Flowers

Happy to share with you the study of flowers using different media executed way back in 2001...

Pink Flowers - Oil on canvas - 10" x 10"

White Lilies - Oil on canvas - 8" x 8"

Day Lily - Water color on paper - 14" x 16"

Day Lily - Acrylic on paper - 14" x 16"

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A girl with her grandma

Executed in 2003, this dry pastel painting was inspired by a photograph. It depicts the close bond between grandmother and grand daughter. I am glad that I managed to bring out the happiness and contentment on the faces of the protagonists.

A girl with her grandma - Dry pastel on paper - 14" x 20" 

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Woman Fetching Water

I found this drawing of a "woman carrying a bucket of water" in my sketch book. This was done way back in 2003. In the background of drought prevailing now, this drawing depicts the plight of common (wo)man...

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Mother and sons

Tribal outfits and jewellery are colourful and fascinating. I enjoy depicting these elements in my works whenever possible. This painting of a tribal woman with her two sons is executed using dry pastels on textured paper. There are places where I have used the support to depict the skin tone of children; and in some places I have blended the colours to get the soft effect, while in the background I have let the pastel stokes to remain as such.

Mother and sons - 26" x 20" - Dry pastel on paper

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Contemplation

A pencil drawing done as a preliminary study for the composition titled ‘Nostalgia’. Nonetheless, I like the drawing for the simplicity of the form and the expression on the face. Click here to view the final composition.

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Madhubani Motifs - Animals, Birds and Aquatic Forms

Madhubani style provides scope for creating forms in your own perspective. Line and color can be blended effectively to create magic. It also gives you the satisfaction of expressing like a child. The final outcome is invariable pleasing. Here are a few animals, birds and aquatic forms rendered in Madhubani style using pen and ink, both black and colored.

Deer - Ink on Paper - 10" x 13"

Camel - Ink on Paper - 10" x 13"

Peacock - Ink on Paper - 10" x 13"

Fish in Water - Ink on Paper - 10" x 13"

Tortoise - Ink on Paper - 10" x 13"

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Boom Boom Maadu (பூம் பூம் மாடு)

Boom-boom maadu (பூம் பூம் மாடு) is an ox that nods its head based on the instructions from its master known as boom-boom maatukaaran (பூம் பூம் மாட்டுக்காரன்). The ox is generally decorated with bright cloths, bells and jewellery. The master carries a drum and makes a booming sound by forcefully rubbing its sides with a curved stick. He asks the performing animal questions, usually about the fortune of the patron and the animal is trained to vigorously nod its heads making the bells chime. In return, the patron makes offerings to the animal and its master.

Boom-boom maadu and its performance is a spectacular sight, and used to be quite common in rural areas and small towns. All these years, I have not come across one in Chennai city. This drawing of ‘boom-boom maadu’ was executed with color pencils way back in 2003. I am happy to share this work from my sketch book.

Boom-boom maadu (பூம் பூம் மாடு)- Color pencil on paper - 14" x 17"

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Figure Drawing

This was a live study done during my art course. Pencil drawing done more than a decade ago! I found it among my course material. I like this work as it was my first attempt at figure drawing!

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Cat on the wall

I like cats and have executed a few paintings of cats of different colors and sizes. This one is an attempt to create a composition comprising a cat as an element. I used dry pastels for this painting. This was a simple composition, yet difficult to execute. Though finer details of the cat could have been done better, it was compensated by the rest of the composition that had turned out well. Moreover, I am pleased with the fact that this unframed painting survived 14 long years!

CAT ON THE WALL - 26"x20" - Patel on paper

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Woman with a veil

I have been going through my sketchbooks and found some interesting sketches, which I wish to share on this platform. Many-a-time, I tend to sketch anything and everything that catches my fancy. There are, of course, efforts at developing elements that would find a place in a composition. Hence, my sketchbooks are filled with assorted sketches belonging to all types. This is a random sketch of a woman with her head covered with a pink veil. I have used HB pencils of different grades along with just one color for sketching. I find the contrast quite appealing.

Woman with a veil, 2003

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Cuddle up!

Yet another painting displayed in the exhibition on the theme "Mother and Child". Executed with Indian ink on textured paper using dry brush technique, this painting depicts a peacefully sleeping child and the mother's hand patting his back. I like this painting for the simplicity of the composition and its natural beauty.

“CUDDLE UP” – Ink on paper – 14” X 17”

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Still Life - Flower Vase

Still life is the best method to study different elements, and it helps the artist to hone his/her skills. I wish to share a few still life studies of flower vase using different media.

Pink flower in a vase

Pencil imparts a lyrical quality to the image, and it brings out the tonal nuances in the best possible way. In this study the vase was drawn with charcoal pencil, while the flower, bud and the leaves were created using pastels, resulting in a quite pleasing effect.

Pink flower in a vase - Mixed Media on paper - 12"x15"

Study of flowers 

I set out to paint flowers on a hot summer day. I arranged white gladiolus flowers and contrasting red daisy flowers against a dark background.  I had to finish the study in the same day before the flowers started to wither. By the time I completed the painting the flowers started wilt and a few leaves had fallen! Nonetheless, I enjoyed creating this water color painting.

Study of flowers - water color on paper - 12"x15"

Blue flowers 

This was an attempt to paint blue iris using water color.  I had learnt somewhat successfully to paint blue iris flowers using ‘wet on wet’ technique in this very early water color study. 

Blue flowers - Water color on paper - 12"x15"

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Fruit and Vegetables on the Carpet

Stillife always provides a means to study various forms. It indeed helps to study individual elements before starting to work on a composition.  This is a study of fruits and vegetables placed on a carpet. I placed a couple of cabbages, a mango and a pumpkin on the carpet. Executed with dry pastels on textured paper, this made an interesting study owing to the natural lighting and unusual nature of the composition.

Fruits and vegetables on the carpet - Pastel on paper-26" × 20"

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Dancers

Ink is a versatile medium;  nonetheless difficult to manipulate. In this painting,
I have depicted  a dancing couple using colored ink. The forms are inspired by South Indian temple sculptures. Executed on glossy paper, this composition captures the harmony of the dancing duo.

Dancers- Ink on paper - 14" × 20"

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Random Facial Study

For the first time, I have painted using Wacom Pen & Touch tablet, though earlier attempts at sketching have been successful. I have used Art Range Lite programme. I have chosen the study of a random face for this maiden effort and restricted myself to monochrome palette. I have used the following options - pencil for sketching, brush and airbrush for shading. I am yet to get the hang of the tool. Nonetheless, I am sort of satisfied with the outcome.

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Bangle Seller (வளையல் வியாபாரி)

Bangles (வளையல்) form an important accessory to an Indian woman's attire. Traditionally, other than gold bangles women wore bangles made of glass, lac (அரக்கு), and at times silver, which were preferred during pregnancy and child birth for protection (காப்பு). Modern bangles, however, are made of plastic or different metals in multiple colors and designs, and are sold in fancy stores. Nonetheless, traditionally, it was the bangle seller (வளையல் வியாபாரி), who brought bangles of various designs, make and colors to the woman's doorstep.

This painting depicts the bangle seller displaying his ware to the customers. Executed using mixed media in Madhubani style, this painting shows in detail the milieu of a rural home and women in traditional clothing. I have used single color - burnt sienna (water color) to make the elements of the composition stand out.

Bangle seller - Mixed media - 14" x 20"

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Procession

Indian ink is a versatile medium and I like experimenting with it on different supports. This drawing of the 'procession' was executed on glossy paper using traditional nib, and it depicts a king carrying a scepter and sitting on an elephant, preceded by a flag bearer and followed the bearer of the ceremonial umbrella. The forms are inspired by the South Indian temple sculptures and style of execution is somewhat similar to Madhubani style. I like this composition for its simplicity and elegance.

Procession - Indian ink on paper - 14" x 22"

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Waves

Chennai city has the longest beach in India and naturally, the sea has been an inspiration for creative pursuits. I have always been tempted to capture the energy of the waves on canvas and attempted a couple of paintings to achieve this effect. This work was completed in a day with acrylic paint on canvas using palette knife and brush. I have used only three colors – French ultramarine, cobalt blue and titanium white. In this painting, I have managed to capture the splash of water as the waves rise and fall. This work was sold by Victoria Technical Institute in 2003.

Waves - 23" x 28" - Acrylic on canvas

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Peeping out...

In southern India, traditionally children sleep in a ‘thooli’ (தூளி), which is nothing but a cloth, tied to a wooden rod hung from the ceiling with a rope. It is somewhat like a hammock. Usually a cotton sari (புடவை) or dhoti (வேஷ்டி) is used for this purpose. Babies sleep well in a ‘thooli’ than in a cradle as the cloth covers the baby snugly giving the feeling of being in mother’s embrace. A long rope is tied to the rod so that the adults can rock the ‘thooli’ from a distance, even as they are engaged in their chores. ‘Thooli’ is the ideal baby rocker in the hot climate that prevails in India.

When the baby wakes up, he cannot climb out of the ‘thooli’ and hence, he peeps out by lifting a flap, which is an endearing sight. I tried to capture this natural moment in this painting, which was executed with Indian ink on textured paper using dry brush technique. The baby is looking happy after a good nap in the cosy ‘thooli’!

Peeping out -  Indian ink on paper - 14" x 17"

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Dawn and Dusk

I have always found that silhouette can present a scene powerfully at times. Nonetheless, it is not always easy to get a silhouette painting right. Here are two silhouette paintings that were executed years apart, but sharing similar theme. I had used different photographs as reference material for creating these art works.

‘Dawn’ was painted using mixed media on paper. Background was created by multiple layers of water color washes using ‘wet on dry’ technique. While the foreground was completed using poster colors in ‘gouache’ or opaque method.  

 

Dawn - Mixed media on paper - 14" x 20"

“Dusk’ was painted with only two colors in a minimalistic approach. This water color painting was created using ‘wet on dry’ and ‘wet on wet’ techniques as required by the composition.

Dusk - Water color on paper - 14" x 20"

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