Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Chocolate Mufffin

Chocolate Muffin
I seem to have neglected to post this guy ; painted earlier this month.This was one of the tighter pieces, I am trying to understand a new paper.It was fun to work with strong colors,though.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Raisin

"Raisin"
9x12
A cute cat in expressive watercolor.I have been experimenting with various papers and the results are varying,too. Sometimes I tend to drift towards ' too realistic' ...I painted this one to remind myself to stick to my favorite style, loose with mingling colors. This is what excites me most. 
As the Christmas approaches, everything is more rushed.Just got another commission for elephants from a surgeon in HongKong for her office-- exciting!Will keep you posted.
The house hunting seems to come to a conclusion, a happy one;too.Hoping to get the keys soon and can't wait to move in...I  really need more space!

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Owl Eyes and Cute Raccoon

            SOLD
SOLD
Two more small works done recently.Owls are my all time favorites while raccoon just made its debut.I have heard many people do not like them very much, considering their wild ways...but I could not resist this cute face!Hope you all are having a great weekend.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Pansy the Panda

10"x14"
SOLD
A giant panda in vibrant violets.I enjoyed painting him fast and loose.He turned out to be quite cute!
''Ozzy"
9''x12''
SOLD
I am painting faster than I am posting!This was painted last night , I used a new paper- Fabriano - and I instantly liked it.The paper is costly so I have been resisting buying it for quite some time but now I am happy that I went ahead and bought it.Very good texture,good for fine work, not sure for washes-yet.This ostrich was a good practice for this paper.


Sunday, December 7, 2014

Elephants and the others...

30x22
SOLD
Completed and shipped, this was the commission I have been talking about.Quite happy with the results, now keeping my fingers crossed as this had to be sent rolled up in a tube.
Two of a few small artworks done recently, both 5x7:


5"x7"
SOLD

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

A Little Out of Breath...

Things get more and more busy as we go into December.I am working on a commission Elephant, which is large-' plus have been asked to do a few pages of calendar for my sister's company.Apart form this , I have to create some new paintings to keep my online shop at Artfinder populated as I have sold a few during last month and it looks rather empty now!
Also have to deal with paperwork and research regarding the house purchase. Oh and yes, I have got my Christmas cards printed and delivered - now need to write them, address them and post them in time!But somehow all this activity is keeping me in good spirits..hope you all  are having a happily busy time,too.
6x9

Managed to sneak this little guy in, a midst all the goings on!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

More of Animal Art

Past week has been quite hectic, I have been painting a lot, besides a hoard of other things -hopefully I would find some leisure to go through all my friends' blogs soon.Completed a large Elephant commission, but will post it here only after client's permission.
Animal painting has a way of perking me up so even when I too much on my plate, I still find time to paint some!Here are a few of last weeks' work.
Cattitude
5x7
SOLD

All Fluffed Up
14x11

Little Robin
5x7
SOLD

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Cats and Dogs

It seems I can't stay away from animals,can I? Couldn't help painting these two small studies of a Siamese cat and a Lab(?) in chocolate brown.Both of them small, 5x7..

Chocolate Dod
SOLD


Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Seascapes

"Harbor in the moonlight"
14"x10"
Here is another one, with some more details.I tried to keep it simple, just one darker wash over the initial one.I would like the boat to be less detailed and more 'painterly' in my next attempt:)
Below is another one I worked side by side as I could not wait for the first wash to dry! 
Its cool and subdued in color and tone,looks like another grey day in England,
On a Grey Day"
10" x 7"
Oh and I just realized I like painting water better than land,so this is going to be a seascape series instead of landscapes!  The paper is Saunders waterford. It takes washes well ,though the surface feels a bit dry to work on.I wet the whole paper before I start so that the paint flows evenly.

Monday, November 17, 2014

The Grove

SOLD
Came off with a landscape at last. I painted it in only two colors with no drawing, keeping things simple and taking care not to over work it.The paper I used was rough,with a canvas-like laid finish Usually I am not comfortable with that but it worked for this simple grove and lake.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Elephants


Two more elephant paintings; just a few from what I have been painting lately.Now I am thinking of taking a break from animal art ( hope so!) and diversify myself to other areas like figure painting or may be even landscapes.Landscapes have been teasing me for a long time.I have made several attempts- I really would like to be able to produce a beautiful landscape someday- but so far they have been ending up in the bin, or lying unfinished.I think I need to work more on that aspect of my art.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Siesta

12x14
SOLD
A new bear painting in light and soft hues.I have used some salt texture which came out a bit like snow and worked very minimally on the bear..since they are white,there was not much to do!The paper was an old pad of Winsor and Newton lying around as I was not sure about its texture,but in the end it was beautiful, spreading the colors as I wanted to.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Elephant Painting_True Love

13x20
SOLD
I had a vision of this painting as I woke up this morning.I actually went and stretched a cut up Arches sheet (of an odd dimension- which had been lying around for quite some time) even before I had my morning cup of tea!Worked on it all late morning and finished it by afternoon.I am quite happy with the results.Talk about being 'inspired'!..
Arches works beautifully when stretched.You can paint it over and over,once the first wash has dried.My other favorite Hahnemuhle is only good for fast and loose work- but I am a fan of the swirls and blooms it creates .

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Husky Dog

14"x10"
SOLD
Another dog painting, a husky dog this time.They are pretty friendly,intelligent and loving dogs.This one looks very sensible to me. Reference picture courtesy Pixabay.
This one has been painted on Langton (Daler/Rowney) cold pressed paper which allowed me to work delicately on his fur, lifting up paint as well.Nice paper, I would recommend for detailed work.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Thinking of Snow...

9"x12"
Falling behind in posting and visiting again ....not feeling well is one of the reasons.Flu like stuffy feeling all the time and a bad cough is making me miserable these days.Still managed to paint this guy today.I am thinking of having him on my Christmas cards this year- hope he does not look scary..!?Personally I like him :)


Sunday, October 19, 2014

The raven

12 x 9
SOLD
A new subject for me, a raven.These are considered mysterious creatures, considered to be having a special vision in some cultures.
I have used indigo ,blue, sepia to replace the usual black to make the composition interesting,

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Dazzler

16"x12"
Sorry about back to back postings..I also painted this rooster day before yesterday.Painting them small is fairly easy but it get tougher when you attempt a larger size.You have to be very confident to pull off something this - I worked very wet-in-wet, dragging my brush along in long strokes and dropped paint.The light has not been great- it being a very wet and grey week.This is the best shot that I could get.The rooster is actually more vibrant in person :)

The Elephant Commission

24" 20"
This was the commission I completed and shipped yesterday to Boston, US. Lately I have been asked repeatedly for larger paintings as commissions,forcing me to step out of my comfort zone more often. I like my colors to run and mingle on paper but the paint dries much quickly on a larger area so its difficult to achieve desired results.It was a tough one, this guy!But happy that the client approved it and was thrilled with it.Just keeping my fingers crossed for its safe arrival- I had to send it rolled in a tube because of its size.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Amber Elephant

16"x12"
Its tough to come up with names for them now; I have painted so many!This one is in muted tones- sepia, gold and raw umber mainly.Another study before I started on a bigger commission.It was good to take a break from the usual color scheme and try something new. I refrained from using blue, turquoise and purple in this one.


Thursday, October 9, 2014

Puppy Eyes

Puppy Eyes
12" x9"
SOLD
Recently I realized that even as I have been painting animals almost exclusively these days, dogs were yet to make an appearance.
Eyes are the focal point of my portraits almost invariably.In this portrait,the focus was especially on the soulful,brown eyes of this sweet faced guy. No wonder ,he stole the heart of an art lover and was lapped up the very next day on ArtFinder :) He leaves for his Leeds home today.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

White Rooster in Watercolor

6"x 9"
A small,loose piece I did yesterday.Roosters are perfect subjects to play around with, you can do anything you want!

Sunday, October 5, 2014

The Sparrow

7"x7"
A small brown sparrow 
Papers play a vital part in painting.I have three or four kinds of papers and all of them behave differently,making it difficult to switch when you are painting continuously. This was Arches cold pressed and it behaved very differently than the Hahnemuhle that I normally paint on.I realized that the pigment glides on Hahnemuhle while Arches absorbs more.This switch resulted in a few failed paintings.This sparrow came out ok,though.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Scarlet Macaw

8"x8"
I rarely use pure red or scarlet in my paintings.In fact I am yet to find my favorite red! This Scarlet Macaw was an exercise to bring out the very best of this color as well as for me to understand the color better.Hope you all have a great weekend, its 10 pm Friday and I am planning to paint another one now :) 

Monday, September 29, 2014

A Fleeting Glance

16"x12"
Today's work. A British brown hare in expressive style.I have been trying to work more and more with a loose hand .This guy was painted wet in wet, combination of soft and crisp edges...

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Love

12"x16"
Yesterday's painting session was quite productive.I am happy with this painting of a mama bear with her cubs. I have been finding it tough to update everything and visit my friends' blogs lately as I have some other pressing engagements like looking for a new house to buy!Lots of research to do, lots of options to look at...I am not even attending my life drawing sessions this term.I hope you all will bear with me; I will be visiting soon :)Have a great Sunday!

Friday, September 26, 2014

Chocolate Brown Emu

12"x16"

A brand new Emu in chocolate brown.I have bought a few new shades of blue and purples, trying out how they behave! 
Its three more days of Free Shipping worldwide at ArtFinder, if anyone is interested in buying original art...I sold the cute Koala yesterday to a lovely collector in Kent, UK.The going seems good Have a lovely weekend, you all.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Mr Koala

16"x12''

Today's work.Well, apart from the commission Elephant painting that is on my easel for last two days. Today I wanted to paint something for myself, with no pressure.This was a new subject, though a challenge--with fur sticking out of  everywhere from this guy'd round face.It was difficult to define the face without using too much detail and keeping everything soft.A tough one :)

Friday, September 19, 2014

Elephants

Peas in a Pod
12x9
SOLD
This pair was on of the swiftest to move out.... A lovely lady in UK contacted me two days ago, about a custom Elephant Painting for her living room.She wanted it to be large enough to hang above her fire place mantle.(I will be painting that one soon) The following evening I decided to paint a smaller one , just to be sure of my color scheme and treatment.This pair turned out to be good and I posted it on Art Finder.It was Sold within 24 hours!
Well now I have to start with the larger one , with four elephants.Hope it turns out well,too.
Have a great weekend, you all.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Angie the Angora Rabbit


"Angie" the Angora Rabbit
9x12


Colors used ...winsor violet, payne's grey, permanent crimson and a bit of pink.
Painted this cute little rabbit in soft tones.I was reading about them a while ago and it was difficult to resist the temptation!They are the sweetest things to look at.


Sunday, September 14, 2014

''Splendor"_ The Elephant

13.5x19
Thank you all who took time to comment on my last post.I had to take a short break but could not resist anymore; painted for 2-3 hours last night :) Feeling a bit tired but happy a the results at the same time.
This elephant is bigger than my usual size ...I stretched the 300gsm Arches paper for this size.Mostly I use paper blocks as they are low fuss and easy to use.But Arches blocks are too expensive! 
I worked this one very wet, with drips and spatters- in a completely unplanned fashion....its thrilling to see something emerge out of madness :)

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

The Blue Bird

9"x12"
I did not paint anything today as my neck feels quite stiff after two rigorous days of painting. ( This is yesterday's work) I am dreading the coming years...how am I going to fare ten years down the line? It would be a real bummer if you want to paint but you can't ..wouldn't it? May be I am being a bit morose, blame it on the painful neck and sleepless night, but really?!! Well I must admit I have neglected my exercise and walking regime in past one or two months..with muscles like mine, I have to work at it just to function normally.Hope to bounce back soon!Take care, everyone.


Monday, September 8, 2014

The Owl

A new work, completed this morning.A favorite combination of mine--Cobalt Blue, Burnt Umber and Burnt Orange( by Daniel Smith ;which is fast becoming my favorite color) with just a hint of Yellow Ocher.
He is larger than life, about 15"x12"

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Earth and Sky

12x16 watercolor
I had neglected to post this one, done sometime in July this year.I don't think I will ever tire of painting zebras..this one is lean and handsome; I have tried cobalt blue dropped in burnt umber with hints of burnt orange. 

Meanwhile the brown horse and this colorful hare have been SOLD recently,on artfinder.com
SOLD

SOLD



Wednesday, September 3, 2014

The Horse Portrait_ Back to Work

9"x12" Watercolor on Hahnemuhle paper
Got back from my trip to India last Sunday.It was quite hectic; more than I had expected.There was a lot of government/bank work which took up most of our time.In fact I did not even get to visit Rishikesh this time.Mostly we were just running around, trying to catch up with friends between managing the official appointments.Not many photographs were taken, but did get to meet everyone in the family and friends.Hopefully next time will be better, I plan to have a little more time for my family.

Last two days have been spent mostly in cleaning and sleeping, but I got back to work yesterday, painting this horse portrait- first in recent times.I think I will paint more, they are quite beautiful in their own way.Many of my friends breed them - it was time I painted one!



Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Last one to go...

Elephant Family SOLD yesterday on Art Finder and already on its way to California!
 I will be leaving soon for a trip to India :) Its going to be a hectic one as we have a lot of work to take care of but still I am pretty excited to see family and friends after two whole years! Have been busy tying loose ends here before the holiday( and shopping a lot for everyone there;) )so haven't been much of a blogger lately and its going to be like this for another month. I sincerely hope that all my blogger friends are enjoying summer and life is treating you all well.Take care, you all!

Monday, July 28, 2014

New Emu and a Robin


Two new works I have done in last few days.The robin is blended into its atmosphere with spatters and splashes in warm Yellows while the Emu is suave and crisp, Blue on White.They look crazy together :)  I have been meaning to post them separately but never found the time!Anyway, her they are- take your pick :)


Tuesday, July 22, 2014

More Guinea Pigs...

Fuzzy Buddies
12"x9"
Still feeling like painting more Guinea pigs! This one was a bit different in tone and treatment.I have added some color to the background to bring out the tiny white bodies; though not too much. Looks good..eh?

..and here is a picture that was sent by the happy client:)