Rains, Blossoms and Dreams

It's raining cats and dogs here!!! So much so that the Collector has declared holiday for educational institutions. Some times it's so hot that the earth develops veins and craves for a drop and some times the earth is so full that it fails to contain it! Poor Mother Earth; suffering at the hands of us....mean Humans!On a brighter note...everyone has enough water now! And children can play with paper boats! :) Anyways the earth looks beautiful and really Green!

This week's SOC colour combo is Charcoal Grey and Pale Pink. Since I am doing digital pieces for the challenge I am revisiting many areas I hadn't done for long. It's a sort of revision :)

 Cherry Blossoms - Digital

Anyone who knows me will also know that I LOVE blooms (among other things :)) Cherry blossoms are ones I had been wanting to paint for a very long time. Finally I am doing a digi piece...not satisfied though. I will be painting one soon with all those wonderful feel of the colours in ones hands...

Pattern Paper - Digital

Personally I just LOVE this quote....very inspiring! I dream a lot...even day dream and that's so typical of Pisceans I hear. I don't talk much about my dreams as I fear they may not come true...all the same I hold them dearly and each cell in me keeps wishing that it turns true and of course I do work towards it too but at times I am stuck as I do not know which path I should take (reminded of Frost!) or which step is the next one. My dreams are a bit Big! (understatement!!!) but I do hope to reach there sometime soon!

 ATC - digital with the SOC color combo

 ATC with inspirational quote - Digital

Linking it to PPF , SOC and Show and Tell Saturday..Do come over to visit a variety of artists...

Ref images of cherry blossoms, lady & sunflower from google.

Please do not use/reproduce the content (words as well as images) without the written consent of the author.

A Happy Week!

Getting settled after a move is something that takes a lot of time even if it is your 'one time home'... :) So in between all the arranging, start of school, dance class (my daughter's), errands to town for each and everything and all the other umpteen work...I am trying to establish myself in my hometown. Thanks to my neighbour and guide, Jayanthettan, for being a great help to get me 'a launch'... I finished a logo and visiting card job and I am glad that my client is glad! Amid my exciting schedule, I didn't get enough time to create anything new on canvas coz my work space isn't ready yet! 

I would like to announce that Kristin's Summer of Color has started this year too with some exciting line-up of some gorgeous color range...choose the colors, vote for it and create...any art form of your choice. You could even win some fabulous goodies. The color combo that I had voted (too) has won this week!!! For more details, click here.

I am super glad to mention that our postcards have made a small appearance in Featuring Magazine's Issue 4. Page19 (preview page) long picture on the side...can you make out my Gond Birds, Madhubani Fish and my daughter's Duck and Duckling???

Finally I am leaving you with a few of my earlier works which I had created while practice :

 Brush of Passion - Acrylics

 Lighthouse - Watercolor

Lilypond - Acrylic

Lilypond is one of my very ol' work :)

I am linking it to Paint Party Friday and Show and Tell Saturday.

Please do not use/reproduce the content (words as well as images) without the written consent of the author.

Neon Blooms

Headline prompt:  Radical to Mundane and to Radical Again:  What once seemed new that now feels old and boring?  How can you see it as new again?  How do you "jump charge" creativity when you're feeling stuck?
Color:  black & neons - bold contrasts
Quote:  Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.  Bill Moyers

This week's prompt is by Nathalie Kalbach...

Drawing and painting flowers is something I love and never tire of. There was a time when I was so obsessed with them that I drew only blooms for a very long time. It was something radical for me trying out different blooms which was termed as 'mundane' by my husband and then I travelled and tried something different which actually helped me to develop a few other areas and now again I am trying out flowers in a variant light. I haven't used neon colours as far as I remember in my paintings....just neon!

Neon Blooms - 6x4 postcard, Watercolour and felt pens

This card is actually for the post card swap happening at Artists in Blogland... I hope to join them. The last date for joining is tomorrow and I have to make one more. 

Linking it to Fall Fearless and Fly Challenge 8 (last challenge) in Artists in Blogland.

Please do not use/reproduce the content (words as well as images) without the written consent of the author.

Red Tulips

Red tulips was one of my friend/client's requirement. This is a commission work I finished last November. Red Tulips is strongly associated with true love. This is done using glass paints and fixed on a bamboo frame. I love the frame a lot, it has a rustic feel about it. What do you think?

"If I was a Tulip
And you were wind’s-wings,
I would not count
My broken dreams,
But bless the coming spring."

ps:quote from http://www.worldquotes.org/

Song of the Lotus - Kerala Mural Style

My first painting for the year starts with Kerala Mural style Lotus which is the symbol of divine beauty, grace, purity and elegance. It represents the purity of the body, speech and mind even though springing from muddy water of attachment and desire. It is also said that where ever Lord Buddha stepped a lotus bloomed. I wish the year 2012 is a benevelant one.

I have been in love with Kerala Murals for a very long time. From the time I started creating them I have been passionate about them. If you search the Net you will find loads of set patterns and designs. I wanted to create something of my own that is traditional yet contemporary. This is my first attempt at triptych. (Triptych is a painting in three parts)

I have used Lotus which is one of my favourite themes. White lotus represents a state of spiritual perfection and total mental purity. Being a piscean, the fish came naturally :) That wasn't intended! I have tried bringing about different textural effect in different hues.

Hope you like it.

Song of the Lotus, Acrylics

Each piece is 7x9.5inches

Together 21.5x9.5inches

Linking this post to Patricia's Colours Dekor

Acrylics, Glass, Magnets & Keychains...

Any guess at what these are???

Yes, They are decor magnets and keychains.

I found out this method of making decorative magnets some 7 years back. They are sheets on which I painted with glass, covered it with card stock and glued a magnet. I will include a tutorial very soon for all my friends here.  It's a very simple tutorial too.

Same method I apply for making bookmarks as well (without magnets glued:)).

These are Eygptian & classic bookmarks.

A closer view....

I am totally on top of the world this week coz I displayed my artworks at ARTE Souq last Friday and four of my paintings sold along with few bookmarks. I am ecstatic!!! I had a really superb neighbour, Sonal Bharjatya from Studio Saubhagya. She's a fabulous fabric jewellery designer passed out from the prestigious NIFT. Her designs are amazing. You can check out the link to see her wonderful creations.

My sold artworks...

(Can you see my tag in the collage above? That goes with all my artworks)

Mayilpeeli (peacock feather)- acrylic painting

Ammayum njanum (Mom & I) - acrylic painting

Foliage -glass painting

Amaryllis - glass painting

I was also lucky as two journalists recorded my profile along with few others to upload it in their website that describes Dubai to tourists. They said they'll send the link once that is done.

Lil A was all elated running around and marketing for her mom in a really modest way:)

It has been a pretty exciting week:)))

Hope your weekend went well...

I am linking it up to Colours Decor Weekend Wrap up 35

Tethered Butterfly

glass painting, 6*4 inches

The butterfly is a flying flower,
The flower a tethered butterfly.

~Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun

Yellow Lily

acrylic painting on canvas

6.5"*9.5"

Each flower is a soul opening out to nature.
-Gerald De Nerval

Flowers and bugs - Pls Vote

Pls cast your vote in the address below for L'tl A's art, the number is

30.The fingerprint flowerpot & bugs

http://mindfull-meanderings.blogspot.com/2010/01/artsy-craftsy-jan2010.html

You have to comment there specifying the number ie 30.

Finger painting by my daughter with a l'tl bit of my contribution. This is an entry for Mindful Meanderer's contest on finger painting.

The idea of flowers and bugs was L'tl A's. I suggested the flower pot. She's very fond of flowers and keeps drawing them. Only the vase/flower pot I helped her to dab the paint.

Keeping our fingers' crossed :)

If you would like to leave a comment to L'tl A and see more of L'tl A's art in the future

Pls visit here.  She wanted a blog for herself very badly!

Flowers and Fabric

Different ways to paint on fabric...

Bouquet of Roses painted with pearl paint and acrylic.

With cut lady's finger dipped in paint. Just like painting with small blocks.

Remember the ones with cut beans I had posted here

Using small round brush with just a single stroke.

Using dots to emphasize.

By dipping on two colours and using it in a single stroke.

Painting with lines.

Using three colours.

Using flat brush to shade

Using stencil

With shapes

Separation of colours

Using coir pieces to shade the inside of the flowers and leaves

Hope this gives you an idea of the various ways one could paint on fabric.

Remember the fabric shouldnot be one that is to be starched.

After applying paint it has to dry atleast for 24 hours. To fix the paint onto the fabric, iron nicely on the reverse. Place a newspaper on the fabric so that the heat doesn't directly affect the fabric..which may not happen always. But thats safe for the paint.

Do try when time permits.

White Blooms From 'Ever Rising'

Marigold  from our garden  back home...my In-Laws place which is called Sarvodayam which means Ever Rising. Its an ideal place to feel nature. They've loads of green around them which is wonderful...I can even hear the chirping as I am writing!

Periwinkle

Spider Lily

(Thanks to Nalini Hebbar from Open Mind for making me aware of this fabgurl's name:) )

Can anyone tell me the name of this beauty???

I am oblivious!

Hope you all liked these simple, white blooms:)

Happy Blooming Tuesday!

Nostalgic Blooms From The Past

Yesterday when I was rummaging through a pile of my ol stuff I came across these wonderful flowers I had created some 12 years back. These, my friends, are fabric paiting. I had actually cut this piece of cloth from my dad's uniform cloth...It was indeed my first attempt at painting on fabric. In the first picture you could see that the paint had spread a bit coz I wasn't sure on how much to dip water.

Different styles are shown here.

The first one here is done with a bean cut.  A bean cut into two and dipped in paint and dabbed on cloth.

Haven't painted on fabric for a very long time.  I should be doing that soon:)

More to follow...

Happy Blooming Tuesday!