Curtains down - 2011, Welcome 2012!

Bookmarks

As 2011 is ending in another few hours, here I am wishing all my readers, well wishers and all of you a very happy, peaceful and successful 2012! Special thanks to those who constantly encouraged me through out the year to do better in various different ways.

As I welcome the new year, here are the bookmarks comprising of those works that got published in 2011, a small gift to all the readers of Little Arena.

Again, a very happy 2012 to all.. Enjoy!

Ambivalent

Graphite on paper

Straight from heaven!

Watercolour on paper (3"x5")

Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed time away from work. I had a Christmas break with family this time and managed to work on this piece, a small card using my watercolour palette.

From home to home,
And heart to heart,
From one place to another,
May the warmth and joy of Christmas,
Bring us closer to each other.
Merry Christmas!

Agony

Graphite on paper

At peace!

Graphite and charcoal on paper (private collection)

"My inner peace
Does not select anybody,
Does not reject anybody.
My inner peace
Always self-givingly projects itself". - Sri Chinmoy

Here is a series of expressions I tried to sketch using the most expressive part -eyes. Portrait isn't the arena I have tried my hands on and the thought was lingering why not? Hence beginning of a whole new learning experience with varied expressions. And through this process I am learning how challenging is it to get the expressions conveyed just with eyes, perhaps an expression needs more than just eyes! However here is a start, hope you readers like it!...

Life

Oil on oil paper 12"x18"

A wise person once advised me "Don't ever throw your paintings away... you may never know what they are worth! Even if you feel you don't like it now, who knows you may like it yourself another day! ". Ever since none of my works have bid adieu.

This is one such work from archives, an exercise done to get as many colours as possible just using the basic colours (RGB). It didn't mean much to me when I finished it and hence kept it away. To me it wasn't anything more than just rendering of basic colour combinations that I was asked to.

However when I picked this up recently, I was reminded of the saying "Life is a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get", for an artist I would like to say, "Life is a palette of colours, you never know what gets created !". In this case its not just rendering of colours that made me post this here today, I guess its also the perception with which I see it.

After all an art work gets it's life when viewed and appreciated by eyes that can see and perceive it's beauty else it's just a piece of work created for the sole happiness or satisfaction of the artist.. I ponder!

Evening View

Oil on Canvas Board - 12"x9"

I have been away for sometime, but hopefully going forwards I should get to spend more time with brushes and colours, which is always a good thing!!. It's that time of the year when I pause and applaud 'Little Arena' for it's second consecutive year of activity! I hope this spirit continues forever!

Here's an oil painting inspired by a photo reference of AB. I remember having sent this to her when I felt it's done, until she correctly pointed out to me that I hadn't put the highlights yet! It's been ages since I worked on this, but those highlights - yet to take a place on this paitning. :)

Universe

Relief print (oil on paper) - 12" x18"

This is created during first few attempts of trying my hands on relief printmaking. World is made of all the complicated, impure things around us. Yet when I sit back and close my eyes and visualise the Universe, I am drwan to this calm, peaceful, serene picture of ''Universe' in my mind. What picture of the Universe do you see when you close your eyes? If you wish to share it please leave a comment..

Chiguru

'It's never late for the good things' they say. So as I begin the first post of this year, here is wishing all the readers of my blog 'A very happy new year'!, an year filled with optimism and cheer. I wish you all the very same thing that you would wish yourself and may all your wishes come true!. Looking back today, it feels to me as though 2010 has gone by so quickly with all ups and downs, and 2011 seems to be running at a pace even quicker than that!

At this moment I want to thank all readers of my blog for taking time to read through and a very big thank you to all those who have constantly been encouraging me with your feedback on my paintings, e-mails of appreciation and comments. Please keep sending them my way and they are most treasured and are always welcome!.

Nature, has always been my biggest inspirer and teacher from the day I made my first stroke to till date. Here is one of the favourite works of mine from 2010. It's a mixed media on paper, which I have titled in Kannada - Chiguru, (Chiguru - literally in Kannada means 'a bud' of a flower or leaf or that springs into a new life, symbolising a new beginning. ).

Mixed Media on paper - (15"x21")