Recent Watercolours

Ruins somehow seem to lend themselves to watercolours very well. They do not have clean edges is perhaps the reason. Here is a relatively less photographed part of Hampi. The original looked worked over with some image manipulating software. I painted a less "photoshopped" version.

This is my interpretation of a "hotel" (Gasthaus in German) near Blaubauer. The reference picture was sent to my by Suresh Babu who lives in Freiburg. Just at the time I painted this, I had seen a video of a very good watercolourist and it helped me improve my technique very much in a short time.

This is a picture I wanted to paint for quite some time. I am glad that I waited. As I said above, I have improved my technique which is now more suited to this scene.

In the meantime I have also changed my paints. Moved from Pelican cakes to Pentel tubes. Makes a huge difference to the colours' freshness.

About Art

There has been a long standing debate about social responsibility. Should artists be socially responsible or is it art for art's sake for them. 

I painted the above because it was attractive - in terms of colour, light, form. As luck would have it I saw this video of Anil Gupta on TED Talks soon after. He shows a picture of a woman carrying water in Rajasthan used by some government agency for tourism promotion. What should be the shame of the country, that women have to carry water for long distances in this time and age. I felt guilty.

As an aside, I was excited that the talk was recorded in Mysore. 

There was an easy trick. I could name the painting something like "Shame of India" and act as if I had all the while planned it so. Best of both the world - art for art's sake and act as if I am socially conscious. But that won't do. Would it?

To ease my conscience, I looked at another recent painting of mine - an adivasi lady in front of her hut. This is a stark picture of an impoverished looking lady with none of the accoutrements of modern living. But what does that mean? Perhaps nothing. But at least I am seeking beauty where one is not accustomed to - in a country where the killer product is fairness cream. I wish there was a political fairness cream or a social fairness cream. 

There is another exhortation for artists or art students - work on what you are familiar with. Choose subjects from your milieu and so on. A part of that milieu I have captured in this one. A co-commuter of mine on the bus. 

Here are some recent portraits I made. I have been trying to improve my skills of portraiture and have been getting better at it.

This is a mixed media portrait of a fellow member of Pencil Jammers. She is a friendly, kind lady and I did her portrait from a photograph I had taken of her at an event called "Sunday Soul Sante".

This is the portrait of George Supreeth, a "serial entrepreneur" by his own admission - the co-founder of Pencil Jammers, Pencil Jam, Pencil Sauce and so on. Here he is portrayed listening to a young colleague of his talking about her sketchbook at an event called "Sketchbook Saturday" organised by him. A difficult perspective, slightly exaggerated for effect. To be frank I am very pleased with this and gives me a lot of confidence to approach portraiture and figure drawings.

This is the portrait of Kamal Narayanan, an architect and an avid painter. Here, he is listening to George Supreeth elaborating a point on art. This was also done from a photograph taken at the Sketchbook Saturday. 

I have many pictures from that evening which I plan to use as reference for further portraits.

I hope you enjoy these and the ones to come.

Musicians

I have always felt that the visual beauty of a performance of Indian music has not been exploited by visual artists. I have tried to fill the gap at least for myself. In this series done over a fairly large time I have explored various media and instruments but only individual artists, not a group. I plan to explore groups of performing musicians soon.

Some of these are not "finished" works but studies that show musicians in action. I feel that these are static action, with no attempt to exaggerate the action. Many photographs and posters catch the artist in intense effort and action. These reposeful ones suit the meditative nature, which is the essence for me, of Indian music.

Some of the artists listed in the Labels are the reference for these pictures without seriously attempting to bring their likeness.