Dedicated with Love...

Dancing Krishna - Oil On Canvas (Framed)

Few years ago, a professional quality Oil Painting was just an impossibility for me. Now, this framed Oil Painting of Dancing Krishna makes me feel proud as it found it's new home, my own brother, Sridhar's home in Nellore, India.

When my brother expressed interest to have one of my Oil Paintings at his home, the only finished Painting I had was this and I promised I would give it to him. I am so happy that I made efforts and took this along with me on my recent trip to India. This is in fact, my second finished Oil Painting. The first one recently secured it's place on a wall at my own home in Sharon, MA, US.

Indian Classical dance has been the subject that I did more Paintings on than any other. Lord Krishna, also known by my name Giridhar has been my childhood hero in many stories told by my Grandma (Baamma) who was also a devotee of Lord Krishna. When I got my first job and started earning, I asked my Baamma what was one thing that she would like to get from me. All she asked for was an Idol of Lord Krishna. I didn't fulfill her wish. The sweetest person in my life, my Baamma who was the very first person in my life to notice me drawing a crow with a chalk on the floor at the age of 2 years, and used to recollect with me that first drawing of mine whenever she saw me drawing in my teenage, is physically no more with us. She is living in our Hearts with us.

This Painting is now living in the Living Room at my brother's home in Nellore. Also, there are many souls of the past, the present and the future living in it.

* * * *

With Baamma and Anna (1993)

Dear Baamma,
I couldn't buy you an Idol of Krishna you had asked for. But, I dedicate this Painting of Lord Krishna to you, done by your Govardhan Giri, with all the love and respects from the bottom of my heart & tears in my eyes for all you did for us, and your life you dedicated to us for giving us a better future. The future became present and now you are not there with us in it. We now live in it, with many comforts that are nothing but direct results of your life dedicated to us and sacrifices you made  for us.
Miss you so much!
With Love
Govardhan Giri

At the Framing Shop next to Narthaki Theatre in Nellore.
Interestingly it was surrounded by framed Hindu Gods' pictures.
Also, dramatically captured my image reflection in the mirror,
taking a picture with my phone.

I got it framed in Nellore, India, my native place. A very talented boy who was framing pictures in just a matter of minutes by sitting on the floor with hardly any tools, did a fantastic job by making a museum-quality-frame for this Painting. It costed a fraction of money that I usually spend in US for a similar quality of material and Craftsmanship. India has no shortage of talent in any field in any given era of times.

"The dedicated life is worth living. You must give with your whole heart" - Annie Dillard

Most effective way...

Ink & Watercolors om Paper

The most recent Telugu movie I saw, Rangasthalam has been haunting me so much with my childhood memories and I just can't stop painting inspired form it. The village I grew up is the only best memory that has one impression that never changes in my heart. The most effective way to remember something is to take that into us.

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." - Amelia Earhart

Happy Painting! Keep Going!!

Details
Title: Indian Village Woman
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Inspiration: The Telugu Movie: Rangasthalam, 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

Indian Village Woman...

Indian Village Woman - Inspired by the movie Rangasthalam
Ink and Watercolors on Paper

Inspired by the wonderfully narrated Telugu Movie, Rangasthalam in which the director beautifully narrated Indian Village on the silver screen, this is a sketch of a Telugu Village Woman in Ink and Watercolor.

Get inspired by any thing around you. Keep Painting!

Details
Title: Indian Village Woman
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Inspiration: The Telugu Movie: Rangasthalam, 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

A Spiritual Journey - CD Cover...

CD Cover Illustration
Mirabai - Ink and Watercolors on Paper

Thanks to Shuchita Rao Garu for giving me an opportunity to design a cover page for her CD.

Details
Title: A Spiritual Journey - Illustration for a CD cover
Mediums: Ink and watercolors on Paper

Size: 14" x 11" (35 cm x 28 cm)

Surface: Canson Watercolor Paper, 140 lb Cold Press

Create Interest...

Ink and Watercolors on Paper

Passion is something that you never lose interest for. Always create interest and profoundly be interested in it. Never lose, never give up your interests and passions in life!

Keep Painting and Create interest for yourself!
Happy Painting!!

"The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well."

- Horace Walpole

Details
Title: Rangasthalam
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Inspiration: 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

"1 + 1 > 2" made possible...

Song dedicated to my Art by my classmate Kiran

What a pleasant surprise I had when I received this song on Telugu New Year's day Ugadi, from one of my closest classmates since my Engineering College days- Kiran Kakarlamudi.

Kiran is a Singer whose voice and presentation I admired most in my College days. He is also a multi-faceted Artist, but had passion for Music. I still remember a song-bit I learned from him on the Guitar instrument, a song-bit from the Hindi movie, Saagar, without even knowing on how to play notes on the Guitar. He was one of very few friends in my College who used to say encouraging words about my Arts.

After many years, I heard his voice couple of years ago when he shared with me an old Hindi song he sang. I had that song playing in repeat-mode while I was doing a painting for few hours. I did love it that much. And, now this special song compiled with my Paintings and dedicated to my Art brought "Tears of Joy" in my eyes. What a great honor my Art has received from my good friend, classmate and college-roommate. His voice gave life to each Painting he picked and compiled into this most beautiful presentation of my Art.

One of my classmates Raghunandan aptly coined this phrase by saying "1 + 1 > 2 made possible" when Kiran shared this with us. In Math, 1 + 1 > 2 is not possible. But with friends 1 + 1 > 2 is possible. Friends and friendship make it possible. In this song, it is thus made possible.

Whenever Art meets Art, it's a double-inspiration, double-treat and double-honor. I cherish this special song dedicated to my Art by Kiran forever!

Thank you Kiran!
Friends forever!!

"No friendship is an accident." - O. Henry, Heart of the West

Happy Ugadi - an opportunity knocked my door...

Ugadi - Telugu New Year, an exclusive done for a

Telugu Magazine - TANA Patrika

When TANA Patrika's new in-charge Gorthi Sai Bramhanandam Garu approached me on Facebook messenger and asked me "Can you do a Painting for a special magazine issue we are bringing for Ugadi, Telugu New Year?", my immediate reply was "Yes, I will". He then went on saying, "You have 10 days of time". Art is not my full-time job, it's only a hobby. I said, "Then, I only have one weekend to work on it in the next 10 days, I will do it".

That's nothing but an opportunity knocked my door. If I had said, I don't have time, the opportunity would have gone and knocked another door, also would never come back to knock my door. Instead, I opened the door and welcomed it, set my time aside for it, and gave my best efforts. The result was this very satisfying Painting. When you build a door for opportunities, the opportunities find the door,  stop by, and knock it.

It was a great honor to have my Painting go on the cover page of this very special Telugu New Year's issue, Ugadi Sanchika. Many Legendary Telugu Artists like Sri Vaddadi Papaiah, Sri Bapu and many more Telugu Artists' Paintings took TANA magazines' cover pages. It's been a great feeling to have my Painting also made to that spot.

Many thanks to Gorthi Sai Bramhanandam Garu for the trust & belief in me and on my Art.

Here is the Link to the Magazine: http://patrika.tana.org/March2018/mobile/index.html. Page 15 has brief details about me and my Art.

The cover page with my Painting:

About me and my Art in the Magazine:

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." - Milton Berle

Details
Title: Ugadi - Telugu New year...
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Inspiration: An opportunity knocked my door...

Size: 16" x 20" (40.6 cm x 50.8 cm)

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

My Tribute to Legendary Talent of Indian Silver Screen - Sridevi...

Deeply saddened by the news about Tollywood and Bollywood Actress Sridevi. I never thought I would share my Pencil sketches of Sridevi on the news like this.

This is my tribute to one of the great Legendary Talents of Indian Silver Screen!

Keep Playing...

Girl Playing Saxophone

Keep playing the music of life with the rhythm of love and your passion to forget the world around you. Often times it is necessary for your soul to go out and play it's own music in it's own world.

"Music in the soul can be heard by the universe." - Lao Tzu

Keep Playing the music of your Soul!
Happy Painting!!

Details
Title: Girl playing Saxophone...
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Inspiration: Passion for Arts...

Size: 9" x 12" (22.9 cm x 30.5 cm)

Surface: Strathmore 400 Series, 140lb Watercolor Paper, Cold Press

Easy to miss...

Watercolors on Paper

Don't know why I let four weekends pass by without being with my soul. It's easy to miss something in life. The only way to be faithful to your soul is to be with it. Don't miss your soul at least!

"Be faithful to that which exists within yourself." - Andre Gide

Happy Painting!

Details
Title: Girl in Flowers
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Inspiration: Passion for Arts...

Size: 9" x 12" (23 cm x 30.5 cm)

Surface: Arches 140lb, Cold Press

Self Portrait...

Self Portrait
Watercolors on Paper

Every Artist must attempt self portrait at some point in time. Of course, it's hard and is not as easy as doing others' portraits.

"One is never satisfied with the portrait of a person that one knows."

- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Happy Painting!

Details
Title: Self Portrait
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Reference: Random Picture from my collection
Inspiration: Passion for Arts...

Size: 12" x 15" (30.5 cm x 38 cm)

Surface: Arches 140lb, Cold Press