painting white flowers

I belong to this amazing website called Wet Canvas, which is a space for artists of all kinds, professionals, amateurs, occasional painters, from all over the world and who use every kind of medium: photographs, oils, pencils, crayons and so on...It has been an amazing experience belonging to this group of people...there is so much generosity in the way they help other artists and critique your pieces..in actual fact I have learnt more from these friends then I did in my class!!!

There is a system of a monthly challenge, where you are given a series of reference pictures from which you choose one and then post it for comments. Its not a competition, but a challenge with yourself.... its amazing how much I have learnt by seeing how different artists view and paint the same things! This is a picture I submitted for a challenge which was looking at ways to paint white flowers! Its not the best, as I feel I need to work a lot more on catching perspective and depth! But then I am learning all the time!! I have converted a corner of the TV room as my 'painting space', so hope to be more regular in practicing!

Charcoal again - Trees at Tolly

Viveck practiced golf at the Tolly, while I sat trying to understand all I had read about 'value' and the 'colour wheel' and discussed with Naffy, whose advice is to not try and spend too much time on the theory, but just practice and 'play around' with my water colours!! So since I hadnt brought the watercolours, decided to 'play around' with the charcoal instead! Have picked up a piece of charcoal after a very long time and am pleased with the effect. I think its happened today because I love trees and find charcoal a terrific medium to capture the grandeur, the lights and shadows, the moods.

Starting the New Year

We are into the New Year! Its a time for me to reflect on all thats gone by and make plans for the coming year. Its a funny sort of time too as I seem to get a lot more reflective at the end of the year and feelings are mixed. At one level I am filled with some regret when I look back on all the things I had thought I would do, friends I would connect with, all my little projects I would finish but have not managed to yet, and at another level the excitement and anticipation of a fresh new year to start with new thoughts and new resolutions! However all in all, it has been an exciting year though, Tash and Suj have got married, we have travelled a lot and a prsonal triumph at being able to climb up to Roopkund! VAANI too seems to be getting sorted...so it is with gratitude and thankfulness that I start this New Year
Am going to convert this blog into a more personal one where I can write my thoughts and musings...