I’ve been experimenting with abstract art recently, and it has been fun – challenging too, but fun. I find that I tend to slip back into slightly familiar territory when I am painting abstracts – adding in leaves, plants, flowers, or figures as a focal point and to try and bring everything together.
In this latest piece that I did, I was determined to keep it completely abstract, using only lines and shapes and color to tell a story. And what a story it turned out to be!Continue reading
A while ago, I saw this beautiful before and after post of an office-cum-creative space from the owner of A Beautiful Mess. She had done up the entire room in white, with a beautifully co-ordinated color palette and designated storage and wicker baskets for everything on a huge wall-to-wall shelf. The space looked organized and inviting. There’s also a certain feeling of calm that a predominantly white room exudes. It’s a pity that it is so impractical given how much dust and pollution we have here in Delhi.
But, I digress. Continue reading
When I’m lost in the painting process,
there are impulses that arise,
dictating my color choices.
Ideas bubble up to the surface,
changing the direction of my painting.
Symbols appear between layers of paint and under my fingertips, Continue reading
“That’s your solution? Have a cookie?’ Astrid asked. ‘No, my solution is to run down to the beach and hide out until this is all over,’ Sam said. ‘But a cookie never hurts.” ― Michael Grant, Gone
It is no secret that most of us are suffering from information overload these days. From constant social media updates, the latest science and history lessons courtesy the University of What’s App, 24×7 news channels, to thought leadership articles and even humble blogs – content has exploded, and we are bombarded with opinions and views no matter which way we turn.
As with most things in life, this content explosion can be both good and bad. Continue reading
I spent May immersed in the 31 days of painting project. This wasn’t about creating 31 paintings {I’m crazy, just not that crazy!}; rather, it was about spending 31 days painting a single canvas. It also wasn’t about how much or how little you painted on a particular day; rather, the only rule, per se, was that you had to alter the canvas in some way. That could be the addition of a ton of paint or the making of a few simple marks.
The entire process is a meditation on painting, and life. About releasing attachment and being open to the process. Of enquiry and allowing instead of forcing and imposing your will. And as expected, a process like this one, can teach you a lot - about painting and about life.
So without further ado, here are my lessons from 31 days of painting.
Sometimes, I come to the painty table to play; at others, to relieve stress. Sometimes, I approach my art practice as therapy; at other times, I allow my emotions to direct my colour choices and mark making. And sometimes, I come to the page with deep reverence and to give gratitude for the many blessings in my life.
This was one of those times.
I’ve long wanted to paint a Buddha, but I didn’t want to paint Him with the usual peaceful face and closed eyes - you know the kind of Buddha painting I’m talking about, right? The ones that you find hanging in most home interior stores - pale blues and calm yellow tones, with a huge Buddha face, eyes closed, a serene look on His face.
I think it’s no secret that acrylics are my favourite art medium. I love the ability to texture and layer, to leave hidden messages and power symbols buried under layers of luscious paints. These characteristics of acrylics also make them a much more involved medium to work in: I can spend days fiddling with layers and styles; etching and writing; fixing and tweaking. And while I love it, I also wanted to explore the whimsicality of quicker illustrations and fewer layers of paint.Continue reading
If you’ve been dropping by here since a while {thank you!}, you may remember that I was creating a set of oracle cards in March last year. You can catch up with that post here, if you missed it.
It was an exciting project, and instead of the 30 cards that I had planned to create, I ended up making a 45-card deck with a fully functional guide book! Kristen is hosting the Create the Oracle Deck Challenge again this year, and I am busy working on my second deck of oracle cards. I would never have believed this last year – that I’d have another deck living inside me, waiting to be born into the world!Continue reading
I’ve been tracking moon phases since a few years now – new moon to full moon to new again. Initially, it was simply a way to make sure I got at least one art journal spread completed every month, especially in the hot, often humid summer months. Then I started adding in moon lore – looking at the astrological sign where the moon is and what its energetics are.
Slowly, I started looking at the moon phases as cycles of time, which gave rise to a fascinating question:
What if time was not a linear progression, as we've been led to believe? What if it is cyclical, which means we can always circle back to something over and over again? Click To TweetContinue reading
What does it mean to be open to the mystery of the universe?
This is a question I’ve been contemplating since a while. And as usual, when I have a question that requires deep contemplation, I take it to my art table. Through writing, throwing down layers of paint, playing with stencils and different mediums without any end goal in mind, I work through the question in my mind.
My answer comes through the marks I make on the page.Continue reading