Train sketches I

This past winter during my travel in India I made several sketches in trains and buses. In a series of posts I hope to share my experience and sketches.

Peepul Tree temple (Arasa Marathadi Kovil)

The Peepul tree (Ficus Religiosa) is a beautiful sight to behold. It's branches spread majestically and the heart shaped leaves shimmer as they flutter in the breeze. It is said that this shimmer is akin to that of the shine on a king's crown and hence the Tamil name Arasa Maram. I rendered this pen and ink sketch on the very first day of my recent visit to Bangalore.

Sunset in LalBagh, Bangalore, India

11X16 inches
Oil on Hardboard
1999

I am submitting this painting for Illustration Friday. Dusk seems to draw a blanket over the lake as the egrets, cranes, dabchicks, and cormorants - among other inhabitants of lalbagh - prepare to call it a day and rest.

Two Palms

11X18 inches
Oil on Hardboard
1999

Thusharagiri, Wayanad, Kerala

Girls playing in Avaneeswaram (near Kollam/Quilon, Kerala)

Kerala House Boat

I had the privilege of meeting the artist-writer Mr. Manohar Devadoss. More about the great man and his wife here and here. Gifted this small black and white painting (acrylic on canvas)

Happy New Year

IF: Twist (Biggest Painting so far)

This is a 48 X 60 inches acrylic on canvas that I completed recently. I am submitting this for Illustration Friday (topic of the week is Twist). I saw a beautiful village well in Tamil Nadu, India and was fascinated by the twists and turns I could incorporate in the painting were I to base the work on the well.


Also, I wrote a poem on this well:

The Village Well with its concentric steps
Just enough to put one foot down
Jutting out inches from the brick wall
that is green -
and red as the dragonfly
that darts about the banyan
that already has a prop root or two
As it grows on the moss-green wall
of the village well.

You will see that the poem is just about the immediate visual effect that the well had on me. There is more to the painting than meets the eye - I look forward to seeing your interpretation.

I shall also write about the experience of working on this 4 feet by 5 feet canvas shortly.

Shore Temple, Mamallapuram, near Chennai(Madras)

8 X 10
Acrylic on Canvas

Please check out my earlier treatment of the same subject and let me know which one you prefer and why. Thank you.

Near Papanasam Dam

2006

Belur-Halebedu Pictures

I will be moving some popular posts from my other blogs here.

Tolerance

In Thirppurangundram, Tamil Nadu, India, on the road leading to the main Subramaniar temple, there is a mosque and a smaller Hindu temple (pretty close to each other). When I visited this town last summer this road was festooned with Communist Party flags in preparation for a public meeting. As you can see from the photographs the lines bearing the flags run right over the temple and the mosque.

Yes, we can all get along well with each other!

Azhagar Kovil near Madurai

Photograph taken on the way to Azhagar Kovil from Madurai.
August 2006

Large Spider

Entomologists/wildlife enthusiasts out there, could you please help me identify this beautiful spider? I found her in south Tamilnadu, India.

Garland/Flower seller - Bangalore

Madurai Sketches

I will first post some of the sketches I did over the past few months. Later I shall attempt an accompanying narrative. Thank you for your patience.
P.S: I HAVE UPDATED "MY WRITING".

Illustration Friday: Dance

This charcoal sketch is based on my photograph of a stone carving in one of the Hoysala temples at Belur/Halebeedu (unfortunately I am not able to recall the exact location) in Karnataka, India.

To see some of my photographs from these temples click here.

Laburnum in full bloom

7 X 9.7 inches
Mixed media
2002

Mahabalipuram

This is a small (11X14) acrylic on paper done in 2001. If I painted this today it would look very different - not only because the tsunami has forced some changes to the landscaping in the area adjacent to the temple, but because I think there are some shortcomings (for instance, in use of colour) in the painting that I would probably try to overcome. It would be great if you could comment on what could be done differently to improve the painting. Awaiting your feedback.

(I am sorry that this is the best photograph I can come up with for now. Light reflected from the glass behind which the painting is is a distraction.)