Thursday, February 22, 2024

Closing In


 

I am finally awakening from my winter hibernation. My spirit animal must be the grizzly bear cause that is exactly how I feel in winters, grumpy and inhospitable. Jokes apart, the very pleasant weather this month inspired me to work on my first painting of this year.


Lately, there have been too many reports of man-animal conflicts.... of animals entering human habitats. Err, wait.... or is it the other way around? Leopards especially seem to be repeatedly in the news for run-ins with humans and our settlements. And so, this piece is called 'Closing In'.



Closing in : habitats shrinking, territories overlapping, movements clashing.... just a matter of time before there's a full blown war out there!

 


I hope to use my art to give a voice to these unheard ones. So that we humans can be more mindful of the other species that cohabit this planet with us.

Check my Instagram page for more visuals and related videos.



Friday, November 17, 2023

The 'Karela' Tales

 

'Karela' is the Hindi name for the bitter gourd.


2016


In the summer of 2016, I think my mother planted a few karela seeds as her friend encouraged her to try growing these at home. Or maybe because as she always threw the vegetable peels into her pots to make manure, a few seeds invariably made their way into the mix, sprouting with the rains. Anyhow, a couple of karelas came but were quickly infested. Mom was disappointed with her maiden attempt at veggie growing and threw away the spoilt produce. But the vine remained...

Then in autumn she suddenly went away. In my grief, I preserved a leaf from the karela vine planted by her. It was one of my ways of paying tribute to her green fingers while creating a tangible memory for posterity.

Karela Leaf - 2016

2023

On a whim, I planted some karela seeds in summer and numerous vines came up. Only this time, though the initial produce was not very encouraging, I persisted. Once the rains subsided, the plants picked up and gave us continuous produce right through autumn. Incidentally, the karela vine has very pretty shaped leaves. So I decided to incorporate some into my artwork this year too.

Karela leaf prints - 2023

Managing to grow the karela successfully was a strangely inexplicable experience, as if I was completing a task left halfway by my mother. Seven years later, life had finally come full circle! Now when I place the two pieces of art together, it gives me a sense of continuity.


From one generation to another, life flows on...




Monday, October 30, 2023

Catty Conundrums

 

In the last couple of years, a black cat has been visiting my garden almost daily. Sometimes hiding behind the lilies, sometimes crouching under the frangipani. At other times, just passing through with a swagger and familiarity that sends the birds tittering away in fright.


Many times when I am out for a walk I notice that if a black cat crosses the path, folks ahead of me often stop for awhile or change their course. I am aware that in many cultures black cats are considered a bad omen and associated with negativity.
But who can explain this to a cat lover? For the folks out there who feed black cats or own one as a pet, they are a source of joy and succour. And shall remain so, regardless of what the rest of the world thinks.



While I am not exactly a cat lover but I hold no grudges against a creature just because of its colour. Rather, I admire the sleek coat of the black cat that visits my garden often. Its fur shines in the sunlight as it swiftly darts between my plants. Its eyes speak volumes as I run to chase it away, for it digs up my plant beds.


That is why I thought of capturing this visitor in my artwork. For omens and prejudices are not worth a meow in my world. And they shall never cast a shadow on my creative outings.




Friday, September 22, 2023

The Red Umbrella Revisited

 


A recent photo of the Sunaks from their Delhi visit went viral. Yes, that rather romantic capture of the young couple sharing a red umbrella, as they walked around the Akshardham temple in the midst of a steady drizzle.

Their photo took me back some ten years or so when the hubby and I were similarly caught in a downpour and shared a red umbrella. Only that we were walking in a park, and our experience was not caught on camera but was captured for posterity in a painting.

The unifying red umbrella



The similarity between the two episodes was so stark, even though we belonged to completely diverse backgrounds - a young couple handling a less-than-ideal situation, in a public space, with many eyes on us.

It made me realize that at the end of the day, no matter who you are or where you come from, it is the fleeting fragility of such precious moments that brings us all together. This sameness of the human experience is what binds us in an indefinable yet unbreakable bond.

Think about it...


Read the original red umbrella post here



#redumbrella #sunaks #mathurs #preciousmoments #candidcaptures #creativerumblings



Wednesday, March 30, 2022

New Series: Conversations

 

Bringing you this month my new ongoing series titled 'Conversations'. Set amidst urbanized nature, this series explores our interactions with our natural surroundings, and with other creatures of the planet. It presents my perspective on how the urban and the natural can harmoniously coexist.


Conversations - 1


This ongoing series is deeply inspired by real-life experiences. The first painting is an ode to our evening tea sessions on the terrace, where amidst the solidity of the surrounding trees and the fragility of the potted blooms, we interacted not only amidst ourselves but also with many feathered friends.


Conversations - 2


The second painting takes the interaction with the avian world a step further, focussing on a one-on-one conversation.

Both these paintings are acrylics on paper, and sized 11" x 7". Do write in at creativerumblings@gmail.com in case you wish to purchase or commission a painting.



Friday, February 4, 2022

Mosaic Garden Stake

 

Two months and zero posts - not a happy milestone, by any means! But some upheavals on the family front, coupled with the bone-chilling cold, kept the creative projects on hold for a while. Now here's starting the year's posting with a detailed walkthrough of our latest mosaic project - a garden stake created entirely using recycled materials. 

This sustainable artwork uses broken tiles/ceramics and mirrors mounted on a PVC pipe. To see the entire process, click here

The stake can be placed in the ground directly or planted in a container, thus giving us the flexibility to move it around, and making it an indispensable garden decor item. Love the pop of colour it adds to our garden! If you have any queries on this project, write to us at creativerumblings@gmail.com and we'll connect.


Sunday, November 28, 2021

The Lepidoptera Artist Book

 

This month I'd like to bring you my 'Moths and Butterflies' handmade journal, prepared from scratch by recycling common materials around the house. Click here to see a process video of how you can also make a junk journal or artist book of your own.


Pages from the Moths and Butterflies journal


In my artist book, I am trying to capture all the pretty Lepidoptera (species of insects) seen around the area I am located in. 


Close up of the hand-painted images

Being in the midst of green open spaces, we are lucky to have a wide variety of beautiful insects not commonly seen in urban settings. There is a wide range of butterflies, right from the tiny grass ones to large beautiful swallowtails and tigers. The moths here are also larger and include hawkmoths, strikingly colourful and positively exotic.

Given the way climate change is creeping upon us, I'd like to capture the beauty of these Lepidoptera for posterity so that future generations aren't deprived of the pleasure of knowing about them.




LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin