Pencil Sketching

Amidst those boring and sedating lectures on Antigens and Antibodies intoxicating the mind with infectious diseases worse than malaria and chikungunia and the multistep pathways explaining the synthesis of cholesterol ( exemplifying the fact that cholesterol leads to an attack!),the only thing which kept me awake during my college days was my habit of scribbling some abstract forms on the last few pages of my book or my neighbour's. That was when I discovered the charm of Pencil Art.
Without much pompus and grandeur, this art defies simplicity and elegance through the transcending shades of dark and light HB pencils, smudged neatly with bits of papers or fingers. Anything under the sun right from funny cartoons and caricatures to mighty landscapes and portraits sports a classic touch when sketched in black against a white background. Though I intially considered it as a mere timepass, I soon learnt the insights and the associated techniques such as spray effects, eraser effects, sharpening dust effect, graphite pencil sketching, charcoal sketching, etc apart from the different styles and strokes of shading. One wouldn't essentially require an artistic nerve in the mind to accomplish this, but it could be one of the few ways to expand your artistic horizons. As for me, pencil sketching served as an inception into my journey of art and is indeed an art very close to my heart!

Pencil Sketches - contd...

Madhubani Paintings - An ode to Ethnicity!

We are in the era of twitter and facebook, with technology rapidly revolutionising the globe transforming geaks to "gizmo freaks". Though the western influence has restructured our lifestyle so vastly not sparing even our wardrobes and cuisine,it can never erode the blood dissolved culture and heritage descended from our ancestors. Be it the signature sculptures of architects or the resonating and reverberating contributions of poets and scholars or historically significant religious ceremonies and rituals, all speak volumes of our traditional past. Under this archive falls Madhubani or Mithila paintings shrouded in antiquity, with its origin deep rooted in ancient times of Ramayana. Though this art restricts its variety to a few religious Hindu deities, shapes of nature and social gatherings, one would be captivated by the bright colours spread evenly on cloth or canvas without much of shading. The infinite black lines, crosses and miniature designs over transparent, glazy Indian Ink colours drive authenticity to lime light. The uniqueness of this art is exemplified by the thick double lined border and the space in between the lines criss crossed with intricate patterns. Trust me, all your efforts and patience will be generously rewarded by the ethnic look it sports on completion. This is indeed an art which has stood the test of time thereby creating a niche for itself!

Coffee Painting - an aromatic adventure

A cloudy morning with even a single speck of clear sky unspotted....heavy downpour pattering noisily on the windowpane....the chillness of the wind cracking your bones...the clock ticks 9 and you still remain adhered to your bed and cuddling to your pillows waiting for that extra tinge of caffeine to stimulate your neurons and get started.
For all those obstinate coffee addicts who go gaga over coffee houses and cappuccinos and the traditional coffee lovers who admit that its nothing like a strong cup of "amma's filter kaapi", the good news is that, this aroma has also tickled the fancy of artists of late, thereby taking forms of landscapes, portraits, cultural sentiments, wildlife and abstract mordern art on canvas. Surprised??? No sooner did I try my hand at it, I grew to discover that it was as economical and simple as interesting it was. For all that it demanded was a two rupee worth bru sashe! The bru powder was mixed with luke warm water in various dilutions ranging from pale yellow to deep chocolate brown and the rest was the magic of my paintbrush. I earnestly wish everything in life was as simple as this befitting the phrase " Bru cup ondru, mood aagum nandru".

Some more Tanjore Paintings

Tanjore Painting

Neither was I a born artist nor did I judiciously practise art at point of time but for a few pencil sketches I made during my leisure and the extra 1% effort I pulled in to make my Biology records the most talked about in class! But the overwhelming appreciation and motivation I recieved from my peers and family made me feel that this might be my cup of tea. For ages I had been contemplating on the thought of seriously pursuing this little passion of mine and had occassionally made few futile attempts too until I was blessed with the acquaintance of my mentor. Man! She was a connoisseur blessed with profound aesthetic sense. No sooner was I lost into a new world of brilliant masterpieces, my head swirling 360 degrees and my eyes refusing to believe wat they saw. My excitement knew no bounds and my enthusiasm was at its toll. Even before I could make up my mind, she pointed out to a magnificient, grand portrait of Lord Ganesha and remarked that would be an ideal start! The richness and grandeur of the picture made me wonder if I would be able to do justice ( To Lord Ganesha.....???). But I went by my gut feeling and took up the challenge.
Being an amateur,I unassumingly abided by the orders of my instructor who briefed me on every minute aspect, right from griping the pen to the consummate finishing touch and skillfully elicited the best out of me. My pen glided so gracefully through the arches and curves as I traced out the skeleton of the portrait. My spirits were high and I worked for hours together without respite until my vertebral coloumn demanded recess. The richness intensified as I decked up the crown, throne and ornaments with glitering stones and lustrous gold, marking the glory of Tanjore Art! The garland was painted with pale pink flowers and lushy green leaves while the dhothi was neatly done in crimson and gold. Divinity was exemplified as shades of flesh tint and white blended in ratios of 2:1 constituting the body base. Then came the acid test!... The eyes....most integral part of any portrait reflecting all moods and emotions. Thankfully it turned out in my favour and my adrenaline levels rose as I witnessed the picture being almost complete. I twisted my torso in all angles to ensure perfection and eventually leaned back with a deep breath of satisfaction. I had never felt this good before. It was a real holy beginning indeed!