Sunshine on my canvas

Illustration Friday...."Popularity"

2012-02-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

The popularity spiral, like a whirlpool,

Takes you to the height of delight,

And to the depths of despair.

Illustration Friday...."Forward"

2012-02-01T04:23:00.000-08:00

Walking forward on shards of glass,

Broken beneath your feet,

Before you know it,

They will be rounded little beads.

Illustration friday..."Twirl"

2012-01-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

Twirl

till all merges...the world

with the colors of your soul

Illustration Friday...."Prepare"

2012-01-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

Prepare wisely,

Life will leave you unprepared mostly.

Search sensibly,

What you search for may be spontaneous usually.

Dream carefully,

That cherished dream may be meaningless finally.

Illustration Friday...."Fuel"

2011-10-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

The monk and the Flame

Did you fuel the fire,

The restless dance of desire,

Leaving smoldering embers,

Like smoky hollow chambers,

Burning within your heart...

Did you light the lamp

Like a soothing peaceful stream,

A tranquil diffusing dream,

To make you surrender,

Like a monk,

Saying a silent Prayer....

Illustration Friday......"mesmerizing"

2011-09-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Mesmerizing.....

from a world beyond.

Intriguing.... a face that seems to haunt.

Illustration Friday...." Disguise"

2011-08-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Think...

Do we live our lives,

In disguise,

Like puppets on a string?

Illustration Friday...." Influence"

2011-08-21T02:00:00.000-07:00

"The Influence of a warm smile is hard to resist.."

The Little Dot and The Smile

A Little Dot,
No form or face to define,
Took a little adventure trip,
Wondering what it would find.

It plunged in an arc,
And curved up again in a while,
That Little Dot,
Had created a wonderful Smile.

Me and Myself

2011-08-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

Sitting alone by the sea one day,

I saw a figure not far away.

“Hello”, I said in a friendly tone,

And then I saw it was me, or was it my clone.

To see myself, I was surprised as could be,

I thought she looked younger, this other me.

She dived in the water and swam like a fish,

Oh to swim like that, was always my wish.

Strangely I felt as though I was there,

Deep in the water, swimming without a care.

Her eyes were twinkling; she gave me a smile,

I followed her gaze, but may be the gaze was mine.

We collected shells and pebbles gleaming on the sand,

Her palm was so smooth, or was it my hand.

Then a trick of dusk at the end of the day,

She seemed close as a breath or did she walk away.

I stood quite still, her whispers in my head,

Her voice rang softly or was it something I had said.

There is magic in every moment, in every way,

That’s what she said to me, and I said to myself that day.

Illustration Friday...." swell"

2011-08-13T04:53:00.000-07:00

15th August

A swell of kites

teasing the monsoon clouds

and dancing with each other,

blaze across the Delhi skies

each year on Independence Day

"Jai Hind"

Illustration Friday...." Imperfect "

2011-08-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

Oops! tilted sea and ship!

Imperfect!

Perfect!

It's just how you see it...!

Illustration Friday...." Gesture - 2 "

2011-07-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

Desperate Gesture!

Illustration Friday...."Gesture"

2011-07-17T04:36:00.000-07:00

Walking by on a still night,

In the soft moonlight,

I saw a lady in a tree,

Or did the tree just gesture to me?

A dance of joy unfolded then,

In a moment all was silent again.

She is still there, the lady in the tree,

You would see her if you were me.

Illustration Friday...."Stay"

2011-07-13T03:05:00.000-07:00

Pretty footprints in the sand,

Please stay,

Like memories of yesterday.

Illustration Friday...."Remedy"

2011-07-05T05:34:00.000-07:00

Fiery reds and soothing blues,

Green splashes and golden hues,

A spectrum of colors in a whole,

Is my remedy for your soul.

Illustration Friday...."Swept"

2011-06-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

A magical breeze

weaving...

through the Asoka leaves

teasing...

It swept by with care

did it know...

I dwell there.

Illustration Friday...."Shadows"

2011-06-08T04:24:00.000-07:00

"Emerging from the shadows... softly..."

Illustration Friday...."Soaked"

2011-05-22T02:52:00.000-07:00

Relaxing in a tub....what magic!

If they find you soaked to the bone.... that's tragic!

Illustration Friday......"Beginner"

2011-05-15T00:54:00.000-07:00

Taking no chances,

the new age beginner is well equipped and ready for any unforeseen circumstances.

Illustration Friday......"Journey"

2011-04-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

A journey to fetch water...A journey of life

The same path....The same footsteps...Time flies by!

Illustration Friday......"Bottled"

2011-04-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Bottles of perfume and fragrances galore, there's a special one, I'm looking for.

The essence of all my happy moments, memories of laughter and joy,

bottled forever for me to enjoy!

My bottle of happiness will be full to the brim (while that small one of sorrow will be rather slim)

Illustration Friday..... "Cultivate"

2011-03-21T03:14:00.000-07:00

The face you see,

Is not the face of the real me,

I have cultivated a style,

The way I speak, the way I smile,

To impress and to dazzle,

And it is a strange puzzle,

Don't think I've lost my mind,

But my real face I cannot find.

Illustration Friday..... "Stir"

2011-03-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

Spinning , Swirling , Tossing and Turning ,

Flipping , Flying , Cartwheeling and Curling !

Have you ever tried,

Being Stir fried?

Illustration Friday..... "Layer"

2011-02-20T07:19:00.000-08:00

Within each one of us, beneath the physical layer of skin and cells, lies the Buddha!

Rather profound, but as we peel away the obvious and the visible, the very layers of our nature and reach within, we will find the serenity that so eludes us time and again. Let's look inwards to rediscover and unfold the little god that exists in some part of our subconscious waiting to be discovered again.

Illustration Friday..... "Reverse"

2011-02-06T02:42:00.000-08:00

'Reverse ... a change to the opposite not only in side or position but also in direction, order, sequence, relation, or bearing.

An interesting definition that of course had me thinking of all the wild possibilities. This little mouse got lucky! In a reversal of fortune and role, the mighty mouse is getting the better of the timid tiger. Life can be strange sometimes so be ready to learn and break the norms.

Reverse psychology seems to have given the mouse a bit of courage. Someone must have told him "you can't scare a tiger, you little fellow!"

Illustration Friday..... "Surrender"

2011-02-01T00:27:00.000-08:00

What would you rather surrender to ?...the scorpion deceptively harmless and soothingly neutral , or the dragon breathing fire in colorful spurts?

Illustration Friday..... "Dusty"

2011-01-22T06:20:00.000-08:00

Nothing like going through old dusty black and white photos, they bring back memories frozen in time. An old bag stuffed with browning dog eared photos, a treasure that can bring a smile to your face as the hours slip by. Pictures of pets, friends from school, long forgotten aunts and uncles,sand castles on the beach, endless birthday party snaps. The digital world can't match up to the mysterious feel of old photos.

Illustration Friday..... "Prehistoric"

2010-12-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

This week's word "Prehistoric" was just right for the mood. Heard my son strumming the guitar and got wondering what a prehistoric music band would look like! No "bones" about it...They are having fun!

Illustration Friday..... "Savour"

2010-11-29T03:56:00.000-08:00

Our national drink for sure..The roadside hot steaming cup of "chai" found at every nook and corner. Savour the fresh ginger tea loaded with sugar and served in small glasses. To be slurped noisely in the company of friends,standing by the corner of a crowded market place gossiping loudly about everything under the sun....it is an experience to cherish.

Extra Ordinary or Ordinary?

2010-11-24T02:50:00.000-08:00

It is strange, sometimes there is a moment so ordinary that it could miss you all together or just linger as suddenly as it manifests.A few mornings ago, out in my garden, the sun seemed deliciously warm and I chanced to look up at the sky. Before me was a simply seamless expanse of deep blue. The green leaves of the champa tree stood out majestically against the deep blue as cotton white clouds floated by in silence.

It was so simple
It was so powerful
It left me breathless.

Bringing out the form with the help of a strong background is what I find exciting. Here the blank whiteness takes form as I fill my background. Strong browns and soothing hues of green interact to frame the face, which I leave devoid of much detail...it feels poetic to me to let a few lines define the obvious.

Fun on a colored sheet.

2010-10-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

The boldness of brightly colored paper fascinates! Can't resist making a figure using a few color pencils and some quick strokes. A design starts to emerge. It seems compact and complete, I don't like leaving open ends of color. I'd love to print that on a T shirt, it would look 'cool' as my kids would say. May be I'll have fun this week just with my color pencils!
Looking again at the design, it reminds me strongly of the mythological tale of the birth of the River Ganga, which I remember reading years ago.Ganga emerges from the head of the god Shiva cascading to earth in all her glory. Well the drama of the event is missing in this quick sketch.

Illustration Friday..... "Acrobat"

2010-09-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Delhi Roads! Only an acrobat can navigate the pot holes, the craters, the simply bottomless pits we encounter on our city roads everyday!

images of the Buddha

2010-09-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

A while ago I had done a series of Buddhas.

Here are 2 of my favorites.
Watercolour on paper, I enjoyed doing these.

Illustration Friday..... "Immovable"

2010-08-31T02:31:00.000-07:00

Tantrums! Tantrums! Every parent's nightmare...try moving this kid without dislocating your arm or losing your balance! No way...he's immovable!

Illustration Friday..... "Star Gazing"

2010-08-18T02:47:00.000-07:00

A princess and her friend gaze at the stars

The stars and celestial bodies are of great significance in Hindu mythology. The seven stars of the"big dipper" were known as the "Sapt Rishis" or the seven learned sages who rule the skies and were keepers of the divine laws. They guide all beings on earth spreading knowledge and make the sun rise and shine.

Indian stories and folktales are all about gods and goddesses, kings and queens, princes hunting game, princesses dancing in tropical gardens to the singing of birds . As the night falls and the moon rises, a thousand oil lamps light the palaces and the royal gardens come alive to the sound of fountains and streams.

Illustration Friday..... "Caged"

2010-08-12T02:57:00.000-07:00

This week's word is "caged". The first thing that comes to mind is a helpless bird in a cage. Being caged is losing your freedom.One interesting instance where being caged is actually liberating and positive is turning into a butterfly,which I have illustrated here.

Illustration Friday..... "Breakfast"

2010-07-18T04:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the"revenge of the breads"...you never know when the tables may turn on you...and you may be served for breakfast....only you may not be quite as appetizing!!

Illustration Friday..... "Diary"

2010-07-14T04:54:00.000-07:00

I have missed a few weeks of Illustration Friday.
But here I am with "Diary"....The old fashioned little book of all that's a blog today...

What kind of a diary would you desire....choose it!

An Art Blast for the senses!

2010-07-14T04:47:00.000-07:00

There is something that tugs at the pit of the stomach quite urgently when I do not follow my heart. I'm dying to paint but obviously not dying enough to make that my priority, so my progress has been dismal.
June however presented a great opportunity to experience the timeless art treasures of Italy. The awe inspiring Vatican museums, Uffizi Gallery of Florence and countless other treasures. It was a grand experience for me, and an inspiration too.
Venice had a little treasure of a gallery - The Peggy Guggenheim Collection. From Picasso to Pollock, Dali to Kandinsky, it was a treat! If a collection half as significant as this were to tour New Delhi there would be pandemonium! It would be talked about in every forum, art club, in every tea party.
And similarly if the rich art heritage of India was to tour other countries what an experience it would be for art lovers there. A win win situation either way.

Illustration Friday..... "Linked"

2010-04-14T03:45:00.000-07:00

The "Kikli" ..A popular dance/game indian girls play,interlocking their hands and whirling round giggling as they go. As the world spins round they go faster and faster almost merging into each other.

The illustration outlines another concept, the lines of the girls' arms,their skirts and their feet link together to form the womb, the link to life.The beginning of life is en-capsuled in the womb, that is the irrefutable truth.

Illustration Friday....."Dip"

2010-04-04T04:31:00.000-07:00

2010-03-29T04:35:00.000-07:00

Scattered leaves

Like dreams

On the grass

As they float

Patterns so varied

Remind me of

Thoughts in Solitude

Illustration Friday - "Rescue!"

2010-03-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

Yet again, The Queen rescued The King...

Illustration Friday - "Expired"

2010-03-21T02:51:00.000-07:00

Illustration Friday

2010-03-14T03:52:00.001-07:00

Subterranean....the topic set me thinking, visualizing all the monsters under the earth, waiting to dig their way out, but what if a very pleasant being sits below the surface, ethereal and luminous, creating the splendor we see. A quick illustration with ink and watercolor wash.

2010-03-12T02:25:00.000-08:00

The next part

Blue ink magic.

2010-03-12T01:42:00.000-08:00

I'm fascinated with the humble ball point pen. Years of college doodling has created a love for the look of blue on white-ink on paper. Other than that my compositions seem to be dominated by the human form. In some way or the other it creeps into the drawing and ends up dominating it. After a considerable time I'm letting my pen do the drawing and enjoying it. Here is how the drawing progresses.

Defining myself

2010-03-10T03:44:00.000-08:00

I'm glad I'm not a surgeon or a space station navigator. It took me hours to design my blog site and I'm glad the no one died because of that! I'm a "Libran" and if I remember Linda Goodman's sun signs we Librans are very indecisive, so I agonized over colors for my text to fonts to size of letters. And not to mention the title, it had to be just right to fire my imagination and to make me feel quite "artistic". So I've just penned down close to a hundred would-be titles, and thankfully didn't have to wait a year to find the right one.
Over the course of this blog I'll be sharing my work and drawings with you, I hope you enjoy them.

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