Murugesan's Watercolour Adventures

Town Council Rathouse Square, Hamburg

2012-01-28T07:49:00.005Z

Rathouse Square, Hamburg

Watercolour onpaper

32x49 Cm (Unframed)

Using a photo reference from June 2011, I painted this cityscape. This painting has been added to the collection of my paintings in the ongoing painting exhibition in Hamburg. Thanks for viewing. May be my next posting shall not be in the near future, at least till I come back from India by end Feb. Thanks for viewing!

Hamburg Painting

2012-01-21T22:03:00.000Z

A very busy thoroughfare in the Hamburg city centre (the street is called Ballindam) along the inner lake area is painted here. I purposely avoided any life in the form of rush hour traffic and multitude of human activity to create a contrasting mood. I tried many floated washes of primaries to obtain a granular effect on paper. It is an experiment with pigments and I loved doing it and the end result is to my satisfaction. Hope you all will enjoy looking at it too!

Ballindam, Hamburg

Watercolour on paper

35x53 Cm (Unframed)

53x73 Cm (Framed)

Endless Waiting! Come Soonest!

2012-01-12T22:02:00.000Z

The wait continues! My plans to do some snow paintings remain unfulfilled, the snow not showing up so far! I had to dig out last year's photos to do this one, again a painting of Tor Haus, just a stone's throw from where we live along the Alster stream. 'Painting snow' is a misnomer, I did not do anything but let the white of the paper represent snow!

Tor Haus, Hamburg

Watercolour on paper (Arches 640 gms Rough)

33x51 cm

Happy Pongal to all!

(due on 15 Jan 2012)

Happy viewing!

2011-12-31T07:47:00.001Z

Thanks everyone for your support throughout the past year which was very fruitful experience-wise! Before bidding the year good bye I wish to share some of the paintings done in the last quarter of last year but not published in this blog! These were mainly done to reinforce my artwork for the ongoing exhibition in Hamburg and I am happy to say that some of them are SOLD!

Happy viewing and wishing all of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous NEW YEAR!

KERALA SUNSET

JUNGFERNSTIEG, HAMBURG


AUTUMN IN ALSTERSTIEG, HAMBURG

BRANDENBURG GATE, BERLIN

BENARES, INDIA

Exhibition opening at Hamburg

2011-12-20T10:23:00.001Z

With family before the start of the exhibition

Visitors arriving

With Mr Kaufmann, Mr and Mrs Horst

Drinks courtesy Courtyard Marriot

Chief Guest talking toSakamotos of Japanese Consulate

Listening to the song of Mayumi Sakamoto

Audience

Ms Alice Kaufmann delivering vote of thanks

With Julia and Dr Hill, Cultural Secretary, Hamburg Govt, the Chief Guest

With Pathaks

Mayumi Sakamoto with Julia from the Ministry of Culture

With Mr Ahuja, CEO of Courtyard Marriot, the sponsors of the event

Audience

With Indonesian CG

A cross section of the visitors

Some of the visitors

Welcome address by Mr Ahuja, CEO of Hotel Courtyard Marriot

Audience listening to the speeches

Dr Hill, the Chief Guest inaugurating the exhibition

My latest painting exhibition took place last night, along with two Hamburg artists, Alice Kaufmann and Iva Wallace. It was a grand evening with lots of visitors and everybody had a great time. I sold four paintings in the opening evening, that was great in these days of recession! Some of the pictures of the evening are here! Thanks for the support of all of you!

The Eternal City

2011-11-04T10:25:00.000Z

I had never laboured more than on one subject, the eternal city of Varanasi (Benaras). After many failed attempts, I decided to start one more go at it on this Diwali day! (It is believed that a dip in the Ganges at Varanasi on a Diwali morning is very auspicious.) I finished this version after several days of struggle and two abandonments! I am not sure I can claim I have mastered the subject but I let you be the judges! I can say I am getting nearer to capture the mood of this dynamic subject!
( I used Indian handmade paper which was stretched before painting on it and it behaved differently than when it was not stretched, I shall know better next time)

Thanks for viewing. Please post your comments or send them to 'murugesan18@gmail.com'

See you soon? When?

2011-10-27T05:58:00.002+01:00

I made this painting just before leaving Delhi in the first week of October 2011, a parting gift to a colleague with whom I spent 3 months! More than in one way it is symbolic, I am happy I made this painting for him.

Two views of Qutub Minar, Delhi

2011-09-23T04:57:00.003+01:00

In the series Delhi and its monuments come the twin paintings of Qutub Minar, one of the notable landmarks of Delhi. I had sprinkled salt in both the paintings to get some texture, usually a trick to depict snow in watercolour. Here are the paintings:

Here is some info about the Qutab Minar:
Qutab Minar is among the tallest and famous towers in the world. The minaret is 234 feet high and the highest individual tower in the world. Other towers in the world are the Great Pagoda in Pekin, China and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy but these towers are not as high as the Qutab Minar in Delhi. The tall minaret was constructed in 1192 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak, and later completed by his successor Iltutmish. The soaring conical tower is an exquisite example of Indo-Islamic Afghan architecture.

Thanks for viewing, have a nice day!

Kashmir Valley

2011-09-21T08:35:00.000+01:00

I was instantly inspired by this beautiful photo of the Kashmir valley by Rahul (Kitty), in facebook. I made a quick interpretation of it in watercolour. Though I am reasonably happy with my effort, I still like the photo better! Thanks Rahul for allowing me to use his photo.

I used Sanders Waterford paper 600gms NOT for this painting (40x30cm). Thanks for viewing, have a nice day!

Dark clouds in Delhi (monsoon) Sky

2011-09-08T07:00:00.001+01:00

This is a panoramic view of the North and South Blocks viewed from Rajpath in New Delhi. Important government ministries are located in these historical buildings, the road leading to the gates of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan (President's residence). Myself having spent considerable years in South Block and its surroundings, this image is well-etched in my memory. Since I am back in Delhi to relive those days, I thought I should put the magnificent edifices in a painting before I once again move away from this historic city. Here is the painting:

The clouds are indicative of the monsoon season and the North Block is bathed in the sunlight sneaking out of the clouds on top of the South Block. (Arches Watercolour 300gms 40x30 cm). Thanks for stopping by, have a nice day!

Riverside Quarter, Luneberg, Germany

2011-08-08T05:27:00.005+01:00

This is a historic attraction in Luneberg, Northern Germany. I took this photo while visiting this town in March 2011. I was initially attracted by the boat in the centre but I had to include the rest of the settings in the painting which seemed a daunting task. I took a long time over it doing it in parts but tried to maintain the focus on the boat while the other objects are merely indicated without much detail. The water and the reflections was the last item to add and I knew it is going to either destroy the painting or enhance its value. Heaved a sigh of relief when I finished the painting though there were heartbreaking moments it could have gone either way! Here is the finished painting. Hope I summed up the subject and the atmosphere adequately.

Thanks for viewing!

Hamburg: InnerAlster

2011-07-13T14:53:00.000+01:00

I managed one painting in the last 10 days of my return to New Delhi. For wet washes I have to be extraquick because the drying time is very short! Chose a familiar subject from Hamburg, sure I will do some Indian subjects soon! It is on Arches coldpress paper 300gsm grain finish 40x30cm

Thanks for looking!

Lubeck, Northern Germany

2011-06-27T08:15:00.001+01:00

This is again a serene scene from the quaint city of Lubeck, an hour's drive away from Hamburg, Germany. It was on the canvas for quite a while, but got finished today before I pack off to Delhi for three months. Hope to keep the brushes wet but you can never tell with Delhi. Happy viewing!

An earlier version is here:

Have a nice day!

Portrait of an Artist - by another (budding) Artist (5years old!)

2011-06-23T07:23:00.001+01:00

Portrait of an Artist - by another (budding) Artist (5years old!)

The last weekend I had the honour of having my portrait made by another young and budding artist in London! My grand nephew Pranav, 5 years old, for whose forthcoming birth day I presented a portrait of him(see an earlier blog post here). He was so thrilled and his immediate reaction was to pick a pencil and paper and to make a caricature portrait of me in 10 minutes! This was the highlight of our weekend London visit to attend our grand niece Priyanka's birthday! She also got my portrait of her as her present!

Portrait of me done by Pranav!

Pranav's portrait done by me!

It looks like a mutual admiration club! Pranav has amazing talents in drawing, painting and caricature! Lots of potential for a future artist! Thanks for viewing!

Vidya Balan - once again!

2011-05-27T17:26:00.000+01:00

Continuing on the figurative paintings, which gives me a welcome break from the landscapes, I tried once again with the Indian actor Vidya Balan, (we were watching one of her movies recently which got her the best actress award). It is so strange that you plan on so many things and suddenly you end up doing the totally unexpected! You never know your own mind! Here it is:

Used as reference her photo published in FHM magazine as I did for my previous painting of her a while ago. Used Jerwitz acquarelle paper 425gms (manufactured in Hamburg!) an excellent support for portraits. Lifting is wonderful with this paper, but not good for masking fluid which damages the paper while removing.

Thanks for viewing and happy weekend!

Jallikattu- traditional sport of Tamilnadu

2011-05-23T17:16:00.001+01:00

Jallikattu- an ancient sport still prevalent in Tamilnadu villages, takes place around the harvest festival of Pongal in January each year. It is about taming a sort of wild bull (grown specially for the Jallikattu) which is let loose for the bold and powerful youth of the village to bring it under control. This painting depicts such an action packed scene, I tried to bring out the energy and the speed of the participants and the animal. It was quite a challenge for me but the dynamism of the composition hooked me to attempt it! I had sprayed paint to imitate the movement and the dust around.

Jallikattu- taming of the bull!

I used handmade Indian paper (Khadi) which is very versatile and I am loving it! Thanks for viewing, comments welcome!

Portraits : My new passion!

2011-05-14T11:30:00.000+01:00

Sometime ago I was drawn into the whirlpool of portrait when my year old grandniece proved to be irresistible subject! Since then I attempted a few, mastered none, failed a lot but last week I found myself still at it! Again it was my grandniece, now going to be two in June. And what can be better present than another portrait of her on her second birthday! Yes, I am going to London carrying this portrait and to see her reaction! I am very excited! I can't be partial so I have made a portrait of my grandnephew also whose birthday is also round the corner (August)! I have used the photos I took when they visited us in December and I am hoping she will remember us when we see her again after 5 months!

Priyanka

Pranav

Thanks for viewing! Have a nice day! Comments and criticisms welcome!

Lubeck in a winter morning

2011-05-06T10:43:00.000+01:00

I tried to create an atmosphere of a greyish foggy day which is the general weather in Lubeck winter. On my two visits the chilly and gloomy weather underscored the mood of the city which is an hour's drive from Hamburg. I used a lot of bluish grey and left everything understated to accentuate the mood. Done on a half sheet of Arches 300lb Rough paper.

Made a lot of sketches of the boats and the buildings and also did a colour study before starting the final painting. Lot of trouble but I am happy with the result! Happy viewing!

Cap van San Diego, Hamburg

2011-04-25T13:23:00.002+01:00

I took a picture of this vessel sometime in Dec/Jan, as soon as we reached Hamburg but never got down to paint it, till I was invited for a painters' session by fellow painter Beth when I visited Ithaca(NY) this month.

We were at Chris Zinder's place, going through her fabulous works (http://www.artspartner.org/artists/view/zinder-chris.html) before we sat down to do some painting. (It was very cold outside so we were forced to paint indoors only). For want of any ideas I started to do this painting. Here are some pictures of the day:

Beth and Chris

Chris and me!

I could do only the sky and the water and finished it later at my son's place. The finished painting is here:

After returning to Hamburg I did the same painting on a bigger paper, which is here:

I should thank Beth and Chris for the wonderful hospitality and looking forward to do more painting sessions in future.

The place is Hamburg's St Pauli ferry landing area and the name of the ship is: Cap van San Diego. Enjoy the paintings, thanks for looking!

Poor man's MF Hussain

2011-04-20T19:54:00.000+01:00

I heard that MF Hussain is going to paint actor Vidya Balan in nude. It is unknown if Vidya Balan is going to pose for this painting, but I had a go myself with a picture of her, just for the fun of it.

Happy Easter holidays! Thanks for viewing.

Springtime II

2011-03-25T08:08:00.000Z

I had mixed lots of colours on my palette for the previous painting, juicy yellow and red, which are used in the follow up painting, Springtime II(don't like wasting paints). Just a design variation of the same theme, windmill and the tulip fields.

Enjoy the colours! Thanks for looking! Have a great weekend!

Springtime

2011-03-19T21:27:00.000Z

It is holi festival in India, festival of colours welcoming the onset of spring! There was lots of sunshine in Hamburg too, today and all went to inspire me to put lots of colours on paper, presto, here comes a painting celebrating colours! (We had spend more than 3 years in Holland and the memories of the windmills and the tulip fields are always with me!)

Happy Holi! Thanks for looking!

St Pauli Quays, Hamburg

2011-02-20T10:09:00.000Z

St Pauli quays serviced international navigators for centuries in Hamburg even though they service only passenger ferries touring Hamburg city these days. My second painting in Hamburg is inspired by this historic site. Done on a half sheet Bockingboard paper, you may find lots of loose energy in this painting.

Thanks for viewing, comments welcome!

Shaniwarwada, Pune

2011-01-25T21:06:00.000Z

Shaniwarwada was the stately mansion originally built as the residence of the Peshwas. Completed in 1732, it is a major tourist attraction in the old part of the city of Pune, Maharashtra in India. I visited this place in November last year and took this photo.

My painting measures 37x28cm on Arches 140 lb Cold Pressed paper. The foliage was the toughest part and I wanted to do it loosely. The afternoon shadows cast a spell when we were there spending a leisurely two hours in this historic place. Thanks for looking, comments welcome!

Break ke Baad!

2011-01-19T09:25:00.000Z

Hi, happy new year greetings to all! It was a longer than usual break for me! Even after setting up the painting stuff in a new place(we are now in Hamburg, Germany), I was suffering from jitters I always get after a period of no painting! Million butterflies in the stomach! Since I have to start somewhere, I looked at a historic building not far from our place, Torhaus (Tor House) originally built in 1757 now housing a museum totally immersed in snow. A snow painting is the right place to start as snow is the easiest thing to paint, in fact you don't have to paint it at all! This painting in a way got me into the groove! No better way of breaking ice, than painting snow! Happy looking! Thanks!

Snow in Hamburg

2011-01-10T06:45:00.001Z

I shall photo these trees in summer, hopefully in a different hairstyle!

2011-01-10T06:45:00.000Z

Sketches that kept me going!

2010-12-07T12:48:00.001Z

For a month now I was on the move continuously, crisscrossing India from Delhi to Coimbatore, Coimbatore to Chennai, Chennai to Hyderabad, Tirupati, Pune etc and I couldn't find that tranquil space for myself to put brush to paper. I had of course managed to put the pencil and the sketchbook to good use that helped me keep in touch with art all the while. Here are some serious ones and some playful ones, some might accidentally resemble some celebrity but I was just having fun. Thanks for viewing.

Have a nice day!

River Dee and church, Llangollen

2010-11-05T06:00:00.004Z

This is the view of the village Llangollen and its Church from the river Dee, (Wales, UK) one afternoon of this summer. A majestic view from the rocks inside the river. Here is my photo

and the painting done on Arches 640gms Not paper. Thanks for viewing, comments welcome!

Lower Slaughter, Cotswold

2010-11-01T17:43:00.006Z

We visited this beautiful Cotswold village, Lower Slaughter in September this year on our way from Burton on Water. It was a sleepy afternoon with clouds hanging over. A typical cotsworld village scene, I was attracted by the overpowering trees and their reflections in the waterway. Focussed on the trees and the reflections I overlooked the clouds to make a simple sky. I think that helped to direct the attention to these two elements. Arches 300 gms rough surface took some punishment while I floated wahes over washes all over not excluding the sky, which saw 3 glazes of different colours.

Thanks for viewing! Comments welcome!

Woodbridge:Suffolk Coast

2010-10-20T11:49:00.000+01:00

The Tide Mill at Woodbridge (Suffolk) is one of the most painted spots in the UK. The fishing boats against the shimmering tides always attract painters especially the maritime painters. This scene is just across the Tide Mill (I am planning to paint the Tide Mill separately soon) it was probably the last sunny day of this summer, we sat outside the Waterfront Cafe enjoying the hot sun and a hot meal looking at this scene before us, which got imprinted in my imagination.

This is my painting of the scene, a rather simple interpretation with some wet in wet washes (timing was important though), but enjoyed doing this.

Hope you like this one. Comments welcome! Thanks for viewing.

Not far from the madding crowd

2010-10-13T20:53:00.000+01:00

This is a quiet area very close to the very busy London West End, lower Regent Street! Picadilly is just a few yards and the shopping district of Oxford Street is not far away. This end of Regent street is of course full of tourists at any time, the Crimean War memorial with Florence Nightingale statue making it an important landmark in London. You certainly miss the huss and buz of the city despite being in the centre of it which attracted my in the first place to do some sketching. The busy cranes in the background are reminders of the state of Central London these days where a lot of construction activity takes place. I reduced the number of figures to four though there were more when I was sketching but compensated with some birds to add to the quiet atmosphere I was trying to portray. Lot of architectural complexities daunted me but tried to simplify them as much as possible. London always is an inspirtional city, even the quietest corner of it! Thanks for viewing. Comments welcome!

Father of the nation!

2010-10-04T14:43:00.000+01:00

These sketches of Gandhiji were done on October 2, birthday of the father of the nation.The simplicity of the mahatma is his greatest quality and how he was able to inspire a whole nation behind him both the educated and the rural masses is in no small measure due to this quality. I thought a nice way to pay tribute to the great man that Gandhi is to capture his simplicity in these sketches! Thanks for viewing!

British Waterways

2010-09-23T11:02:00.000+01:00

Addition of a new colour 'Lemon yellow' to my palatte has done wonders to my greens which are now brighter and more vibrant, very suitable for depicting summer foliage. It can be seen in my 'twin' paintings here where two thirds of the composition are foliage!

I came across these two identical scenes in our recent visits to Wales and Watford(just outside London). The first one is Llangollen canal (North Wales) on which boats take people onto the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. We were taken to this lovely scene by our friends Latha and Sanjeev when we visited them in Chester in August.

Llangollen Canal in Wales

In my painting, I let the sky in a lot more than in the photo.

The second one is the waterway at the Cassiopark near Watford where we spent a relaxed evening with our lovely hosts Kelvin (Sky News) and Sarah last month. The sprawling park was just a stone's throw from Kelvin's house. Both of the amazing canal scenes shrouded in foliage inspired me to experiment with my greens and I was thrilled to see the range of shades of green I could come out with the use of the new colour Lemon Yellow!

Grand Union Canal in Cassiopark near Watford

My painting closely adheres to the photo mostly!

Some photos of our visits are here to recall the mood and atmosphere of these two beautiful scenes! Thanks for viewing!

With Latha and Sanjeev at Llangellan Canal

Another view of the Llangellan Canal

With the family of Kelvin in Cassiobury Park

Boats in Grand Union canal in Cassiobury Park

Have a nice day!

Good (bye) times!

2010-09-14T10:44:00.004+01:00

In a way 'our revels are now ended'! At least in London. Time to say bye to all dear ones. And I am now packing my paints and brushes, not before my last foray into portraits, my newest passion !

This one I presented to our dear friends Dr John and Wendy Marr, a very adorable couple with whom we spent a day in their lovely idyllic home outside London.

Dr John and Wendy Marr happy with my little portrait of them

Both are ardent indophiles, Dr Marr received the prestigious 'Padma Shree' award last year! Their varied interests outside their academics include botany, flora and fauna, model trains and aeroplanes, music, photography - just to name a few! We spent a very educative afternoon in their garden learning about various plants from all corners of the world, ably maintained by the very green hands of Wendy! My heart almost stopped when suddenly Dr John climbed a rickety ladder to pluck juicy fig fruits for us!


Afternoon tea in the garden


Burmese Pagoda which came to London in 1917 for an Imperial Exhibition!(Very interesting story how it found its way here!)


Tasmanian Fern


Leaves of a Japanese tree mostly found in Buddhist monastries with herbal uses

We were both amazed to know about their adventurous journey from London to India in 1969, in their newly bought Austin Minor (the backdoor of which is still preserved) very nicely captured in a poster of photographs from that visit! With razor sharp memory Dr Marr can recall myriad anecdotes with accurate names and places! A veritable treasure-house of knowledge we were lucky to partake of! Even after their retirement, they keep a very busy schedule teaching at the SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. When I presented my portrait with my apologies for being a learner of portrait painting, he said, ' Murugesan, would not the world be a dull place if there is nothing new to learn or do everyday?'- which in a nutshell is the message of the man and also is the secret behind his and Wendy's youthful energy! Truly cherishable moments!

Aberdeen Street Scene

2010-09-02T20:40:00.000+01:00

This is a quieter corner of otherwise bustling high street of Aberdeen city in Scotland(Castle street). Henry's Bar & Cafe leads you into the painting aided by the lined pathway - a common design device! A portion of the Castle is visible at the end of the street where the eyes stop! The figures in the foreground were added 2 days after I thought I finished the painting. Ofter I leave a painting for a few days and sometimes come up with some missing piece (not very obvious at the time of painting) which completes the puzzle! Thanks for viewing! Have a nice day! Comments welcome!

Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

2010-08-23T17:18:00.000+01:00

Situated in the Scottish Highlands, Eilean Donan castle with the mountains in the background offers a magnificent view to the viewers from wherever you look, even from far afar! The sky here is the major source of the mood and atmosphere! I tried it wet in wet and the thrill almost killed! Only three colours used which gives harmony and unity to this piece which has lots of hard and soft edges. Thanks for looking, have a nice day!Comments welcome!

Cromarty Firth

2010-08-16T09:50:00.000+01:00

This is another spot we stopped on our way to Cromarty village. Giant oil rigs were trying to spoil the scenic quality of the coast landscape but I narrowed on to this view with the telephone poles helping the perspective.

I followed the composition of the photo faithfully in the painting. I was amazed at how if you like a subject you never stop till it is done, that is not my usual style/speed!

Thanks for viewing, have a nice day! Comments welcome!

Chanonry Point, the dolphin view point in Scotland

2010-08-12T13:51:00.001+01:00

Chanonry Point is reputed to be one of the best spots in Scotland to view Bottlenose dolphin but we were unlucky with our timing when we reached there last week! It is difficult to synchronize with the tide when you are on a coach tour! We sat there for god knows how long without blinking an eyelid but no mammal in sight! But the scene sunk in me so deeply that this was the first thing that jumped out of me to paint after we returned. At least the Scottish clouds were merciful to withhold what looked like an outburst anytime, making us just count the blessings! Please visit the collection of photos of our Scotland visit where you can find the reference photo for this painting, here is the link:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/murugesan18/Scotland2010#

Thanks for looking, comments welcome, have a nice day!

Three in One!

2010-07-31T20:34:00.005+01:00

Three paintings from different areas of UK! One from inland Wales, one from Norfolk coast and one from the Lake District. The first one is from the small parish of St Margaret Newton in Wales very near Hay on Wye, I liked the Church so much I was inspired to do it again, a second time. Just changed the style a bit as well as the angle.

The second one is from one of the West Norfolk coasts. It is a simple and uncomplicated coastal scene, with everything crisp about it.

The third one is from a scene on the way to Wastwater, Cumbria in Lake District. Very exciting scene with lots of things going on all over, water, bridge, buildings, walls, gate, sky, trees and mountain and fields. Started with some under painting which helped in maintaining the harmony in a painting where each element is fighting for the viewer's attention.

Thanks for viewing, comments welcome!

It's All About Art!

2010-07-26T13:39:00.000+01:00

Three days full of painting demonstrations and workshops, in all media(I missed one though!) at Islington, London from 22 to 24th July, 2010. Great opportunity to see famous art teachers at work through out the day and to learn their tricks and techniques.Terry Harrison, Geoff Kersey, Matt Palmer, Fiona Peart, Vic Bearcroft - just to name a few I liked. I enjoyed spending two full days there. It was fun to do workshops and I tried soft pastels which were good for portraits.

This was Geoff Kersey demonstrating a winter scene.

This was Terry Harrison demonstrating a summer scene.
Here are my versions. The last two are done with pastels:

Thanks for viewing, comments welcome! Have a nice day!

Putting Punch into Watercolour

2010-07-20T13:19:00.000+01:00

Just returned from a grinding 3 day painting course 'Putting Punch into Watercolour' by famous painter and author Tony Paul in a picturesque village - Castle Rising in West Norfolk, close to Kings Lynn. He taught us a new technique developed by him and for 3 days we were trying to put that to work in our paintings. We did all our paintings 'pleine aire' and under difficult weather conditions. Especially the second day when we went to Old Hunstantion beach where it was very windy and blistery. I enjoyed the whole trip thoroughly and the experience of painting outdoors, the course was finished off with the teacher's analysis and evaluation of all our paintings. Though I understood his concept, I could not bring that out in my paintings because of various reasons, but I plan to redo all of them to see if I can master the technique he taught us. Here are some of the pictures from the course:

The West Norfolk Arts Centre

Our teacher giving tips

The subject of our teacher's demo

The result of the teacher's demo

My effort, after spending a good 3 hours!

My effort of the afternoon, had tough time with my greens!

Subject of my Sunday morning painting, Old Hunstantion beach.

My painting done in typical coastal windy conditions. My easel was blown up twice and my palette was full of sand!

Our well earned lunch, at the Ancient Mariner.

We moved into the village of Old Hunstantion to paint in less hostile conditions. I chose this subject for my painting.

After 3 hours, I produced this.

After the class, I managed to do some sightseeing, this lavender farm was fascinating!

I chose this view for my subject on the third day.

My painting of it.

I was not sure if we understood what we were taught well enough, so we requested for another demo, which Tony Paul kindly agreed to.

His version of the same scene. All in all it was a very demanding 3 days and every moment of it was enlightening. Lots to think over and lots to put into practice! Thanks for sharing my experience! Have a nice day! Looking forward to the big event in London coming week, 'Art for All' by Society for All Artists in Islington Business Design Centre!

The Orangery-Kensington Palace, London

2010-07-16T12:22:00.001+01:00

This building is adjacent to the Kensington Palace and is called 'Orangery', housing a restaurant among other things. It was an early winter evening and the light was rather diffused. The highlights of the building and the parasols providing the right contrast, I painted rather loosely taking care to preserve the whites in this moody composition. Arches 300lbs NOT 34cm x 24cm. Comments welcome! Thanks for viewing! Have a nice weekend!nice weekend!

On Her Majesty's Service

2010-07-09T20:14:00.000+01:00

Close on the heels of my previous portrait of Her Majesty the Queen, comes this one, totally unplanned, unprepared! There were other projects waiting to be started, some waiting to be finished, but why did I embark on doing the Queen again? Of course I am not obsessed with the Royalty, except that on two different occasions, I chanced to meet them, the Queen and Prince Phillip,(Queen's Garden Party and Cambridge Hon'y Degree Convocation) recently. This is from a photo while she was on a visit to Canada recently. The earlier one was when she was at the Wimbledon this year.

(P.S: 1. Just a thought, on both these occasions, is she wearing the same dress? Is it due to the Squeeze?

2. At this rate, will I end up doing Merkel? Time only will tell.) Thanks for viewing! Comments welcome.

Portraits Gallery: Celebs

2010-06-28T20:39:00.000+01:00

I have taken to portraits for sometime now, some of the portraits I did recently are here. Just don't know if they can pass for the celebs they are supposed to portray! I only hope they are not unduly offended!

Have a nice day! Thanks for stopping by!

Patchings Art Festival

2010-06-15T15:05:00.001+01:00

Last Saturday I was at the Patchings Art Festival, near Nottingham. It was such a great experience and how I missed this annual art event in the past! It is a 4 day festival but I could manage to be there on only one day. I carefully selected Saturday when most of my favourite painters demonstrated their skills and shared their knowledge. I had a chance to speak with David Curtis, disappointed though that he was working on an oil painting at that time. Met my teacher and friend Peter Woolley who was kind enough to give me some tips on foliage. (Use very little of Prussian blue in the mix and pass the cadmium yellow for green most of the time.)Attended 2 of the demos of Charles Evans which were very lively. He uses only 8 colours and 4 brushes! It was shocking to know one of the colours is Hooker's Green, (which he admitted as the same as admitting oneself to be alcoholic, but he says he can make myriad greens mixing it with the other colours in his palette). See his picture below:

David Bellamy painted a coastal scene with rocks and mountains. I learnt how Yellow Ochre pushes out the other colours but gives a lively variation to the mountains. I saw Fiona Peart doing 2 landscapes, the place was jam packed and I could only stand and watch. She showed how to represent a misty background with clever use of gouache with a slight blue tinge. Peter Woolley and me admired the way David Curtis paints his architectural subjects so well. One other artist I liked very much was Trevor Lingard, I saw him do his wet in wet dark toned landscape. For me the find of the Festival was Robert Newcombe, it was a revelation talking to him and watching him do his what he calls 'impressonistic line and wash' using a sharpened match stick in place of a drawing pen. I admired his work greatly and he presented me with one of his sharpened match sticks! I tried line and wash watercolours using his match stick just to test how good it could be, here are my attempts. Though I did these in a hurry to recapture his style, I plan to use this method in a few paintings. I always had a few reservations about line and wash but my mental block is gone. It is a really new rewarding experience.

I thought summer was here!

2010-06-11T11:32:00.000+01:00

It is very fleeting, the feeling of summer, you can never trust. Nothing is as it seems to be! Anyway as the saying goes, make hay while the sun shines, whenever it does in these parts! I thought I ran into an artist's block during which period nothing came right! I always try to do something out of my way and loose to break out of that block. I saw this photo in the Sunday Times and decided to do some bodyscape in the beachscape! Gave myself half an hour and let the brush wander loosely on the beach! Thanks for looking! Have a nice (summer) day!

Hereford Cathedral, view from the river Wye

2010-06-08T16:27:00.000+01:00

The Cathedral in Hereford offered magnificent views from anywhere in the town. I liked this one from the banks of the river Wye because of the painterly opportunities it offered to paint the trees, water and the birds thereof. To include all elements I selected the vertical format and slightly herded in the surroundings to fit the frame. May be if I am planning to do it again, I will try the landscape format. This was done on Arches 300lb Not surface, half imperial. Thanks for viewing, have a nice day!

The Church of St Margarets Newton, Herefordshire

2010-06-02T21:44:00.000+01:00

While attending the literary festival at the 'Hay on the Wye' last weekend, we stayed in a small but lovely parish of St Margarets Newton, some 10 miles away from the Hay. It was on a most scenic part of Herefordshire and an early morning walk took us to this lovely old church with the sun just coming out after a day of rain. I wish I had brought my sketch book with me, but the early morning scene was so beautiful and was well etched in my mind.The feeling of early morning sunlight has been well captured in my painting in which I had pushed the focus to the golden mean area. The orderly tombstones had been replaced by some loose ones to give some 'life', (I mean to the painting). Done Bockingboard 485gms Rough half sheet. Comments and criticisms welcome! Thanks for viewing!

VanBrugh's Grand Bridge

2010-05-23T19:30:00.003+01:00

I took the reference photo of the Vanbrugh's Grand Bridge while visiting Blenheim Palace (W. Churchill was born here). The sprawling park outside the palace offered many scenic views, this bridge being one of them. My painting below is an attempt to present the still water and the reflections with the freshness of a watercolour impression. The foliage was my main challenge and I am happy it has come out well. The still water and the reflections were achieved easily as well as the foreground grass with the help of liquid frisket. The sky was left simple so as not to divert the attention as lots of things are happening below.

Thanks for viewing. Comments ( & criticisms) welcome, as always!

Cornwall Coastline

2010-05-18T06:00:00.007+01:00

The Cornwall coast offered some magnificent views for painting.

The first one is off the Lands End coast. Boats provide some link outside the elements of nature which these two paintings depict. It was fun doing the water, mountains, cloudy sky and a bit of the sandy beach..

The second one is off the peaceful village of St Agnes. Hope you like these paintings. Thanks for viewing.

On homeground!

2010-05-13T11:16:00.000+01:00

Distant hills and coconut treeline setting up the background, green paddy fields forming the middle ground and and a lonely furrow in the foreground is an ideal subject for this portrait format! Taking the eyes into the painting and holding them there are the big shapes of the fields and their varied angles. Deliberately kept the trees taller than they should be to give that vertical contrast to the frame when all else is horizontal! I put elements from different reference photos to create this exercise in design, without loosing the spontaneity of a simple subject. Thanks for viewing! Comments welcome!

(Half sheet Bockingford 425gms NOT surface, W&N tubes-lemon yellow, ultramarine, cobalt blue, burn umber, manganese violet, rose madder)

Kyrenia, Turkish Cyprus

2010-05-07T16:48:00.000+01:00

Kyrenia, Turkish Cyprus is a harbour town busy with tourists with an old castle on the beach. Last December we were there and it was a nice sunny day. You cannot miss the sunlight in this painting done on a half sheet of Arches NOT paper 300gms. Thanks for viewing and comments welcome as always.

2010-05-03T15:48:00.000+01:00

Church of St Leonard, seen from the Charlacote Park, near Stratford upon Avon. 51cm x 33 cm
This was based on my photo taken last year when visiting Stratford upon Avon. The Charlacote Park, a National Trust property, is outside Stratford upon Avon and at a distance from the sprawling gardens of that property looms this beautiful church. The sky in the photo was a gloomy one which I transformed into a dynamic one, the accidental blooming just above the Church roof adding to the liveliness. Thanks for looking and comments appreciated!

One from Rajasthan!

2010-04-28T08:28:00.000+01:00

Rajasthan always evokes emotions of bright and bold colour and exotic expanses of landscapes which are unique to this western state of India. I tried to combine both in this landscape with the focus on the colourful ladies fetching water. The lonely and bewildered goat acts as an eye-stopper and also as a contrast to the blithe group of colourful ladies. Done on Indian hand-made paper, 71 cm x 52 cm. Thanks for looking and comments welcome!

Portrait of my wife and a landscape of a scene from India

2010-04-21T20:00:00.003+01:00

I did a portrait of my wife to mark our wedding anniversary which passed by recently. I selected a photograph taken a few years ago which was a favourite of mine. Here it is, 37 cm x 28 cm CP watercolour paper 140 lb.

The second painting is a landscape very close to my hometown, it is a river called 'Chinnar'. I tried a style called as 'bio-mimicry' by the Artist Joe Dowden while doing the trees and the foliage, its a tough thing and time consuming procedure, but I liked the end result. It is done on Waterford rough 640gms watercolour paper, 52cm x 34cm.

Your comments welcome! Thanks for looking!

Hovis Hill (Gold Hill) of Shaftesbury, Dorset

2010-04-05T20:33:00.002+01:00

Not been able to paint for while what with our holiday in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Isle of Wight, some of the most beautiful places in the UK and a busy Ester period thereafter. Alas the weather was not our ally but we were able to cover most of the important places we had planned to see. The famous ' Hovis Hill(Gold Hill) street of the village Shaftesbury is one! I remember having participated in a challenge to paint this quaint street last year in the Wetcanvas forum. This street is made famous by the Hovis bread ad, have a look!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFLBvLxLJMI
After visiting this place, I really was motivated to do a little painting of this scene. Here is my version. I did this on a watercolour canvas and I liked the surface. I did this small since I am new to this surface. May do more, bigger ones soon! Comments welcome! Thanks for looking!

Temple goes to West Coast

2010-03-16T13:48:00.001Z

Thanks to my facebook id 'muruarts' created by Srich and his hard sell, two of my paintings are crossing the seas to the West Coast of the USA! Raga and Greg, are going to be the proud owners of the following paintings, which though are already sold, have been recreated for them. In my fourth attempt at the Shore Temple, I arrived at a close proximity to the original version, but I like the other three attempts also which convey stronger atmospheric moods.

The Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

The other painting, 'Winter in Pirohova' did not tax me too much, the second attempt coming good. Lesson learnt-recreation is not easy, even your own paintings-water colour is a great leveler!

Winter in Pirohova, Ukraine

Thanks for looking! Comments welcome!

Sunset in God's Own Country

2010-03-08T13:30:00.001Z

This one is from Kerala, God's own country. I had a photo of the coconut trees and some boats in the backwaters. I wanted to add some drama by making it a sunset scene, so that I can play with colours. The distant row of trees is a device to give depth to the scene. The horizontal boats balancing the vertical trees. The coconut foliage was the difficult part of the painting. I enjoyed doing the water and the reflections. Hope you will like the painting-done on Arches rough surface, half sheet.

Comments welcome, or just let me know your reactions just with a click.

Thanks for looking!

Village Street

2010-03-01T16:29:00.000Z

Trying to get out of a painter's block! Was unable to focus on anything! Forced myself to do something not too demanding to break the deadlock. This is from a reference photo from our visit to India (Tamil Nadu) last year. We were coming out of an ancient Amman temple (Goddess Periyanayaki) which was adjacent to the famous Darasuram temple near Kumbakonam and this street beckoned us. The blaring sunlight made us squint our eyes becasue the temple precincts from where we were stepping out were poorly lit and were rather dark. So what struck me in this was the sunlight which I tried to portray as the main attraction in this effort. Made on Arches Rough surface measuring 20"x14".
Comments welcome! Thanks for looking!

My loved one/s!

2010-02-17T16:12:00.000Z

Blue and yellow - two of my loved primaries, close to my heart, are the basic colours in these two paintings! The yellow roses I wanted to finish on Valentine day but could not and the blue one I finished today . The roses were from a demo in a magazine, just wanted to loosen up, the ship painting is a repeat of my earlier study which I wanted to do on a bigger sheet of paper, just to re-experience the joy I had while painting the blue sky and the water for the first time. Thanks for your time, comments welcome!

Many Splendored thing!

2010-02-12T16:54:00.000Z

To borrow a line from Emily Dickinson, like love, Hyde Park is a many splendored thing. It has got immense variety, ever changing colours and moods! Just cross the Serpentine Bridge and the Kensington Palace Gardens offers no less! Living close to these sisters in bloom, it is no surprise that I have done many paintings inspired by these two parks. Recently I did four paintings, each from a different angle showing different feelings. Hope you will like them! If ever you visit these places, try to locate these amazing scenes!

This is the Lido Restaurant, Hyde Park.

This is a view of Kensington Palace in winter!

Sunrise on the serpentine bridge !

Another view of snow-laden Hyde Park.

All done on half sheets, rough surface.

Comments welcome!

Fairy Queen

2010-02-10T08:52:00.000Z

I was doing some scenes of Hyde Park when I suddenly came across this majestic vessel in an old travel magazine I was going to dump. Dropped everything to do a quick study of this beautiful ship. Quite satisfied with the impact this made against the cool sky and the rough sea. Hope you like it too! Thanks for looking.
Quarter sheet of Montval cold pressed paper.

My Pet Project II

2010-02-01T21:18:00.000Z

This time it is the turn of my grandnephew, Pranav. He is four and a half years and cannot stomach the fact that I painted his sister and not him. His sister's portrait is in hiding till now and it can be made public only when I paint her brother! Now that I have accomplished that, my grandniece's portrait can be shown to all now!

I am happy that this has come out nicely, hope he likes it when he sees it, it is waiting for him.
Comments welcome!

My Pet Project!

2010-01-16T16:09:00.000Z

One day I put my grandniece's photo as desktop background image and since then whenever I was in front of the computer, I couldn't resist the temptation to paint her portrait! I was very unsure as portrait is not my forte as I had learnt when I painted my wife a few years ago which she described as a 'witch'. I had to plead 'not guilty' at that time-putting the blame on my lack of skills! We visited the National Portrait Gallery in London last weekend and may be I was inspired to do a portrait and what more appropriate subject there can be than this cute little grandniece of mine!

I had spent a lot of time playing with her around Christmas and the perplexed look on her face looking at the flashing camera was the moment I tried to capture in this painting. Alas, I lost that moment somewhere along the painting, but I am well satisfied at the end product. Here are the reference photo and the painting, measuring 37x28cm on Montval watercolour paper 300 gsm (NOT).

Comments will be much appreciated!

One more street scene!

2010-01-13T16:33:00.000Z

This is a sleeping street in Swamimalai town, very close to Kumbakonam, in Tamil Nadu (India) where we spent three days recently. We had parked on this street when we went to collect the Chola Statue(in bronze) we had ordered. The art of making bronze statues is a tradition preserved from the 10th Century in these parts and we had a demonstration of it which inspired us to buy one. This street houses a few of the sculptors and their showrooms, the one we bought was from a cooperative of sculptors just down the road.

I tried to capture the sunlight in this street apart from conveying the general mood of this sleepy town in an afternoon. One lone scooter is speeding with a pillion rider, just enough life to indicate some activity. I did not make much compositional changes to the reference photograph I took except to crop off some portion of the left which is also here for you to see.

And here is the painting measuring 38x27 cm on Montval watercolour paper(140lb).

Comments are welcome, as always!

Happy new year!

2010-01-08T12:28:00.000Z

Hi, folks, wishing all of you a very very happy, prosperous and healthy new year! It is quite sometime since I blogged! We had a wonderful visit to India (Chennai, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Thirukadaiyur, Swamimalai, Kumbakonam, Coimbatore, Udumalpet, Tirupur and finally New Delhi). The magic of India is still fresh with me, please have a glimpse of some of the places we visited by clicking this album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/murugesan18/IndiaVisit2009#

Though I went with my travel painting kit, never had a chance to paint, but did some sketches during the last leg of the visit. Some of them are here!

My first painting of this year, a village scene from Tamilnadu, India, using a photo I took near Thirukkadaiyur. I especially enjoyed working (for the first time) on the handmade paper I brought from India, which is very versatile and very forgiving! 49cm x 33 cm.

Comments welcome, as usual!

London Eye from St James Park

2009-11-17T16:50:00.000Z

I desperately wanted to finish this one which was on my table for quite sometime, before I leave for India for a month! Feels good that there is no unfinished work to come back to! The sky was spontaneous and I like it. The foliage and the buildings also came good. But I had to work hard at the water and the reflections. Am I satisfied with the result? Yes, I can say yes, sort of. Anyway, here is it, and plese judge for yourself! Thanks for looking and may be there will be a break in this chain for sometime, planning to do some sketching in India. See you soon!

53 x 32 cm Saunders Waterford Rough 640 gms

Mellow mistfulness

2009-11-12T08:16:00.000Z

London in a mood of mellow mistfulness! I tried a different technique to bring out this mood of London in this, lot of work, pouring, masking, pouring, masking, it goes on, till I get the desired results. Used only three primaries in this experiment. I won't rate it great but after working so hard, I thought I should share it with you. It is a love's labour, after all.

38cmx29 Montval cold press paper.

Comments welcome!

Brighton Marina

2009-11-04T22:29:00.000Z

One more from Brighton visit. It is the same West Pier but with a different atmosphere! I included a family with children playing in the beach to show some activity. The sky is overcast but I cropped it to give a peaceful look. Thanks for looking. Comments welcome!

Ambleside, Lake District

2009-10-31T20:04:00.000Z

The Windermere lake in the Lake District offers a very long cruise opportunity with lots of picturesque views along the route. We started the cruise from Ambleside village where we stayed this summer. It was a very cloudy day with typical UK weather. I tried to capture the misty conditions in this attempt!

Hollyhocks: A Floral

2009-10-21T19:25:00.000+01:00

Did something different! A floral! Just for the heck of it! I used a photo from the image library of Wetcanvas Forum. Masked the drawing to do the background, floated washes very wet in wet, the result is not what I expected. When dry, removed the masking and did the flowers and the leaves.Some of the paper surface came off with the masking, (I should have used a different paper). Still not so bad, the leaves do not show very well because of the dark background, but the flowers stand out in contrast. May be I will avoid the pitfalls next time.Enjoyed the experience, though.

W&N Artist Watercolour paper 37 x 30 cm

West Pier, Brighton in sunset

2009-10-20T16:02:00.000+01:00

The iconic West Pier of Brighton was devastated in fire in 2003. But the remnants offer a beautiful subject on a backdrop sunset. I remember the warm evening I spent recently with the sun disappearing slowly in the horizon when I spent a long time walking up and down the shingled beach.

I tried to capture the atmosphere of the place with some warm colours and added some human interest. I hope you like it!

(51cm x 32 cm Saunders Waterford 645 gms Rough)

Thanks for looking and comments and criticism welcome!

Brighton Pier

2009-10-12T15:57:00.000+01:00

Painting piers is every painter's dream. It offers challenges like the sea, sky, people, buildings and ships. Perspective also plays an important part of it. Am I ready for it? I Just gave it a go. My first wash of the sky was lighter than I wanted but I went over it a second time. It was risky but paid off. The beach area was actually shingles but I simplified it by making it sandy. I enjoyed doing this one. Hope you do the same looking at it.

Here is the referene photo:

Here is the painting: 52 cm x 31cm Saunders Wateford 640 gms Not surface

Comments welcome!
Thanks for looking.

Painting Workshop by Joe Francis Dowden

2009-10-08T17:37:00.000+01:00

Yesterday (7 Oct 09) I made a long (lonely) journey in pouring rain to Sompting, West Sussex with only the  amiable satellite navigator for company, to attend a painting workshop by Joe Francis Dowden. Here are some of the photos of the workshop, the empty table on the second photo is mine. 

The first painting was the demo done by Joe.

This one is my output in the workshop.

Not satisfied I tried to redo the painting at home this morning, trying to recollect the steps we went through yesterday but alas I could not attain the mastery of Joe!

He was magical! A great teacher and a fantastic person. Came back home again in torrential rain which stopped only as I entered London. However a day well spent, learnt a trick or two! Thanks for looking!

Jack and Jill: Twin Windmills near Brighton

2009-10-06T10:19:00.000+01:00

Last week we were in Brighton and surroundings. It was a Sunday and may be the 'last of the summer days' for this year, sunny barbecue weather like no other seen so far. We chanced upon a picnic spot on top of a small hill with two windmills next to each other! It made a lovely sight what with farms full of sheep and a few horses not to mention cows. I managed to do a sketch or two on the spot of the windmills and the animals. I hope you will like the paintings I made later, using the reference photos I took, all of them are here for you to see and comment. Thanks for looking!
The first one:(Photo)

The Painting:
70cm x 40 cm
Bockingford 420g/m Rough

The second one:(The Photo)

The painting:
51cm x 36cm Arches 300g/m Rough

Cheers!

Autumn Years

2009-09-30T17:00:00.000+01:00

Yes, it is not an autumn painting! The title refers to the the people who are the focal point in this painting. The background foliage is still green at the Green Park, the scene of action here. May be a week or so they will be in 'flames'. May be I can repeat the scene with autumn foliage then! The painting is done on Saunders Waterford 645gms Not surface measuring 50cm x 34cm. Thanks for looking!

Of horses and cows

2009-09-21T18:34:00.000+01:00

Before I pushed off for a weekend painting workshop, I had started a painting of two horses in a West Yorkshire farm which I had photographed on a visit in August. We were returning from a guided tour of 'The Last of the Summer wine Locations' in the quaint village of Holmefirth. When we saw the horses in the field, I was reminded of ' the White Horse Pub' which had featured in the longest running comedy serial! I took many photos, this one stood out asking to be painted. Here is the photo and the painting. Used Bockingford 425 gsm Extra rough surface, 51 cm x 34 cm, with SAA Artist paints.

This was done on the first day of the painting workshop. The Saturday weather was so good, we did not want to keep indoors painting the sketches we did in the forenoon, so we pulled out our tables and chairs and sat outside the Newbiggin in Teesdale village hall and started painting the glorious scene in front of us after a brief stint of sketching them. Made a few compositional changes, herding the cows to the right. Same materials as above. The size of the painting is 49 cm x 32 cm.
Comments and criticism welcome!

One from my hometown!

2009-09-09T09:44:00.000+01:00

Falls at Thirumoorthy Hills, Coimbatore District (Tamil Nadu, India)

This is a very nostalgic painting. This is a small waterfalls very close to my town where many a Sunday afternoons were spent in college days. Just stand under the falls and the thudding water gives you a very good massage to your whole body, it has medicinal values too. It is real heaven sent on a very hot day(which usually is), you just do not feel like leaving the water! I thought I should revive the memories of yore!Have a look at the reference photo above.

Here is my version in painting, followed closely to the reference, without any composition changes.
Half sheet of Bockingford 425gms rough surface (good for the rock texture). Used a credit card to scrape out the rocks when the paint was wet. SAA artist paints used. As always, comments and criticisms welcome! Thanks for looking!

Sunday in Hyde Park

2009-09-06T19:40:00.000+01:00

Usually I add people in my landscapes to give some scale and some life, this time I am adding landscape elements (foliage etc) to people, yes the focus this time is on human activity on a Sunday in my favourite spot in London, Hyde Park! I also tried to capture some sunlight in this glorious summer which is fast giving way! Here is the painting, done on Arches half sheet (rough surface).

Thanks for viewing, comments welcome, as always!

Townscape: Puy leVeque, on the river Lot, France

2009-08-19T16:31:00.000+01:00

Puy l'Evêque is a town on the banks of the river Lot(France). The townscape with the mountain backdrop gives a great panoramic view especially from the other bank of the river from where the photo was taken. I was inspired by the view at first sight, but after doing a sketch I realised how complicated it is as a subject. So many buildings, trees, bushes, the river and the reflection, you name it. So I went in for a grand scale simplification, confined to fewer colours, one small area at a time, took long to complete, just when I thought it is done, realized I forgot the two top left hand trees and the backdrop mountains! It is done now and I am happy!
52cm x 48 cm Bockingboard 200gms rough and SAA paints.

C&C welcome!

Here is the panoramic photo I took:

Here is the painting:

2009-08-13T09:42:00.001+01:00

The Valentre Bridge is a landmark bridge of Cahors, the capital of the region which is also famous for its Cahors wines. This bridge is supposed to be the only 'fortified bridge' in all of Europe! I visited this town in July this year and this is my 6th painting from that trip! Am I not inspired! Here is the reference photo taken by me which I faithfully followed in the painting.

Here is the painting. I made this painting on Bockingboard 200lb rough paper, 52cm x 31cm. Used SAA artist tubes.

I made special effort to portray the grass in the right hand side, using masking fluid, toothbrush to spray the paint in many layers waiting for one layer to dry before the next spray. I like the result, though it was hard work! Thanks for viewing and comments and criticisms welcome!

St Martin le Redon, Lot region, France, 2 paintings with one subject

2009-08-09T15:06:00.000+01:00

The focal point is the same building but one is from the front and the other is from behind. I like both the angles, so decided to make two different paintings.
The first one is done using half sheet of Lanaquarelle 300gms Rough and the second one with Arches 300gms Rough as I finished with Lanaquarelle stock! SAA artist tubes of raw sienna, rose madder, burnt umber, burnt sienna, sap green, cobalt blue and french ultramarine made up my palette. Comments and criticism welcome, as always!
First painting:

Second painting:

Village Scene: Belaye, Lot valley, France

2009-07-31T12:11:00.000+01:00

Got down to do some painting, after a long interval! There were too many things to paint, after the visit to France and the 3 days at the Art event 'All About Art' in London. This is done on a half sheet which has become my usual paper size these days. Rough Lanaquarelle paper 300 gms, much to my liking. I added the figures from some other photo taken from the same village. Here is the reference photo and the painting.

Lot Valley Plein aire paintings

2009-07-16T18:33:00.000+01:00

Spent a fantastic week at the Lot Valley, France. I carried my painting kit, just a palette, no tube paints since I just carried a cabin baggage in the budget airlines, a watercolour block and 6 basic brushes. The place I stayed in was Frayess Haute, a self catering establishment. It has 3 units, Bread House, Barn and the Tower. I stayed in the Tower, which has fantastic views of the sky, hills and the whole of the property. I made 4 pleine aire paintings, one of which-the Bread House- I gifted to the Landlady. I had a barbeque table to sit comfortably and paint this one. Here it is:

The next one is a church from a nearby village, called St Martin le Redon. I did this when my friend went to play tennis for an hour and a half. I had a nice place to sit opposite the church.No discomfort at all. There was hardly anyone that evening, totally deserted. It is a very small village.

This painting took lots of my energy. I walked one evening some 8 kms to this village called Montcabrier, and this site looked like medieval remains of a castle, I had to sit on the grass with lots of insects flying about, I had to hurry it up but enjoyed every bit of doing it. It was totally fresh and transparent. Here it is:

While returning back, I saw this location with vineyards and farm houses at a distance and haystacks. I came back to this spot the next day and I had to sit at a distance from the scene on a slope across the road. I liked the perspective of the vast scene in front of me. Here is the painting.

On the whole it was fun all the way, I could see the light and atmosphere one could capture while doing painting outdoors. I should more of this in London!

A view from Agra Fort,

2009-06-18T12:29:00.000+01:00

This view from the Agra Fort overlooking the river is fantastic, but I was interested in the possibilities of a great sky and the areal perspective that offered. Made the sky to give a peaceful feeling, the magnificence of the building and the architecture being the focal point I could capture the atmosphere of the evening sunlight. Another one for the forthcoming exhibition!

Shore Temple, Maamallapuram, Tamilnadu,India

2009-06-10T12:23:00.000+01:00

The first one I painted as a study on A4 size. Spent lot of time sketching before that to improve the composition, adding the sea was an after thought and it seemed to have worked well.

The painting below is the finished bigger version.
Your comments are welcome!

Paintings from Grasmere(Lake District)

2009-06-03T18:34:00.000+01:00

Spent a wonderful weekend in Lake District, doing a workshop with Peter Woolley. Made 2 paintings from the workshop! Here they are. The first one was based on the sketch made outside Grasmere and the second one was done just sitting outside the village hall of Grasmere.

They will be on view in the forthcoming exhibition!

Pirohova

2009-04-28T17:51:00.000+01:00

This is the third version, made for Vaish because the other original is bought already in the exhibition. Here is the painting already sold:

Have a look!
Thanks

Pirohova again

2009-04-24T12:21:00.000+01:00

This is the most admired painting in the exhibition, in all three wanted to buy it! I promised my niece I would make one for her after the exhibition. Since much water had flown down the Dnieper(now Thames) since I painted the original, (below),

I thought I should do a study before attempting the painting, and here it is:

For me the sky in the original had some warmth, which is different in the study, what do you think, skies are mostly accidental, but I can try to add the same warmth in the painting I am going to do soon.

Late Entry

2009-04-15T17:31:00.000+01:00

Just at the last moment, this painting came to life, finished, framed and already hung in the gallery for tomorrow's opening! I took the photo before framing, while framing remembered that I should lift off a door from the left side of the Church, the shadowed side, did so and framed. So this is not the final version. Comments welcome.

Barn in Peak District

2009-03-31T13:23:00.000+01:00

I made it 'big' this time! On a full sheet! 70cmx51cm! Am I third time lucky? Compare with yesterday's and let me know! Thanks for looking.

2009-03-30T12:47:00.001+01:00

Took up the brushes again, after a gap. Redone the earlier barn scene, changed only the sky, put in some clouds. The rest is the same but donot miss the sheep. Comments welcome.

Barn

2009-03-20T16:49:00.000Z

I did this today, was actually planning to start framing for the exhibition, but somehow drawn into doing this. Used a sketch done in Peak District last September. Pleased with it, overall. What do you think?

2009-03-18T15:50:00.000Z

This is a view of the Trafalgar Square as you are apporaching it from the National Gallery. There are usually a few hundred people over there but I simplified the scene with only a few people.
comments welcome.

Swans in Kensington Gardens,London

2009-03-16T17:50:00.000Z

Half sheet, watercolour, using just 3 colours. T hanks for looking.

Kensington Palace gardens

2009-03-10T17:30:00.000Z

This is a picture of Kensington Palace Garden, the point upto which my daily walk takes me. Half sheet size. Cemments please!

Buckingham Palace (Renovated!) and Venice Scene

2009-03-08T18:38:00.000Z

The Buckingham Palace painting I posted earlier has been renovated! Introduced details in the architecture and darkened the left statue and generally the sky. Looks better now!

And here is another one of the eternal Venice scenes! Tried to bring out the sparkles on the water.

Comments welcome!

Buckingham Palace2

2009-03-06T16:27:00.000Z

Buckingham Palace, from the panorama photo I made. Used just a triad of colours, I liked the experiment. Sky was added last, usually done first. I like the harmony of the colours, secret of using just 3 of them. Not too much detail, just let the colours flow on the paper but defined the major shapes. I like the visual impact. Comments please!

Size 51x33cms, ready to be framed. Thanks for looking.

Buckingham Palace

2009-03-02T12:54:00.000Z

After spending 4 days on this one, I am really unhappy with the end product, shall try once more, if I am in the mood. The cropped version looks better though.
Here is the cropped version:

Here is he full version:

Thanks for looking.