Towards your destiny...

Dancing Feet

Oil on Stretched Canvas 16" x 20" (40 cm x 50 cm)
 

Destiny is not something that we reach by accident or by luck. It is something that we know very well about. But, what we don't know is how to reach. Efforts, efforts, efforts....that is all we need to put in for reaching it.

I have turned many of my thoughts and actions into habits by constantly doing. I always tell myself and others that once something becomes a habit, it is hard to live without it. Thought Art has been my primary hobby since my childhood, I turned it into a habit by re-starting it with sketching. Sketching for almost 2 years every single day on my commute to work on the train, and then constantly practicing every weekend for more than 6 years till date, now it is part of my life. I can't live without doing it. My weekend is not complete without it. It is now that much into me and my life!

This one is a continuation of my series of Nátyánjali - My tribute to Indian Classical Dance. I've lost track of the running number of this series already, and cannot count on my fingers and toes anymore. It must be in twenties by now. This is my 12th finished Oil Painting and 3rd this year. If I can reach the magical number 12 by the end of this year, I would reach my goal, 1 per month on an average. That's an aggressive goal with much of time is taken by the busy life of profession, family, friends, books etc.

"Your beliefs become your thoughts.

Your thoughts become your words.

Your words become your actions.

Your actions become your habits.

Your habits become your values.

Your values become your destiny."

- Mahatma Gandhi

Happy Painting!

March forward steadily towards your destiny!!

Details

Title: Dancing Feet, Nátyánjali - My tribute to Indian Classical Dance
Mediums: Oil on Stretched Canvas

Reference: A photograph from my collection

Size: 16" x 20" (40 cm x 50 cm)

Surface: Stretched Canvas board

Friends until the end...

Friends forever

Oil Painting requires patience, at every phase of it. It's more like cooking. If you do not have patience in cooking, you turn out to be a bad cook and most likely remain a bad cook for your life. If you only enjoy cooking, but not cutting vegetables before and cleaning dishes after, you are still not a good cook. A good cook needs patience at all phases and must enjoy the complete process of cooking. Similarly, Oil Painting requires quite a bit of setup before you get to touch the canvas with brush. At the end, cleaning brushes & palette is a real test to your patience. I have heard Artists saying- "I hate cleaning brushes". Well, if you hate cleaning brushes, you are not enjoying the process fully ;)

Like many beginners in Oil Painting, I went through the struggles of cleaning palette and brushes. With not knowing techniques, I spoiled expensive brushes and palettes. I also tried disposable wax-coated papers and plastic palettes, and was not happy with either. I do have a couple of wooden palettes, but am scared to touch those as I do not know how to clean dried-up painting on wood. Recently, after watching a youtube video, I made my own palette from a glass, removed from an old frame. I even spent my time quoting one side with gray acrylic paint and adding a thin border all around with duct tape. This one worked out to my best satisfaction and I am quite happy. Cleaning is as easy as scrapping the paint. Of course, I had to visit hardware stores finding a good paint scrapper. Don't try to scrape any other way, nothing works better than a good paint scrapper ;)

You have to learn by experimenting in order to arrive at what works best for you. It's a scientifically proven fact, that the best option is always the last one. To arrive at it, you will have to try all other options. Life is meant to work that way only. If it works any different for anybody, that person is an extraordinary person ;)

After experiencing and knowing what I want, I've decided to invest my money & time to buy expensive palette. This new New Wave Posh Tabletop Palette with corner guards and gray-coated on one side, is my new friend I have now in my journey of Oil Painting.

It's a false belief that only people have hearts. Non-living things do have hearts; only if you can feel. Unlike living people, non-livings do not hurt. All they need is little care, they always give their best to you.

My dear new friends, new palette and brushes, I promise to give you a good care. Let's start our colorful journey on the path of Oil Painting, and make it a memorable journey together...

Happy Painting! Happy caring!!

"Caring- about people, about things, about life- is an act of maturity."

- Tracy McMillan