So many pictures....no time to post!

I have been travelling so much in the last few weeks, that have had no time to post....the good thing was that I did keep up the painting...not as much as I wanted to, but managed some, so am posting it altogether!
This first one was of my favourite banyan tree outside my window... I see it through the seasons standing tall and resilient...and so stunningly beautiful, as it changes colours with the seasons. New leaves have just begun to sprout, so I did a quick 20 min challenge, focusing on the brightness of the greens!!

Then we left to spend time with Naeeda in Thailand! We had a great visit to a wonderful resort in Hua Hien. Most herbs in Thailand are ground using stone pestle and mortars, as we do here in India as well. The hotel we stayed at in Hua Hien was clever in the way they displayed these on the steps near the pool....and I thought they made a pretty picture!
I have been using a pen for some of my painting,  and thought it added to the picture in this one. I find a pen helps define and create lights and darks, especially if one doesn't have too much time when painting plaine aire.

The next 2 pictures were painted while on a trip to Shillong from which I came back yesterday! The flowers were a gift, when I arrived, and I thought the best way to preserve the memory would be to paint a quick picture....and so I did! It took about a half hour, and I enjoyed focusing on the colours.

We stayed in a wonderful little cottage in Upper Shillong. Shillong has changed, in many ways for the worse, as it has become crowded and there are actually traffic jams! However we were fortunate to stay away from the crowd and in a quiet space. The short walks we took, wandering down little lanes with hill sides covered in daisies and any number of wild flowers reminded me of my school days in Darjeeling....it all seemed so far away from Kolkata and its crowds and constant noise! This was a view from our window early in the morning....

The next 2 are paintings from reference pictures of Portugal. I am teaching myself to paint from reference pictures and use them as points of reference only. I have a tendency to try and paint everything on the picture, which often makes a messy picture. So now I leave out unnecessary details and create my own picture! This is a new skill for me and one that is helping me paint more in the way I want to.