Learn from Masters...

Anna Marinova
Limited Edition

A page from the book...   

I am glad to receive a copy of Anna Marinova's personally signed book, a limited edition of 500 copies . Anna Marinova is one of the two Artists of our times whom I follow, want to learn Oil Painting from, and admire most. The other Artist is Vladimir Volegov. I want to watch, learn, paint wit both of these Artists by attending a workshop (if such an opportunity ever knocks my door). Till then, my only source of learning from them is: taking a closer look at pictures of their works, and watching short videos that they shared and available online.

I have had wonderful time with Oil Painting last year. This year I have higher ambitions with my own bar-raised. As I get ready to start "My 2020 journey with Oil Painting", this book remains a source of inspiration and reference. Many thanks to Anna Marinova, for being highly responsive in my communication with her and getting this book into my hands with the utmost care taken in packaging and delivery, all the way from Vsevolozhsk, Russia.

I love people who are responsive by nature!

"To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person." 

~ Bruce Lee

Happy Painting!
Happy learning from the Masters!!

Champion your Talent...

"The Portrait of Talent"

Portrait of Karronya Katrynn - Young talented Dancer and Telugu Actress

Watercolors on Paper (16" x 20")

Talent is a built-in and unique ability. Knowing that built-in ability, recognizing it, turning it into a quality, and letting it out is more than talent. It requires constant practice with no boundaries and limitations.

This portrait of talent is done in a unique way by mixing both slow and fast paced watercolor painting styles. Each style comes with its own challenges. With fast-paced style, dealing with color-flow and water control on the surface (paper) is a challenge. With slow-paced style, dealing with mixing colors as they sink in and dry fast into the surface is a challenge. After all, dealing with all those challenges, fixing any mistakes is another big challenge. Every watercolor painting is a new challenge.

Practice is the way, and in fact, the only way to overcome challenges and champion anything. Your talent is your friend, and is also your rival.

"Be a champion of your own talent, champion it with patience and practice."

~ Giridhar Pottepalem

Happy Painting!
Champion your own Talent!!

Details
Title: "The Portrait of Talent"
Reference: Talented Dancer & Telugu Actress Karronya Katrynn
Mediums: Watercolors
Size: 16" x 20" (41 cm x 51 cm)

Surface: Arches Bright White140LB Cold Press Watercolor Paper 

With Loyal Friend...

"With Loyal Friend..."
Watercolors on paper (12" x 16")   

There is no best friend than a book. Reading is good for mind, body and soul.  A good book leaves a long lasting impact on us. When we read a book, we travel with the writer in our own way.

Reading a  painting is no different than reading a book. One who looks at a painting travels into it with the Artist. A painting is nothing but an Artist's colorful journey with the subject. A colorful journey that viewer can experience as well. At the end, experience is what we carry with us. Be Loyal when you travel with somebody or something. Loyalty is what leaves us with a good experience!

"There is no friend as loyal as a book." ~ Ernest Hemingway

Happy Painting!
Be Loyal to good friends!!

Details
Title: With Loyal Friend...
Mediums: Watercolor Paper
Size: 12" x 16" (31 cm x 41 cm)

Surface: Fabriano Watercolor paper 140 lb/300 gsm2

Challenges...

Nátyánjali - my tribute to Indian Classical Dance
Watercolors on Paper (11" x 14")   

Challenges make you better and grow. If everything is so easy, then everyone does everything so well. If everyone can do everything, there is no fun and no frustration.

“Painting is a never-ending process of challenges and learning.”

~Daniel Greene

Happy Painting!
Enjoy challenges, never give up!!

Details
Title: Nátyánjali - my tribute to Indian Classical Dance
Mediums: Saunders Extra White Watercolor Paper
Size: 11" x 14" (28 cm x 35.5 cm)

Surface: Saunders Extra-white Watercolor paper 140 lb/300 gsm2

Grow wiser...

Grown-up, at last ;) .   

Grow wiser as you grow older. I never felt that I am a grown-up. I have always been like a kid mentally inside. Suddenly, I feel like I am a grown-up when I change my looks. If this is the look that makes me feel that way, I want to freeze in this state.

I feel like I have become more wiser now, not with people and money, but with time. People still fool me very easily by all means. But, no one can fool with my time. I use my time wisely, the way I want to earn, the way I want to invest, the way I want to spend, the I want to live and the way I want to love!

As one of my friends rightly said when he saw me first in beard- at this age, we don't care what others think about us. We like it, so we go for it. I like my beard, not because people say it's good, because I feel like I am a grown-up now, grown-up with nothing but "my time".

“A beard doesn’t grow only on gurus; it grows on all men.”

- Jaggi Vasudev(Sadhguru)

Happy Living!
Love your Life!!

Kobe Bryant...

My Tribute to Kobe Bryant    

Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise."

- Kobe Bryant (Aug 23, 1978 - Jan 26, 2020)

Creativity has no absence...

Nátyánjali - My tribute to Indian Classical Dance
Watercolors on Paper (12" x 16")   

There is no absence if you have presence of your creativity. Artists never get bored and creativity never gets tired, I keep saying that to everyone. When there is no presence of oneself in time, one gets bored and be absent from it. So, just have a presence in your time and you live in it, not others.

Happy Painting!
Happy Presence of Yourself!!

“There is never a lack of subject matter; just absence of creativity.” ~Lee Hammond

Details
Title: Nátyánjali - my tribute to Indian Classical Dance
Mediums: Saunders Extra White Watercolor Paper
Size: 12" x 16" (31 cm x 41 cm)

Surface: Saunders Extra-white Watercolor paper 140 lb/300 gsm2

Be what you are...

Nátyánjali - My tribute to Indian Classical Dance
Watercolors on Paper (8.5" x 11") 

It's not easy to be what you are. Being what you are, you meet your best friend in the world- yourself. The same applies to Art. The most self-enjoyed art-work by an Artist is the Art that one makes for oneself, one's self enjoyment and experiment with paints and brushes. The result will be a soul-satisfying experience and memory!

This year, my Art-resolution is: "Not to compromise on the quality of output". If it is bit hard to get there, I should be doing bit more hard work. After all, I am a strong believer of hard-work, and if I don't challenge myself, there is no fun and enjoyment in doing Art for myself ;)

“Be the artist you are.” ~Cherie Haas

Happy Painting!

Happy being yourself!!

Details
Title: Natyanjali - my tribute to Indian Classical Dance
Face Reference: Talented Dancer & Telugu Actress Karronya Katrynn
Mediums: Watercolors
Size: 8.5" x 11" (21.5 cm x 27.9 cm)

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

మగువ ముగ్గుల (సం)క్రాంతి...

మగువ ముగ్గుల (సం)క్రాంతి
Watercolors on Paper (8.5" x 11")

"ముంగిట ముగ్గుల క్రాంతి
ఊరంతా రంగుల సంక్రాంతి"

సంక్రాంతి పండుగ శుభాకాంక్షలు!

Line drawing is a specialized Art. Illustrators are good at it. Painters do line drawings to study the subject. The great Telugu artist Sri. Bapu garu was a master and true perfectionist of this style. This is my attempt of his style. It's not easy ;)

Happy Painting!
Happy Sankranthi Festival Season!!

Details
Title: మగువ ముగ్గుల (సం)క్రాంతి
Reference: Talented Dancer & Telugu Actress Karronya Katrynn
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Size: 8.5" x 11" (21.5 cm x 27.9 cm)

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

Beauty of the Soul...

"Beauty of the Soul"
Watercolors on Paper (11" x 14")    

It is said that eyes are windows to soul. Soul can be seen and heard from eyes as soul reflects and speaks through eyes. Eyes know the language of soul, expression.

I ended last year with the painting of a sad eye reflecting an unhappy soul. There might be reasons for a soul to be un-happy. But there are no reasons for a soul to be not-happy. Keep your soul happy and let the happiness of your soul be reflected bright in your eyes. Everything in the world looks clearly beautiful for a happy soul through a happy eye.

Connecting last year's last painting with this year's first painting, I took the same subject, Eye. This painting depicts a clear, bright and beautiful eye. If you can look straight into it, you will see the beauty of soul it reflects in it. An eye looks beautiful only when the soul is kept happy. So, keep your soul happy and let the world see it's beauty through your eyes.

"Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical."

- Sophia Loren

Happy Painting !
Happy Soul !!

Details
Title: Beauty of the Soul
Inspiration: My Soul
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Size: 11" x 14" (28 cm x 35.5 cm)

Surface: Saunders Cold Press Watercolor Paper, 140 lb/300 gm2

"నేనూ...నా సృష్టి..."

Looking Back... 2019    

"మీకు ఇంత టైమ్ ఎక్కడుంటుంది?" - ఇందులో కొంత ఆశ్చర్యం...
"మీకు చాలా టైమ్ ఉన్నట్టుందే?" - ఇందులో కొంచెం వెటకారం...
ప్రశ్న ఏదైనా నా జవాబు మాత్రం- "మీలాగే నాకూ దేనికీ టైమ్ ఉండదు, క్రియేట్ చేసుకున్నాను".
బొమ్మ చూసి బాగుందోలేదో, నచ్చిందోలేదో అని చెప్పేవాళ్ళకన్నా ఈ ప్రశ్నలడిగేవాళ్ళే ఎక్కువ.

దేనికైనా ముందు కావల్సింది టైమ్. అదిలేందే ఇంకేం లేవు, కావు, రావు. బొమ్మలకోసం నా టైమ్ కేవలం నా సృష్టి మాత్రమే. అవును, నాకంటూ సొంత "టైమ్" ని సృష్టించుకున్నాను. ఆ సృష్టి నా కోసమే, నా సంతృప్తి కోసమే.

బొమ్మలిప్పుడు నా జీవితంలో ఓ భాగం అయిపోయాయి అని సంతోషంగానూ, సగర్వంగానూ చెప్పుకుంటాను. గతైదారు సంవత్సరాలుగా క్రమం తప్పకుండా బొమ్మలేస్తూనే ఉన్నా. దానికి ముందు ఓ రెండుమూడేళ్ళపాటు "క్విక్ డెయిలీ స్కెచెస్" వేస్తూ, చాలా ఏళ్ళుగా ఆగి ముందుకి కదలని నా బొమ్మల లోకంవైపు మళ్ళీ నెమ్మదిగా అడుగులు మొదలెట్టాను. ఈసారీప్రయాణం ఎట్టి పరిస్థితిలోనూ ఆగకూడదు, ఆపకూడదు అన్న ఆశయంతోనే. ఇన్నేళ్ళుగా ఎందుకు పక్కనబెట్టానో తెలీదు. "చాలా బిజీ లైఫ్" అని చెప్పుకోవటానికి ప్రతి ఒక్కరి జీవితంలో ఒక "ఫేస్" ఉంటుంది. చెయ్యాలనుండీ చెయ్యలేందేదైనా, కారణాలు వెతుక్కుని మరీ ఆలోచించి, దొరక్కపోతే, ఆ "చాలా బిజీ లైఫ్" మీదికి నిస్సంకోచంగా నెట్టెయ్యొచ్చు. గతమెలాగూ తిరిగిరాదు, వచ్చి మనల్ని నిలదీయదు కనుక.

పోయింది కలలా కరిగిపోయిన కాలమైనా, వీడి వెళ్ళిపోయిన మనుషులైనా తిరిగి తెచ్చుకోలేమన్న "జీవిత సత్యం" తెలుసుకుని ఇప్పుడున్న కాలాన్ని వృధా చేసుకోకపోవటమే జీవితాన నేర్చుకోవలసిన గొప్ప పాఠం. ఏదో మిస్ అవుతున్నానే అన్న ఆలోచనా, చింతా చాలా ఏళ్ళుగా నన్ను వెంబడిస్తూనే ఉండేవి. ఇప్పుడా ఆలోచన లేదు, చింతా లేదు. అన్నీ నాదే అయిన నా "బొమ్మల లోకం" నన్ను పలకరిస్తూ ప్రతి వారం రెండు రోజులు వస్తుంది. వచ్చి నాతోనే ఉంటుంది, సంతోషాన్నీ, సంతృప్తినీ ఇస్తూ. నాకింతకన్నా అందమైన లోకం, సృష్టీ...ఈ సృష్టిలో మరేదీ లేదు.

బొమ్మలతో నా సమయం కేవలం నాకోసం
నాకు నేనుగా సృష్టించుకున్న నా లోకం
నాదై నాతోనేఉండే అందమైన నా "బొమ్మల లోకం"...

2019 has been a special year in my heArt. I call it "My Year of Portraits". With 45 different finished-art-works posted with write-ups, few abandoned/unfinished ones, several hundreds of hours of planning and working with colors is not a joke in the given 52 weekends of time in busy life. That feeling itself makes me feel so good. When I look back into my time on the last day of this year, I see time-well-spent and time-fully-and-very-well-lived-in,

Many thanks to all friends, well-wishers and people who took time to take a look at my Artworks. Special thanks to those who even took few extra minutes to share their invaluable, encouraging words and suggestions with me. I have great respects for all your valuable time.

"Time is the most valuable resource given in life, always respect others time more than yours."

- Giridhar Pottepalem

Looking forward to another COLORFUL year ahead.

Good Bye 2019 !
Welcome 2020 !!

కన్ను తెరిచి చూసేలోగా...

కన్ను తెరిచి చూసేలోగా...
Watercolors on Paper (9"x 12")    

"  జ్ఞాపకాల వెల్లువలోనే

కరిగి చెరిగిపోతున్నాను...

మెరుపులా మెరిశావు

వలపులా కలిశావు...

కన్ను తెరిచి చూసేలోగా

నిన్నలలో నిలిచావూ

నిన్నలలో నిలిచావు... "

...

- వేటూరి సుందరరామ మూర్తి

ఇంత గొప్ప సాహిత్యం "వేటూరి" గారు కాక ఇంకెవరు రాయగలరు?

Sometimes, I go blank on what to write when I finish a painting. Of course, this one is one of those. It's been long pending in my to-do list to do a human eye in watercolors. Tried this today as my last painting in this year, 2019.

In few more days, we all say "Good Bye" to this year and say welcome to "New Year" with lot of hopes. Life is just like that. We say "Good Buy" to our old experiences and welcome new hopes...

Nothing is more appropriate for this painting than the above lyrics by legendary Telugu writer Veturi Sundararama Murthy garu. This painting is my tribute to him and his great lyrics and contributions to Telugu cinema. One of my all-time favorite songs...

Happy Painting!
Happy Memories!!

Details
Title: కన్ను తెరిచి చూసేలోగా...
Mediums: Watercolors on Paper
Size: 9" x 12" (22.9 cm x 30.5 cm)

Surface: Canson Cold Press Watercolor Paper, 140 lb/300 gm2