Scribbles and Splashes

Galloping grace

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:10:00 +0000

Fly away

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:09:00 +0000

While I've been away...

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:50:00 +0000

It feels like ages that I last painted - and feels like it'll be ages that I pick up the paintbrush again. And I'm not complaining - though the art-shelf that my husband has tantalizingly set up in this new place that we shifted to while I was away, does seem rather enticing.

While my right hand is on the keyboard, my left one's cupping a sweet little head that has yet to find a supportive friend in the neck that came along with it. Mitali, our month-old daughter has just given me a toothless smile (Awwww...), almost as if to say, "Mum, didn't the doc tell you to sleep whenever I do?"

Before she wakes up and I have to run around looking for cotton swabs and powder and lotion, let me thank all the new friends that I have noticed beginning to follow my blog. Many, many thanks also to all the fellow artists who have been dropping by. And a big 'aloha' to all those of you who have been coming up with some really cheerful stuff that I can see on my blogroll (I'd love to congratulate you individually on many of the works that have caught my eye but I'm not sure when I'd have the time to do that...!)

Hang in there, meanwhile... I'll be back soon!

Melons through water

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Wed, 12 May 2010 08:20:00 +0000

An image in yesterday's edition of The Hindu was the inspiration to this painting. What also was a buoyant propeller was the power-cut at the bang of time when I wanted to sit to paint!

'Farmers use camels to transport watermelons to a market through the Ganga near Neemsarai village close to Allahabad on Monday. Watermelons are in high demand during summer', said the caption to this image. I found it wonderful - a tickle to a sweat-drenched me, to see the ships of the desert carrying an oasis on their backs while wading through ankle-deep water for parched throats. Reminded me of 'The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner':

Water, water, everywhere,

Nor any drop to drink.

Ho-hum... the summer's as annoying as the tantalising sea - or is it?

Sunny Embrace

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Wed, 12 May 2010 08:13:00 +0000

After about a decade, I finally picked up a set of colourful threads and a needle and began work, thanks to the propelling from two of my friends, Nandini and Vidya who promised to keep me motivated. While this was initially supposed to be a cushion-cover, it turned out to be much too complicated to be put off as that (so my two teachers said and stayed the initial motivation!).

I went over-the-top in making this piece - at times it felt intimidating! I had fun in the 6 months that this took to make - no, not every day and just a few minutes on the days that I sat with it! Thoroughly joyful to make it, rediscover embroidery and finally gift it to a dear friend... yay!

Peacock in Splendour

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Mon, 10 May 2010 04:42:00 +0000

This piece took its own sweet time to make - the colour-scheme confused me! At first I wanted it to have pinks and purples and that particular light blue (which was a discovery I made in the school's thread-cupboard!). But I had to finally give in to my instinct of the mismatch that the pink was to the beige of the background. While most thought that it was silly to even think of unstitching so much of the pink, I decided to do what it takes to be proud of a little piece of art. Working more feverishly than I had planned, it was completed in no time - and gifted to my proud Mom-in-law even faster! (Double-yay!)

And that was the other little story. When I went home this summer, I found my Mom-in-law at the brink of a massive embroidery project herself - a whole bed-cover! What I thought was inspiring, turned out to be intimidating to her; after all, she hadn't picked up the needle and thread in the last 35 years! We spent a few days figuring out the colour-scheme of her magnum opus (to-be!), ran around in a sweltering summer afternoon in Chennai looking for the threads and finalised on the stitches that she would use. She turned out to be a diligent student who had been (believe it or not!) putting in hours of graft and toil ever since, referring to this piece (above) as a ready reckoner for the stitches that she needs to use in her own piece!

Her child- enthusiasm is infectious to say the least! And her diligence to become a student again is humbling...

Streaming Mist

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Mon, 10 May 2010 04:40:00 +0000

I want to hear the sound of trickling water - not just wipe it off my neck as it trickles down! Just as I was about to begin painting this scene, the power went off and with it, went off half my enthusiasm to look closely at the reference picture on my computer!

"Ugh!", I thought to myself. The very next moment, however, saw me "folding up the sleeves of my work-clothes and putting my shoulder to the wheel"! I finished this painting really quickly and thoroughly enjoyed watching the washes blend into each other on the stone. I loved the multitude of colours, though I know I could have done a much better (read 'realistic') job of it! But I forgave myself partly thanks to the fact that I was doing it purely out of memory of the reference picture and partly thanks to the fun that painting this was!

New Paper!

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:44:00 +0000

Purely an experiment. With a sheet from a set of new paper that I bought from Landmark in Nungambakkam, thanks to the persistent pestering from Rishi to do so. A 300gsm sheet was intimidating in its thickness, cost and novelty. I tore it in half and began drawing at first. Two-three pencil strokes later, impatience got the better of me and I began splashing water on the whole sheet, watching little blobs of colour dance about, dropping any territorial inhibitions.

I felt like a two-year old - and tapped my little baby, delighted at the thought that two years from now, he/she could be feeling as much a high as I was feeling in that moment!

P.S.
There's a mammoth of a masterpiece that my Mom painted before I came about in oils that had a similar tree taking a little dip in still waters. I didn't think of it before she pointed out the similarity in inspiration. Perhaps somewhere at the back of my mind, the intimidation of that Magnum Opus has been imprinted. I'll attempt painting it true to character some time - it's a phenomenal scene, a phenomenal painting. I wish my mum would get back to her oils!

Primary Colours

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:42:00 +0000

Day Lilies

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:39:00 +0000

Monday Morning Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:43:00 +0000

Scribbles of winds

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:42:00 +0000

Luscious

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:41:00 +0000

Soft Summer Shadows

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:40:00 +0000

Venitian spring

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:39:00 +0000

Swooshing Splash

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:37:00 +0000

The Conflagaration

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:36:00 +0000

Bridge over...

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:47:00 +0000

Crags

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:50:00 +0000

Straw, berries

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:44:00 +0000

The Rise and The Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:14:00 +0000

She was teary-eyed when she saw it. Perhaps because she's given up hope of its every seeing the light of day! As I confessed in my earlier post, this was the promise that I'd made, the promise I'd procrastinated acting upon and the one thing that made me feel my lowest low in a long, long time.

On the last weekend of the term, I sat with the resolve to have fun and finish it by 4pm. I didn't care about reference pictures or technical flaws. I just needed the final painting to have enough detail and tons of warm colours - the yummy yellows, the ornamental oranges and oh-so-radiant reds. This was also the first painting where I used water colour pencils, though I haven't yet experimented with them enough. I used them for the bark of the trunk and branches at first, but what's more clearly visible are the brush-marks. I used some spray-painting for the finer details and a little oil pastel instead of masking fluid in very insignificant parts (Wish I'd used them more!).

It was just not going to be a smooth ride, I realised within 10 minutes into the process. There was a dinner-party in the evening that I had to cook for a dozen people. New recipes, few supplies, even lesser time. Random incidents demanded me to run out, walk half a kilometer to and fro various nooks of the campus. Tons of distractions later, I saw myself panting to her house with one arm outstretched. That I don't need a CHUNK of time to myself to sit to paint was quite a discovery - yay (that's the usual grouse for procrastinating. I just don't seem to have 7 hours to myself!)!

I finally did it! I was thrilled to bits with the whole process. Not really with the final product. I think I've broken the mental block that I'd developed for a 6 months... now. I can't tell you how much lighter I feel. Here is how it looks.

Ecologically yours affectionately...

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:21:00 +0000

These are perhaps the first two paintings in years that I have made without ANY reference pictures. I thought it would be more difficult than this - but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed painting these. These pictures are part of a presentation that a teacher needs to make for little kids to introducs/remind them of the difference between an artifical, mechanised, interfered world and one that is left to work on its own.

The first picture's got a perfect produce - the end product that all our energies are focussed upon - but lifeless, dull flora and fauna. The second picture shows the diversity and vibrance in a natural environment where the produce is more diverse, as rich, but perhaps takes somewhat longer to grow. There are other subtle differences that I'd rather not point out. Of course, the shadow of the photographer in the second one is one of them :)

Hmmm... now for the splash of colour for my perky friend!

Calvin and Hobbes... and me!

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:32:00 +0000

The date on the last post in this blog. Then the pictures in this post. No explanations so far. And now I turn up with a plethora. Let me explain.

Where have I been all this while? I wish I had an answer to that one! I've been here - regularly clicking the URL to this blog and having a look at my previous paintings. Only, I didn't have a reason to log on. It's a rather new phase that I entered sometime earlier this year. there have been days that I announced, "There's going to be a creative outburst tonight!" and 30 minutes later, I would have fallen asleep. On other days I've felt panicky at not having anything to do - having the day (or the larger chunk of it) to myself - uh oh, NOW what do I use as an excuse for not painting? I've run away from it. For 6 months now.

But you know what?
The more you run away from something, the more are the chances that you'll run into it!

A friend asked me to paint something vibrant for her 2 months ago - she's a keg of energy herself. She needed something that would spice up her mornings at first sight. Her excitement was infectious. I sat to paint. And froze. I was avoiding her eye subconsciously. Then last week she came up to me and accosted me. Was there anything that she had done, she enquired, innocuously. WHAT??? OH Gosh... I was embarrassed., to say the least. I don't remember the last time that I was this angry with myself.

Then another dear friend mentioned off the cuff if I could make some posters for the library. Children need to be taught library-etiquette lightly and in a fun-way. For some strange reason, I jumped at it. I've never thought about it earlier but somehow - just as inexplicably as anything possibly can be - I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to make! I browsed through all of the C&H strips that I had and began scribbling ferociously. (Yup...that's why the colourful post!!!) But it took me 3 days to muster up the courage to put brush-tip to paper. A senior staff member came about 2 weeks ago and asked me to make a picture for her. She needs to make a presentation to the children with pictures. She knew exactly what she wants in the pictures - which corner has what, how many elements, even the time of day! You see, this one's slightly different - tick-tock! I need to submit BOTH by tomorrow.

Aha... Like I said, you're pushed to 'it'. I'm back. Especially after painting these posters - can't wait for my 9 o'clock library-class tomorrow!

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:37:00 +0000

He’s be cursed, Hibiscus…

noreply@blogger.com (Roopika) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:54:00 +0000

…for being such a delicate and enticing flower!

I had been looking at them for a while, every time I crossed the path to the school. I’d seen them bloom. I’d seen them radiant every afternoon.

Shamelessly, I plucked one little one from our garden last afternoon, resolute that I’d found my muse for the day. I played around for about 10 minutes, holding my little treasure, putting it under sunlight with its back towards me, then with its glaring face, then its profile, then peeking at me, then cold-shouldering me, then looking up, then looking down, and finally smiling straight at me, saying, “Now pick up the pencil and begin!”

I did – and one wasn’t enough. Irresistibly iridescent.

No reference photo, no inspiring painting – this is purely my mind’s game one April afternoon!

Smitten,
Roopika

P.S.
By the way, you can have a look at the yellow one's face here!