Kolkata series: First Light

'First Light'

Watercolor on Saunders paper,

21 x 14 inches

My upcoming Group Show

Invitation for my upcoming group show at Gallery Five Art Consultants, Lado Sarai, New Delhi.
I thank the gallery for choosing to include my works for this show.
Feel truly honoured to share the gallery space with the likes of Akbar Padamsee, MF Husain, Ganesh Haloi, Laxma Goud and other senior and eminent artists.
The preview is on 12th Oct. and the exhibition continues till 11th November.

Market under the Howrah Bridge

'Market under the Howrah Bridge'

Watercolor on Saunders paper,

14 x 10 inches

Overseas sale

 

'A wet evening'

'Glowing Canopies'

Happy to share the news that two of my paintings were sold overseas very recently. The top one was an earlier watercolor work that was sold in Australia while the second one, a recent work from my Kolkata series, was bought by an art collector from Hong Kong.

Kolkata Series: Fishing on Hooghly

'Fishing on Hooghly'

Watercolor on Saunders Paper,

10 x 14 inches

detail

New 'Kolkata Series'

 

'At the Victoria Memorial'

Watercolor on Arches paper

10 x 14 inches

 

 

'Lalbazaar'

Watercolor on Fabriano paper

14 x 21 inches

I've started working on a new series called the 'Kolkata Series'.

Kolkata still has that old world charm with its magnificent architectural buildings of the past, trams, rickshaws and the yellow ambis (taxis). Plenty of subjects all around. I'll be adding many more to this collection...

Small format paintings

Before beginning a new painting, I try to make a small study of the same scene...helps in simplifying and to know first hand, how would the result be. But sometimes, I just leave them at that. I've been always fond of working in small format. Easy to control and so enjoyable! For the art collectors, they are an affordable option and wonderful collectibles.

 

'Bougainvilleas', Watercolor, 5 x 7 inches

 

'Cruising on lake pichola',  Watercolor, 5 x 7 inches

 

'Orange Wall',  Watercolor, 5 x 7 inches

 

'Duck herder,  Watercolor, 7 x 10 inches

 

'Evening light',  Watercolor, 5 x 7 inches

 

'Goa beach #1,  Watercolor, 7 x 10 inches

 

'Goa beach #2,  Watercolor, 7 x 10 inches

 

'Princep ghat at dusk',  Watercolor, 7 x 10 inches

 

'Sparkling lake',  Watercolor, 5 x 7 inches

 

'Winter morning',  Watercolor, 5 x 7 inches

The full collection can be viewed here.

Latest from my Goa series

Two more added to my ongoing Goa series watercolor paintings...

 

'A private view of the sea'

Watercolor on Arches Paper,

10 x 14 inches

'Romance at beach'

Watercolor on Bockingford Paper,

10 x 14 inches

Commissioned works

Ganga Aarti, Haridwar

Watercolor on Fabriano paper

9 x 21 inches

This was commissioned by a client from Singapore. She had already bought one painting of mine, and was interested in getting one more. Since she had been to this place, she wanted a painting of this scene, to keep as a memory.

'Bicycle series- a set of 5 paintings'

Watercolor on paper

12 x 12 inches each

These were commissioned by a gentleman from Chandigarh. He was impressed by my bicycle paintings and had wanted a series of such bikes. I could not be more happy... :)

Goa Series # 5

'Goa Series # 5'

Watercolor on Fabriano Paper

9 x 21 inches

A small thumbnail sketch

Detail

Goa series # 4

Watercolor on Saunders paper

10 x 14 inches

After studying my initial small watercolour sketch (below), I decided to move the 2 main figures right in the path of the light making the composition more striking.

 Initial sketch

 Thumbnail sketch

Goa Series # 3: Enjoying the surf

 

Goa Series # 3: Enjoying the surf

Watercolor on Saunders paper

10 x 14 inches

This was painted from one of my reference photographs. Though it was a grey day and there was no play of light and shadow, I liked this subject of these two kids enjoying getting wet in the surf at the beach. And though there were other figures, I eliminated them from the composition. Before beginning to paint, I made two small thumbnail sketches with different placement of the figures and felt that the right one was a better composition.

Goa series

 

Goa Series # 1

Watercolor on Arches Paper

14 x 10 inches

 

Goa Series #2

Watercolor on Arches Paper

10 x 14 inches

My trip to Goa

Hi...its been so long ( I always say this, he he...) So I'm back from Goa after participating in the India Art Camp, organized by the Camel Art Foundation for the winners of the All India Art Contest 2013. The camp was for 7 days in which the first 4 days included a workshop by well known installation artist, Dr Subodh Kerkar. The last 2 days was for sightseeing. Since this was the time of the monsoons, there were pre monsoon showers and some of the beaches were closed. This was the first time I had been to Goa so I didn’t mind the weather…he he! Made some good friends too. The participants were from all parts of India so it was a wonderful experience.

Now looking forward to making some paintings of Goa from my photo references. In fact, I’ve already finished one! Will be posting it soon. 

 

The participants' abode for a week

 Painting en plein air in Goa

 

Fort Aguada in watercolor

 

 

Goa landscape - watercolor

 

Participants with Mr Subodh Kerkar

 

With Camel's DGM Ms Neelima Deodhar

 

 With Mr Subodh Kerkar

Commissions

Last month, I was commissioned to paint my own paintings in watercolor. One of them was an earlier work done in oil. I agreed almost immediately! With the experience I've gained painting in watercolors all these years, I was eager myself to see how it would look in watercolors :) The sparkle on the water is the actual white of the paper which was protected using masking fluid.

The second one was of a watercolor done last year. The size ordered however, was half of the original. And painting the third one was interesting. The buyer had seen a little sketch of the painting ( 5 x 7") which I had posted on facebook and wanted a larger version of the same (14 x 21"). I happily obliged since it was a favorite subject - the bicycle! :)

Here are their images

 

'Shimmering water' - remake of an earlier oil painting in watercolor

 

 

'Working early', watercolor, 10 x 14 inches

 'Holi in Varanasi', Watercolor, 21 x 14 inches

Besides these, I also sold 2 more watercolors to an art lover in the US this month

'Esplanade Traffic, Kolkata' Watercolor, 9 x 21 inches

'Crossing the Hooghly', Watercolor, 9 x 21 inches

I had received inquiries for these 2 paintings several times, but they never converted to sales. I'm very happy that it finally did and that they have found a good home in the US. :)