemplation

Oil on primed paper

This is the second painting that was selected for the State Level Exhibition at State Art Gallery, Madhapur, Hyderabad. The first one was "Nrusinhapur". I wish I had handled the legs and the flooring better. I hope someday I will be able to achieve the kind of edges that separate the work of amateurs from that of professionals.

All comments, suggestions and corrections are most welcome.

Portrait of my Mother

STAGE I

STAGE II

STAGE III

"Aai"

Oil on Canvas : 19" x 20"

This is an Alla Prima portrait of my mother done from life. I agreee when they say that portrait painting requires a hell lot of patience. But I think, what they meant was the sitter's patience. The painter is anyways busy doing what he loves to do most .... paint.
This has been done on a 20" x 19" canvas taped to my drawing board. I had Whistler's composition at the back of my mind and even wanted to introduce a picture frame at the top left corner.
This was surely a most valuable learning experience. It took me around 6 hrs to complete this.
All comments, suggestions and corrections are most welcome.

Lonavala

Watercolour on paper (11" x 15")

I made this from another of the many sketches I have done during my visit to Lonavala. I am not satisfied with the figure in particular. Maybe, the rickshaw could have done with a bit mroe of detail. All comments and suggestions are welcome.

Trevor Chamberlain, the master artist!

Summer Light, West Mersea, Oil on canvas 14" x 18"

This is my humble attempt at copying Trevor Chamberlain's "Summer Light, West Mersea". Trevor Chamberlain is amongst the finest of landscape artists all over the world. He is a very successful and celebrated painter who excels in watercolours as well as oils. He is a self taught artist and learned painting watercolours at the age of 40, all on his own. His work inspires me endlessly. I hope I have done some justice to the great master of our times.
This painting was done as a wedding gift for a very close friend who would  not accept anything else.

Chico .....my entry for FOLLOWING THE MASTERS

11" x 14" (Oil on primed paper)

This is my entry for Michelle Burnett's blog Following The Masters. The current challenge is devoted to Robert Henri. This is my humble attempt at his masterpiece "Boy with a green cap (or Chico)". It was only when I was painting that I realised what must have gone into the original. It was very difficult for me to get the skin tones as fresh as they are in the original. Indeed DOING IS KNOWING. This was a great learning experience.

All comments are most welcome.

Kerala

Watercolour on paper (14" x 20")

I took many photographs during our trip to Kerala. I did this one from one of those pics. All comments are welcome.

Nrusinhapur

Watercolour on paper: 20" x 14"

This is not an attempt at copying one of Mr. Mulick's paintings. But, I must confess that it was only after going through his beautiful books on watercolour that I realised that beauty can be found in the most mundane and humble subjects. I guess I owe Mulick Sir in more ways than one.

All comments are welcome.

Railway Yard, Lonavala .... SOLD

Watercolour on paper (14" x 20")

Did this one from one of the reference sketches I made during my last trip to the lovely town of Lonavala.

Ganeshnath

Oil on Primed Paper (11" x 14")
This is another portrait I have attempted from the photographs my kind friend has sent to me.

Daddy's White Muffler

Oil on primed paper (11" x 15")

I have attempted this portrait from a snap sent to me by a photographer friend. All comments are most welcome.