A piece of my Soul found a new home . . .

Nátyánjali - My tribute to Indian Classical Dance

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

Soul lives beyond life. My Soul is my Art.

We, a small group of Indian Artists started our group Kalakruti's association and our journey with Learn Quest Academy of Music in 2015. Since then our presence has been there every year at their Annual Event, "A 3-Day Festival of Indian Classical Music".

I still remember all the hard-work we did to make the room look better, the very first year when Learn Quest organizers gave us the room called "Black Room" to display our Art works, wherein the Musicians and Singers come out into, during breaks to meet their fans. Year after year, it got so better and our Kalakruti's presence over there has become an integral part of this event.

After a three year break that the Pandemic had given to the Planet, human-life started getting back to normal, so as several events, gatherings and energies too. This year we had our 6th presence in a row at their "15th Annual Music Conference in Boston", and we filled the "Black Room" again with our Art energies. It was nice and great feeling to be around with Artists and Art lovers.

I had my 3 Paintings displayed this year. And, one found a new home. Many thanks to Dr. Megha Joshi and her husband who bought this painting taking it as a gift to her Sister-in-law's Dance School in California. Also, thanks to Learn Quest Organizers. This is an Oil Painting I did back in 2018. I was very happy that a-piece-of-my-soul found it's new home to live longer.

Original Art goes with a "piece of life" in it. It's not merely a physical a piece of work. It is a piece of work that has a piece of life-time, skill and effort put in the creation of it. Unlike a machine made work, it has life in it and brings back life in any room at any place.

"Life expires, Soul doesn't." ~ Giridhar Pottepalem

 

Painting Krishna in a Painting...

Painting Krishna - Watercolors on Paper
TAKEN FB

I actually started this as a quick watercolor sketch for my debut in Acrylic Painting. I just kept on going with it, and it turned out to be a painting by itself. It is based on a very old Picture of Singer Sri. Lata Mangeshkar that I came across randomly in social media. I still have to consider it as a sketch. Otherwise, my debut in Acrylic Painting may not take off sooner.

My own creation of Lord Krishna I did in Oils can be seen as a painting in this painting. It's a double, rather a tripe Painting, me painting Radha painting Krishna of my painting.

After experiencing Oil Painting, I wanted to try and explore Acrylic Painting. I even bought a complete set of Paints and brushes. Watercolor is undoubtedly the most expressive media of all. But, certain kind of Paintings must only be attempted in Oils/Acrylic. I think this is one such and will be a great debut for me in Acrylic Painting. I will have to get into it and feel that media...

Looking forward to my beautiful first creation in Acrylic Painting! It's going to be BIG in size as well.

"Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is Art" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Painting!

Details
Title:  Painting Krishna in a Painting...
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Inspiration: An old picture of Lata Mangeshkar that I came across, Passion for Arts...

Size: 8.5" x 11" (21.5 cm x 27.9 cm)

Surface: Artist's Loft Sketchbook, 75 lb/110 gm2 Acid-free Paper

Accept Challenges in Life...

Watercolors on Paper - Live Painting in 30 minutes

What a great experience and challenge it was to do a Live Painting when different forms of Indian folk dances were going on back to back with no pause in between for 30 minutes. From start to finish all I had was just 30 minites to do a live painting in front of all. It was very intense, but hey...at the end it was an Art event done for a charity. Thanks to the buyer and the money raised 100% went to a charity! Enjoyed the event fully! Thanks to Ruma Neogy and Chitro Neogy from Calcutta Club USA for having me in this year's Live Painting challenge!

The most fulfilling memory was when the very first group of girls who started Garba Indian Folk dance and one of whose flash moments I had to capture in my mind in the very first minute and get going the rest of the 29 minute session, approached me at the end of the session and asked me "Who is the Girl among us you picked?". My answer was- "All of you, doesn't she look like each one of you?". The Girls were very happy to take a picture with me and the Painting.

I was also honored to share the stage with a humble and very talented young high school girl Meera Singh who accepted the challenge and performed Live Painting at the same time. The outcome was a fantastic painting. At her age, she is talented than many adult Artists around us.

A memorable experience to cherish!

"Success is due to our stretching to the challenge;lenges of life. Failure comes when we shrink from them." - John C. Maxwell

Details
Title: Indian Folk Dance...
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Inspiration: A challenge accepted to do Live Painting...

Size: 16" x 20" (40.6 cm x 50.8 cm)

Surface: Fabriano Extra White, Cold Press, 140lb/300 GSM Watercolor Paper

I always enjoy...

Beautiful Indian Woman Hairstyle

TAKEN: $450

Whether it is a sketch, a drawing or a painting, I always enjoy doing hair in a Portrait. Whenever I do hair, I always recollect my college days of doing fine photograph-like hair in my drawings and paintings. Couple of Professional Artists and few of my college-friends used to compliment my works saying that I get hair done so nicely and so accurately.

Though I never did a Painting of just hair, in this Painting I challenged myself to see how I do it in a Watercolor Painting. I think, I could do it ;)

Details

Mediums: Watercolors
Title: Beautiful Indian Woman Hairstyle
Category: Portraits
Inspiration: Random Pictures

Size: 16" x 18" (40 cm x 46 cm)

Toolkit
Surface: Artistico Fabriano Watercolor Paper, 140 lb Cold Press,

Paints: Daniel Smith Extrafine Quinacridone Purple, Red and Sienna, Winsor & Newton Neutral Tint , Opera Rose and Quinacridone Gold, and HWC Lavender

Brushes: Da Vinci Kolinsky Round Size 1, 3, 5 and RAPHEL Pure Squirrel Mop Brush (N0. 8)

Nātyānjali-8: Indian Classical Dance...

Nātyānjali-8: Indian Classical Dance

TAKEN: $325

This is just a continuation of the series of Paintings on one of my dream subjects- "Indian Classical Dance".

Happy Painting!

Details

Mediums: Watercolors
Title: Nātyānjali - Indian Classical Dance
Category: Random portraits - from pictures
Inspiration: A picture of Shobhana

Size: 16" x 20" (40 cm x 50 cm)

Toolkit
Surface: Artistico Fabriano Watercolor Paper, 140 lb Cold Press

Paints: All colors from my Palette

Brushes: Da Vinci Kolinsky Round Size 1, 3 and 5

F(ol)lowing through Colors...

Rooster - Watercolors on Paper

TAKEN: $175

When harmony and rhythm flows through colors, a beautiful Painting starts taking shape. Oftentimes, I decide what to do, well in advance, when it comes to painting. But today has been different; I didn't know what to start, but I felt like doing some painting in watercolors. My mind started flashing through my long-pending wish-list of items. The weaver bird that I did recently came to my mind taking me again back to my childhood days. Suddenly, I felt like doing another bird. There comes my Rooster, Yes...My Rooster...my own childhood pet that grew in my hands which I used to take care of when I was 6 years old.

There is always something learning in everything we do. This is one of the paintings that I fully enjoyed in recent times, playing with colors as they were flowing on the paper. I was creating ways for colors to flow easily and even following through the flow with brushes, finding the rhythm and harmony in colors.

In music, the outcome of following harmony and rhythm of musical notes could be a melody. In painting, the outcome of f(ol)lowing through the harmony and rhythm of colors is a beautiful piece of life-long satisfaction.

Happy Painting ;)

 Materials 

Surface: Strathmore Watercolor Paper 140lb/300gsm; Stretched
Technique: Wet on wet

Paints: Grumbacher - Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue, Grumbacher Academy - Cadmium Red, Winsor & Newton Series 1A Blue 654, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Grubacher Academy Violet (Thalo Purple)

Brushes: 10 round sable, 00 synthetic Winsor & Newton, and 000 Sable synthetic blend

Mediums: water

Size: 11" x 14"