Day-1 of Painting Challenge on Facebook . . .

Day-1 of Painting Challenge on Facebook

Accepting the nomination for a 7-day Painting Challenge from one of my good Art Friends Mridula Satyamurti, I will be posting one painting each day starting from today for next 7 days. I chose to post my college days Paintings rather than recent ones in this challenge. These are the Paintings that I did when I was in my #EngineeringCollege #vrsec in #Vijayawada.

This very first #Painting is a mere copy of "Uttam Kumar"- a fantastic #TeluguArtist of those years who worked as an Illustrator for #Telugu weekly magazine #Andhrabhoomi, the one and only one Artist from India who later worked with thousands of other Artists for Hollywood animation movies. As I always say, his Paintings inspired me in my college days to hold a brush and start painting.

This is based on one of his paintings he did as part of his series in #Andhrabhoomi magazine under the title "Uttama Naayikalu". This one is one of my early watercolor paintings done with #CamelPosterColors. Needless to say that one of my best came out at the very beginning of my journey with #Watercolor Painting.

"Imitating Masters always gives an Artist a jump start with learning". Hope my Facebook friends enjoy this series. Thanks to Mridula Satyamurti for nominating me to take part in this 7-day challenge.

Details

Mediums: Camel Poster Colors on Paper
Inspiration: One of Uttam Kumar's Paintings published in Andhrabhoomi Telugu magazine

Size: 8" x 10" (20 cm x 25 cm)
Signed and Dated: Dec 11, 1988

Keep doing like a kid...

Sketch with Ink Pen

There is no end to learning. But, it only comes to an end when you stop learning. Life gives many chances and opportunities to learn, learn from mistakes and improve upon. Each new day is nothing but another chance to learn in life. Just keep going, you don't to need impress anybody, other than yourself!

"A child's attitude toward everything is an artist's attitude" - Willa Cather

Keep doing like a Kid. Happy sketching!

Details

Mediums: Ink Pen on Paper
Inspiration: Morning silence

Size: 8 1/2" x 11" (21.5 cm x 28 cm)

Art is Autobiographical...

The Telugu Legendary Actor N.T. Rama Rao as Krishna
from the Telugu Movie: "Dana Veera Soora Karna"

We miss many things in life. Some- we don't miss at certain time, but later wish to go back in time to experience it again. Those are the ones that we feel like we missed forever. Some- we don't get a change to do at that time in life, but always love to do. These are the ones that get added to our wish-list. The wish-list keeps growing with us.

Childhood memories are sweetest of all. One of my childhood memories that I recollect very often was my joyful experience of watching the movie- Dana Veera Soora Karna with my Dad & my Brother. Also, the movie posters designed by Artist Gangadhar are still fresh in my memories. I used to simply stare at those posters by observing the finest Art work went into the poster designs. Thus it got added to my wish-list in my childhood. I am happy to do this portrait of Legendary Telugu actor Sri. N.T. Rama Rao from the movie Dana Veera Soora Karna. Just by doing it, I took my-self back into my own childhood ;)

All Artists take their interests that are near to their heart into their Art. Over a period of time, the works of an Artist become his/her own autobiography.

"All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography." - Federico Dellini, Film director and Writer (2- Jan 1920-1993)

Happy Painting! Enjoy Art!!

Details
Title: NTR

Mediums: Ink & Watercolors
Category: Portraits
Inspiration: Childhood memories

Size: 14" x 11" (35 cm x 28 cm)
Surface: Canson Watercolor Paper, 140 lb Cold Press

Keep Going...

Ink - Sketching

Each day is a learning in life...so as each attempt in Art is!
Learn from others, learn from your own mistakes!!
Do not stop, just keep going!!!

Happy sketching!

Details

Mediums: Ink Pen on Paper
Inspiration: Morning silence

Size: 8 1/2" x 11" (21.5 cm x 28 cm)

Morning Practice...

Ink sketches - Morning Practice

Happy sketching!

Details

Mediums: Ink Pen on Paper
Inspiration: Morning silence

Size: 8 1/2" x 11" (21.5 cm x 28 cm)

Taj Mahal - a sketch 2...

Taj Mahal - a sketch

Happy sketching!

Details

Mediums: Ink Pen on Paper
Title: A busy Indian Market
Category: Landscape
Inspiration: Morning silence

Size: 8 1/2" x 11" (21.5 cm x 28 cm)

Let the time find you...

A busy Market in India

If you don't find time, let the time find you ;)

Happy sketching!

Details

Mediums: Ink Pen on Paper
Title: A busy Indian Market
Category: Landscape
Inspiration: Morning silence

Size: 8 1/2" x 11" (21.5 cm x 28 cm)

Taj Mahal - a sketch...

Taj Mahal on the banks of river Yamuna

Taj Mahal inspired Artists around the world for centuries and will keep inspiring many more. It's been my dream to start a series of Paintings on this magnifcient memorial monument -Taj Mahal. The time hasn't come yet, but will come one day for sure...Until then, I keep sketching it at least.

Happy sketching!

Details

Mediums: Ink Pen on Paper
Title: Taj Mahal on the banks of river Yamuna
Category: Landscape
Inspiration: Morning silence

Size: 8 1/2" x 11" (21.5 cm x 28 cm)

Art mixed with "Values"...

Lord Ganesha - natural clay

Anything practiced for a longtime becomes a custom. A custom slowly becomes a tradition. Traditions later become "Values".

Trying to keep up the tradition of making Lord Ganesha with natural clay for seventh year in a row since I adopted this form of celebration of the festival "Vinayaka Chavithi".

Art mixed with "Values" is "Invaluable" in Heart!!!

Lord Ganesha - natural clay

Details

Material: Natural Clay
Category: Sculpture
Inspiration: "Values of Life"

Weight: 9 pounds

The most Precious Drawing of my Lifetime...

The oldest of my Drawing

Of all my Art works, the most precious one is- this drawing of a Horse which I did when I was a child. It was done on a typical hot-summer-day at my Grandma's home in Kavali, Nellore, AP, India. This is the oldest of my Art works that I could save and preserve through all these years.

I just can't imagine how fast the life moves on. It's been 37 years already since I did this. It's no surprise to me, when I look at any of my Art works and think of those moments when I did it, I go back in time and recollect all moments around it. When I did this, I had my brother Sridhar Pottepalem sitting with me on the floor in the middle room of our Grandma's house watching while I was doing it. After I finished it with a pencil outline first and then with blue ink pen, I wanted to make it in black ink. When I tried to put black ink over the blue ink lines, the thin paper I used started to spread the ink. So, I did not proceed any further. The little black-ink-line that spread over blue-line can still be seen on the forehead of the horse.

After I finished it, I showed it to my uncle Sudhakar Jaladanki who was a wonderful Artist. I always used to take his opinion and he used to encourage me a lot. When I showed it to him, he took a red ballpoint pen out and showed me how to do shades of lines. All red line shades seen in this drawing were done by him. I used the same red ballpoint pen to sign it afterwards. I still remember, next few days, how proud I was of my Art work, looking at it numerous times in joy. I would have not known at that age, how much love I was in with Art, but I remember how happy I was with the outcome.

It was based on a full-page colorful Art work done by Artist Sankar published in Mar, 1978 edition of Chandamama monthly Telugu magazine for children. Those days, Chandamama used to have a monthly running serial of Indian epic stories. The epic Ramayana was published around that time with the name Veerahanuman. Today, I found the original beautiful drawing that I did mine based on after googling long enough before I found a site in which all scanned Chandamama monthly magazines were made available. I went patiently through each page of several months of archives to finally find the following original picture which inspired me so much at that age. Like many children of those times, Chandamama was a big part of my childhood life. It played even a bigger role in my Art. The beautiful Drawing illustrations by all wonderful Artists: Vaddadi Papayya, Sankar, Jaya, Chitra and Razi were all early inspirations to my Art.

Chandamama - 1978 March - Veerahanuman
Artist: Sankar

I can't pay my respects any better than dedicating my Art work to those two Telugu Legends B.NagiReddy Garu and Chakrapani Garu and all above mentioned Artists of those days. I dedicate my Art work to these two Telugu Legends and all Artists who were behind the beautiful Telugu magazine Chandamama!

Long live Art! Happy Drawing!

Details

Mediums: Ink and Ballpoint Pen on Paper
Dated: July 9, 1979
Inspiration: A beautiful illustration by Telugu Artist Sankar in Chandamama, Telugu monthly magazine for children

Size: 6" x 8" (15 cm x 20 cm)

Find ways...

Kuchipudi - Indian Classical Dance

After hectic weeks of work, one needs a break to regain energies and get going in life. For Artists, Art  helps more than anything to refresh mind, body and soul. Just attempted this to be in my own world for a couple of hours. As long as Art doesn't leave me, I am just fine ;)

When you lose energies, find ways to regain. Never give up!
Happy Painting!

Details

Mediums: Ink and Watercolors on Paper
Title: Kuchipudi - Indian Classical Dance
Category: Portraits
Inspiration: A picture I took at a recent Rangapravesam by one of my friend's daughter

Size: 11" x 17" (28 cm x 43 cm)

This Day that Age...

Coastal Andhra, India - Ink on regular Paper

My vacation days, 30 years ago were filled with nothing but Art. At that age in life, I didn't have any sources around me for learning drawing or doing painting. But, I just used to draw and I just used to try hard to get into painting. I didn't even have any good Art material with me. All I had was just regular fountain pen ink (Camel or Bril, Indian brands), a couple of tiny cheap quality watercolor brushes, regular but not a good quality white paper and access to some newspapers and weekly magazines like Andhra Bhoomi.

Just the desire to Draw and Paint was strong enough which made me try numerous drawings with Pencil and Ink. Taking a step further, I think, I discovered my own way of painting in black & white with just ink and water. This one is one of such drawing-paintings done with ink and water on paper. As always, the moments and time I spent alone at our home with my Art are still fresh in my memories. When I look back now, all those good-old drawings make me feel happy. My efforts didn't go waste. They still make me happy even after 30 years.

Have a strong desire to do anything, and keep doing. A job well-done always gives pleasure!

Happy Painting!

Details

Mediums: Bril Ink with brush on Paper
Title: Coastal Andhra, India
Category: Landscapes
Dated: July 5, 1986
Place: Kavali, AP, India
Inspiration: A picture published in Andhra Bhoomi Sunday Special Edition Newspaper

Size: 11" x 16" (28 cm x 40 cm)