My Entry for Virtual Paintout

Just Around the Corner, Watercolour on Paper (11" x 15")

This is my entry for Virtual Paintout, June 2011. The topic for this month is New Zealand.
Thanks for stopping by.

A few sketches

 Girl in Bronze, Pencil on Paper (12" x 8")

Ceramic Doll #1, Pencil on Paper (8" x 6")

Ceramic Statue, Pencil on Paper (12" x 8")

A couple of years ago I was really frustrated with the negligible progress I was making with my art. That was when I had the good fortune to be advised by one of Hyderabad's leading artists, Mr. Sanjay Ashtaputre about the virtues of sketching. I took his advice seriously and decided to concentrate only on sketching for some time. I did more than 800 sketches of all sizes and in different media in the next three months. Here are a few of those, all still lives.
Thank you so much for stopping by.

Low Tide #2, Watercolour

Low Tide #2, Watercolour on Paper (15" x 10")
Here's another boat painting! I am somehow not being able to get rid of the "boat" mood.
Thanks for stopping by

Waiting for the Tide, Watercolour

Waiting for the Tide, Watercolour on Paper (11" x 15")

I have never lived by the sea of even by a river or lake, but I dont know why boats attract me so much. I guess I will never get tired of these lovely things.


Thanks for stopping by. All critiques are most welcome.

Chitrakut Falls.... Oil on Canvas

Chitrakut Falls, Oil on Canvas (24" x 30")

This is a painting of the beautiful Chitrakut Waterfalls in Chattisgarh. I did this from one of my wife's photographs. It has taken me nearly 2 weeks to complete this piece. The main problem I think was that if I do not paint for a couple of days, I would have to repaint everything to get that wet-in-wet continuity in the painting. Its been my  experience that oil paintings dry a lot faster in summer than they do in winter. Special note must be taken of this especially when working on medium to large sized works which require more than one session.


Have you also experienced this? Can anyone tell me how one can get around this problem? All critiques and comments are welcome.
Thanks for visiting.

Sunday Sketching in Railway Colony!

Railway Colony Quarters I, Pencil on Cartridge Paper, (8" x 12")

Railway Colony Quarters II, Pencil on Cartridge Paper, (8" x 12")

I have been working on an oil painting for nearly a week now and its still not complete. So I had nothing to post of late. Today morning I felt like doing some outdoor sketching. I did these sketches in Railway Colony, one of my favourite places for sketching and plein air work in Hyderabad. 

It was so refreshing to do these sketches. I just love to do pencil on paper..... no hassles and endless pleasure! What do you think?

All comments and critiques are most welcome. I will be posting the oil painting as soon as it is finished.

Thanks for stopping by.

"Sense and Sensibility" and a Small Sketch

I have long been a fan of the 1995 movie "Sense and Sensibility" with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. I felt it is the best movie ever. I still feel so, but recently I had the opportunity to see another version of it that has Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield. I think this one ( a TV miniseries by BBC, directed by Andrew Davies) is just as lovely, except of course for the Emma Thompson magic. But nothing to take away from Hattie Morahan who has been just as fabulous. 


I think the world has been deprived of some fine literature because Jane Austen died at the age of 36. I an wathc these movies at least a thousand times and not get bored. Do you guys feel the same way?


Thanks for reading so far. I will leave you with a small sketch I did the other day.

The Violinist, Pencil on Paper, (8" x 8")

Innocence - Pencil on Paper

Innocence, Pencil on Paper (8" x 8")

I love doing pencil sketches once in a while. This is a sketch of a young Indian girl from a rural background.

All comments, suggestions and critiques are most welcome.

Lane in Trimbakeshwar, Twilight: Watercolor on Paper

Lane in Trimbakeshwar: Twilight, Watercolor on Paper, (15"x11")

This is a painting of another beautiful town, Trimbakeshwar. This place is quite close to Nashik in Maharashtra. The place is famous for its Shiva Temple which is one of the jyotilingas. The town as such has its own charms as a place to be painted. I did this one from a photograph I had taken during our visit to the place.

Thank you all for stopping by.

Nrusinhapur III - Watercolor on Paper

Nrusinhapur III, Watercolor on Paper, (11" x 15")

This is another painting of the beautiful Nrusinhapur village. I did it today from one of the many photographs I took of the place. This is going to be a wonderful week with 3 holidays for most of us here in India. I am looking forward to getting some painting done.

Thank you for stopping by.

Nrusinhapur II - Watercolor on paper

Nrusinhapur II, Watercolour on Paper (11" x 15")

A visit to Western Maharashtra and Kokan in particular is always full of visual delights. Nrusinhapur is one such place where the houses have tiled roofs and likely to have so for a long time to come. The village is a watercolorist's paradise.


P.S. I recently made my first international sale.

CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD!!!

For the first time I am posting about something other than art. But when the occassion is so HUGE, perhaps I may be pardoned :-).

India defeated Sri Lanka yesterday evening at Wankhede Stadium Mumbai to lift the World Cup of Cricket!!! So India are now the world champions again after a gap of 28 years. Cricket is more than a religion in India and the above picture is of our GODS!


The man at the centre of the picture who is sitting on the shoulders of his teammates is Sachin Tendulkar. Considering his contribution to Indian cricket and world cricket in general, he deserved the cup more than anyone else on this planet.
Congratulations SACHIN!
Congratulations INDIA!!!
Team India are now the No.1 Test team as well as the No.1 ODI team.

Nagpur Station: Monochrome Study

Signalman's Cabin, Watercolour on paper (11" x 15")

Its been some time since I have painted anything. Its been my experience that spending a week away from your brushes can make your watercolour skills completely disown you. I have been really busy lately and so thought I might get back to painting with a monochrome study that will let me concentrate on values without bothering about the colours. 

I have had a fascination with railways and everything associated with it. This was done from aa quick sketch done at Nagpur station while waiting for our train.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Those eyes have seen it all!

Those Eyes Have Seen it All, Oil on Primed Paper (11" x 15")

I did this painting from a photo of an old man from my hometown. I modified the original reference to suit my needs.

The eyes of this man betray a depth of thought and experience gained over a lifetime. That wisdom in his eyes is what I wanted to capture. 

All comments and critiques are most welcome.

Fishing Boat in Telangkhedi

Fishing Boat on Telangkhedi, Watercolour on paper (7" x 15")

I enjoy sketching and spending time on the banks of telangkhedi lake in my hometown, Nagpur. I did this on from one of those sketches. It was a lazy summer afternoon and everything seemed to be still, idle and aimless. Dont know why such things make me nostalgic!

On Western Boulevard, Watercolour (11" x 15")

This is a small watercolour of Cape Town, South Africa, I did using google street view for the Virtual Paintout hosted by Bill Guffey. It was fun to paint thus.I wish I had handled the sky better.

Thanks for stopping by.

A Street in Lonavala

A Street in Lonavala,  Pencil on Paper (3" x 6")

This is a sketch of the lovely town of Lonavala.  Its is a beautiful hilly town in western Maharashtra which is at its best during the monsoons. And I almost forgot the chikkis. This place is also famous for its delicious dry fruit chikkis (a preparation of dry fruit, jaggery, sugar etc.)

Thank you all for stopping by. All comments and critiques are most welcome.

A Street in Port Blair

A Street in Port Blair, Pencil on Paper (6" x 6")

This is a sketch of the lovely town of Port Blair (Andaman) I did from one of the photographs I took during my recent visit. All comments and critiques are most welcome. Thanks for stopping by.

Boats

White Ferry, Watercolour on paper (14" x 22")

The Day Off, Watercolour on paper (14" x 22")

These were done a couple of years ago. I really enjoy paintings boats in watercolour. I wish I lived somewhere in the coastal area so I could paint as many of them as I wanted.
All comments and critiques are most welcome.

Inspiration and a Few Sketches

All of us know the importance of sketching  in the development of an artist. The work of Adebanji Alade sure stands testimony to this. He sketches on the bus, train, tube and everywhere else that he can find time. Needless to say all this hard work transforms into some marvelous paintings which win him awards and other recognitions regularly. He is a continual inspiration to me and I am sure to many others.

I have travelled about 6000 km by rail in the last 5 days or so on account of my work. Tiresome as it was, I could not do any painting. However, I did manage to make a few quick sketches.

Delhi Railway Station (Pen on Paper)

Handbag (Pen on Paper)

Dr. Ray (Pen on Paper)

Man Resting (Pen on Paper)

Morning in the outskirts of Jhansi (Pencil on Paper)

My feet (Pen on paper), 

these models are always ready to pose for a sketch ;)

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