Happy new year 2015

As the New Year dawns, I hope it is filled with the promises of a brighter tomorrow. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

'A New Morning'

Watercolor on Saunders paper, 

14 x 21inches

Thinking Over Coffee

'Thinking Over Coffee'

Soft pastels on Tinted paper,

15 x 20 inches

My painting 'Thinking over coffee' has been selected for exhibition in Camel Art Foundation's All India Annual Art Exhibition 2014 which opens on Jan 5th, 2015 at Lalit Kala Academy, Chennai. My gratitude to the organizers and the jury.

My Trip To China

Just back from Qingdao, China, where I was invited to attend the opening of the China International Watercolor Biennial Exhibition 2014.
It was an excellent trip and my very first trip abroad. The exhibition was very well organized with so many fantastic and inspiring selection of works. Got an opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful artists from different countries and exchange our thoughts on watercolor.
 

 

 

 

  

 

 

My participation in China Qingdao International Watercolor Biennial 2014

I feel honored to have 4 of my works included in the China Qingdao International Watercolour Biennial 2014. This event is organized by China Ministry of Culture Art Department, China Ministry of Culture Bureau for External Cultural Relations and Qingdao Municipal People’s Government and co-organized by Chinese Artists Association Watercolour Art Committee.
The exhibition will be held at the Qingdao Art Museum from Dec. 12th ,2014 till Feb 28th, 2015. I’m also very grateful to the organizers for the opportunity to attend the opening ceremony personally. Looking forward to meeting some wonderful watercolour artists from around the world!

Sunday Plein air painting

Sunday at Lalbagh,

Watercolor, 10 x 14 inches

Whenever possible, I go out on Sundays to paint outdoors (en plein air). Painted this one yesterday at Lalbagh Botanical Garden.
The below ones were painted from my earlier tip to the same place...

A photo of me painting on location, courtesy one of my friends from our outdoor group

Meeting 'Goldfinch'

Meeting an online friend of many years in person for the first time is always exciting! It was not any less…in fact much more, when I met Richard Rudkin, my blogger friend, a few days ago in Bangalore. Richard is from Darlington, UK and I know him from his blog since 2009. His blog is named –Indian Influences and he himself goes by the name Goldfinch on blogosphere (I forgot to ask why he chose that name…lol) Incidentally, Richard and his sister were raised in India as their father worked for the Hooghly ink company in Chennai and later Kolkata until the 70s and so he has fond memories of his childhood here which explains his interest in India.

Currently, he is on a travel trip to Southern India with his sister with a very packed schedule in his itinerary… I must say! :-) But he somehow squeezed a little time to meet me and was kind enough to buy a few paintings as well.

Here’s the link to his blog

http://indian-influences.blogspot.in/

New paintings from Kolkata series

 'Early morning at BBD Bagh'

Watercolor on Fabriano paper,

14 x 10 inches

 'Flower Market, Kolkata'

Watercolor on Saunders paper,

14 x 10 inches

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.