Sunday, June 29, 2014

Boston Seaport...

Boston Seaport
Happy Painting ;)

Materials 

Mediums: Watercolors
Surface: Arches Watercolor Paper, 140 lb, Cold press
Size: 16" x 20" (40 cm x 50 cm)
Paints: Winsor & Newton - Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Orange, Ultramarine Violet, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Turquoise Light and Neutra;l Tint.
Brushes: 8 round Sable, and 2 round Sable

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Father's Day(s)...

The most precious things in life are the moments spent with loved ones. As time passes by, those moments when recalled from heart, time-to-time take us back to them. The more we recollect those moments, the more precious they (be)come to us.

As the world celebrates Father's Day today, my heart goes back to my Father by recollecting very few years of my childhood life that I could hardly remember to recollect.

Childhood- certainly is the only phase of life that looks very precious in life as we grow old. In my opinion, those who could fully spend their childhood with their parents are the most gifted children in the world. That's the age that knows nothing but Mom and Dad. That's the age that world means just Mom and Dad. That's the age when stayed away just for a few days, cries to go back to see Mom and Dad. That's the age that never comes back, but of course everyone wants to go back.

Like many children I did cry a lot to go back to to see my Mom and Dad, but I could only go back and see my Mom but not my Dad. God is great, but not greater than the Hearts of Kids that he makes them cry.

When I recollect those fewer early years of my life that I spent with my Dad, I only can recollect his very pleasant and smiling face; I only can recollect very few days that he used to take me and my brother to a near by park on some very pleasant evenings after he returned home from his school; I only can recollect a couple of movies that he took us to when we felt like on top of the world sitting in a Balcony seat next to him and watching the movie; I only can recollect my only bus journey with my Dad from Tirupati to my school as we missed a train that I was supposed to catch to go back to school after my vacation along with my friend's Dad; I only can recollect one instance of him drawing the portrait of Swamy Vivekananda;  I only can recollect the days that he didn't even let me see him during his last days of fighting with Cancer and asking my Mom to keep me away as I would be frightened if I would see him like that; I only can recollect the very last day I was with many people crying around after God took my Dad away from us; I only can recollect countless moments after that in my life crying alone for him; I only can recollect many many dreams in which he was always coming back to us surprisingly after so many years, but disappearing as I suddenly woke up.

Along with very few memories, my Dad also left a few of his Drawings with us. I love Art. I believe I inherited his skill of Art and hence I always see my Dad in my Art. I also very strongly believe that  he is still living with me and every Art work that I do, I see my Dad in it. I missed much of my childhood without my Dad living with us. Now, I learn that I only can fulfill it by my Art.

Art lives long and Soul lives even longer in it. But I have more than one Soul living in my Arts. Certainly my Dad's soul is next to mine in each of my Art work. He didn't even know that I had inherited his skill. Now, I feel, he sees that I not only inherited his skill but keep it alive with me in my (he)art.

After all the life without my Dad, I see my Dad as a Person from whom I would have learned more in my life than anybody else, a Soul that still inspires me day-to-day in life.

Here are a couple of his Drawings that I tried to preserve. The "Portrait of Lord Rama and Sita" that he did when he was in his Teachers Training College in Bangalore, India and the "Portrait of Abraham Lincoln" that won first place in a all India state-level drawing competition held in Nellore when he was doing his B.A. degree in Venkatagiri Raja's College known as VR College, Nellore, AP, India. Both were done with Pen and Indian Ink on Paper.

HAPPY  FATHER'S  DAY!

Portrait of Lord Rama and Sita

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln

Sunday, June 1, 2014

One of my Dream Paintings...

Hampi - Watercolors on Paper

Every Artist dreams to paint certain subjects, places or people of personal interests. Hampi- once used to be the Capital City of Vijayanagara Dynasty, and now left as a ruined City of Magnificent Sculpture has been one of my dream places of subject for a series of paintings.

I visited this city with my friends when I was in Engineering College and that still remains as one of memorable vacations in my life. We spent a tireless day walking all around the ruins of great many sculptures and many many wonderful things heard and seen in this big city spread through few square kilometers on the banks of river Tungabhadra. Though much of this city was ruined long ago, each sculpture and rock speaks in silence about the skill of many great Sculpturers who built this glorious city of sculptures.

I am glad to make a bold attempt of one of my dream paintings on a bigger size. Many more to come in coming years...

Happy Painting ;)

Materials 

Mediums: Watercolors
Surface: Arches Watercolor Paper, 140 lb, Cold press
Size: 16" x 20" (40 cm x 50 cm)
Paints: Winsor & Newton - Vandyke Brown, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, Hooker's green, Ultramarine Blue and Prussian Blue.
Brushes: 8 round Sable, and 2 round Sable

Sunday, May 25, 2014

The Jewelry of my Palette...

My Set of Winsor and Newton professional watercolors
After trying different Manufacturer's and various qualities of Watercolors, I started to fall in Love with Winsor & Newton Professional watercolors. The transparency is great. The colors are available in many shades. Professional Artists say that just the primary colors- Red, Blue and Yellow are enough. That is so true and any color shade is possible with these 3 primary colors. But it is good to have other shades added to the set.

I will add few more shades of Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolors to my set and I think with that I will be all set for many years of happy painting.

I also have tried and experienced different Manufacturer's and various types of Watercolor paper. I think I started to develop my own taste for the paper too.

Happy Painting ;)

Saturday, May 17, 2014

New additions...


I am happy to add more Professional watercolors to my set, bought from BLICKstudio. As Watercolor Artists always say- watercolors are expensive, but they last for a lifetime.

TOP - Left to Right 

Winsor & Newton Professional 14ml - Raw Umber
Winsor & Newton Professional 14ml - Vandyke Brown
Winsor & Newton Professional 14ml - Prussian Blue
Winsor & Newton Professional 14ml - Indigo

BOTTOM - Left to Right 

Winsor & Newton Artist's Series 1AA 14ml - Davy's Gray
Winsor & Newton Professional 14ml - Permanent Sap Green

Happy painting ;)

Sunday, April 27, 2014

A painting can change the mood...

Bharatanatyam
Certain days have a gloomy start; we don't know what to do, but we feel like doing something close to our heart. Yesterday, on such a day, I opened my college-days collection of paper cuttings. Most of those were mainly appealing to me and a source of inspiration for me to start a drawing or painting during my college-days. A small black and white picture which I believe I did a pen sketch for our college magazine made me to start this painting. Guess what, rest of my day took me out from this world for few hours.

I tried to get that very pleasant face into my painting. At the end, I felt like I should have started even on a bigger size paper. I gave my best to turn my gloomy day into a bright one.

Art is always inspiring, refreshing and can change bad mood into good mood.

Happy Painting ;)

Materials 

Mediums: Watercolors
Surface: Canson Artist Series Watercolor Paper, 140 lb/300 G, Cold press
Size: 11" x 13 1/2" (28 cm x 34 cm)
Paints: Winsor & Newton - Opera Rose, Raw Sienna, Olive green, Grumbacher Academy Violet and Rowney Georgian Ultramarine Blue
Brushes: 8, 6, 2 and 000 round Sable

Stages 
Stage-2: Initial Painting


Stage-1: Pencil sketch


Friday, April 18, 2014

Telugu Girl...


Telugu Girl
Enjoyed doing this portrait along my journey of exploring watercolor painting.

Happy Painting ;)

Materials 

Mediums: Watercolors
Surface: Arches Watercolor Paper, 140 lb, Cold press
Size: 16" x 20" (40 cm x 50 cm)
Paints: Winsor & Newton - Raw Sienna, Cadmium Orange hue, Olive gren, Hooker's green, Rowney Georgian - Burnt Sienna, Grumbacher Academy - Cadmium yellow pale hue, Ivory black
Brushes: 8 round Sable, and 2 round Sable

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Going bigger....


A feedback that I got lately from many of my friends and viewers was- "You will have try bigger paintings". I attempted a portrait on a bigger paper 16" x 20". This is probably the biggest portrait and watercolor painting I have ever tried so far.

This is based on Telugu playback Singer and multi-talented artist Sunitha's portrait posted on her Facebook page. Though I lost her exact facial features along the way, I enjoyed doing a portrait of this big in size. It is easier to flow and blend colors.

Happy Painting ;)

Materials 

Mediums: Watercolors
Surface: Arches Watercolor Paper, 140 lb, Cold press
Size: 16" x 20" (40 cm x 50 cm)
Paints: Winsor & Newton - Raw Sienna, Cadmium Orange hue, Olive gren, Hooker's green, Rowney Georgian - Burnt Sienna, Grumbacher Academy - Cadmium yellow pale hue, Ivory black
Brushes: 8 round Sable, and 2 round Sable

Saturday, March 8, 2014

New world of learning possibilities...


Learning is the only process that has no end in life. There are many possible ways of learning anything. When we try a new way, suddenly a new world opens up for new possibilities.

I started sketching on my train commute to work almost two years ago and I had quickly finished a couple of sketchbooks. When I look back, I could clearly notice the progressive-difference from page to page. After all, one can only improve by practicing - the best way of learning and sharpening skills.

With my enjoyable daily-sketching experience, I felt like doing continuous painting for improving my study of color on paper- watercolor painting. I am taking my daily-sketching to a new level- frequent painting studies by opening a watercolor sketch pad. Hope this opens up a new world of possibilities and bring in some rewarding experiences.

Happy Painting ;)

Materials 

Mediums: Watercolors
Surface: Artist's Loft Watercolor Paper, 140 lb/300 g/m2
Size: 9" x 12" (23 cm x 30 cm)
Paints: Grumbacher- Violet, Winsor & Newton - Raw Sienna, Cobalt blue
Brushes: 10 round sable, 00 synthetic Winsor & Newton

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Himalayas...

Himalayas - Mountain Nanda Devi

Happy Painting ;)

Materials 

Mediums: Watercolors
Surface: Artist's Loft Watercolor Paper, 140 lb/300 g/m2
Size: 9" x 12" (23 cm x 30 cm)
Paints: Winsor & Newton - Raw Sienna, Cobalt blue, Cadmium Orange hueRowney Georgian - Burnt Sienna, Ultra Marine Blue
Brushes: 1 1/2" Flat Wash, 10 round sable, 00 synthetic Winsor & Newton, and 000 Sable synthetic blend

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Art Inspires Art...

Indian Classical Dance
One form of Art always inspires another form of Art, there is no doubt about it! Indian classical dance is a very fine subject for any Artist to do a series of Drawings and Paintings. The gestures and facial expressions found in this form of dance are endless.

I happened to go to an Arangetram (the debut on-stage performance of a classical dance student ) of one of my neighbor's daughter. She was such a wonderful dancer and her performance was so inspiring and I took pictures of many postures for my series of future paintings. This painting is based on one of those pictures.

This is another painting that I started more than an year ago, but only finished it last week to call it "done". For many days I was just looking at it thinking about what to put in the background. Finally decided to just go with a bright color in watercolor way. I am happy with the color that I had put for the background and it helped elevate all other colors in this painting and made this painting more appealing to me.

Happy Painting ;)

Materials 

Mediums: Watercolors
Surface: Beinfang Watercolor Paper, 140 lb. 207 GSM
Size: 9" x 12" (23 cm x 30 cm)
Paints: Grumbacher - Violet, Cadmium Yellow pale hue, Winsor & Newton - Raw Sienna, Cobalt blue, Cadmium Orange hue, Hooker's Green, Rowney Georgian - Burnt Sienna, Ultra Marine Blue
Brushes: 10 round sable, 00 synthetic Winsor & Newton, and 000 Sable synthetic blend

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Wah Taj...

TajMahal - Watercolors om Paper

Wah Taj....!
The moment of saying this, standing in front of Taj Mahal has never come in my life. I hope a day will definitely come to go and see this amazing monument of Love. It's been one of my to-do dream paintings and sculptures.

This is just an attempt of learning watercolors. Though I started this painting almost an year ago, it's only in the last few days, I could touch it again and call it completed.

I will definitely attempt it again in a big way in coming years.

Happy Painting ;)

Materials 

Mediums: Watercolors
Surface: Beinfang Watercolor Paper, 140 lb. 207 GSM
Size: 9" x 12" (23 cm x 30 cm)
Paints: Grumbacher - Violet, Winsor & Newton - Raw Sienna, Cobalt blue, Hooker's Green, Rowney Georgian - Burnt Sienna, Ultra Marine Blue
Brushes: 10 round sable, 00 synthetic Winsor & Newton, and 000 Sable synthetic blend