Teal n Turquoise Elephant Watercolor

22''x30''

Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico CP 600 gsm

Painted this elephant yesterday, on a full sheet of Fabriano. I must say it was scary, my brushes are not that large so I had to work in sections-- but I managed to pull off this fast paced work AND was able to bring out the form without muddying it too much! Only three colors were used- light turquoise, intense blue and yellow ochre.

 I am thinking about a portrait or a figurative painting next.

Another news, I was invited to give an interview for Daily Paint Works and it was published today on their blog.Check the link above, of course, if you are interested in knowing a bit more about me! :) 

Emerald Elephant_Watercolor

10"x14"

Watercolor on Arches cold pressed paper

SOLD now

Finished yesterday, this one was painted with just two colors- winsor blue and quin. gold.

Baby Ele

Baby Pink Elephant

9x12

 I am back to my easel..well; at least for the time being.Painted a lot this weekend as the weather did not permit to make any plans to venture out-- all dark and cloudy with rains off and on. Painted this little guy on my new Saunders Waterford block and LOVED the paper.This one is 'high white' 140 lb and just perfect for my style of painting; I used lots and lots of water as it was a great block, no loosening/buckling of paper at all.You can see me going overboard here; dropping all kinds of colors into this cute baby elephant..I enjoyed this painting so much!

Next one is a giraffe and it will make an appearance soon .Happy Easter, everyone.

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

''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 :)

Elephant Portrait ''Stalwart''

20"x 15"

I have been painting small for quite some time and felt that it was time to go big This one is as big as I can go at the moment, but I am quite happy with it.Shipping large watercolors can be a pain as I do not roll them into tubes but prefer to send them flat.It can be done but is extremely expensive. Anyway this "Stalwart" looks quite majestic on large scale, doesn't he? Painted in my usual style on Arches cold pressed paper.

The Elephant

The Emperor

12x9

Elephants...I haven't been painting them for a while and it certainly felt good! This portrait is a combo of loose and crisp, I hope it has come out decent.

Painted with just Raw Sienna and French Ultramarine Blue (with a hint of red,) this fellow is simple yet royal.

More Elephants

I don't want my elephant population to decline, so each time one sells, I paint two more!These two were painted together, using different color schemes.Blue one is more loose, I used salt texture and wet in wet to create some blooms, not much brushwork.It looks fresh!Gold one is more restrained, but the colors are still whimsical.Hope you all had a nice weekend;I had a great one!

The Tusker_ Elephant in Watercolor

30x40 cm

Can't stay away from them for long! Painted two of them in last two days when I am supposed to be 'taking a break'.Well painting elephants is like eating a chocolate muffin to me- gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling! Yesterday was a stormy day with blustery winds.Not a day to step out,anyway.So why not make the most of indoors! 

Hope you are enjoying the Holiday Season.

Gentle Giant- Elephant Painting Sold

SOLD

Happy to share that this ambitious painting ( its 22"x15") has today been purchased by an art lover from Texas.My elephants are being loved more than I had anticipated.Thank you all for your support and encouragement along the way.

Completed a commissioned pastel portrait today..it has come out really nice.I hope to share it with you, if the client permits.

Rich Gold_ Elephant Portrait in Watercolor

Watercolor on paper 12x9

Last night I painted this golden elephant,using my favorite  Quinacridon Gold ( tough to spell.though!) It works beautifully with Cerulean Blue.Just used these two with a hint of Burnt Sienna here and there.

These elephant paintings have been very useful to experiment with various techniques in watercolors.I understand them more now, and I  feel that I am developing a style, which was missing earlier.

On the home front ,the past two weeks have been quite hectic.My son caught chicken pox and is at home for more than 10 days.Tending to him, coupled with some commissions has been quite a task.I still have a few more to go but I manage to sneak in an hour or two in between, to paint what I like to paint.So its like working 24x7..but I am not complaining :) just wish that I did not have this pain in neck ( literally) that gets bad when I work long hours.

Hope the Holiday Season is treating you all well....

The Herd

14x11

Last night's effort.Tried a loose approach, working wet in wet- losing and finding some edges.I like the results so I might work more on this technique :)

The herd of elephants usually consists of mother elephants with their babies...usually in 8-10 in number.However I had the biggest paper in 14x11 size so I had to reduce the number!!But they still look like a herd,don't they?

Have a great Sunday.

Elephant Blues

9"x 12"

SOLD

I had created this a few weeks ago but neglected to post ...'too many elephants' I had thought. But he was adamant and made his way to the blog finally as he was sold from my Etsy Shop today :) 

Good start to my day!

Portrait of an Elephant_Chestnut Brown

                                                        Watercolor painting  12"x 9"
                                                                         SOLD
I can't have enough of the elephants, it seems.Now I know them so well that I do not need to look at any reference pictures :) This one, despite his earthy brown color still manages to catch the eye...doesn't he.
Good news is, he was quickly lapped up from my Etsy Shop!

The Gentle Giant_ Elephant Portrait

21"x14" Arches NOT Paper

Going big again, painted on a half sheet of Arches.The composition was powerful so I thought that the impact would be greater in a larger size.I am more or less happy with this one, though the palette was not planned and I floundered a bit ...but all is well that ends well! 

I am loving painting elephants:)

Majestic III Elephant Art

14"x 10" watercolor painting

I can't stop painting them! Another one in the series... just trying out different approaches towards the same subject.Next one will have new colors, I promise-I wouldn't want to bore you.

Majestic-2

watercolor 10"x14"

Another one in 'Majestic' series.Elephants are fast becoming my favorite subjects- they have so much to offer...I can dabble here and there, experiment with color, create texture- they are indeed very forgiving.

I loved painting this big guy today..it was like meditation. I was lost for two hours, totally immersed in the painting.And I love the results, exactly what I wanted , for once:)

Majestic_1_ Watercolor

Watercolor on Langton 140 lb paper

10"x14"

I felt like painting loose today.. watercolors came to my aid!Its a beautiful day outside, and I loved painting this majestic animal in spontaneous style.In fact I intend to paint a small series on elephants in the same style- hence the name and number!