The olive tree in Lagos

What an amazing holiday in Portugal! Ever since I have started painting I seem to be consciously aware of colours around me, tones and shades and have this constant urge to capture as much as I can....I guess all aspiring artists feel the same. What struck me was that the colours of the country are so different to ours in India...the sea is an amazing blue, the trees with shades of greens and browns which needed me to mix different colours than I would do at home to get those tones. During our drive from Lisbon to Lagos in the Algarve we drove through Alenteju. The countryside was dry and dotted with cork and olive trees. I was facinated that in the hot sun the tops of the olive tree leaves shine almost silver!
I managed to do a little painting while at David's place. The atmosphere was great for that, and I was inspired by all the colours and the general feeling of well being that I seem to feel throughout. This is a 400 year old olive tree in his garden. I did 2 versions of it...Naeeda liked the first so has taken it!

Looking outside the window at Moore Avenue

I completed this today...and am so very pleased with it. Its not perfect, as I still seem to make the paint opaque...when it should be translucent! But I have managed to get the depth...which is a good feeling.
What is interesting is that with each painting I seem to learn a little more and realise where my mistakes have been! This is view from the window from my class! I loved the spiral stairs!

2 more 'works of art'

I thought I'd paint the Dhobhi ghat for Naeeda as a present...but the first one came out very badly...the perspective was all wrong! This one is better but the perspective is still not as I want it, so I am uploading it and not giving it to Naeeda. She is going to have to wait for a better one! This is a good way to keep a record as well...and the next one (which will be my third attempt) will probably be goodish!!

I did this yesterday and am 'mighty' pleased with it, as my friend Jyoti would say! We have been doing still life paintings as Habib says the more we master still life the better we will be at everything else. He insists we observe details and try and be as accurate as we can... When I compare my pintings from when I started, I can actually see improvement...and what is even more fascinating is that I seem to be developing my own unique 'style'! Jyoti did the same picture and the way she represented it was so different to mine!

Its been 6 weeks since I started my painting classes. Its been an amazing experience. I look forward to the classes and am making time during the week as well. I come away from each session totally relaxed and definitely feeling all's right with the world!!I am learning to concentrate and observe..see shadows and lights in everything around. Unconsciously I seem to look around to see images I can paint...think about how reflections and movements can be captured on paper. I think water colour is fascinating as it is so fluid, and yet certainly difficult to actually work with, but then thats the challenge...
I have taken Naffy's advice and carry a drawing book in the car with me and try and draw things as I spot them... Its certainly helping.
I enjoyed doing this one, as I tried to capture the shine on the brass, and the colours of te brass itself. Its facinating how many tones each image has.

I am learning to use colours, trying to get the exact shades by mixing colours

Learning to paint in water colours

This is my latest fascination...learning to paint using water colours. Again something I have been wanting to do forever. I love the softness of pictures painter with water colours, the transparency of the medium..There are 3 of us in class, which is held in my friend Jyoti's (a practicing) art gallery. Its a lovely space in a quiet part of Kolkata, and certainly inspiring.
This is my first attempt...a sprig from a bougainvillea plant, and I felt very pleased when I finished it. Habib, the teacher, is a gentle soul and spends his time telling me not to be afraid to experiment and that I need to practice. So lets see where this takes me....