Bridge over...

Crags

Straw, berries

The Rise and The Fall

She was teary-eyed when she saw it. Perhaps because she's given up hope of its every seeing the light of day! As I confessed in my earlier post, this was the promise that I'd made, the promise I'd procrastinated acting upon and the one thing that made me feel my lowest low in a long, long time.

On the last weekend of the term, I sat with the resolve to have fun and finish it by 4pm. I didn't care about reference pictures or technical flaws. I just needed the final painting to have enough detail and tons of warm colours - the yummy yellows, the ornamental oranges and oh-so-radiant reds. This was also the first painting where I used water colour pencils, though I haven't yet experimented with them enough. I used them for the bark of the trunk and branches at first, but what's more clearly visible are the brush-marks. I used some spray-painting for the finer details and a little oil pastel instead of masking fluid in very insignificant parts (Wish I'd used them more!).

It was just not going to be a smooth ride, I realised within 10 minutes into the process. There was a dinner-party in the evening that I had to cook for a dozen people. New recipes, few supplies, even lesser time. Random incidents demanded me to run out, walk half a kilometer to and fro various nooks of the campus. Tons of distractions later, I saw myself panting to her house with one arm outstretched. That I don't need a CHUNK of time to myself to sit to paint was quite a discovery - yay (that's the usual grouse for procrastinating. I just don't seem to have 7 hours to myself!)!

I finally did it! I was thrilled to bits with the whole process. Not really with the final product. I think I've broken the mental block that I'd developed for a 6 months... now. I can't tell you how much lighter I feel. Here is how it looks.

Ecologically yours affectionately...

These are perhaps the first two paintings in years that I have made without ANY reference pictures. I thought it would be more difficult than this - but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed painting these. These pictures are part of a presentation that a teacher needs to make for little kids to introducs/remind them of the difference between an artifical, mechanised, interfered world and one that is left to work on its own.

The first picture's got a perfect produce - the end product that all our energies are focussed upon - but lifeless, dull flora and fauna. The second picture shows the diversity and vibrance in a natural environment where the produce is more diverse, as rich, but perhaps takes somewhat longer to grow. There are other subtle differences that I'd rather not point out. Of course, the shadow of the photographer in the second one is one of them :)

Hmmm... now for the splash of colour for my perky friend!

Calvin and Hobbes... and me!

The date on the last post in this blog. Then the pictures in this post. No explanations so far. And now I turn up with a plethora. Let me explain.

Where have I been all this while? I wish I had an answer to that one! I've been here - regularly clicking the URL to this blog and having a look at my previous paintings. Only, I didn't have a reason to log on. It's a rather new phase that I entered sometime earlier this year. there have been days that I announced, "There's going to be a creative outburst tonight!" and 30 minutes later, I would have fallen asleep. On other days I've felt panicky at not having anything to do - having the day (or the larger chunk of it) to myself - uh oh, NOW what do I use as an excuse for not painting? I've run away from it. For 6 months now.

But you know what?
The more you run away from something, the more are the chances that you'll run into it!

A friend asked me to paint something vibrant for her 2 months ago - she's a keg of energy herself. She needed something that would spice up her mornings at first sight. Her excitement was infectious. I sat to paint. And froze. I was avoiding her eye subconsciously. Then last week she came up to me and accosted me. Was there anything that she had done, she enquired, innocuously. WHAT??? OH Gosh... I was embarrassed., to say the least. I don't remember the last time that I was this angry with myself.

Then another dear friend mentioned off the cuff if I could make some posters for the library. Children need to be taught library-etiquette lightly and in a fun-way. For some strange reason, I jumped at it. I've never thought about it earlier but somehow - just as inexplicably as anything possibly can be - I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to make! I browsed through all of the C&H strips that I had and began scribbling ferociously. (Yup...that's why the colourful post!!!) But it took me 3 days to muster up the courage to put brush-tip to paper. A senior staff member came about 2 weeks ago and asked me to make a picture for her. She needs to make a presentation to the children with pictures. She knew exactly what she wants in the pictures - which corner has what, how many elements, even the time of day! You see, this one's slightly different - tick-tock! I need to submit BOTH by tomorrow.

Aha... Like I said, you're pushed to 'it'. I'm back. Especially after painting these posters - can't wait for my 9 o'clock library-class tomorrow!

He’s be cursed, Hibiscus…

…for being such a delicate and enticing flower!

I had been looking at them for a while, every time I crossed the path to the school. I’d seen them bloom. I’d seen them radiant every afternoon.

Shamelessly, I plucked one little one from our garden last afternoon, resolute that I’d found my muse for the day. I played around for about 10 minutes, holding my little treasure, putting it under sunlight with its back towards me, then with its glaring face, then its profile, then peeking at me, then cold-shouldering me, then looking up, then looking down, and finally smiling straight at me, saying, “Now pick up the pencil and begin!”

I did – and one wasn’t enough. Irresistibly iridescent.

No reference photo, no inspiring painting – this is purely my mind’s game one April afternoon!

Smitten,
Roopika

P.S.
By the way, you can have a look at the yellow one's face here!